vexation the same death as dyes the one so dyes the other That is for the outward appearance of their condition there is no difference Againe there is a forgetfulnesse of both both are swept away both passe and are blowne over and they are even alike the wiseman as well as the foole But sayth he there is this difference Wisedome is the best of all vaine things vnder the Sunne The second thing that he hath found is that to enioy them to take the comfort the profit the benefit and refreshment that may be had from all the blessings of God that he hath given vnder the Sunne it is a better way and there is lesse vanitie in it then to heape vp still and not to enioy it This I found sayth he that this is the best way for a man to take the present benefit this is the wisest way so that this be remembred that you enioy them with weaned affections that you doe not so enioy them as to commit Idolatry with them for if you doe so indeed then there is a vanitie in them for then the Lord lookes vpon you with a jealous eye as that he will destroy both the things and the man as a jealous man will destroy the adulterer and adulteresse There is a vanitie in them then but to enioy them with weaned affections this sayth he I found to be the wisest thing vnder the Sun rather then to heape vp and increase possessions and not to enioy them This is that which Salomon sayth If a man say now But I finde contentment and satisfaction though Salomon found none I finde I haue a sweetnes in enioying pleasure and mirth and a high estate Why consider if thou doe I will say but this to thee it is an argument that thou committest Idolatry with them and therefore God hath made thee like to the very things themselues You shall finde the Psalmist speaking of Idols say They haue eyes and see not they haue hands and handle not and he addes this they that trust in them are like to them That is This is the curse of God vpon those that worship Idols the Lord giues them vp to as much stupiditie as is in the Idols that they haue eyes and see not that they haue eares and heare not So I say when a man will so enioy these things that he can finde contentment in them that he can terminate his comfort in them let him know this that is an argument that he is made like to them that the curse of God is come vpon him or else it may be because thou hast not summed vp thy accounts thou hast not looked backe vpon them as Salomon did thou hast not yet runne through the course of them if thou hast full experience of them and the end of them as he had thou wouldst finde them vanitie and vexation of spirit So much for the first the emptines and vanitie of the Creature I say this if God be All-sufficient it should lead vs vnto a further knowledge of the Creature and so likewise it should leade vs to a further knowledge of Almightie God That is To see a contrary fulnesse in him I must runne briefly through this Labour to see him in his greatnesse labour to see him in all his Attributes to see him in his vnchangeablenes to see him in his eternitie in his power in his providence You shall see in Psal. 102. 21. what vse the Psalmist there makes of the Attributes of God I said O my God take me not away in the midst of my dayes thy yeares indure from generation to generation thou hast before times laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the worke of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt indure even they all shall waxe olde as a Garment The meaning is this when a man hath proceeded to this that he sees the vanitie of the Creatures he lookes vpon them all as that they will all weare and waxe old as a Garment A garment that is new at the first with long wearing you know will be spent and will breake into holes and at length be fit for nothing but to be cast away So sayth he shall the whole body of the Creatures be Now when we consider this that it is a mans owne case and every Creatures let a man helpe himselfe with this that God is eternall and remaines for ever and therefore if a man can get to be ingraffed into him to dwell with him that will helpe him out of that weakenesse and mutabilitie and changeablenesse that is in the Creature and therefore in Psal. 90. sayth he Lord thou art our habitation from generation to generation As if he should say When a man dwels with God he is a safe house a Castle that when generations come and goe times over our heads there is a change of all things yet he is a Rocke he is a Castle he is a Habitation there is no change in him So that when you finde these defects in the Creature goe home to him and labour to see his immutabilitie and eternitie And so likewise when thou seest thy inabilitie to doe any thing when thou seest that weakenesse in the Creature that it is not able to bring any enterprise to passe then looke vpon his providence and his almightie power in that he doth all things that belong to him he guides them My Beloved the serious setting of our selues to consider the providence of God and his almightie power will discover to vs his All-sufficiencie more then any thing besides In briefe consider this to perswade you a little of the necessitie of it that you may be fully convinced of it that every particular and every common thing must needs be guided by him and directed by him I would aske but this question First are not all made by him you will grant that that every Creature even the smallest are from him there is no entitie but from him Certainely then there is an end of it for he made nothing but for some end and if there be an end of it he must guide it and leade it to the end otherwise he should leaue the building imperfect otherwise he should but begin a worke and leaue it in the middle otherwise the Creature should be lost and perish and that through a default of his But there cannot be said to be any default any want of goodnesse in him in the great builder of things and therefore it must needs be â—hat he guides every Creature vnder the Sunne even the smallest of the Creatures he guides and directs them to their ends Providence is nothing else but to guide governe direct every Creature to their severall ends and businesses to which he hath appointed them Besides how is it that you see things sitted one to another as they are Is it not the providence of God When vousee the wheeles of a Watch fitted one to another when
it is not an enemy and that which is not an enemy it neuer doth hurt but if thou be not in Couenant with God now these haue a power to hurt thee there is no prohibition vpon them there is no restraint but they may doe thee hurt they are enemies to thee both those things and whatsoeuer else is in heauen or Earth Satan and euery creature hath power to doe thee hurt when thou walkest in the way when thou sittest in thy house wheresoeuer thou art thou walkest in thee middest of 1000. dangers because thou art not in Couenant with God therefore thou art exposed to the enmity of all the creatures But this obiection will be made Yea but many or those that are within the Couenant receiue huâ—t from the creatures many of those that are out of the Couenant liue peaceable and quiet liues I will answer it in a word It is very true they may be exercised though all the host of heauen and earth be at peace with them and there is not any creature can doe them the least hurt no they neither will nor can goe about it to lift vp their hand against them yet they may be exercised with many afflictions but there is a very great difference betweene these two the same disease the same griefe the same apprehension lyes on the heart and wounds the spirits of the one man but to the other that is in Couenant it is a rod in the hand of a father enabling him to keepe his Couenant the better it is as a Medicine in the hand of a Physician to heale him to comfort him to doe him good that very disease to another is as a sword in the hand of an enemy as poyson in the hand of the destroyer to hurt him As for example the Deuill had power to vexe Saul and to vexe Iob here was the same instrument the Deuill had power ouer both but there was a great deale of difference you know he had power ouer Saul as an enemy he had power ouer Iob as a friend and so likewise Iudas had a messenger of Satan to fill his hâ—art and Paul had a messenger of Satan too to sollicite him and to trouble him and to ioine with his lusts to make them as pricks in his sides but there is much difference to the one he had a restraint the Lord saith to the Deâ—ill What hast thou to doe with Iob thou shalt â—oe thus far and no further thou shalt not hurt â—ob To Paul there was a restraint too thou shalt goe thâ—s far for what purpose as there was a restraint so there was another end likewise so far it shall goe as till it hath humbled him Iob and Paul were humbled by it a iot further it cannot goe for the deuill in truth though hee be hostile to them in affection yet cannot hurt them in action because God only vseth him to doe them good and to humble them Iob was the better and Paul was an exceeding gainer by it but Saul and Iudas were great Iosets so there is a great difference betweene these two The Shepheard sets his Dog vpon the Sheep to bring them in another man sets his Mastiffe on another creature to worry it and to destroy it the Lord sets the creature vpon his own seruants but as the Shepheard sends out his Dogge to bring them in as soone as they are brought in he rates the Dog and will not suffer him to doe them the least hurt A man will not haue his seruants nor children nor his friends hurt but he will rate the Dog when he fals vpon them so the Lord doth with euery creature whatsoeuer when it comes to hurt them he rebuker it as he did the stormes and winds on the other side when a man is out of Coâ—enant with GOD then God vnlooseth the coller of the creature as it were and sets him vpon such a man and saith vnto him go worry such a man wound him be an enemy to him hurt him This obiection is so to be answered that those that are within the Couenant they are often molested and troubled the creatures seeme to hurt them though they be in League and at peace with them and can doe them no hurt Secondly it is obiected that others that are out of the Couenant they liue in peace Beloued I beseech you consider this and it is profitable to coÌ„sider that he that belongs not to the Couenant he may liue in his fathers house he may sit at Table with the children he may haue the same maintenance the same clothing the same vsage the same liberty the same priuiledges of the family as the children haue and yet for all this this is one that belongs not to the Couenant but one whom God intends to cast out Ismael you know liued in the family as well as Isaac and was as well vsed as Isaac till the time came that God would cast him out and therefore deceiue not thy selfe with out ward peace to say God and the creature are at peace with me for I haue prosperity in all that I doe No it may be the time of casting out is not yet come but in due time when the right season shal come then Ismael shall bee cast out and euery one with whom the Couenant indeed is not established Caine remained for a time but he was cast out and made a Vagabond vpon the earth Saul remained for a time in the house but in due season God cast him off so I say God may nourish and cherish and defend thee as if thou wert one of his owne children but he will cast thee off in the end We haue a notable example for it in his dealing with the children of Israel they were such as belonged not to the Couenant a great part of them and yet see how he vsed those very men Deut. 32. it is said hee carried them on Eagles wings that is the expression that is the Lord carried them so safely as the Eagle carries her yong on the top of her wings that no Fowle can reach them but she is aboue all Fowles and stronger then all Fowles and flyes higher and so they were safe as on Eagles wings nothing could reach them After that manner I carried you out of Egypt I kept you so safe besides I did not onely defend you but fed you with the finest Wheat with the purest Oyle with the liquor of the Grape and yet notwithstanding all this these men were such as God hated such as were not in League as belonged not to the Couenant deceiue not thy selfe God may doe all this and yet cast thee out he may feed the with riches in abundance and yet if thou be not a sonne if the Couenant be not established with thee thou shalt be cast out the sonne abides for euer but hee with whom the Couenant is not made though he may continue in the Family for a while hee shall not abide
