driving to no point nor issue running into no conclusion nor resolutions of further obedience in faith and godlinesse This is that which in thy converse with others mingles so much frowardnesse levitie unprofitablenesse to or from them This is that which in thy calling makes so unmindfull of God and his service aime at nothing but thine own emoluments Where is the man who in all the wayes of his ordinarie calling labours to walke in obedience and feare of God to carry alwayes the affections of a servant as considering that he is doing the Lords worke That consecrates and sanctifies all his courses by prayer that beggeth strength presence concurrence supplies of spirit from God to lead him in the way which he ought to goe and to preserve him against those snares and temptations which in his calling he is most exposed unto that imploreth a blessing from heaven on his hearers in their conversation on his clients in their cause on his patients in their cure on himselfe in his studies on the state in all his servlees That is carefull to redeeme all his pretious time and to make every houre of his life comfortable and beneficiall to himselfe and others Where is the man whose particular calling doth not trench and incroach upon his generall calling the duties which he owes to God That spares sufficient time to humble himselfe to studie Gods will to acquaint himselfe with the Lord to keepe a constant Communion with his God nay that doth not adventure to steale from Gods owne day to speake his owne words to ripen or set forward his owne or his friends advantages In all this take notice of that naughty Inmate in thy bosome set thy selfe against it as thou wouldest do against the Stratagems of a most vigilant enemie or of a perfidious friend Qui inter amplexus strangâ—…lat that like Dalilah never comes alone but with Philistimes too like Iael never comes with Milke and Butter alone but withall with a naile and a hammer to fasten not thy head alone but which is worse thy heart also unto earthly things Fourthly consider the Fruitfulnesse of it It is both male and female as I may so speake within it selfe both the Tempter and the seed and the wombe Suppose wee it possible for a man to be separated from the sight and fellowship from the contagions and allurements of all other wicked men kept out of the reach of Satans suggestions and sollicitations nay to converse in the midst of the most renowned Saints that are yet that man hath enough in himselfe and would quickly discover it to beget to conceive to bring forth to multiply to consummate actuall sinnes The Apostle S. Iames sets forth the birth and progresse of actuall sinne Every man is tempted when he is drawne away and enticed of his owne lust there Lust is the father the adulterer and Lust when it hath conceived bringeth forth sinne there Lust is the mother too and there is no mention of any seede but the temptation of lust it selfe the stirrings and flatteries and dalliances of the sinfull heart with it selfe Iam. 1. 13 14 15. The same Apostle compares it to Hell which notes the unsatiablenesse of the wombe of sinne that doth enlarge its desires as the grave nay to the fire of Hell nothing so apt to multiply as fire every thing ministers occasion of encrease unto it but then ordinary fire workes out it selfe and dies but. Lust as it is like fire in multiplying so it is like Hell fire in abiding it is not preserv'd by a supply of outward materials to foment and cherish it but it supports its selfe It is like a troubled sea which casteth up mire and dirt a fountaine out of which every day issue Adulteries thefts murthers evill thoughts c It bringeth forth fruite like Summer fruit Who hath heard such a thing who hath seene such things shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day saith the Prophet yet consider how suddenly this sinne brings forth When you see in your children of a span long their sinne shew it selfe before their haire or their teeth vanity pride frowardnesse selfe-love revenge and the like then thinke upon your owne infancie and bewaile Adams image so soone in your selves and yours in your children I have seene saith Saint Austin a sucking infant that was not able to articulate a word looke with a countenance even pale for Envie upon his fellow Suckling that shared with him in the same milke upon which consideration the holy man breakes forth into this pious complaint Ubi Domine quando Domine where ever was the place O Lord when ever was the time O Lord that I have been an Innocent Creature Secondly consider how continually it brings forth even every day Gen. 6. 5. or all the day long as fast as the Sunne begets swarmes of vermine or the fire sparkles Thirdly consider how desperately it breakes forth When thou seest a man wallow like a beast in his owne vomit dart out blasphemies against heaven revile the Gospell of Salvation teare the blessed name of God in pieces with abhorrid and hideous oathes Cain murthering his brother Iudas betraying his master Ananias lying to the Holy Ghost Lucian mocking the Lord Iesus as a crucified Impostor Iulian darting up his bloud against heaven in hatred of Christ the Scribes and Pharises blaspheming the holy spirit then reflect on thy selfe and consider that this is thine owne image that thou hast the same roote of bitternesse in thy selfe if the Grace of God did not hinder and prevent thee As face answereth unto face in water renders the selfe same shape colour lineaments proportion so the Heart of man to man every man may in any other mans hart see the complet image deformities uncleannesse of his owne Suppose we Two Acorns of a most exact and geometricall equality in seminall vertue planted in two severall places of as exact and uniforme a temper of earth needs must they both grow into trees of equall strength and 〈◊〉 unlesse the benignitie and influences of heaven doe come differently upon them Our case is the same we are all naturally cast into one mould all equally partake the selfe same degrees and proportions of originall lusts our harts equally by nature fruitfull in evill If then we proceed not to the same compasse and excesse of riot with other men we must not attribute it to our selues or any thing in our natures as if we had made our selues to differ but onely to the free and blessed influences of the Grace of Christ and his Spirit which bloweth where it listeth Lastly consider how unexpectedly it will breake forth Is thy servant a Dog that hee should doe this great thing To dash children to pieces and rip up women with childe It was the speech of Hazael to Elisha the Prophet As if he should have said I must cease to be a man I must put off all the principles of
