creatures vers 18. and their meat shall be turned into the gall of Aspes vers 14. for the very creatures shall rise up in judgement against them and condemne them we know that every creature groaneth Secondly this may teach us that the wicked have little cause to be merry at any time because there is nothing about them nor in them nor before them but groaneth against them Every creature that they have groanes because it is possessed by them not some kinde of creatures but every creature as Theophylact observes every creature groaneth against them Dost thou live in thy sinnes and yet art merry thou art madde Dost thou live in thy carnall estate and condition and yet canst rejoyce thou art surely besides thy selfe For who can be merry in the midst of thousand thousands of groanes Thy Apparell groanes thy Laces thy Silkes and thy Braveries groane till either thou beest a new creature or else beest in hell Thy house and thy stuffe thy barne and thy store doe groane till either thou be a Convert or in Tophet Every penny in thy purse every ragge on thy backe yea thy flesh and thy bones yea thine owne soule and thy spirits as they are Gods creatures and take his part they all groane against thee till thou beest cut off Not onely all thy sinnes all thy oathes lies vaine speeches not onely every absence from Church every idle thought every unprofitable word every Sermon that thou hast heard without profit every exhortation thou hast heard without benefit every sicknesse thou hast had without reformation every day of patience thou hast enjoyed without repentance not onely all these doe groane against thee but also every creature in heaven and in earth they doe all groane and travell in paine to be delivered out of thy slavery Whatsoever thou doest the creatures groane and complaine against thee How then canst thou rejoyee or have merry day I have saide of this joy it is madde and dost thou rejoyce thy rejoycing shall be short Job 20. 5. Beloved needs must a wicked man have wrath and vengeance powred downe upon him for all creatures groane to God for his vengeance and destruction The creatures crie unto God Lord plague this man Lord shower downe thy curses on him he hath abused and wronged me Lord let not such a rebell as that man is escape but in thy justice be avenged on him for his abuse of us Weepe and howle rather then thou secure and impenitent person let this be a Corasime to thy pleasantest lust and as an Arrow shot into thy heart to let out the life and bloud of all thy sinnes and corruptions to thinke of this And in the feare of God take heede how thou goest on in thy sinnes in thy abuse of Gods creatures least thereby thou forcing the creatures to groane for vengroane they pull downe the wrath and plagues of God upon thy head Oh what a terrour is this to the wicked every creature groanes not in compassion for thee nor in fellow-feeling with thee as with the godly but in indignation against thee The horses and the bridles they should have written upon them holinesse in the Lord Zach. 14. 20. this is a Prophesie of the Churches holinesse under Christ not as Theoderit adplies it to Hellena who adorned her horse-trappings with the nailes of Christ his crosse Hierome refuits that but to shew that Christ he will have even the horses and bridles and all and every thing for a holy use so the silly horses and even the bridles doe groane and pronounce woe unto the ungodly riders that feare not God Every pot in Judah and every bowle in Jerusalem shall be holy unto the Lord ver 12. The drinking pots and bowles doe groane woe be unto him that drinkes and lives not a godly life yea the very high-ways shall be called the ways of holines I say 35. 8. the ways and the pathes groane under all that goe on them and are not holy There is no creature above or beneath as Porsper speaketh which doth professe the praise of God and therefore every creature contesteth against thee that praysest not God The Angels and all the Hoast of Heaven prayse God Psal 148. the Sunne the Moone and the starres prayse God the heavens and the waters that be above the heavens prayse God the earth the dragons and all the deepes fire and haile c. Kings of the earth c. all these sing forth the prayses of God And therefore they all groane against him that prayseth him not Better were it for thee to have all the divells in hell against thee then to have the groanes of Gods creatures against thee I would rather have all the divells in hell and all the wicked in the world against mee then the least worme or dust of the earth to groane in the eares of the Lord against me A thousand worlds cannot doe me so much good as the least groan of the meanest of all Gods creatures can doe me hurt Oh then how shall the wicked ever hope to escape the doome to come that have so many millions of creatures groaning against them But what kinde of groanes are these They are upbraiding groanes They are witnessing groanes They are accusing groanes They are judgeing and condemning groanes First they are upbraiding groanes Give eare Oh ye heavens and I will speake and heare Oh earth the words of my lips Dent. 32. 1. as if God had said marke O ye heavens and let all the whole world heare what I testifie against this people as if the heavens and the earth did upbraide them of their unthankfullnesse God commands the Sun to shine and it shineth the earth to fructifie and it obeyeth But this wicked people he commands to repent and to forsake their sinnes and they will not Chrysostome saith wicked men although they have naturall reason in them are more sencelesse then sencelesse creatures the rocks and the flints the fly and the gnats may upbraide them the rocks rent in sunder but this people wil not rent their hearts swarmes of flies were hist for to come and they yeelded obedience and the livelesse creatures groane under the slavery of sinne but they will not obey they will not be brought to groane for their sinnes How do all the creatures upbraide man Doe ye thus requite the Lord O ye foolish people and unwise Beloved how doe the heavens and the earth upbraide thee for unthankfullnesse wert thou ever in sicknesse and God did not deliver thee wert thou ever in misery and God did not comfort thee wert thou ever in any straight and God did not direct thee in sicknesse who was life unto thee in poverty who supplied thee in danger who delivered thee was it not God that hath done all for thee And shall the Lord command thee obedience and wilt thou not grant it him doth he command thee to part with thy lust and crucifie all thy corruptions and wilt thou not obey him doth the
Another saith but I hope my time is not Object 3 past for the Lord hath given me a tender heart Hath he so it is well and wilt thou then Sol. harden it thou mayest repent when it is too late and ergo I tell thee that good and holy desires are joyned with honest endeavours neede makes the old wife trot as we say so a soft heart will make thee use all good and honest meanes Seeing that God strives with many and Vse 1 at last gives over goe thou home and blesse God that he hath not dealt so with thee it is enough that the Lord hath brought thee home to himselfe many may say with Paul I was a persecutor I was injurious c. 1 Tim. 1. 14. but I received mercy so thou mayest say the Lord knowes what a deale adoe he hath had with me this heart was as hard as the neather milstone but the Lord in some measure hath mollified it this heart was as proud as the devill but blessed be Gods name he would let me see it at the last goe home and say who am I and what is my Fathers house that the Lord hath brought me hither Oh that God should thus stoope to man the Lord hath stood and knockt thus many yeares and he might have given over but blessed be his name I have received mercie I lived under the meanes but that prevailed not with me the Lord sent such and such sicknes but that wrought not on me at the last I went to heare a Minister and me thought that Minister spake nothing but what he spake to me and then the Lord set conscience on worke and that affrighted me Looke to it the Lord will either breake thy necke or thy heart doe not thinke to goe to heaven by good meanings no it will cost thee somewhat more before thou come there Another time the Lord set on me and then I set on good duties I would have Christ to justifie and sanctifie me and blessed be his name he was not wanting unto me in any meanes the Lord make me thankfull c. I tell thee thou wilt be in deede and God shall have all let the voluptuous man have his pleasures c. what is that to thee so thou have Christ For the just reproofe of all such as are Use 2 yet in the gall of bitternesse and in the bonds of iniquitie there will come a time when God will strive with thee no more the old man thinks he hath time enough to repent in and the young man thinks he need not so much as enter into a Parley with godlinesse Esau went away when he had eate and drunke he esteemed not his birth-right I have heard some goe away with this resolution when they are married then they will live thus and thus c. suffer me first to goe bury my Father c. Master Minister you speake well I like your counsell but I have a rich Unckle and he hath no childe and I am likely to be his heire but he cannot abide a Puritan of all the men in the world and if I doe not humour him I shall never have a foot of his Land let me bury him first when Father and Friends are dead then the children must provide for themselves and then they will seek after God and repent and by this time they grow old and though they cannot make so good a shew as others yet their hearts are as good as the best but soft a while all is not gold that glisters alas poore soules they were given over many yeares agoe this is also the sinne of young men and women for the most part and this is the great sinne of England the sinne of many Gentlemen and Gentlewomen God must pardon when they call and that must not be till they be old and then in all post-haste send they to and for master Priest and he must bring God to them or them to God but the God of Heaven and earth cannot endure this mockerie For terrour to all wicked and ungodly men Vse 3 woe woe woe that ever they were borne that are thus given over and of these there are two sorts Some are insensible and some sensible The insensible are they who die like stones as did Nabal We have many King Harry Protestants Others are sensible God hath opened the eye of their soules and hath let them read the red letters of the Gospell It is a heavie thing for old friends to part so Acts 20. 