are not led into the truth of these poynts because that is proper to the holy Ghost it is he onely that leades vs into them it is he onely that enableth vs so to see them as to be fully convinced so as to resolue vpon the practice of them and therefore you shall finde the Apostle S. Paul Ephes. 1. when he revealeth there those spirituall blessings that we haue in Christ when he had declared many of those glorious priviledges in the 18. verse he prayes that the eyes of their vnderstandings might be opened to see the hope of their Calling and the riches of this glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints the exceeding greatnesse of his power towardes them that beleeue The meaning of it is this when Paul had discovered all this sayth he this labour of mine will be but in vaine except the Lord open the eyes of your vnderstanding So it is when we preach to you of the All-sufficiencie of God when wee discover to you those glorious priviledges that we haue by Christ except the Lord open mens eyes except he send the spirit of revelation into mens hearts to discerne those things except he preach to the heart as well as we doe to the eare it is but lost labour sayth the Apostle if he would open your eyes to see the hope of your Calling to see those great hopes that you haue by reason of your Calling to see the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints it is not onely rich but abundant riches Againe sayth he to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power A man is able to see some thing that God is able to doe this and to doe that but to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power how farre it reacheth this none is able to doe vnlesse he haue the spirit of revelation to open his eyes to see it That even as Elisha sayd to Gehasiâ— there are more with vs them against vs. But how came Gehasie to know that Elisba prayes the Lord to open his eyes and when his eyes were opened he saw it visibly after this manner the Lord deales with his children when such truths as these are propounded to them that God is All-sufficient yet all this is nothing except God will open their eyes except he will be with them as he was with Iob all that his friends said to him would not perswade him till God himselfe spake to him out of the whirlewinde When God himselfe will say to a man as he did to Abraham I am All-sufficient then he perswades him and not before And this Beloved is the office of the holy Ghost it is he that shewes the Father and the Sonne to the sonnes of men it is he that glorifies the Father and the Sonne And in this sence he is said to fill them with Ioy vpon all occasions for the cause why a man rejoyceth is because he is informed of some good newes something he is perswaded of and when he heareth of it there followes sudden Ioy So when the Apostles were in distresâ—e in prison when they were in danger the holy Ghost brought good newes to them he revealed to them such and such things vpon this revelation vpon this good newes that was brought to them it is oft said they were filled with Ioy which is therefore called the Ioy of the holy Ghost which the holy Ghost workes in men by perswasion by revealing to them the hope of their Calling and the riches of their glorious inheritance and the exceeding greatnesse of his power working in those that beleeue And therefore this you must coÌ„sider that though we preach to you and you heare all these truths of Gods All-sufficiencie yet you are able to practice nothing till Christ reveale it to you If he come to a man when he is in a strait and say to him as he did to Paul vpon severall occasions feare not Paul I will be with thee I say if he himselfe would come thus and speake to the heart of a man that is if he would reveale it by his spirit wee should be able to practice it we should be able to stay our selues vpon him wee should be able to trust him in his All-sufficiencie and would venture vpon any thing we should be able to doe our dutie wee should be able to suffer persecution as the Apoâ—â—le speakes because we trust in the living God It is a certaine and true rule no man is able to guide his life aright his riches his credit his libertie aright except he be able to neglect them and no man is able to neglect them except he haue some thing that is better in stead of them except he see these two things An emptinesse in them And a fulnesse some where els But now who is able to perswade men of this Surely he that perswaded Salomon that all was vanitie it is he that must perswade vs without him it cannot be done What was the reason else that Peter Andrew Iohn and the rest of the Apostles were able to forsake all things when others were not Doubtlesle because they were perâ—waded they should finde it againe in Christ when others were not so perswaded flesh and bloud did not teach them but the holy Ghost revealed it to them that though they had lost all yet they should find all yea they should finde an hundred fold more What was the Reason that Demas and others when they met with persecution and temporall preferments in the world were not able to keepe on their course but turned aside when Paul who had the same temtations did not The reason was because it was not revealed to Demas but it was to Paul A window was opened to him in heaven as it were to looke into Gods All-sufficiencie to see the treasures there to see Gods power and eternitie and blessednes and when he walked in a continuall sight of this All-sufficiencie Paul cared not whither he went nor what became of him it was nothing then for him ot passe from prison to prison from affliction to affliction So as long as a man walkes in a continuall sight of Gods All-sufficiencie as long as he sees him that is invisible so long he is full of comfort so long he is able to doe any thing but when once his sight is taken from him when once he is left in darkenesse that Torches and Candles begin to appeare great lights vnto him as you know it is in the darke night that is a signe that a man is in darkenesse when the feare of men and the favour of men seeme great vnto him So it will be when God doth but leaue vs a little when he doth but cloud vs when he withdrawes from vs that light of his All-sufficiencie then we are readie to sinke and to fayle in our dutie and to turne aside to balke the wayes of righteousnesse And therefore if you would haue the vse of this All-sufficiencie if you would be perswaded that all
man be never so potent yet sayth he consider his brâ—ath is in his nostrils and he shall be made as the grasse that is in truth he is of no power But the reason now why men doe feare why men are discouraged in such cases you shall finde in the verse following who art thou sayth he that doest this and forgettest the Lord thy maker who made heaven and earth who stretcheth forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth You never finde a man that feares a great man a potent man but the true ground of it is because he forgets the Lord his maker if he did remember the mightie God he that stretcheth forth the heavens and that layes the foundations of the earth Man would appeare a mortall man You may take it for a certaine generall rule a mans heart is never possessed with feare vpon such an occasion but when he forgets God the great God he would never else feare a great man On the other side he would never be confident in such occasions but when he remembers not the Lord. Therefore learne we neither to feare them when they are against vs or to trust them when they are for vs. We vsually pittie the case of Marchants for say we their goods hangs on ropes they depend vpon vncertaine windes but certainely he that trusts in man is in a worse condition for he rests vpon the affections of a man that are more vncertaine then the winde What so brittle and so vnconstant We see that for the most part they are carried to doe vs good or evill with by-respects with something touching themselues they are turned to and fro as the Weather-cocks and Mils are that when the winde ceaseth and when the waters fayle stand still they are driven to doe for vs so long as such respects leade them no longer And therefore to trust in men it is not the safest it is not the wisest way See this in some few examples David how inconstant did he finde the people and apt to rebell against him and so Moses yea David himselfe though he was a holy men yet how inconstant was he inconstant to Mephibosheth one that was innocent one that had never done him any wrong one that had never given him occasion How inconstant was he to Ioab when he had prevailed in that battaile against Absolom How quickly was he out of grace and place when he had saved Davids life and recovered the Kingdome and Amaziah that was but a reconciled enemy put into his roome These and many such like examples you shall find Abner how inconstant was he to Ishbosheth even for a word spoken against him and a word that he gaue him occasion enough to speake a word that he neede not haue beene so much offended at he fals off from him for it and this it is to trust in man I say either in a mans owne wisedome or strength or in any other mans This place shewes what a great follie it is The battaile is not to the strong That is let a man be never so well compassed about with strength and wisedome of men let him put himselfe and his friends into the number yet he is not safe but let him trust in God and he is safe in midst of dangers Sampson and Ishbosheth when they were in the midst of their friends when they were asleepe they were circumvented David on the other side when he was asleepe in the midst of his enemies when there was an hoast pitched against him yet sayth he I laid me downe and slept Why because the Lord sustained me So that both for our safetie when we are in danger and likewise to haue our workes wrought for vs to trust in God and not to trust either in our owne wisedome or in the wisedome or strength of man that we shall finde constantly to be the best way When David abstained from going vp to battaile against Naball when he tooke the counsell of his wife and when he abstained from putting violent hands vpon Saul you see how God wrought it for him he gaue him Nabals wife he gaue him Saules wiues and his houses and his Kingdome into his hands this he got by trusting him But when men will make their owne wayes when they will goe about enterprises with their owne wisedome In his owne wisedome and strength shall no man be strong God hath said it and he will make it good vpon all occasions The conclusion therefore is if the battaile be not to the strong nor the race to the swift c. If men of the greatest abilitie are often disappointed of their hopes and ends then we should not make flesh our Arme but trust in God both for safetie in danger and to bring our enterpises to passe And so much for this point Wee now proceede Neither doth man know his time This is added partly as a second vanitie which Salomon saw vnder the Sunne and partly as a reason of the former For sayth he though men be strong and wise yet there is a certaine season to doe things in that they may mistake which causeth them to fayle for man knowes not his time and from hence he drawes this Consequence because men know not their times therefore they are snared in an evill time because they know not the good time when good actions should be done therefore evill times come vpon them suddenly that is they take them vnawares and this he illustrates by two Similitudes They come vpon them sayth he as an evill net comes vpon fishes and as the snare vpon the fowles So that in these three propositions you shall haue the full meaning of these words and these therefore wee will handle distinctly First that there is a time allotted for every purpose and to every businesse Secondly that it is very hard to finde out that time And thirdly because men cannot finde this time but mistake it therefore evill times come vpon them suddenly that is crosses afflictions and destruction comes vpon them suddenly even as the snrre vpon the fowle and as a â—et vpon the fishes And that this is the meaning of this place and that these three points are included in it you may see best by comparing it with another of the like sence Eccles. 8. 4. 5. 6. 7. Where the word of the King is there is power and who shall say to him what doest thou That is it is a dangerous thing to admonish Princes who shall say to a Prince what doest thou sayth the Wiseman There is a time wherein we may admonish Princes safely although they be exceeding powerfull although they haue it in their owne power to take away the spirit c. as he sayth afterwards yet there is a time But how shall a man know that time Saith he he that keepes the Commandement shall know no evill thing and the heart of the wise shall know the time and the Iudgement That is he shall know when