occasion to get as much of it as he may together Notably doth Saint Paul set forth this purifying propertie of hope in the promises I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Iesus I am already apprehended of Christ he hath in his body carried me in hope vnto Heaven with him and made mee sit together in Heavenly places and this hope to come to him at last to attaine to that price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus makes me presse and pull and strive by all meanes to attaine to perfection to expresse a Heavenly conversation in earth because from thence I looke for a Saviour the Lord Iesus Christ Hope as we said is an Anker Our Anker is fix'd in heaven our vessell is upon earth now as by the Cable a man may draw his vessell to the Anker so the Soule being fixed by hope vnto Christ doth hale and draw it selfe neerer and neerer unto him Thirdly Promises are the efficient causes of our purification as they are the objects of our Faith For we dare not beleeve without Promises Therefore Abraham stagger'd not through unbeliefe but gave glory to God because he was fully perswaded that what he had promised he was able to performe It is not Gods power simply but with relation to his Promise which secures our faith So Sarah is said through faith to be deliver'd of a child being past age because she judg'd him faithfull that had promised Now by being Objects of faith the Promises must needs cleanse from filthinesse for faith also hath a cleansing property It purifieth the heart and worketh by love and looketh upon the things promised as desireable things rejoyceth in them and worketh homogeneall and sutable affections unto them Againe we must note That sinne comes seldome without Promises to pollute us begets vast expectations and hopes of Good from it Balaam was whet and enliven'd by promises to curse Gods people The Strumpet in the Proverbes that said to the young man Come let us take our fill of loves conceiv'd most adequate satisfaction to her adulterous lusts by that way This was the delusion of the rich foole in his Epicurisme Soule take thine â—…ase eate drinke and be merry for thou hast much laid up for many yeeres Of the Iewes in their Idolatries to the Queene of heaven because that would afford them plenty of victuals and make them see no evill Of Gehazies foolish heart who promised to himselfe Olive-yards and Vineyards and sheepe and Oxen and men-servants and maide servants by his officious lie And this was one of the divels master pieces when he tempted Christ All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall downe and worship me Thus we see sinne seldome comes without promises to seduce and pollute the soule And yet the Truth is these promises cannot hold up the hope of any man When a man hath wearied himselfe in the pursuit of them yet still there is lesse hope at last then at first But now faith fixing upon sure mercies upon promises which cannot be abrogated or disannull'd being made iâ—…eversible by the oath of God who after hee hath sworne cannot repent and seeing not onely stabilitie but pretiousnesse in the promises and through them looking upon the great goodnesse of the things contained in them as already subsisting and present to the soule and by this meanes overcomming the world whose onely prejudice and advantage against Christ is this that the things which hee promiseth are long hence to come whereas that which it promiseth it likewise presenteth to the view of sense which difference faith destroieth by giving a subsistence and spirituall presence of things hoped for to the soule by this meanes I say faith doth mightily prevaile to draw a man unto such holinesse as becommeth the sonnes and heires of so certaine and pretious promises Till a man by faith apprehends some interest in the promises he will never out of true Love endeavour a conformitie unto God in Christ. By them saith Saint Peter we are made partakers of the divine nature and doe escape the corruption that is in the world through lust What is it to be made partaker of the divine nature It notes two things first a fellowship with God in his holinesse that puritie which is eminenter and infinitely in Gods most holy nature is formaliter or secundum modum creaturae so farre as the image of his infinite holinesse is expressible in a narrow creature fashioned in and communicated unto us by our union with Christ. Secondly a fellowship with God in his blessednesse namely in that beatificall vision and brightnesse of glory which from the face and fulnesse of Iesus Christ who as a second Adam is made unto us the Authour and Fountaine of all heavenly things shall at last in fulnesse and doth even now in flashes and glimmerings shine forth upon his members And all this we have from those great and pretious promises which are made unto us of Holinesse and of Blessednesse For as we say of the Word in generall so more especially of the Promises they are operative words and doe produce some reall effects being received by faith As a man