38. They grieved most in that he said you shall see my face no more so when soule and bodie part it is heavie but when the soule and God part it is lamentable when God takes his leave never to be seene more then whether thou looke upward or downeward there is nothing but amazement and astonishment If thou looke upward there is the anger of God if downeward there is the bottomlesse pit if on the right hand thou shall see all his mercies which could not allure thee if on the left hand all his Judgements which could not terrifie thee if before thee the black day if behind thee the Devills this will be fearfull I remember a Storie of an adulterate woman her Conscience pricking her she determined to repent but God in the meane time did visit her so sore that she lay crying out oh my time my time Another time a covetous woman her House being on fire she to save her goods left her child in the Cradle but a neighbour of hers hearing it crie tooke it away she afterwards remembring her child ran about crying oh my child my child and would not be comforted So when the fire and indignation of the Lord breaks out if not now yet at the last day it will then the parties against whom it breaks will crie oh my soule my soule what will become of thee my soule It had been better I had never been born for neither Mercies Judgements nor the Word could allure mee oh woe is me Now the condition of such is miserable in three respects First because if God forsake thee then all forsakes thee when thou liest a dying thou sendest for the Minister and thou wouldest faine have a word of comfort from him but alas if thou dost not receive comfort from Heaven how can the Minister comfort thee If thy outward Estate faile Friends may help but if they faile there is a God in Heaven and he will help but if He goe away then all help is gone Secondly when God goes restraining grace goes this was Sauls case and you may observe that such as have been enlightnâ—d and fall away fall into one of these three sinnes either into the hands of the world and that is their Master or else into the sinnes of uncleannesse or into the spirit of Malice to persecute them that are holy Thirdly if God leave us then common protection leaves us we are left to the clutches of all things both in Heaven and earth Ergo
your houses are left unto you desolate Matth. 23. 38. All the creatures are up in armes against us the stiles we goe over look up to Heaven and say Master shall we breake his neck the Horse we ride on says Master shall I throw him downe to destruction thou knowest that he hates thee and thine So the ayre we breath in and all Creatures are readie when the Lord gives the watchword to lay us in the goale Conscience will witnesse against us then fight Dogg fight Beare as we use to say oh what will become of such men I will tell you either the world heales them up or else some carnall companion saith you have been a good neighbour you have kept a good house amongst us c. tush tush man it may prove a lye for all this I but the Minister tells me so pish pish as if all were true the Minister speakes I but the Scripture sayes it Is all true that is in the Scripture the Lord have mercy upon us and thus like fooles they build with untempered morter Ergo I exhort all such as are yet in the gall of bitternesse to listen to what I say Redeeme the time yeild to the motions of The Authors Exhortation Gods Spirit and blesse God for Mercy offered unto you in the meanes and if any affliction be laide on you intreat the Lord that he will doe you good by it If thy Conscience speak or the Spirit worke doe as Joseph did who got him into a corner and there wept his belly full so intreat the Lord that he will breake the Heavens and come downe on thee to thy comfort put not off till thou art old A gentleman will not alwayes waite at the gate neither say thou as Felix to Paul I will send for thee at another time but say with Samuel speake Lord for thy servant heareth Meanes Meanes First consider the fearfull condition of such as are given over Suppose one should come from Hell with the fire about his eares you would aske what is the newes the cry is my time my time Oh my people sayes the Minister Oh my Minister saies the People The young man cries oh my time Doe not make a tush at this lest thou say the word was preached but I scorned it the Spirit said this is the way walke in it the meanes of grace was sent unto me but I refused Mercie and now for ever I am in Hell to be tormented Secondly consider the great danger of putting off If thy will be stubborne to day it will be worse to morrow Thirdly consider the time 1. Pet. 4. 3. It is enough for the time of our life we have lived that we have wrought the workes of the Gentiles let us live no longer in sinne it is too much that you have resisted the Gospell so much say then oh that the Lord would break this heart of mine Fourthly and lastly though God should be calling and egging you all the day long yet your lives are but short and Ergo crie out with David teach me o Lord to numbet my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisedome doe not say it is too late as one did once say of Prayer doe you thinke that I can pray now which never prayed in all my life I am sure it will be too late when God comes to Judgement for then the Devill will stand on tip toe and say what dost thou now thinke to goe to Heaven the Lord did waite on thee untill he was weary but here is a company of Drunkards I did but hold up my finger and they presently followed me Heaven came downe to them but they would none of it they could not heare of that eare and would you now goe to Heaven Ergo goe for now the Lord Jesus Christs sake and when Mercie is offered refuse it not but blesse God for it A SERMON FOR Spirituall Mortification COLLOSS 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the earth Fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and Covetousnesse which is Idolatry THE Apostle having in the Chapter foregoing shewed that the Colossians were buried together with Christ in his death and that they were also risen with him maketh two speciall uses thereof First in regard of the resurrection if then yee be risen with Christ seek those things that are above The second is in regard of their buriall with Christ in these words Mortifie therefore your members c. There be many men that looke for participation in Christ yet notwithstanding wortifie not themselves they would faine live with Christ yet are loth to dye to sinne but we may say to these men as Paul to the Atheist thou foole that which thou sowest is not quickned unlesse it first die so unlesse the seed of the word be sowen upon thy heart thou canst not be quickned unlesse thou first die The things to be mortified are described two manner of waies either in generall the members or else in particular Fornication uncleannesse evill affections c. or as in the tenth verse all the fruites of the old man The words containe in them these three Parts parts or truths First He that ever meanes to have Christ must have him with a therefore As if he should say if you looke to have benefit by the death of Christ looke to have a therefore with it for no man can have Christ without a Condition Secondly this condition consists in mortification we must mortifie our earthly members this is the qualification of all those that partake of the death of Christ even mortification Thirdly those that are made partakers of the death of Christ are enabled thereto so as the Apostle may well put this exhortation unto them mortifie therefore your members c. He doth not say civilize your members many there be that civilize their earthlie members as from mortifying to purifying of them they come out of prophanenesse and enter into Civility and a formall kind of profession but the Apostle saith mortifie and not civilize your members doe not pare the nailes of your corruptions but cut them quite off and give them their deaths wound that so your sinnes may breath out their last breath in you Sin may be civilized five waies First when it is laide asleepe Pharaohs sinnes were asleepe but not dead Many mens sinnes are asleepe in them though they seeme to be dead in them for a time A man while he is asleep is like a dead man yet he is alive yea and his sinnes are alive in him also but when temptation comes to awaken him out of his sleepe though before he seemed to be patient and meeke and hardly to be provoked yet let a temptation come and rouze him then he will finde his old wrath anger and impatiencie So likewise for a covetous man though he seeme to mortifie that sinne yet it is but asleepe in him for let a temptation come and he will quickely finde out his