provide for him he set the creature a-worke to doe that to feede him in an extraordinary way when the ordinary fayled When Paul was shut vp in Prison yet the Lord filled him with joy and comfort you know Sylâ—s and he their feete were fast in the Stoâ—kes yet they sang with joy of heart there was such a flush of joy their hearts were so filled with it that they could not containe If a man be brought to povertie it cannot be beyond that of Iobs was it not enough for Iob to haue God for his portion did he not soone turne it did he not soone take away that and turne the River another way as it were and fill him with abundance Oh but you will say if I were a spirit and consisted onely of an immateriall soule no more I should be content it may be to haue the Lord for my portion but besides that I haue a body I haue a temporall life and therefore I need temporall comforts and therefore though I would haue the Lord I would haue these things added for how should I be without them To this I answer First that though thou be deprived of all these temporall blessings and comforts yet thou shalt finde them all in the Lord I say though â—hey were all lost and all scattered though thou wert stript of them all yet thou shalt finde them all in the Lord if thou haue him alone You will say how can that be This you must know that all that God hath wrought in the creature all the excellencie all the beautie and delight and comfort he hath put into the creature into meate drinke musicke flowers yea into all creatures of all sorts who is the cause of all this Is not the Lord the cause It is certaine then that whatsoever is in the effect is in the cause and in the cause in a more excellent manner There are some causes that produce but their like as when fire begets fire or when a man begets a man here there is an equalitie betweene the cause and the effect but there are other causes that are vnlike their effects as the Sunne produceth many effects that haue a dissimilitude to it it hardens and softens and heates and dryes and all these are in the Sunne but they are in a more excellent manner then you shall see them in the effect that is but a poore similitude to expresse that I would but yet it is the best we haue Looke now vpon whatsoever thou hast found in the creature whatsoever beautie thou hast â—eene whatsoever delight thou hast taâ—ted of whatsoever excellencie thou hast discovered and be perswaded of this that all this is in the Lord in a more excellent manner than it is in the creature Well you will say I grant this but what followes on that what is this to my comfort Beloved It is this to thy comfort If thou loose all make vse of that in Mark 10. If thou loose father and mother or brethren or sisters or lands and houses and all that you haue you shall finde all these in him for if all these comforts be in him if thou hast him alone thou shalt finde all these comforts communicated to thee That is Thou shalt finde the comfort of them in a greater measure in a more excellent manner than thou shouldst in the things themselues why else should he say You shall haue an hundreth fold with persecution And marke the instance for you shall finde the promise repeated againe and he names them every one I say to you there is no man that forsakes father or mother wife and children brother or sister or lands and houses for my sake and the Gospells but he shall receiue an hundreth fold in this world and in the world to come eternall life That is you shall finde comfort in God alone if thou be shut vp alone and yet conversest with God and hast communion with him and seest no creature in the world besides him thou shalt haue abundance of sweete comfort take all those varieties of comforts that these giue as lands giue one kinde of comfort and Parents another and wiues another thou shalt finde all these varieties of comforts in him he will fill thy soule with all these for they are in him alone Marke that reason that the Lord vsed to Moses when he complained of his tongue that he was not able to speake Send sayth he by whom thou shouldest send sayth the Lord who made the tongue who made the dumbe and the deafe and the hearing and the seeing Is it not I the Lord As if he should say Moses sure I am the maker of all these though I haue not the things in me the Lord hath no tongue he hath no eye yet sayth he thou shalt finde them all in me That is His comfort is this I will be with thee when Moses might haue made this obiection Though thou be with me yet I shall want a tongue to speake what will that helpe Sayth he I who made that I haue a power in me and if I be with thee it shall be sufficient I will finde out a way for thee that shall be as good as if thou hadst the most eloquent tongue in the world The same may I say of all other comforts in the world who made them who made those fathers and mothers who made those brothers and sisters that thou art deprived of in exile or vpon any such occasion in povertie and disgrace Is it not he that made them What if the Lord will be with thee What if he will goe with thee into banishment or into prison as he did with Ioseph What if he will be with thee in disgrace What if he will be with thee in povertie Is there not enough in him who is full of all comfort He can fill thee with all varietie by that immediate communicating of himselfe Beloved what doe you thinke heaven is When you are in heaven doe you thinke your estate shall be worse You see what varieties of comforts we now haue here When we come to heaveÌ„ shall we haue lesse varieties No we shall haue more how shall we haue it for we shall haue none but God alone we shall haue fellowship onely with him If there were not that varietie in him that is in the creature certainely we should be loosers the soule should not be filled nor satisfied And therefore sayth the Text There shall neede no Sunne nor Moone all the creatures that now giue vs comfort shall be taken away why for the Lord shall be Sun and Moone he shall be every thing he shall be all in all things That is Thou shalt finde them all collected in him and doe you thinke that the Lord shall be thus in heaven and will he not be so to his servants vpon earth It is certaine wheresoever he pleaseth to communicate himselfe to any man to reveale himselfe and to take any man into
dost thou know the treasures of hayle When you see a mightie raine sayth he who can open the bottles of heaven and who can shut them That is Consider well looke on these outward things and thinke who it is that doth this when the earth is hot and the clods knit together who can open the earth These sensible things would leade vs to see the Lord in his greatnes so sayth he who is the father of the Rayne who hath begotten the drops of the dew Againe as in a great house there must be water to furnish the roomes so sayth he from his chambers he sendeth springs throughout the world My Beloved if the water were all in one place if it were all in one river in one chamber what would become of mankinde What would become of the Beasts But sayth David he sendeth forth his springs to every mountaine and every valley that the Birds and Beasts and mankinde might haue water to refresh them for otherwise sayth he they would perish Thus the Lord hath done So againe sayth he who is it that enlightens the earth Whence comes the light and whâ— drawes the Curtaines of the night Againe who is it that maintaines all the creatures the Lyon when he runs out of his denne in the morning he knowes not where to haue his prey and not he onely but all the creatures besides Consider how he provides for all the Ostridge Iob 39 God hath taken vnderstanding sayth he from her and she leaues her young ones behinde her and provides not for them how comes it then that they grow vp that the species is not extinguished but continues Sayth the Lord I take care for them And so the Hinde that is in the Wildernes as shee calues shee bruseth her young and casts them forth and there she leaues them who should provide for them Is it not I sayth the Lord And so along But I will not enlarge my selfe further in this because I hast to that which remaines Onely this Vse is to be made of it that when you looke vpon the vniverse looke vpon all the parts of it see the worke of God in every kinde and see how he provides for the Ravens that haue neither barnes nor store-house see how he clothes the earth that spinnes not that hath no garments made for it see all that he doth in the worke of nature and by this you may learne to know God by this you may know what he is how you may well be content to haue him alone for your portion But this will be obiected I but we finde it otherwise those that are his children are they not poore are they not forsaken many times Beloved I answer in a word It is true while the children are vnder age they enioy nothing in comparison of that inheritance that is provided for them The servant many times liues in a farre better condition and escapes that correction and that discipline and nurture which the childe is subiect to and he hath money in his purse many times when the Sonne hath none he hath many liberties which the childe is deprived of The reason is because it is the time of his nurture And so sayth the Lord to Israell I could haue brought you into the land of Canaan at the first it was no difficult thing to me but I led you fortie yeares to what purpose Deut. 8. that I might teach thee sayth he that I might nurture thee that thou mightst learne to know me and to know thy selfe that I might humble you that you might learne by that to see the vanitie and emptinesse of the creature So the Lord deales with his children But yet my Beloved why should you not be content to haue him alone for your portion he hath it for you it is not for want of good will towards you it is not for want of power but because it is best for you And therefore likewise that is answered that the children of God want and those that are his enemies haue abundance but they are but land-flouds of comforts that make a great shew and haue some reality in them to comfort for the present but it is but a Pond it is but a land-floud the spring of comfort belongs onely to the Saints it may be they are but little but yet they are springing they are renewed to them from day to day they are such springs as make glad the heart of all the houshold of God And therefore what if his enemies haue abundance it is but as summer flowers though they be set in gawdy places yet they are but slippery places though they flourish for a time it is but the flourishing of a greene tree that lasts not long And therefore be not mistaken in that that Gods children want and others haue it his children haue it in a better manner But I will not stand vpon this any longer If the Lord be All-sufficient then learne hence to haue your eye onely vpon him when you haue any enterprise to doe if there be any crosse that you would haue prevented if there be any blessing that you would obtaine if there be any affliction out of which you would haue deliverance let your eye be to him alone rest on him alone for he is All-sufficienet he is able to bring it to passe as he sayth here to Abraham I am All-sufficient so he will be to all that are within the Covenant as well as to him And therefore I say whatsoever thy case be looke to him onely and thou needest no other helpe and be readie to say thus with thy selfe the greatest meane without his helpe is not able to bring this enterprise to passe it is not able to deliver me it is not able to comfort me it is not able to worke such a worke for me and the weakest with him is able to doe it You see Asa was able to say this in 2 Chron. 