when he receiveth a deed signed sealed witnessed and delivered doth not onely take parchment or waxe or emptie words but hath thereby some fundamentall right created unto the things in the deed mentioned to be convey'd so that the deed is declaratorie and operative of some Reall effects so in the word and promises of God sealed by the bloud of Christ ratified by the oath of the Covenant testified by the Spirit of Truth deliver'd by the hand of Mercy and received by the hand of Faith there doth not onely passe emptie breath and naked words but also some Reall effects by the intendment of God are thereby produc'd namely the cleansing of our sinfull nature from the pollutions of the world and the transforming thereof into the image and purity of the divine nature Fourthly Promises are the efficient causes of our purification as they are the Raies and Beames of Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse in whom they are all founded and established They are All in him Yea and in him Amen Every promise by faith apprehended carries a man to Christ and to the consideration of our unity with him in the right whereof we have claime to the Promises even as every line in a circumference though there never so distant from other doth being pursued carry a man at last to one and the same Center common unto them all For the Promises are not made for any thing in us nor have their stability in us but they are made in and for Christ unto us unto Christ in our behalfe and unto us onely so farre forth as we are members of Christ. For they were not made to seeds as many but to seed namely to Christ in aggregato as
lawfull endeavours which he hath commanded and allowed The third thing proposed was the consideration of that Vse which we should make of this vexation of the Creature And first the consideration thereof mingled with faith in the heart must needes worke humiliation in the spirit of a man upon the sight of those sinnes which have so much defaced the good Creatures of God Sinne was the first thing that did pester the earth with thornes Gen. 3. 17. 18. and hath fill'd all the Creation with vanitie and bondage Sinne is the ulcer of the soule touch a wound with the softest Lawne and there will smart arise so though the Creatures be never so harmelesse yet as soone as they come to the heart of a man there is so much sinne and corruption there as must needs beget paine to the soule The palate prepossest with a bitter humour findes it owne distemper in the sweetest meate it tastes so the soule having the ground of bitternesse in it selfe finds the same affection in every thing that comes neere it Death it self though it be none of Gods works but the shame and deformitie of the Creature yet without sinne it hath no sting in it 1. Cor. 15. 55. how much lesse sting thinke we have those things which were made for the comforts of mans life if sinne were not the Serpent that did lurke under them all Doest thou then in thy swiftest careere of earthly delights when thou art posting in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes feele a curbe privily galling thy conscience a secret dampe seizing upon thy soule and affrighting it with dismall suspicions and trembling pre-occupations of attending judgements see a hand against the wall writing bitter things against thee Dost thou in all thy lawfull Callings finde much sweat of brow much toyle of braine much plunging of thoughts much care of heart in compassing thy just and lawfull intendments Doe not lose the opportunitie of that good which all this may suggest unto thee take advantage to fish in this troubled water Certainely there is some Ionah that hath raysed this storme there is some sinne or other that hath caused all this trouble to thy soule Doe not repine at Gods providence nor quarrell with the dumbe Creatures but let thine indignation reflect upon thine owne heart and as ever thou hopest to have the sweat of thy brow abated or the care of thy heart remitted or the curse of the Creature removed cast thy selfe downe before God throw out thy sinne awake thy Saviour with the cry of thy repentance and all the stormes will be suddenly calmed Certainely the more power any man hath over the corruption of his nature the lesse power hath the sting of any Creature over his heart Though thou hast but a dinner of herbes with a quiet conscience reconciled unto God thou dost therein finde more sweetnesse then in a fatted Oxe with the contentions of a troubled heart When ever therefore we finde this Thorne in the Creature wee should throw our selves downe before God and in some such manner as this bewaile the sinne of our heart which is the roote of that Thorne Lord thou art a God of peace and beauty and what ever comes from thee must needs originally have peace and beauty in it The Earth was a Paradise when thou didst first bestow it upon me but my sinne hath turned it into a Desert and curs'd all the increase thereof with Thornes The honour which thou gavest me was a glorious attribute a sparkle of thine owne fire a beame of thine owne light an impresse of thine owne Image a character of thine owne power but my sinne hath put a Thorne into mine honour my greedinesse when I look upward to get higher and my giddinesse when I looke downeward for feare of falling never leaves my heart without angvish and vexation The pleasure which thou allowest mee to enjoy is full of sweet refreshment but my sinne hath put a Thorne into this likewise my excesse and sensualitie hath so choaked thy Word so stifled all seeds of noblenesse in my minde so like a Canker overgrowne all my pretious time stolne away all opportunities of grace melted and wasted all my strength that now my refreshments are become my diseases The Riches which thou gavest me as they come from thee are soveraigne blessings wherewith I might abundantly have glorified thy