I believed and therefore did I speake He beleeved Gods promise and then he spake with condition So we believe saith the Apostle and therefore doe we speake First the soule beleeves and then every action of a Christian wherin it moves to the keeping of the condition springs from this root nay beloved a man cannot keep any condition in the Bible without faith he must believe Secondly faith is the inabling cause to keep the condition Dost thou thinke to get weeping mourning and humiliation for thy sinnes and then thereby to get the promise to thy selfe then thou goest in thy owne strength and then in Gods account thou dost just nothing John 15. 5. Without me ye can doe nothing saith Christ therefore first lay hold on me beleeve in me abide in me What! doe you first think to pray to mourne to lament and bewaile your sinnes to do this and that in turning your selves and sanctifying of your selves Indeed you may fumble about these things but you can never do any of them in deed and to the purpose without me ye can doe nothing I had fainted saith the Prophet unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living Psal 27. 13. where we may see three things First the Promise that he should see the goodnesse of the Lord otherwise he could not have beleeved Secondly the Condition if he doe not fâ—iâ—â— Thirdly the method the Prophet went by First he beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord. As if he had said if he had not first laid hold on the Promise if I had not beleeved to have seen the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living I had fainted Beloved it is true that the keeping of the Condition is before the fruition of the Promise but not before beleeving the Promise because the doing of the Condition is effected by beleeving the Promise This is the cause that many fumble about grace but never get it they are ever repenting but never repent ever learning but never learne the knowledge of the truth everlasting ever striving but never get power over their corruptions c. because they fumble about it in their own strength and take it not in the right method Let the soule come with faith in Christ and believe it shall speed and have grace and power from Christ his grace and from Christs power and then it shall speed Christ hath promised John 16. that whatsoever we aske the Father in his name he will give it us Christ beloved is an excellent Surety Indeed our credit is crackt in Heaven we may thinke to goe and fetch this and that grace in our owne names and misse of it as the servant may goe to the Merchant for wares in his owne name but the Merchant will not deliver them to him in his own name unlesse he come in his Masters name and bring a ticket from him and then when the servant sheweth his Masters ticket the Merchant will deliver him what wares he asketh for in his Masters name So when a soule goeth to the Throne of grace with a ticket from Christ if he can say Lord it is for the honour of Christ I come for grace and holinesse and strength against my corruptions Lord here is a ticket from Christ most certainly he shall speed But men must take heed that they foyst not the name of Christ that they foyst not a ticket to say that Christ sent them when it is their own selfe-love and their owne lust that sends them it is not enough to pray and at the end to say through Christ our Lord Amen No for this may be a meere foysting of the Name of Christ But canst thou pray and shew that Christ sent thee and say as the servant I come from my Master and he sent me Lord it is for Christ that I come it is not to satisfie my owne lust nor to ease and deliver me from the galls of my conscience nor to free me from hell but for Christ Lord I begge grace and holinesse that I may have power to glorifie Christ It is for the honour of my Lord Christ that I come When the soul comes thus in Christs name beleeving it shall speed then his prayer shall prevaile Whatsoever saith Christ ye shall aske the Father in my Name he will give it you We come now to the third and last part of our Text to wit the supplies they had against danger and discouragements The Lord upheld their hearts from being dismayed in prayer thou saidst feare not There be two things that do much hurt in prayer First groundlesse incouragements Secondly needlesse discouragements First I say groundlesse incouragements and these the wicked are most subject to especially who because they pray heare the Word and performe many duties of religion therefore they incourage themselves in the goodnesse of their estates judgeing themselves happy though notwithstanding they go on and continue in the hardnesse of their hearts and rebellions against God We have abundance of sayings amongst us that if they were examined would prove false and unsound As that the vipers die when they bring forth their young for say they the young eate out the old ones bowels that beares shape all their young by licking of them that the Swanne singeth sweetest at her death that the Adamant stone is softned by Goats blood c. These things are not so as may be shewn out of ancient Writers So beloved there are abundance of sayings that goe up and down amongst men concerning Divinity which if they were examined will prove to be rotten sayings as he that made them will save them It is not so saith the Prophet Esal 27. 11. He that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will not pitty them It is commonly beleeved if men come to Church heare the Word and call upon God that then presently they are good Christians Beloved it is not so Matth. 7. 21. Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Men are ready when they can but call Lord have mercy on me O sweet Saviour pitty me most mercifull Lord Jesus have compassion on me if they can pray in their families and pray at Church c. to think now all is well with them and Christ cannot but save them and give them the Kingdome of Heaven but our Saviour puts a not upon it and saith not every one that saith Lord Lord it is not a Lord a Lording of Christ with the tongne onely it is not a taking up of an outward profession of Christ only that is sufficient for a man that shall inherit the Kingdome of Heaven no saith Christ but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven But of this by the by Secondly there are needlesse discouragements which doe much hurt in prayer Needlesse discouragements doe much hurt to many a poore soule that hath forcible wouldings and
you see the creature is put to a continuall labour the Sun is ever shining the earth is ever bearing the fire is ever burning c. therefore as the Isralites groaned under the hard taske of Pharaoh so the creatures groane under the continuall toyle they are put to by sinfull man Secondly it groanes in that it doth sometimes partake of the plagues of the ungodly in the destruction of wicked men the creatures have their share as in the deluge of the old world it drowned all the world saving onely some few that were with Noah in the Arke in the destruction of Sodome and Gomorrâ—â— the creatures were destroyed by fire and brimstone from Heaven In the destruction of Egypt the Vengeance of God came upon their cattell and many other creatures Therefore as a childe groanes under his fathers rodde so doth the creature under Gods plagues Thirdly the creatures have a sympathy and instinctive fellow feeling of mans wretchednesse therefore as a tender heart would screech to see another man breake his neck so the creatures compassionately groane under our evills Fourthly because they are distorted rent and torne from their proper Master the creatures were made to set forth Gods Power the wisdom the truth the goodnesse and the glory of God when therefore they art distorted and carried another way the creatures groane When the creatures are forced to give their service to the wicked desires and lusts of the ungodly as the Sun to give his light the earth her fruites the aire its breathing therefore as a good sonne would groane that another should violently compell his hand to stabbe his owne father so do the creatures groane together with us and travell in paine unto this present Hence observe That â—uery creature groaneth Doct. under the slavery of sinne not onely under the slavery of sinfull man but under the slavery of sinne so that they groane under the Saints of God so as the Saints groane with them So farre as they minister to the flesh of Gods people so farre they groane under them the creature groaneth under the slavery of sinne Are men swearers because of swearing the Land mourneth Jer. 23. 10. Doe men lye steale commit adultery for this cause the Land mourneth Hos 4. 2 3. Are women proud and do they brave it out in their apparrell the very gates shall lament and mourne for it Isay 3. 16. Doe men covet an evill coveteousnes coveting more the gaine of the world then the glory of God The stone out of the wall shall cry and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Hab. 2. 11. Are men wrathfull and cholerick with Moab then Moab groanes against Moab Isay 16. 