14. Lord sayth he it is all one with thee to saue with many or with few And the Lord made it good to him for when he had but a few and a great multitude came against him you see he was saved with those few and afterwards when Asa had a great multitude he was not delivered that he might learne to know the truth of that which then he heard And therefore sayth he we rest vpon thee Oh Lord it is all one with thee to deliver with many or with â—ew I say so it is in all things else Therefore Beloved learne to conceiue thus indeede of things we doe not vsually doe so if we did what is the reason that you provide much for your children all your care is to leaue them portions I would aske you but this question Whether can all that portion make them happy or make your selues so or any one else It cannot make them happie without Gods favour without his blessing Put the case againe they had his
that preferment that riches that credit are but emptie things they are but small things when he is to go into another world there is nothing left for him he is naked and destitute it is but a Penny and therefore he murmurs and complaines That is He sees now that it was but a poore bargaine that he made But sayth the Lord thou wouldst needs bargaine with me for a Penny and thou hast it So I say to those that are not content with the Lords All-sufficiencie but will haue present wages they will bargaine with the Lord He will giue thee this particular thou shalt haue this but remember this that it is sayd in Math. 6. thou hast thy reward If thou wilt haue prayse of men and wile doe it for that thou shalt haue it but that is all thou shalt haue If a man will haue his portion as that Sonne had of his Father Luk. 15. 12. it may be he will giue thee thy portion The Sonne that stayed at home had no portion given him for sayth his Father I and all that I haue is thine But if a man will haue his portion and will not be content with Gods All-sufficiencie he shall find that it is not best for him My Beloved consider whether it be not better to trust in God alone to rest in him alone Consider that Psal. 146. 3. 4. 5. 6. Trust not in Princes nor in the sonnes of men for their breath is in their nostrils and their thoughts perish but happie is he that trusts in the God of Iacob And he giues two reasons for it For he made heaven and earth and the Sea and secondly He keepes Covenant and mercy for ever There are two reasons in that place why we should trust in God One is though the enterprise be never so great and difficult though the blessing thou wouldst obtaine be never so hard to come by yet consider thou hast to doe with him that made heaven and earth As if he should say Lay those two things together dost thou thinke it an easier thing to make heaven and earth then to bring that thing to passe If he made heaven and earth doest thou not thinke he is able to doe that You will say we doubt not of his abilitie Beloved wee doe Wee shewed this at large before we will adde that to it in in Rom. 4. You know Abrahams faith is everyâ—where commended and what was his faith Surely he trusted in God that he was able to doe it he being assured and not weake in faith but strong He gaue glory to God and beleeved that he that promised was able to doe it Beloved though we thinke it not there is the stop that we make in beleeving the promises that is one reason he made heaven and earth The second is he keepes fidelitie for ever And in another place as it is interpreted he keepes covenant and mercy for ever Marke sayth he let Princes doe their best alas what can they doe they are but weake men their breath is in their nostrils but God made heauen and earth Secondly sayth he their thoughts perish but God keepes coâ—enant and mercy for ever there is no change in him Oh but you will say there may be a change in vs all my doubt is of that of keeping covenant on my part thus men are readie to say My Beloved consider for this I will be very briâ—fe in that thou needest not feare that thy disobedience if thou be once within the Covenant if thou be one whose heart is vpright with him shal 〈◊〉 the Lord to depart from thee he will not be unfaithfull to thee though thou be weake in thy carriage to him for he keepes Covenant for ever That is His Covenant is to keepe thy heart in his feaâ—d that thing we forget if the Lord keepe Covenant with vs he doth not suspend his promise of helpe vpon our obedience and leaue vs 〈◊〉 but he promiseth to giue vs a heart and 〈…〉 he hath promised to circumcise 〈…〉 that we shall not depart from him and therefore in Esay 40. the Lord expresseth it thus You shall know me as Sheepe know their Shepheard and I will make a Covenant with you and thus and thus I will deale with you And how is that Why the Covenant is not thus onely As long as you keepe within bounds and keepe within the Fould as long as you goe along the pathes of righteousnesse and walke in them but this is the Covenant that I will make I will driue you according to that you are able to beare if any be great with young I will driue them softly if they be lame that they are not able to goe sayth he I will take them vp in mine armes and carry them in my bosome If you compare this with Ezech. 34. you shall finde there he puts downe all the slips that we are subiect vnto speaking of the time of the Gospell when Christ should be the Shepheard he shewes the Covenant that he will make with those that are his sayth he if any thing be lost if a Sheepe loose it selfe this is my covenant I will finde it if it be driven away by any violence of temptation I will bring it baeke againe if there be a breach made into their hearts by any occasion through finne and lust I will heale them and binde them vp This the Lord will doe this is the Covenant that he makes Now consider these Reasons I made heaven and earth and I keepe Covenant and mercy for ever But you will say though I must trust in the Lord because he made heaven and earth and because he keepes covenant and mercy for ever yet the Lord doth it by meanes he doth it by friends by some mediate instruments My Beloved here is the great deceit of mankinde that we thinke that the Lord dispenseth his comforts according to those means that we haue A man thinkes if he haue a great estate his comforts shall be more if he haue many friends he thinkes he shall be safer sayth the Lord you know that place Psal. 62. if riches increase set not your hearts vpon them for sayth he they are able to doe little good Power and kindnesse belongs to me But then this obiection comes in the Lord dispenseth comforts by such meanes No sayth the holy Ghost there he rewards not men according to their riches but he rewards every man according to his workes And therefore thinke this with thy selfe thou that hast abundance of outward comforts if the Lord did reward thee according to them thou hadst cause to reioice in them but he will reward thee according to thy workes and therefore trust in him learne to reckon him to be All-sufficient learne to be to him alone But may not a man that trusts not in God but lookes a little too much to the creature prosper A man againe that withdrawes his heart from
turne I haue given him nothing he is vncapable of my gift and therefore I looke for no recompence as by merit from him Againe If God be All-sufficient let vs be exhorted to make a Covenant with him for as I told you before these words doe but containe the Covenant betweene God and vs. Now this is the Covenant that God will make with you if you will enter into Covenant with him that he will be All-sufficient to you Now that which is expressed here generally I finde in other places divided into these three particulars where in the All-sufficiencie of God consists as if they were the three parts of this Covenant First He is All-sufficient to justifie and to forgiue vs our sinnes Secondly He is All-sufficient to sanctifie vs and to heale our infirmities Thirdly He is All-sufficient to provide vs whatsoever we neede so that no good thing shall be wanting to vs. These are the three parts of the Covenant which we finde set downe in divers places in Ier. 31. 34. Heb. 8. 9. 10. 16. But most clearely are they set downe in Ezek. 36. Sayth the Lord there I will powre cleane water vpon you you shall be cleane yea from all your filthines and from all your Idols will I clense you There is one part of the Covenant that he will clense vs from all our sinnes That is From the guilt and the punishment of them Secondly A new heart will I giue you also a new spirit will I put into you and I will take away your stonie hearts out of your bodies and I will giue you a heart of flesh There is the second part of the Covenant consisting of Sanctification The third is You shall dwell in the Land that I gaue to your Fathers and I will call for Corne and I will increase it and I will lay no more famine vpon you and I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field that you beare no more the reproach of famine among the Heathen Here are the particulars set downe some are named for the rest I will call for Corne and Wine That is For whatsoever you want That is the third part of the Covenant These are the three parts of the Covenant which I shall spend this time in opening and shewing you that God is sufficient in all and to answer those objections that mens hearts haue against his All-sufficiencie for the heart is readie to object against these three to haue sinnes forgiven to be sanctified and to haue abundance of all good things belonging to this present life in all these he is All-sufficient to fulfill all the desires of mens hearts Now to begin with the first First I say He is All-sufficient to take away all our sinnes My Beloved it may be when you heare this poynt you will say it is an easie thing to beleeue it there is no difficultie in this the Lord is All-sufficient to forgiue sinnes Surely whatsoever we say or pretend wee finde in experience it is exceeding hard Who is able so fully to beleeue the forgiuenes of his sinnes as he ought Who is able to doe it when he is put to it At the day of death at the time of extremitie at that time when the conscience stirres vp all his strength and opposeth it selfe against him when all his sinnes are presented vnto him in their colours who is able then to beleeue it therefore we had neede to finde out the All-sufficiencie of God in this for the greatnesse and exceeding largenesse of his power is shewed in it in nothing more then in forgiving of sinnes Hosea 11. 9. See there how the Lord expresseth it Sayth he I will not execute the fiercenes of my wrath I will not returne to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man Marke my Beloved when we haue committed sinne against God we commonly thinke thus with our selues if my sinnes were but as other mens if my sinnes wanted these and these circumstances I would beleeue the forgiuenesse of them but something or other a man hath still to object Now sayth the Lord it is very true If I were as man is it could not be but I should execute the fiercenesse of my wrath vpon Ephraim who hath provoked me so exceedingly for Ephraim was a part of Israell and is put for all Israell and the Prophet wrote this in the time of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash when Israell abounded in sinnes and in Idolatry but sayth the Lord though their sinnes be exceeding great yet I am able to forgiue them for I am God and not man As if he should say Looke vpon weake man and compare God and man together and see how farre God exceeds man see how much he is stronger then man being infinite and almightie so sayth he his mercy exceeds the mercy of man As if he should say If I were not God it were impossible I should forgiue the sinnes of Ephraim which they haue multiplied against me from time to time So likewise in Esay 55. 7. the Lord cals them in there and vseth this as an argument for sayth he I will forgiue and multiplie my pardons so the word signifieth in the originall when a man makes this objection But it is more then any man can beleeue that my sinnes that I haue thus and thus repeated that the Lord can so easily put them away and multiply his pardons as I haue multiplied my sinnes Sayth he my thoughts are not aâ— your thoughts my wayes are not as your wayes but as high as the heaven is aboue the earth so are my thoughts aboue your thoughts and my wayes aboue your wayes That is As a man lookes to heaven and considers the great distance betweene the earth and it so farre sayth he doe my thoughts exceede your thoughts That is When you thinke with your selues I cannot forgiue because you measure me and draw a scantling of me by your selues when you haue gone to the vtmost of your thoughts my thoughts exceede yours as much as heaven exceeds the earth And therefore sayth he my wayes are not as your wayes That is When you would not forgiue yet I am able to forgiue in so great a disproportion We doe with this as we doe with all the Attributes of God we are able to thinke him powerfull as a man but to thinke him powerfull as God there we come short We are able to thinke him mercifull as a man but to thinke him mercifull as God there our thoughts are at an end we can thinke and see no reason why he should pardon vs. Now sayth the Lord my thoughts goe beyond your thoughts as much as the distance is betweene heaven earth If you say to me who doubts of this that the Lord is able to forgiue My Beloved if we did not doubt of it what is the reason when great sinnes are committed that you fall to questioning of Gods mercy when you can more
and likewise in particular it tends either to this good dutie or to avoyde this particular sinne to this or that particular service of God of Sathan or of our selues every action we doe So that not onely the greater actions marke it but even the lesser every one of them it is like a pace in a Iourney which that I may make plaine to you you must know that all the actions we do either be actions that belong to our generall or to our particular calling or such as fit vs to them Now take the lowest and the meanest action your eating and drinking your sleepe and recreation they all are steps that tend to this Iourney that tend to this scope they are steppes every one of them is a step nearer to God and to heaven if they be rightly vsed and from him if they be not vsed as they ought Whether you eate or drinke or whatsoever you doe doe it to the glory of God Whaâ— ever you doe marke that supreame scope so that all actions tend to one or other of these now you make no question but even those coÌ„mon actions are steppes that lead to the Iourney even as you see take a servant that is set to worke or to goe a Iourney that is to mowe or to driue a Cart even the whetting of the sithe is a part of his worke as well as his mowing of the grasse the provendring of his horse is a dispatching of his Iourney a going on in it as well as when he rides and so the oyling of the wheele is a drawing on as well as every steppe he takes so I say it is in these common actions that we make lesse account of our sleeping our eating our drinking our recreation every one of them is a steppe in the Iourney I speake it for this end that we may not neglect any action that we may not despise the least of our actions for there is not one of them but it is a pace or a steppe so that this you must make account of every day you finish a great part of your space for you doe many actions and looke what actions you doe see what they be examine them at night for every actions is a step and either you step towards God in it or you step from him either you step towards heaven or towards hell therefore looke to every action But this is in generall Now in particular to bring this similitude a little nearer you must consider in a walke from one place to another when you goe in a Iourney you haue these particulars First There must be a place a terme to which you walke some whither whither a man goes Againe There must be a place or terme from which a man comes Againe There is a distance for in a point or a little space a man cannot walke Againe There must be a ground to walke vpon And there must be a path for in particular Iourneys as from Thebes to Athens there is a straight path-way to walke to it c. These particulars we will expresse to you in this course of a Christian life First I say there must be a place to which a man goes terminus ad quem as we call it and that is to grace we travaile to grace we travaile to the service and glory of God and we travaile to salvation these I finde in the Scripture to be the ends and the aymes and the scope and marke at which every man is to looke in his Iourney in the course of his life Labour to grow in grace which enableth vs to serue God without which we can doe nothing Labour also when you haue it to come to the fruits and operations and effects of it that is to spend your time in doing some thing that may tend to Gods glory and service And last of all looke at the reward looke at salvation which is the end of that Iourney there is no question of the two former that the end is grace and righteousnes there is more question of the latter whether a man may make salvation and the recompence of reward an end a marke and scope to which he travailes but all these are our ends you shall see Act. 26. 18. Paul is sent to preach to the people and this is the scope of his preaching he was sent to open their eyes that they might turne from darknes to light from the power of Sathan to God that they might receiue the forgiuenes of sinnes and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ. Marke it that they may turne from darknes to light there you see the scope is light because without light a man cannot see his way Grace helpes a man in his Iourney as light doth the next thing is from the power of Sathan vnto God That is from living in bondage to Sathan to serue God to doe that which stands to his glorie and advancement and then lastly that they may receiue forgiuenes and inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in me there is the reward for a mans ayme is likewise that he might receiue the inheritance that he might be saved and haue heaven in the end So likewise you finde it expressed Philip. 3. 14. Paul sayth he pressed hard toward the marke for what purpose for the price of the high calling of God in Christ there you see that the ayme that Paul had in following hard to the marke you see there was a marke that he aymed at and that he had expressed before to be found in the righteousnesse that is in Christ and sayth he that I might obtaine the price of the high calling the price that is the wages as a man that runs a race there is a price propounded to him and when he hath finished the race he obtaines it sayth he this is one of my ends to obtaine the price so it is said of Moses Heb. 11. he had respect to the recompence of reward So my Beloved in the journey you must make this account you travaile towards grace that is the scope that you ayme at againe your end is to serue God to seeke his glory that all your actions may tend to it and lastly that you might be saved that you might haue the inheritance with the Saints Now the terme from which we travaile is from sinne from the service of Sathan aâ—d our selues and likewise it is from damnation so that you shall finde this difference in it that all men though they haue but one Iourneys end yet there are different places from which euery of them travaileth according to the different sinnes to which they are inclined some men had need to travaile from covetousnes some men againe from prodigalitie these seeme to goe contrary wayes yet both ayme at the same Iourneys end as two men that intend to come to London one comes out of Kent another comes out of the North these men seeme to goe contrary one goes
Secondly It is not enough to choose it in generall but likewise you must looke to every step you take take heede to every steppe in this way My Beloved as you heard before there is not an action but it is a step it is a pace in the way that leads either on the one side or on the other either towards hell or towards heaven and therefore it is not enough to looke that you walke in the way in generall but likewise you must ponder your steppes You see that expression Pro. 4. sayth the Wise-man Ponder thy wayes and order thy steppes aright ponder thy wayes that is a man is to consider every step he takes is this right Doth this tend towards such a Iourney or not This pondering of our wayes is exceeding necessary it is that which David constantly practised Psal. 119. 