7. The grounds and dwellings of Moab groane under the hands of Moab the walls of Moab against the men of Moab But it may be demanded did ever any Obje man heare the creatures groane did any heare any unreasonable creature groane did ever any heare the heavens to groane or the earth to groane or the trees or any such like creatures groane how doe the creatures groane They may be said to groane five waies Answ First this is spoken hyperbolically to declare the great miserie the creatures are in to serve sinfull man the creatures were made to serve with reference to a holy God Oh what miserie then is it for them to be serviceable to sinefull and ungodly men thus saith Chrysostome doth the Prophet bring in the vines groaning the roofe of the temple and the very high-waies groaning upon mens sinnes to signify the exceeding great desire that each of the creatures have to be redeemed from such a thraldome Secondly this is spoken Analogically in regard of a naturall instinct of blinde reason that is in all the creatures for they have all reason as if it were reason indeed they have all a shadow of reason the grasse growes as right as if it knew how to grow the wheate sproutes forth as if it knew how to sproute forth every creature acteth by a rule which it swerveth not from as if it were endued with reason to act by A stone falling findes out the straight line of descending as if it had reason to pecke it out Let a stone be cast up in the aire all the reason under heaven cannot finde a straighter line then it will to fall downe by so every creature it hath such an obedientiall instinct to glorify God as if it had reason to obey by wherefore it is saide to groane to serve sinne the Land shall mourne every family a part Zachar. 12. 12. As men mourne with reason at the crucifying of the Lord of life so the Land it selfe mournes Analogically at the same Thirdly this is spoken supposedly or by way of supposition Every creature groaneth that is if they had reason they would groane to be so misused Beloved the liquor that the drunkard abuseth if it had reason as well as a man to know how shamefully it is abused and spoiled it would groane in the barrells against him it would groane in the cup against him it would groane in his throate and belly against him it would flie in his face if it could speake and crie out drunkard out So if God should open the mouth of the creatures as he did open the mouth of Balaans Asse then the proud mans garments on his backe would groane against him there is never a creature but if it had reason to know how it is abused till a man is converted it would groane against man If the creature were conscious of mans abuse of it then the Land would groane to beare us the Aire would groane to give us breathing our houses would groane to lodge us our beds would groane to ease us our foode to feede us our cloathes to cover us and every creature would groane against us to give us any helpe or comfort so long as we live in sinne against God Fourthly intelligently there is an intellective assistance which runs along in every creature as the heathen and schoole-men tell us The power goodnesse and providence of God run along in them giving being quickening preserving leading and governing c. So that a man cannot wrong the creature but he wrongs God in the creature And therefore because Paul wronged and persecuted the Church Christ cals out from heaven to him Why persecutest thou me Acts. 9. 4. Why because he persecuted the Church which was Christ his Church As Christ is the head of his Church so God hath made him the heire of all the creatures all the creatures are delivered up to Christ and they are his so that a man cannot wronge the creatures but he wrongeth Christ and Christ groanes in the creatures against the drunkard Drunkard why abusest thou me When the covetous man is coveting for the world Christ cries in his barne he cries in his Chest Christ cries in his goods Wretch Wretch why wrongest thou me Doth a man abuse his apparrell to pride Christ groanes against
Lord command thee to be meeke humble patient and dost thou refuse then heare O heavens and hearken O earth Secondly the groanes of the creatures are witnessing groanes I call heaven and earth to record against you know that you shall shortly perish said Moses to the Isralites Dent. 4. 26. So beloved let me say to you I call heaven and earth to record against you that woe and damnation shall be to that man that obeys not the commandements of God Cursed be that man that goeth on still in his wickednesse The heavens write his curse and the whole earth doe witnesse his vengeance that will not give over his lust at the commandement of the Gospell of the Lord Jesus Christ As Joshuah said unto all the people Josh 24. 27. Behold this stone shall be a witnesse unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us it shall be a witnesse c. so may I say unto you the walls of this house shall cry the timber of the Church shall answer this Sermon that you have heard this doctrine that hath beene preached unto you if you will not repent if you will not humble your selves and obey the voyce of your God all these shall witnes against you another day that you had a time that you had a day to repent in you had the word of God calling you to it but you would not Dost thou commit a sinne and none by but the stonnes in the streets even they see thee like Joshuahs stone with seven eyes and they shall witnes against thee Dost thou pray thy lazie praiers unto God thoughtlesse of God and none by but the walls of thy Clofet or thy bedde or the hangings they shall witnes against thee Dost thou sweare and blaspheme the King of Heaven though none were present but the fowles of the aire they shall carry thy voice and declare the matter Eccles 10. 20. If the creatures groane against thee then they are sensible in some sort to witnesse against thee Beloved mens hearts are so stubborne that we the Ministers of God may doe as the Prophet did 1 King 13. 2. who cryed O Altar Altar thus saith the Lord. What was the Prophet sent unto the Altar had the Altar cares No he was sent unto Jeroboam his message was to him but he knew that he would not heare nor believe nor obey therefore he turned from the King and spake to the sencelesse Altar So may we say for all the hearing some will afford us O walls walls thus saith the Lord cursed is the man that obeyeth not O House of the Lord witnesse against this rebellious generation So Jeremy he cried out O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord thus saith the Lord write this man a castaway that shall never prosper Jer. 22. 29. he meant wicked Jeconiah the King but because he was a deaâ—e Adder he preacheth to the dead earth as being more likely to listen then he O fearfull doome When Jeconiah will not heare God he roares so loud that he makes the dead and sencelesse earth to heare Beloved in the feare of God take heed if there be any dead worldly-hearted Professour here if there be any loose prophane sinner here any impenitent wretch that hath not repented if after the Lord hath sent his Ministers to thee his Word and Gospell to thee and thou wilt not heare take heâ—d lest the Lord direct his speech to the dead earth and say O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord write these men men that shall never prosper they will still covet and lie they will still fret and chafe they will still content themselves with formes of godlinesse they will still be lukewarme or key-cold they do still pray as they did rub on as they did seven yeares agoe no more holy no more zealous no more heavenly they will not be bettered O earth earth earth heare the Word of the Lord write them a people that shall never prosper a people that shall never be converted write them men damned for ever let them come and heare Sermon after Sermon but write them men that shall never prosper let them pray and let their prayers never prosper let them goe on in their dead-hearted profession but write them men that shall never prosper Beloved God forbid that it should so be written against you but woe be to you if ever it be for if once the earth hath wrote this eternall decree of God upon thy soul it can never be altered I will warrant thee thy damnation sure Thirdly they are accusing groanes they shall accuse thee for casting thine eye upon a creature without taking notice of God They shall accuse thee for thy touching tasting handling using any of the creatures without adoration of God Dost thou thinke of a creature speake of a creature meddle with a creature or take possession of a creature they shall accuse thee if thou dost not live to the glory of God the Creator Fourthly these groanes are judgeing and condemning groanes He shall call the Heavens above and the earth to judge his people Psal 50. 4. The creatures groane why then doest thou not groane the creatures account themselves oppressed and sore afflicted because they are constrained to serve sinne why then dost thou injury them If the King should build him a stately Palace and one should willingly deface it or abuse it or pull it downe would not the very Ravens judge him a Traytor The creatures are Gods Palace and thou demolishest their beauty by making them the instruments or abettors or matter or incentives of sinne thou shalt be adjudged of High-treason against the King of Kings for we know that every creature groaneth with us and travelleth in paine together untill now Now we come to an use Of Exhortation doth the creature Use groane to serve sinne take heed then you doe not abuse the creatures of God There is not any one of them but if it be abused to sinne or by sinne but it will presently make its complaint like a little childe to his Father with groanes unto God Labour to be a true Convert unto God otherwise if thou beest not regenerate and a Convert every creature that thou hast is in bondage under thy hands and it groanes unto God against thee till God recover it out of thy hands againe I will recover my wooll and my flaxe saith God Hosea 2. 9. the creature groaned under thraldome because it was possessed by them that were carnall and therefore God saies he would recover it Secondly labour not to sinne against God for if thou sinnest against God thou canst not meet with a creature but it groaneth against thee When Jonah had sinned against God the Sea roared against Jonah and he at last knew it well enough for when the Marriners askt what he was I am an Hebrew saith he and I feare God the God of Heaven which hath made the Sea and the drie
of vertue Learne then the more you are reviled the more to make your light to shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven No man yet ever lived though never so worthy but of some he hath beene despised Fourthly Know this in conclusion that you that are thus despised it is a part of your worth For when all men speake evill of you then blessed are you This speakes terrour to the wicked who wrong Vse 1 the children of God either with tongue or hands either by themselves or by others either by nick-naming them or by circumventing them this I say speakes terrible things against them Will you offer to speake against personages of great worth against the children of a King will the King endure that thou shouldest speake against the bloud royall no no he will be revenged on them that doe so dost thou now wrong a godly man thou shalt one day smart for it for God is able to punish thee yea and he will doe it unlesse thou speedily repent When Saul Acts 8. persecuted the Church of Christ Christ called from heaven and said Saul Saul why persecutest thou me I speake to those that are wicked men and I speake in the bowels of Christ if you did know them you would not doe it for had they knowne the Lord of life they would not have crucifyed him 1 Cor. 2. 8. so if such as doe persecute Gods children did but know their worth and that they were his children they would not doe it Let us esteeme godly men and women as persons Use 2 of great worth the Saints of God have alwaies done so Saint Lawrence being demanded by his persecutors wherein the worth of the Church lay the storie saith he gathered a companie of poore people together and pointed at them and said there lies the worth of the Church so I have read of an ancient King who made a great feast and invited a companie of poore people which were Christians and he bade his Nobles also now when the Christians came he had them up into the Presence-Chamber but when the Nobles came he set them in his hall Being of the Nobles demanded the reason he answered I doe not this as I am their King here for I respect you more then them but as I am a King of another world I must needes honour these because God doth most honour them and then they shall be Kings and Princes with me soe do you esteeme of them according to their worth and shew it If they be persons of such great worth Vse 3 here you may be directed how to get a name of worth in the world to be honoured of God This is the way labour to be beleevers serve God and close with the godly be of one minde and of one heart with them Honour is the thing that all desire according to that of Saul to Samuel Honour me before the Elders of my people so we are all readie to say oh that I could be honoured in the heart of those that I converse with all I say then thou must labour to serve and honour God in thy heart let that be thine honour It is a meere follie for men to think to get honour by swearing by lying by cutting and slashing and drunkennesse c. The sweete ointment of a good name is not compounded of stinking ingredients This should serve to comfort the godly Vse 4 that seeing they are of so great worth what though they be disgraced here let this suffice thee God that knowes the true worth of everie thing he accounts thee worthy what though doggs barke and crie out against thee for thy holinesse let them alone and know thou this that the time will come when never a curre of them all but wil wish oh that mine end might be like his and that they might goe as thy dogge to heaven with thee when they shall see thee sit at his right hand where are pleasures for evermore Lastly you that approve your selves to be Vse 5 of the number of the godly labour to walke worthy of the Lord. Colos 1. 10. Doth God thus advanced you then strive you to honour him with inward and outward worshippe God hath not done these things for you that you may live as you list no you are a chosen generation c. 1 Pet. 2. 19. Ergo you must shew forth the vertue of him that hath called you You that are parents of children the more you doe for them the more you looke they should honour you the more God hath done for you the more you ought to feare him God hath drawn you out of darkenes into a marvellous light and will you yet walk as vassalls of Sathan This was that kept Joseph from committing adulterie even the favour of advancement and how then can I doe this great wickednesse saith he so thou art advanced to honour from a childe of the devill to be the son of God how then canst thou commit wickednesse Consider I say how God hath advanced thee from being a slave of Satan to be his adopted son and shall I now become a covetous person shal I be a companion of Gods enemies when you are enticed by the divell or wicked men to any sinne say what shall such a man as I consent shall I flie from my coulors what a Kings son and flie Consider this THE TIME OF GODS GRACE Is limited GEN. 6. 3. The Lord said my Spirit shall not alway strive with man because he is but flesh and his dayes shall be a hundred and twenty yeares IN this Chapter is continued the History of the decay of the World wherein is described Gods purpose of destroying mankinde in which are these two parts First the meritorious deserving Cause wherein God gives an account what he doth how inexcusable the world is and how just God is unto the 14. vers Secondly a Direction unto Noah to make an Arke where we may see that God in his judgement remembers mercy The meritorious deserving cause is described first from the quantity of those persons in those evill daies a great many vers the first men began to multiply in places populous where there are some good there are many bad Secondly by the quality of those persons the Sons of God when they saw the daughters of men the sonnes of God viz. the posterity of them that maintained Religion they began to be carelesse and carnally confident they did looke after the profits and pleasures of this life and then it was high time for God to enter into Judgement Thirdly by the kind of sinne They lusted after unlawfull Marriages c. and the root of this was originall corruption the Imaginations of mans heart was onely evill and that continually verse 5. These words are a Proclamation of Gods purpose to bring it to an end in which are foure things First the Lords complaint in these words the Lord said Secondly the
against earthlines and worldlines and art earthly and worldly still thou hast praied against security and deadnes of heart and lukewarmenesse in Gods service and art lukewarm dead hearted and secure still to what end are all thy praiers when thou enjoyest not the end of thy praiers to what end is plowing of thy ground if it be not fallow when thy plowing is done to what end is the worke of thy servant if thy businesse be not done and dispatched when all is done As good never pray as pray to no end as good that thou never hadst begun to pray as to cease and to give over thy praiers before thou hast obtained the grace thou prayest for The prayers of the wicked are an abomination unto the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15. 8. that is the praiers of a wicked man that continues in his wickednesse when his praiers are done his praiers are an abomination to the Lord but the praiers of the upright though he were before he praied never so wicked yet if it be the praier of an upright and godly man when his praiers are done that his praiers rid him of his sin and make him an upright man his praiers are Gods delight Beloved many pray against distrust in Gods providence Infidelity in Gods promises Impatiency under Gods corrections c. and yet have never the more trust and affiance in God never the more patience under the hand of God all these praiers are endlesse Secondly thy praiers are fruitlesse to what purpose is a beggers begging of an almes if he be gone before the almes be bestowed his begging is fruitlesse so all thy praiers are lost if thou art gone from the Throne of grace before grace is given thee for if such a praier be endlesse then is it also fruitlesse it will never do thee any good what is a fruitlesse tree good for but to be cut down what is a fruitlesse Vine good for but to be burned So all thy praiers are lost all thy beginnings of grace are lost we know saith the man that was borne blind John 9. that God heareth not sinners we know it Why may some say how do you know that God heares not sinners why we know it by ezperience by examples A drunkard prayeth to God to cure him of his drunkennes yet he doth not leave his ill company all the world may see that God hears not the drunkards praier because he cures him not but lets him go on in his sin and so for all other sins seest thou a man goe on in his sinnes thou mayest see that God heareth not his praiers if a man should be sicke on his death bed and send for the Physicians and Apothecaries in the Country and send for his Father Mother and for all his friends to come to him to minister to him yet I know he is not cured by them so long as I see his deadly disease remaines upon him so if I see a mans pride hypocrisie security deadnesse of heart his lust anger c. lie upon him notwithstanding all his praiers I know God heares not his praiers he prayes to be cleansed from his sinnes and to be purged from his lust and to be redeemed from his vaine conversation if now God let his sinnes continue in him and lets him goe on in them we see plainely God heares not him O what a pittifull and miserable case are such men in that pray and pray and yet all their praiers are endlesse and fruitlesse is not that man in a pittifull case that all physick all cost and charges is lost upon him when his eating and drinking his sleeping and winding and turning from this side to that side do him no good do we not say of him that he is dead man so if a mans praiers and supplications to God be endlesse and fruitlesse that man must needs be a dead and a damned man so long as he goeth on in that case Now we come to the second part of the Text the sensiblenesse of the godly soule whether it speed or no the soule that praies aright that praies unsatiably it is able to say the Lord doth heare me the Lord doth grant me the thing that I praied to him for Thus saith Jonah I cried unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of Hell cryed I and thou heardst my voice Jonah 2. 