36. I considered my wayes that I might turnâ— my feete to thy testimonies I considered my wayes that is Except a man looke narrowly to it except he consider his steppes from time to time except he reflect vpon them and looke which way they tend he will not be able to keepe the wayes of Gods Commandements And if you object now why but is it necessary that a man must thinke vpon every action what his end is when a man is busie in his studie when he is busie in his trade when he is busied in his particular calâ—ing is it necessary that every particular action should be looked vpon that he should haue this actuall thought whither doth this step tend I answer Beloved it is not necessary that it should be done vpon every action but that it should be so farre done as is necessarie to keepe vs in the right way even as you see it is in a iourney when a man resolues to goe from one towne to another he chinkes not every steppe he takes I am going to such a towne for by vertue of his first intention he takes these steppes so that the marke and the ayme that he hath is the cause of every step though he thinke not of it every step he takes So in the actions that we doe I say if the ayme be right though we thinke not vpon every action we doe yet it is done by vertue of it and so God accepts of it As we see an Arrow when it flyes to the marke or a Bowle when it runs there is not a new putting on but by vertue of the first strength by which it was throwne out or by which it was shot it passeth and goes on towards the marke so it is in a mans life by vertue of the first ayme that a man hath though he think not of it vpon every particular occasion his heart goes on he travailes towards the marke therefore I say it is no necessary in every action Notwithstanding it is necessary that it be very frequently done because we are so readie to goe out of the way There is a straight way that God hath chalked out to vs and we are readie ever and anon to turne out we haue still some byas or other vpon vs that drawes vs out from that way Either some false feares or some vaine hopes or some fancy and inordinate appetite some thing or other drawes vs out that except a man looke very narrowly to it except he be ever and anon reflecting vpon his wayes he will not keepe the way therefore it is necessary that we be still considering and pondering our wayes and so much the rather because as the Apostle sayth Know you not that many run in a race As if he should say all the world travailes towards heaven every man goes something that way therefore sayth he take heede there are but a few notwithstanding that get the goale that get the price few that obtaine few that overcome therefore saith he take heede how you runne So I say there is much heede to be taken in this race many goe out of Egypt many that goe from sinne a certaine way but they never come to Canaan they walke a certaine way in the Wildernesse but they come not home Therefore to direct you in it you must know this that there is a length in this way there is a rectitude and a straightnes in this way and thirdly there is a certaine breadth in this way There is a length in this way and therefore you must goe hastily in it you must run the way of Gods Commandements as David sayth for there is a length in it that is it will not be dispatched with an easie pace God requires every man to make hast in it he must quicken his pace in the way to heaven My Beloved the cause why men goe on slowly in this way is from halting because they halt in this way In other paces sometimes we grow slow by wearinesse but in the wayes of Gods Commandements still our slacknes comes from halting and therefore you haue that vsed often in the Scriptures men are said to halt betweene two opinions that is one kinde of halting betweene two Religions he goes slowly forward in either of them that halts betweene two he profits little he goes slowly on As there is a halting betweene two opinions so there is a halting betweene two objects God and the world A man desires to serue God and yet he desires to haue vaine glory or desires to make vp an estate c. I say these divers affections these divers respects to divers objects when a man hangs too much vpon the world when he hath an eye too much vpon vaine-glory when he is tooke vp too much with pleasures and divers lusts this causeth men to halt in the wayes of Gods Commandements halting you know is either when one leg is sound and another lanie or when we goe with one leg in a higher way and another in a lower way it comes all to one that is when the heart doth not wholly looke vpon God but lookes much to the world therefore you see men much dreÌ„ched in worldly businesses that are over-come with them that are drowned in them they goe slowly on in the wayes of Gods Commandements that goe with one leg in Gods wayes and another out of them And so likewise when one affection and one desire shall be good and another shall be lame this causeth a halting in the wayes of God And therefore if you would run you must haue both feete whole and sound without lamenes and both feete must he in the way When a man is thus disposed he runs the wayes of Gods Commandements that is let him finde what is the cause of his halting and of his slacknesse if it be worldly mindednesse the way to quicken him in his pace is to weane his heart from the world if this be the cause that makes thee slacke and dull and heavie and indisposed to prayer and to other holy duties something thou doest and thou goest in thy way but slowly and dully that is the
promises and he begins first to thinke What are these promises true Yes surely they are most true they are confirmed witâ— an oath they are confirmed with the blood with the death of the Testator a mans Couenant after it is once made and the Testator is dead Gal. 3. no man addes to it or takes from it Now when a man considers this Are these the promises of the LORD hath hee confirmed them with an Oath are they confirmed with the blood of the Testator Certainely they are most true I cannot doubt of them but then he begins to consider As they are true how fit are they for mee what is the goodnes of them They are also exceeding good there is nothing in the world so excellent so precious so sweet and so comfortable as these promises bee I say when he hath done these two when the vnderstanding sayes they are true and beleeues them and when the will saith they are good and embraceth them at that very instant saluation is come to thy house and to thy heaâ—t I say Christ Iesus is come to thee at that very instant hee hath made a Couenant with thee though perhaps thou see him not at that time as Mary could not see him but â—ooke him for the Gardner but I say at that time thou art tâ—anslated from the Couenant of Workes to the Couenant of Grace But you will say How comes this blood to be a witnesse Beloued it is a witnesse in this manner when a mans spiâ—it shall consider the promises and ponder them well and shall say this with himselfe Well I haue applyed these promises bâ—t vpon what warrant vpon what ground haue I done it euery body will be ready to apply the promises of mercy and forgiuenesse but what warrant haue I to apply them To know that vpon good ground I lay hold of these promises then a man considers with himselfe the promises they are sure they are cleerely and distinctly set downe in the Word hee considers to whom these promises are offered to those that are vnrigâ— tâ—ous the LORD iustifieth the vnrighteous euen to Publicans and Harlots to sinners such they were that came to CHRIST to such the promises were offered Well I know I am an vnrighteous man and thâ—râ—fore the want of sorâ—ow and conâ—rition and the want of holinesse and the want of tendernesse of heart in the beginning shall not exclude me for they are promises that are made to the vnrighteous to the vncleane and polluted to the hard-hearted such they are at the first to whom the promises are made but what doth the Lord require of those That they thiâ—st all that thirst come I finde an extâ—â—me thirst I would dye that I might haue Christ and his righteousnesse Is this all No it is required further that when thou art come in thou take this resolution now I will serue him now I will loue him now I will obey him I will bee content to take Iesus Christ for better for worse I will be content to deny my selfe to take vp my Crosse to follow him in all his wayes When a mans spirit hath pondred this well when he hath looked on the blood of IESVS CHRIST and the promises and sees himselfe qualified vpon this he sayes surely these promises belong to mee this is the witnesse of the blood then followes the witnesse of the water for the blood hath a double vertue in it it hath not onely the vertue to deliuer vs from the guilt of sinne to cause the LORD to passe ouer vs when he sees the sprinkling of the blood vpon our hearts and vpon our persons but there is this more it hath a clensing vertue in it cleanseth the conscience from dead workes and so hath faith it hath not onely a vertue in it to receiue and to digest and to take the promises but it hath an ability to worke as the hand you know hath two offices it hath an office to receiue and to take and likewise it hath ability to worke Beloued these are neuer disioyned the blood neuer washeth from sinne but likewise it cleanseth the conscience from dead workes faith neuer receiues the promise but it workes likewise indeed for the â—eceiuing part wee receiue all alike precious faith but for the working part there is much difference you know a weake hand is able to receiue as well as a stronger but a stronger can doe more worke therefore as faith growes more so it workes more Some man hath a more working faith then others though as it is a receiuing faith he hath it alike therefore thou maist consider this with thy selfe if I haue the testimony of the blood I haue also the testimony of the water that is a sanctification ioyned with iustification Christ came not by blood onely but by water also if the spirit of a man looke on this now and can say I see I am renewed in the spirit of my minde I see I am washed from my filthinesse I see my conscience is in some measure cleansed from dead workes then he may conclude with himselfe surely I am in the state of grace I am in the Couenant And this beloued is the witnesse of our owne spirits and the witnesse of the water and of the blood But when this is done it may be the LORD continues yet at some fits to write bitter things against thee he seemes to cast thee off hee seemes to wound thee sometimes with the wounds of an enemy This the LORD many times doth that he may put vsto it hee turnes the deafe eare that hee may try what we will doe when the spirit of a man hath now these testimonies and yet hath not rest though it haue them on good ground for I meane not the naked spirit of a man but his spirit enlightned and sanctified by the Holy Ghost yet when hee hatâ— good ground and saith thus with himselfe Yet for all this I will trust in him I haue his sure Word for it I haue his promise I know that heauen and earth shall passe rather then any promise of his shall passe now when the Lord seeth a man beleeuing thus and trusting him vpon his bate word then the Lord goes a step further with him seales the same things to him with the spirit of promise that is as I shewed before out of Eph. 1. 13. In whom after you belâ—â—ued you were sealed with the spirit of promise when you put to your seale that God is true God then comes and puts to his seale he giues you the spirit of promise and assures you that it is so that is he doth by his owne Spirâ—t say to a mans soule that he is his saluation My beloued this is a certaine expression of the Holy Ghost to the soule of a man that we know not how to expresse to you therefore it is called the hidden Mannaâ— it is called a white stone with a new name written in it that no man knowes but he that