2. How could Jonah say God heard his voice if he had not known it therefore he knew it But against this some may object How can this be how can the soule Objeâ—â—â— know that God heares it we have no Angels nor voices from Heaven now to tell men as the Angel told Cornelius that his praiers were accepted and come up before God or to say as Christ to the woman in the Gospell Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee I know God heares me with his All-hearing eare and therefore I have a good beliefe in God but how shall I know that God heares my praiers in mercy so as to grant that I pray for There be fixe wayes to know whether Answ the soule shall speed in prayer yea or no. The first is the having of a Spirit of further and further praying When God gives the soule a further and further ability to pray when God opens a way for the soule to the Throne of grace and gives him a free accesse to the gate of mercy and a spirit to hold out in prayer It is a signe that God meanes to hear it When a Petitioner hath accesse to the King and presents his Petition If the King imbolden him in his speech and let him speak all that he would speak it is a signe that the King meanes to grant that man his petition because otherwise the King would never have endured to have heard him so long but would have commanded him to be gone So it is with the soule at the Throne of grace if it come with a petition and prayer to God if God dispatch the soule out of his presence so that the soul hath no heart to pray nor to continue its suite but praies deadly and dully and is glad when he hath said his prayers and hath done it is a fearefull signe that God never means to heare that mans prayers but if thou praiest and praiest and hast not done in thy praiers but God by casting in a spirit of prayer and zeale and fervency in prayer imboldens thy heart in its petitions it is a signe that God will heare thee and grant thee thy prayers Blessed be God saith the Prophet that hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me How could the Prophet say that the Lord did not turne away his mercy from him How because he turned not away his prayer from him Many Expositors expound it of not turning away his prayer from his heart as if he should say Lord thou continuest my heart to pray thou hast not taken away my
prayer from my heart therefore I know that thou continuest thy mercy unto me Secondly the preparednesse of the heart to pray is a signe that God means to heare When the Merchant stretcheth his bagge wider and wider it is a signe that he means to put something in it so when God opens the heart of a poore soule it is a signe that he means to fill it when God prepares the soule with more hunger and thirst after grace with more longings and breathings it is a signe that God hath already prepared his eare to heare that prayer it is a signe that heart shall speed with God in prayer Psal 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare First God prepares the heart to pray and then he bows his eare to heare Examine thy soule then art thou more and more prepared to pray hath-God spoken with a powerfull voice to thy soule to open it selfe wide it is a signe that God meanes to fill thy soul with his graces But if thou canst rush into Gods presence and leave thy preparednesse behind thee leavest thy soule and thy thoughts and thy affections behinde thee and comest with a straightned heart in thy deadnesse and lukewarmenesse this is a fearefull signe that God will not heare thee Thirdly Gods gracious looke is a signe that he will heare thee for sometimes beloved God answers his people by a cast of his countenance with a gratious smile of his face Psal 22. 24. he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted neither hath he hid his face from him but when he cryed unto him he heard Hereby was the Prophet able to know that God did heare his prayer because he did not hide his face from him when his poore soule saw God smile on him and set a favourable eye upon him this made him say that God heard his cry This is a riddle to the world If you should aske the men of the world what the meaning of Gods gracious countenance is or what they see of it alas they can say nothing of it they know not what it meanes onely the godly man understandeth Psal 34. 15. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his eares are open unto their cry These two goe together their prayers enter into Gods eares and they know it why because they see it in his countenance upon them as a Petitioner may read his speeding with the King by his countenance towards him so a poore soul may see how prayers prevaile by Gods countenance and look upon him If thou then art a stranger to Gods countenance if God never admitted thee into his presence to see his face and countenance it is a signe that God little regards thy prayers and hath no minde to heaâ—â— thee A wicked man is like a varlet that stands without dores and begges an almes but is not suffered to goe into the Gentlemans presence and therefore knowes not how he speeds whether the Gentleman will give him an almes or whether he be providing a cudgell to beat him away so a wicked man prayes and puts up his petitions to God but he is not able to come before God he cannot see whether God looke as if he meant to heare his prayers yea or no he knows not but that God may be providing a curse and plague for him in stead of a blessing But a child of God comes within the list of Gods countenance he can tell when God smiles on him and when he takes another looke he is able to come into Gods presence Job 13. 16. He also saith Job shall be my salvation for an hypocrite shall not come before him A strange verse Job saith God is his salvation and he gives this reason why he was able to say so for an hypocrite shall not come before him One would think that this were no reason but yet it is an undeniable reason as if Job had said I come into his presence and he lookes like a Saviour a Redeemer upon me but an hypocrite shall not come before him he stands like a rogue and begs without the gate Indeed a wicked man comes into Gods presence in regard of Gods Omnipresence but this is not enough thy Oxe and thine Asse stands in Gods presence yea so the very Devils themselves are in Gods presence But if thou come not into Gods presence of grace if God doe not admit thy soule into the list of his Throne it is a signe that God heares thee not Men should therefore examine their consciences what face or presence of God they come into or see when they pray in their prayers whether they come before God yea or no. Beloved no wicked man under heaven can come before God this is made the marke of a godly man onely Psal 140. 13. The upright shall dwell in thy presence marke here dwelling in Gods presence is onely determined to the righteous the upright shall dwell in thy presence And here I appeale againe to the hearts and consciences of wicked men what presence of God doe they finde in their prayers they see their Pews and the walls or hangings c. before them they see the heavens and the clouds above them they are like rogues that know nothing within dores Doe they see Gods presence and countenance no it is the upright man onely that dwels in Gods presence He sees how God lookes on him how his face smiles on him and therefore it is not a wicked mans coming to Church and falling on his knees and uttering the words of prayer that is a coming into Gods presence then this would be a false saying of the Prophet For a wicked man may go to Church and fall upon his knees c. but never come before God This presence is to see the face of God Fourthly the conscience of a man doth answere him whether God heare him yea or no. As it was with the high Preist whensoever the high Preist came into Gods presence to inquire of him though God did not appeare visibly unto him yet he might reade Gods answer in his Vrim and Thummim he might there know Gods minde so a mans conscience is his Urim and Thummim When he comes before God his own consâ—ience gives him an inckling whether he speede or no 1 Ioh. 3. 20 21. If our hearts condemne us God is greater then our hearts knoweth al things Belived if our hearts condemne us not then have we confidence towards God If a mans conscience tell a man that his praiers are rotten that his humiliation is rotten that his heart is not upright that yet he is not purged from his sinnes that his seeking of God is fained and hypocritical it is the very voice of God in his soule and if our consciences condemne us God saith the Apostle is greater then our consciences There no is condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.