long as a man doth not chuse another Husband so long the Couenant is not broken though the failings be exceeding many The vse wee are to make of it is this If there be this comfort that though a mandoe commit many sinnes yet so long as he hath the Lord for his husband as long as he is not willing to chuse another Master still the Couenant is sure Beloued then comfort your selues with these words and make vse of the Couenant and apply the promises of the Couenant say this with thy selfe it is very true I am sinfull I prouoke God from day to day yet for all this I am not out of the Couenant and therefore the promises of the Couenant belong to me and therefore notwithstanding my sinnes I will go boldly to the Throne of Grace and I will lay claime to the promises and to all the parts of the Couenant for they belong to me Beloued this vse you should make of it wheÌ„ you heare the Couenant is not broken Now the promises of the Couenant are of 3. sorts the promises of iustification the promises of sanctification and the promises of blessings of all sorts that belong to this life and to the life to come This threefold vse then thou shouldst make of it First put the case there lies vpon thy heart the conscience of any sinne that thou hast committed that troubles thee thou art afraid that this sinne should make a sâ—paration betweene God and thee thou hast yet no assurance of the forgiuenes of it but the conscience of the sinne lyes vpon thee as that expression you haue Heb. 10. what wilt thou doe in such a case Goe to the Lord and say to him Lord notwithstanding this I know I am in Couenant with thee and Lord this is one part of thy Couenant that thou wilt remember our sinnes no more but when they are sought they shall not be found My beloued as you haue heard before they are the very words of the Couenant I say if thou come to the Lord thus and bring Christ in thine armes for that is the nature of â—aith faith first seizeth vpon the dead body as the Vulâ—ures and as the Eagles doe first seize vpon the body so faith first seizeth vpon Christ I say if thou canst go to him and say Lord I haue thy Sonne he hath offered himselfe to me he is freely offered and I haue tooke him and all thy promises in him are Yea and Amen and this is one of thy promises that thou wilt forgiue me if one plead the Couenant hard with God and tell him it is a part of his Couenant and he must be iust hee cannot be a Couenant-breaker doe you thinke that God will breake his Couenant with thee or any man he cannot deny thee he will put away thy sins strengthen thy selfe with this for this Couenant is continuall the Mediator of this Couenant is Iesus Christ who is such an High Priest that is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto him when a man hath commitâ—ed the greatest sinne and sees but the blood of Buls and Goates he might thinke thus with himselfe alas what can this poore and beggerly Ceremony doe to deliuer me from the conscience of my sinne Well saith the Apostle we haue another kind of Sacrifice and another kinde of Priest Heb. 7. We haue such an High Priest as is able perfectly to saue those that come to him And why For saith he he is gone not into the Tabernacle as the other Priests but he is entred into the very heauens Besides saith he he goes not once a yeere as they did but he liues for euer to make intercession for vs hee is not gone with the blood of Buls and Goates but with his owne blood he is a High Priest holy harmlesse vndefiled separated from sinners higher then the heauens and therefore doubt not but hee is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto him Beloued consider this it is the very Vse that the Apostle makes Heb. 10. 22. saith he seeing these things are so since we haue such an High Priest as we haue described since it is the very Sacrifice of his blood it selfe let vs draw neere in the assurance of faith that is if the conscience of any sinne lye vpon vs let vs not goe to God with a quarter wind or wâ—th a halfe wind but with a full assurance of faith let vs make no question but trust perfectly to the grace that is reuealed You must thinke so of Iesus Christ hee would haue you thinke so and conceiue of him that he is now in heauen that he is able perfectly to sauâ— you that there is nothing you haue committed that can doe you hurt he is like a friend in the Court if a man were sure that hee had one that were neuer from the King that hath his eare continually that is alway in his presence that is such a Fauourite of such power with him that certainely he can deny him nothing a man would be secure put the case there were some whispering fellows that would be ready to informe against him yet saith hee I haue one there that will be ready to take care for me My beloued this is thy very case Christ Iesus is gone to Heauen it is a thousand times better for thee that he should be there then that he should be here in this world still there he is thy Attorney as it were he takes care of thee hee sees all the accusations that are brought against thee and he is ready to answer for thee saith the Text he makes intercession if there come any thing that tends to make a breach between God and thee he is the Mediator for thee he dwels there for that end if there be any offence any breach comes that he may make it vp betweene God and thee consider this and when thou hast committed a sin go to this high Priest that is able to saue thee perfectly and remember that it is a part of his Couenant and so labour to grow vp in full assurance of faith that no conscience of sinne may lye vpon thee to make a separation betweene God and thee for beloued you ought to trust perfectly to the grace that is reuealed through him And as I say for sinne so in the second place you are to make vse of the Couenant as put the case there bee some strong lust some violent temptation that thou art not able to outwrestle it is too strong for thee thou wouldest faine be rid of it but thou art not able why what shalt thou doe in this case remember that it is a part of the Lords Couenant that he will deliuer thee from all thine enemies that thou maist serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of thy life It is a part of his Couenant to remember it he hath sworne to remember it he hath said he will write his Law in thy heart and that can
he must needs doe the same Goe through all the Scriptures and you shall finde that still the evill in the end were punished and the good in the end were rewarded he is the same God still he is still as holy as he was still his eyes cannot abide iniquitie still he is as powerfull as he was there is no change in him nor shadow of changing And therefore thinke with thy selfe he that was so severe against Saul for breaking the Commandement he that was so severe against Balaam for loving the wages of vnrighteousnesse he that was so severe against Vzziah for touching the Arke for medling with holy things for drawing neare in an vnholy manner to him he that consumed Nadab and Abihu with fire from heaven because they came with strange fire so doe we when we come with carnall affections to performe holy duties he is the same and though he doe it not to thee on the suddaine as he did to them for he did it to them for example that they might be rules for future times that he might not onely deliver precepts but might second them with examples yet being the same God he will doe it to thee at length if thou fall into the same sinne he that strucke Ananias and Saphira with death for speaking against the truth and against their Consciences he will doe the same to thee though he doe it not in the same manner because it was extraordinarie he drew them out for examples and so I may say of rewards it is certaine he will doe the same Moreover it must needes be so because Gods blessednesse stands in the execution of his owne Law in proceeding according to it Take all the Creatures vnder the Sunne and their happinesse stands in keeping close to that rule that God hath given them The fire is well as long as it followes that rule the water and so every Creature Man to whom the Law was given his happines is to keepe the Law in doing it thou shalt liue The great God hath made a Law to himselfe that is he hath expressed himselfe his blessednesse consists in keeping it and therefore be assured that whatsoever his Law is it shall certainely be performed The Law you know is this Either thou shalt keepe these things or thou shalt die for it Now a disjunctiue proposition is true we say if either part be true that is if a man doe not keepe the Law of necessitie he must be punished or else Gods Law should be broken but if either be fulfilled the Law is kept So I say it must needs be that the Lord must doe that wherein his blessednesse consists Though a sinner prolong his dayes and though his punishment be long deferred and sentence be not speedily executed yet certainely it must needes be executed for the Lord must needs act according to that rule he hath set to himselfe Last of all if the Lord should not doe it he should loose his glory If wicked men should alwayes prosper if good men should alwayes fare ill men would say there were no God in heaven to rule things to administer things by his providence therefore sayth he I will bring it to passe that you may know that I am the Lord. So then seest thou a wicked man doing wickedly and yet not punished He cannot continue long the Lord should loose his glory if he should Seest thou a good man that continues in his righteousnesse and yet he suffers adversitie and affliction he is set in a low place he walkes on foote c. he cannot continue so long for the Lord should loose his glorie and the Lord will not loose his glorie he is exceeding tender of his glorie And therefore this Conclusion must be set downe that though for a time all things fall alike to good bad though God dispence them promiscuously for a season yet certainely the issue shall be it shall be well with the righteous and it shall be ill with the wicked Therefore to proceede a little further let not holy men be discouraged because they see things goe ill with the Churches be not discouraged at it for it shall be well with them in due season You shall see Psal. 129. 3. that the Lord suffers evill men to plough the Church and to make long furrowes on the backe of it but yet sayth he in the fourth verse The Lord will cut the cords of the wicked He will cut their traces they plow long and make deepe furrowes but yet the Lord at length cuts the cords of the wicked The horses that draw the plough as long as the traces hold they draw but when they are cut they can draw no longer So the Lord will doe he suffers the Church to be plowed when they doe not Iudge themselues whâ—â— they doe not plowe themselues when they doe not humble themselues then he sets the enemies of the Church to plowe them and to humble their soules and this he doth for a certaine season but when he hath done he cuts their traces he cuts their cords and that in due season As for example He suffered Pharach a long time to plowe the Church you know how long he afflicted it you know what long furrowes he made vpon it but yet when the period was come the period that God had set the fit time then God cut his traces that is he suffered him to plowe no longer but destroyed him And so Hâ—man in the story of Hester he plowed the Church a while till it came to the very poynt to the exigent that he should haue swallowed it vp and then he was taken off from plowing any longer then the Lord cut his cords and set his Church at libertie And so he did with the Midianites They plowed the Church for a time as through the whole storie of the Iudges we see they plowed them for a certaine season till they were plowed enough and when they were humbled repented and cryed to the Lord as you shall see every where then sayth the Text the Lord heard them and cut the cords of the wicked he suffered them to plow no longer But these places will be the clearer if you compare them with Isa. 28. 24. sayth the Lord there Doth the plow-man plowe all the day Rather sayth he when he hath plowed enough marke it when he hath broken the clods then he casts in the seede c. And who hath caused the plow-man to doe this Is it not I the Lord If the Lord hath put this wisedome into the plow-man that he plowes not all day but when he hath plowed the ground enough he stayes the plowe and sowes the seede will not the Lord doe so with his Church therefore Beloved be not discouraged let not your hearts faile though you see him plowing of the Church though he suffer the enemy to prevaile against it for in due time the Lord will cut their cordes You haue a cleare place for it
Deut. 32. 35. where speaking of the enemies of the Church sayth he his foote shall slide in due time that is the expression there that is perhaps you may complaine and thinke it too long but it is not too long If it were any sooner it would be too soone in due time sayth the Lord it shall be in due time his foote shall slide Yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarrie it is but a little a little time indeede You know that is too long that tarries beyond the appointed time beyond that measure that should be set to it when the Lord doth it in due time it is not too long He that shall come that is he that shall surely come will come and will not tarrie that is he will not tarrie a jot beyond the due time and season that season that is fittest for the Church and for the enemies of the Church And as I say for the enemies of the Church so I may likewise say for the righteous man The latter end of the righteous shall be peace he may haue trouble for a time but his end shall be peace Be not therefore discouraged howsoever God may deale with thee by the way yet you know what end he made with Iob That expression you haue in Iam. 5. 11. You know the case of Iob and you know what end the Lord made with him So I may say of every righteous man You know Iacob had many troubles troubles when he was with Laban troubles with the Shechemites troubles with his owne sonnes yet his latter end was peace David had many troubles when he was yong when he was vnder Sauls government he was hunted as a flea or Partridge after he came to the kingdome himselfe you know he was a man troubled a great while there was Civill Warres after them he was troubled with his children after that with the rebellions of his people and yet saith the Text he died full of riches full of honour and full of dayes The Lord made a good end with him The latter end of the righteous is peace that is a man that trusteth in the God of peace he shall be sure to haue peace in the end a man that is a subject to the Kingdome of peace that is subject to the government of Christ the Prince of peace it must needs be that he must haue peace in the end for the Kingdome of God is in righteâ—usnesse and peace and the government of Christ is the government of peace and therefore it shall be peace in the end to him whatsoever is in the way Therefore let no man be discouraged but let this comfort him On the other side another man may haue peace by the way he may haue prosperitie for a time he may flourish like a greene Bay tree but his latter end shall be miserable As it is Psal. 37. 37. Marke the end of the righteous man it shall be peace but the transgrâ—ssors shall be destroyed together the end of the wicked shall be cut off And therefore you see what he sayes of them in the verse before I sought him sayes he and he was not to be found vers 36. As if he should say I sought him on earth and there he was not I sought him in heaven and there he was not to be found but in hell he was there he was to be found otherwise there is no remembrance of them So I say evill men though they haue peace for a time though they haue prosperitie for a time though they spread themselues as a greene bay tree yet their latter end shall not be peace but miserie Therefore let vs not be discouraged Nor on the other side let not evill men be secure let not them be incouraged to evill doing for though the Lord spare them for a time yet certainely they shall be punished As Luk. 13. 4. it is an excellent place for that purpose our Saviour saith there Thinke not that those eighteene vpon whom the Tower of Siloam fell were greater sinners then others that it did not fall vpon but except you repent you shall all likewise perish The meaning of it is this when you see strange judgements come vpoÌ„ the workers of iniquitie though you that are standers by haue had peace and prosperitie all your time and haue never beene acquainted with any of these strange judgements of God haue never tasted of them say not that your condition is better then theirs for sayth our Saviour you are no lesse sinners then they perhaps you are greater though the Tower fell on them and not on you therefore sayth he you shall perish But because it is not presently done therefore sayth the Wise-man The hearts of men are set in them to doe evill that is because there is not present execution therefore either man thinke there is no God or else they doe thinke God is like themselues I held my peace and thou thoughtest I was ike thy selfe Psal. 50. 21. Either they thinke that there is no God or else that he is not so just a God as we declare him to be So either they thinke sinnes not to be sinnes or else they thinke them not so hainous that they doe not draw so fearefull judgements after them Thus men because the same Events are to all alike haue therefore their â—earts set in them to doe evill Now for Answer to that sayth the Wise-man though execution be deferred the sentence is not deferred The sentence is past against an evill worke though it be not speedily executed As if hee should say it is little comfort for thee when thou hast provoked God to anger that thou art not presently punished for the sentence is gone out against thee thou art an accursed man thâ—u art condemned and shut vp in Prison it is onely the execution that is deferred and therefore is it that he sayth because the sentence against evill doers is not speedily executed therefore thinke with thy selfe whosoever thou art that emboldenest thy selfe in thy present safetie it is but a deferring of the execution thou art not in a better condition then others onely the judgement is executed on the one sooner on the other later See it in the sinne of Ioab you know he committed the sinne of murther when he killed Abâ—er it lay a-sleepe you know many yeares The sentence went out from Gods Law God and his owne Conscience was against him but yet it was not executed till he was full of gray haires his gray haires went downe to the graue not in peace but in bloud So likewise in the sinne of Saul when he brake the oath with the Gibeonites the sinne continued fortie yeares vnpunished the Lord suffered it the sentence went out against him as soone as it was committed but yet it lay a-sleepe The Lord did not execute the sentence till fortie yeares after as we see by computation for it was all
that milke that is in them and it will exceedingly reuiue comfort thee for example that I may a little open it to you Iacob when Esau met him and his heart began to faint for saith the Text he feared exceedingly his heart began to faile him now and what did he he did goe and sucke consolation out of the promises for thus he reasons with the Lord Lord thou hast said thou wilt doe me good now hee stayes himselâ—e vp with this and hee got so much strength with this milke that hee was able to wrestle with the Lord all night and would not let him go without a blessing this promise sustained him from whence he sucked consolation and strength for thou hast said thou wilt doe me good therfore I am resolued I am sure I am vpon good ground I will not let thee go without a blessing And so Abraham when he was to offer his onely sonne what should he doe now here he was dessolate poore and needy certainely his heart could not but be ready to faile what should sustaine him in this case there was a promise you see Heb. 11. he was sure God had made a promise and hae said vnto him this is Isaac and this Isaac I will multiply and with him I will establish my Couenant and his seede shall be as the Stars of heauen saith Abraham God promised it and though I should kill him God can put a new life into him he went you know how farre from his house where hee dwelt surely he sustained himselfe by the promise he rested vpon this promise he drew consolation from it and he drew it to the full there was much milke in that promise and that sustained and comforted him I might giue you many instances So Dauid when hee comforted himselfe at Ziglag what was it that he comforted himselfe in Surely Dauid remembred this the Lord hath annoynted me King ouer Israel he hath said that I shall be King and shall sit in the Throne of Saul it is true I haue lost all that I haue and the Souldiers that should bee my strength are now at this instant ready to stone me yet he remembred this promise and comforted himselfe in the Lord that is in the promise that the Lord had made to him whereof this was the maine that he had to comfort himselfe with Beloued learne to doe this when you are in any strait if there be any thing that you need remember this if thou can but get a promise if faith can but get this footing the LORD hath made it a part of his Couenant and there is his hand and seale to it the Sacrament that thou receiuest from time to time is but a seale of that Couenant and if he seeme to forget it for a time â—e will remember it hee cannot forget it long be assured he will performe it it is impossible but he should let not your hearts faile if thou haue a promise he will doe it in due season although not in thy season yet he will doe it in the best manner though not in that manner and fashion that thou imaginest Beloued one thing more we should haue added that is to exhort men to enter into Couenant this I should haue pressed to you the miserable condition of a man that is without it and the happines of the man that is within it with this weâ—should haue concluded the point Beloued consider this in what a miserable condition men are without the Couenant it is enough that is said Eph. 2. without God in the world and without the Couenant they are put together they are aliens and strangers from the Couenant without the Couenant without God in the world is it a small thing to be without God and without the Couenant when thou conâ—iderest this Booke and the many precious promises in it that we spake of before and thou hast not right to one of these promises if thou be without the Couenant when thou art in a straite if thou be a stranger to God if thou be out of the Couenant with him what wilt thou do whither wilt thou goe we are subiect to 1000. straits you know what a weake creature man is what neede hee hath of assistance What wilt thou doe in the time of extremity thou canst not goe to GOD thou art not in the Couenant with him but thy case is as that of Zedekiahs Micaiah tels him thou shalt goe from chamber to chamber so thou shalt goe from place to place GOD will not receiue thee for thou art not in Couenant with him But is that all that thou shalt want the comfort of God No know if thou be not in Couenant with GOD he is thine enemy if thou come neere to him for refuge and comfort he will be to thee as a deuouring fire and when thou commest to him thou shalt bee as soft wax to the scorching flame as stubble to the fire and not only so but thou shalt come to euerlasting burnings such fire as shall neuer goe out such the Lord shall be to thee if thou be not in the Couenant with him You will say to me this is to come if it may be well for the present I shall beare it the better I will goe one step further therfore If thou be out of Couenant with GOD all the creatures are at enmity with thee there is neuer a creature in heaueÌ„ or earth but it hath liberty to do thee hurt for if thou be out of League with GOD thou art out of the protection of the Law if any creature doe thee mischiefe it shall neuer be required at his hands but there is a liberty giuen them Satan may hurt thee men may hurt thee beasts may hurt thee all the insensible creatures may hurt thee for there is no prohibition Besides thou hast no Shield nor Buckler to defend thee from them for thou art not in Couenant with GOD he is no Buckler to thee all this is the case of euery man that is out of the Couenant and this is not a small thing to be out of the pales of Gods protection to haue euery creatâ—re ready to do a man a shewd turne and he to haue no immunity nothing to deliuer him it is not so with the Saints all the creatures are at peace with them To draw this a little neerer if there bee any thing in the body or out of the body that troubles vs if there be imaginations in the minde that be to the soule as the Gout is to the body if thou be in Couenant with God all these are at peace with thee for all these are at Gods command it is a part of his Couenant when thou art in Couenant and League with him thou art in League with them and therefore they shall neuer doe thee hurt Bee assured of that when thou art within the Couenant there is no creature in heauen or earth can doe thee hurt for thou art at peace with it