Commandements of God yet when our Saviour told him one thing is wanting goe and sell all that thou hast and give it to the poore saith the text of him he went away sorrowfull as if he should say he was sorry that there was any such truth in the Scripture he would have beene glad that there had beene no such text in the word of God The Prophets prophesie falsely and my people love to have it so Jer. 5. 31. they hated to have it so as the word would have it But when the false Prophets told them it was otherwise O they loved that Beloved the men of the world would be glad that God would make another Bible that drunkards and whoremasters might be saved another Bible that earthwormes and worldlings and proud persons might be saved If God would raine downe a new Bible another Bible I feare there are many thousands amongst us that now say they love the Bible yet would love to heare of it and come from all places to seeke after it after another Bible that would shew the way to heaven a little wider men are loth to heare of so much holinesse so much precisenesse they love not to be beaten on that string a signe that they hate it Can a man that is nothing but flesh and bloud love the text of Saint Paul that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15. 50 Can an old filthy sinner love that text of Isaiah an old sinner though he be an hundred yeares old shall be accursed Isai 65. 20 Can a Usurour love the 15 Psalme Can a lukewarmeling love Rev. 3. 16 no he would be glad that there were no such truth in the word and therefore he hates it Rom. 8. 7. A wicked man is such an enemy to the word that all the Ministers in England cannot reconcile him to it Secondly wicked men hate the word because they doe hate the nature of the word If men did love the word of God they would will what the word of God wills and nill what the word of God nills It is a good proverbe amongst us It is the property of lovers to will and nill the same things If men did love the word then looke what the word sayth they would doe what the word commands them they would obey If men did love the word they would conforme their hearts and lives to the rules of the word But the carnall minde is enmity aâ—ainst God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. A wicked man hates the law of God why the heart of a wicked man conceives the word of God to be against him he can not thinke a thought but the word is against it he cannot speake a word but the word of God is against it he cannot pray his dead hearted prayers but the word of God is against him c. And as the word of God is against him so his heart is against the word he is of one mind the word of another he is of one minde and the word of the cleane contrary minde against him Lastly as a wicked man hates the being of the word and the nature of the word in it selfe so he hates the being of it in his understanding he 〈◊〉 o◠〈◊〉 the knowledge of the word therefore they say unto God depart from us we desire â—oâ— the knowledge of thy waves Jab 21. 14. A wicked man would â—aine keepe this and that lust â—â— he is loth to depart with his old corruptions his old sinnes he hath livâ—d â—â— them so long that he is loth to part with his old freinds he would faine goâ— on in his lust and therefore he hates the knowledge of the word that would strippe him of his lust saith Aquinas Now he cannot be free for his sinnes and be curbed by the knowledge of the word I will tell you once it was my happe to preach a Sermon two or three hundred miles from this place and when Sermon was done I heard a man say O what a beast was I to come to this Sermon what a beast was I to come to it When the word of God comes to men and tells them that their state is damnable if they live in their sinnes when the word of God comes to the heart many are sorry that they ever heard the word of God that ever the word made such a thing knowne to them The drunkard the wanton the Usurer and the worldling how glad would they bee that the Minister could prove by the word of God that these sinnes were lawfull that usury were lawfull that covetousnesse were lawfull c. But when the word goes flat against them then they cannot endure that word why their conscience beginnes to penne them in it puts their hearts in the stocks as it were they cannot have freedome in the pursuite of their lusts and sinnes an evident signe that men hate the word Austin saith of a wicked man He loves the truth shining but he hates the truth reproving As much of the word as you will to make him skillfull in knowing but he hates the word every dramme of it checking and rebuking girding and controuling him for his sinnes Beloved what is all our preaching doth it not shew that men hate the word neede any goe to the field and exhorte the Husbandman to plough and sow his ground neede we goe to your houses to perswade men to feede to eate and drinke and to cloath themselves neede we goe to the Alehouse and perswade the drunkard to drinke the swearer to sweare the gamester to play no men love their backes and their bellies men love their profits and their pleasures men love their lusts and sinnes But they must be exhorted and intreated and commanded to obey and to love the word of God and all little enough Hence then is a reproofe to all the wicked Use amongst us O beloved it is too true that abundance of us doe hate the light Did wee not hate the light we would have shaken all our hands of our sinnes sheere ere now did we not hate the light we would have crucified our anger and our wrath and our pride ere now we would have subdued our security and our selfe-love and our lukewarmenesse in good duties did we not hate the light we had all beene children of the light ere now Plato sayth He loves that hath a similitude of that he loves but we have not a similitude and a likenesse of the light and therefore we doe not love it Beloved let me come a little neerer and convince all that heare me of this point They must needs be said to hate one another whom no intreatiâ—s nor beseeches can possibly reconcile That is irreconcileable hatred which cannot be taken off by all the intreaties of the world Herod hated Tyrâ—s and Sidon but his hatred was taken off by Blastus his intreatie Acts. 12. 20. but that hatred is irreconcileable hatred that no
us not that I would have you utterly to reject the things of this life but not to set your affections on them we must use the things of this life as Travailers doe their provision if they have too much it will hinder them so let us be content whether it be much or little it is best to lay up Treasure in Heaven as Christ told his Disciples Thus of the first point the second followes OF whom the world was not worthy as if he should have said they are too good to live in the world hence observe That true Beleevers are persons of very great Doct. worth The world is not worthie of them I need not spend much time to prove this they are called excellent persons Psa 16. 3. Againe the righteous is more excellent then his neighbour Prov. 12. 26. againe they are called the glory of God Esay 4. 5. They are called a chosen people a Royall Priesthood 1 Pet. 2. 9. Now wherein lies the worth of a godly man not in the outward man for alas the outward man of a child of God is the same with another man Their chiefe worthinesse lies in the inward man which after God is created unto righteousnesse and true holinesse Ephes 4. 24. The Kings daughter is all glorious within Psal 45. 13. Now Gods people are worthy persons and that in these respects First in respect of the worthy names they have Doe they not saith the Apostle blaspheme the worthy name by the which yee are called Jam. 2. 7. viz. the name of Christ Secondly they are worthie because there was a great price paid for them it adds much to the worth of a thing when there is a great price paide for it so this adds to the worth of all true beleevers that the price was great that was paid for them they were not bought with corruptible things not with two hundred fore-skinnes of the Philistines as David bought Michal nor with thirtie change of raiment the reward of those that unfolded Samsons Riddle they were not bought with a great summe of Money as the Romane Burgesseship was I say not with corruptible things but with the precious bloud of Jesus Christ for in him we have redemption through his blood Coloss 1. 14. Thirdly they are worthy in respect of the Consciences of the wicked for it is for their worth that they beare them malice it is goodnesse that is persecuted in good men I appeale to the Consciences of wicked men whether their Consciences tell them not that there is worth in the godly for which they beare them a secret grudge but if their Consciences be sleepy and tell them not so much yet I am sure their practises proclaime it The grace that is in the godly is the eye-soare of the wicked Fourthly Gods people are personages of great worth in respect of their Priviledges which God hath been pleased to dignifie them withall which are infinite if I should name them all wherefore as out of a garden where are diverse sorts of flowers I will gather some few The first Priviledge wherein their worth is manifest is their Royall descent they are not basely borne No they have Kings for their nursing Fathers and Queenes for their nursing Mothers they are sonnes and daughters of the King of Heaven and it is usuall in the Scripture to call them the Children of God Secondly as they are Royally descended so they are Royally attended To speak reverendly God attends them he keeps them as the apple of his eye and Christ is their Captaine he goes before them to conduct them and under God and Christ we have Angells they pitch round about them that feare the Lord Psal 34. 7. Thirdly they are worthie in respect of their places They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion Psal 125. 1. which cannot be removed Fourthly in respect of their fare they have Benjamin's Messe which is five times more then his brethren's so the portion of Gods children is five thousand times more then the wicked's Heaven is their inheritance Fifthly they are worthy in respect of their Royall apparell as a worthy man is richly apparrelled so a godly man is clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ Revel 3. 9. Sixthly in this respect also because they are out of debt they neede not feare any Sergeant to arrest them no not death for Christ hath cancelled the hand-writing Colos 2. 14. Seventhly in respect they may goe boldly to the throne of grace with confidence that they shall be heard in prayer For whatsoever we aske we receive c. 1 John 3. 22. Eightly all things worke together still for them to the best Rom. 8. 28. Ninthly they are Gods beloved ones his favourites they have an interest in Gods peculiar providence True it is he shewes a generall providence to all but Gods people have a right in a more peculiar manner for God will dwell with them Iohn 14. 23. and he will keepe the feete of his Saints 1 Sam. 2. 9. Tenthly they have the free use of all Gods creatures the Chartar that was given by the great Lord of all was forfeited to him by the fall of our first parents They are the sower grape and we their children our teeth are set on edge But Christ hath renewed this charter for his all others are but usurpers though a wicked man have never so much and never so good a title in regard of the law of man yet in Christ he shall be condemned for an intruder Oh what a happy thing is this then for the godly for whatsoever they have they are the right owners of it all things are theirs and they are Christs and Christ is Gods Eleventhly they are persons of great worth in respect of their presence where they live the places fare the better for them Laban fared the better for Iacob and Potiphar fared the better for Ioseph While Lot was in Sodome the Lord could doe nothing against the Sodomites they keepe the judgments from the places where they live they are the pillars of the Land Twelfthly in respect of their actions a true beleever in his prayer praies for himselfe and for others Abraham prayed for Abimelech and God heard him Gen. 20. 17. and Moses prayed for Pharaoh and God removed the plagues as you may see in Exodus Thirteenthly in respect of the great things which are laid up and reserved of God for them in the world to come such as no eye hath seene nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive But are they such men of worth why Object they are not esteemed at all neither are they at all well spoken of First know this you that are godly be Answ not discouraged this takes nothing from your worth For who are they that say thus none but a companie of mad men and fooles and who regards such Secondly If all should speake well of you then woe be unto you Thirdly Envie is evermore the companion
it a little I say that a wicked man if he were in heaven he could finde no delight there As for example take a beast for so is every man by his owne knowledge in regard of the life of grace as saith the Prophet Jeremy though a man take an Oxe or an Asse and bring him unto the Kings table and set before him all the delicates which appertaine unto Kings let him have a dinner before him that cost an hundred pounds yet he had rather be in the fields among his fellowes eating grasse or set a Crowne of gold upon a beasts head he will not regard it but cast it off into the mire for so long as the beast is not transformed and made capable of the honour that is in a man he cannot conceive of the pleasures and delights that doe belong unto man Even so let a wicked man enjoy all the glory of heaven and what will he say We â—ay perceive a little by bringing him to the Word and Ordinances of God tie him to the constant use of them to meditate on heaven and to walke circumspectly and precisely in his whole course of life and he will say this is more then needes this he thinkes is too precise too austere a life for him he cannot away with such purity and strictnesse but if he thinke this so strange which is nothing in comparison and is but a shadow or poore resemblance of the holinesse and purity that shall be what thinke you would he doe if he were in heaven where there is nothing but continuall praysing and glorifying of God for evermore where there shall not be so much as one earthly thought or word pertaining to the world or the affaires of this life but a continuall sounding forth of the prayses of God there is nothing but grace and speaking of heaven all their words are heavenly their joyes are heavenly and their whole delight is nothing but sounding forth uncessant Halleluiahs unto God for evermore Now if a wicked man were there what would he say surely he would say they are all Puritans and would never endure it Alas in this life there is but a little praying a little grace a little holinesse in comparison of that which shall be Here we doe but as it were peepe into heaven now then if this be so tedious that wicked men cannot endure it how will they like to be in a place where there is perfection of all graces where there shall be nothing but praysing God for ever and ever Sure as I am the devill was once in heaven and he cast himselfe out from thence God did not though he did deserve it and God would have done it had he not beene gone as saith the Apostle Jude verse 6. They left their first habitation the originall saith they flung it from them that is as soone as they had sinned against God and changed their natures away they went heaven was no place for them they thrust themselves out and could not endure to stay there any longer for having changed their natures they changed their delights and therefore to prayse and yeeld glory unto God was death unto them they being now corrupted through sinne and of an impure nature heaven became a hell unto them Is any man weary of grace and holinesse wearie of well doing wearie of praying and of hearing the word preached Is any man wearie of good duties of the worshippe and service of God Let him know then that he can never endure the Kingdome of Heaven for if he be weary of a little what will he doe when he shall come into a place where there shall be nothing but continuall praysing of God Is it so that sinne must be mortified if ever Vse 1 we meane to partake of Christ then this condemnes all those that goe on in their old courses in deadnesse and in security in ignorance c. taking hand over head vaine hopes for true feeding themselves with perswasions of salvation But the Apostle tells us that the foundation of God standeth sure The Lord knoweth who are his and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity A wicked man cannot name the name of Christ till he depart from iniquity much lesse can he looke for salvation because he cannot be saved without Christ nay he cannot be saved by Christ unlesse he depart from iniquity You say you hope to be saved it is well but God knoweth who are his God goeth by his owne rule the foundation of God standeth sure But who then are his onely those that name the name of Christ and depart from iniquitie those onely will he save and none other he will be no baud to thy sinnes or lusts and wicked courses for saith the Apostle If any man be in Christ let him be a new creature as if the Apostle in more words had said If any man hope he is a Chriâ—â—â—an let him see that he is a new creature for there is no expectation of being in Christ unlesse he be a new creature All old things are passed away and behold all things are become new if thou be in Christ all thy old praying is gone all thy old hearing is gone all thy old receiving of the Sacrament is passed away and all things are become new with thee thou must heare a new pray a new receive a new beleeve a new thou must live after a new sort for all old things are passed away Instruction to teach us that it is not enough Vse 2 for us to let our sinnes dye in us but we must kill them the Apostle doth not say let your earthly members die of themselves but mortifie them many there be that let their sinnes die in them as for example when one is an infant the sinnes of his Infancie naturally fall from him when he is a child of more capacity and when he is a youth the sinnes of his childhood naturally drop away from him so when he is a man his youthfull sinnes fall from him and when he is old and dieth all his sinnes naturally drop from him But he must not let sinne die in him but he must kill it Austin saith if thou kill not sinne till it dyeth of it selfe sinne hath killed thee and not thou thy sinne It is with sinne as with a beast if an Oxe fall into a pit and die of it selfe it is good for nothing the hide onely excepted but if it be killed it is good meate and becommeth profitable unto the owner even so if sinne die of its owne accord it will doe thee no good it is worth nothing it may lessen thy condemnation somewhat but if thou kill it then it will be profitable unto thee In the fourth Chapter of Jeremy we have a similitude taken from an Husbandman where the Lord saith plough up the fallow ground of your hearts and sow not among thornes Now will a Husbandman say there are abundance of thornes and bushes in my ground