Name and served thy Church and supplyed thy Saints and made the eyes that saw mee to blesse mee and the â—…ares that heard me to beare witnesse to me wherewith I might have covered the naked backe and cured the bleeding wounds and filled the hungry bowels and satisfied the fainting desires of mine owne Saviour in his distressed members but my sinne hath put in so many Thornes of pride hardnesse of heart uncompassionatenesse endlesse cares securitie and resolutions of sinne and the like as are ready to pierce me thorow with many sorrowes The Calling wherein thou hast placed me is honest and profitable to men wherein I might spend my time in glorifying thy Name in obedience to thy will in attendance on thy blessings but my sinne hath brought so much ignorance and inapprehension upon my understanding so much weakenesse upon my body so much intricatenesse upon my employments so much rust and sluggishnes upon my faculties so much earthly-mindednesse upon my heart as that I am not able without much discomfort to goe on in my Calling All thy Creatures are of themsâ—…lves full of honour and beauty the beames and gliâ—…pses of thine owne glory but our sinne hath stained the beauty of thine owne handy-worke so that now thy wrath is as well revealed from Heaven as thy glory we now see in them the prints as well of thy terrours as of thy goodnesse And now Lord I doe in humblenesse of heart truly abhorre my selfe and abominate those cursed sinnes which have not onely defiled mine owne nature and person but have spread deformitie and confusion upon all those Creatures in which thine owne wisedome and power had planted so great a beauty and so sweet an order After some such manner as this ought the consideration of the thornynesse of the Creature humble us in the sight of those sinnes which are the rootes thereof Secondly the consideration hereof should make us wise to prevent those cares which the Creatures are so apt to beget in the heart those I meane which are branches of the Vexation of the Creature There is a two fold Care Regular and Irregular Care is then Regular First when it hath a Right end such as is both suteable with and subordinate to our maine end the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse Secondly when the meanes of procuring that end are right for we may not do evill to effect Good Recovery was a lawfull end which Ahaziah did propose but to enquire of Baalzebub was a meanes which did poyson the whole businesse nay Saint Austin is resolute that if it were possible by an
utterly depriu'd the right of any worldly goods nothing is his ex jure but onely ex largitate and in as much as the sinne of man hath made him though not a sacrilegious intruder yet a prophane abuser of the good things which remaine partly by inditect procuring them partly by despising the author of them by mustering up Gods owne gifts against him in riot luxurie pride uncleanenesse earthly mindednesse hereby it comes to passe that to the uncleane all things are uncleane because their mindes and consciences are defiled Now the whole Creation being thus by the sinne of man uncleane and by consequence unfitted for humane use as Saint Peter intimates I never eate any thing common or uncleane it was therefore requisite that the Creature should have some Purification before it was unto men allowed Which was indeede legally done in the Ceremonie but really in the substance and body of the Ceremonie by Christ who hath now unto us in their use and will at last for themselves in their owne being deliver the Creatures from that vanity and malediction unto which by reason of the sinne of man they were subjected and fashion them unto the glorious liberty of the Children of God make them fit palaces for the saints to inhabit or conferre upon them a glory which shall bee in the proportion of their natures a suteable advancement unto them as the glory of the Children of God shall be unto them The bloud of Christ doth not onely renew and purifie the soule and body of man but washeth away the curse and dirt which adhereth to every Creature that man useth doth not only clense and sanctifie his church but reneweth all the Creatures Behold saith he I make All things New and if any man be in Christ not onely He is a New Creature but saith the Apostle All things are become New Those men then who keepe themselves out of Christ and are by consequence under the Curse as their persons so their possessions are still under the curse as their consciences so their estates are still uncleane they eate their meate like Swine rol'd up in dirt the dirt of their owne sinne and of Gods malediction So then the Creature is then sanctified when the curse thereof is washed away by Christ. Now secondly let us see How the Creature is sanctified by the Word By Word wee are not to understand the Word of Creation wherein God spake and all things were made Good and serviceable to the use of man For sinne came after that Word and defaced as well the goodnesse which God put into the Creature as his Image which he put into man But by Word I understand first in generall Gods Command and Blessing which strengtheneth the Creature unto those operations for which they serue in which sense our Saviour useth it Matth. 4. 4. and elsewhere If ye call those Gods unto whom the Word of God came that is who by Gods Authority and Commission are fitted for subordinate services of Gouernement under him say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified that is to whom the Word of the Father and his Commission or Command came to whom the Father hath given Authoritie by his Power and fitnesse by his Spirit to Iudge and save the world Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Sonne of God Secondly by that Word I understand more particularly the Fountaine of that Blessing which the Apostle cals in generall the Word of Truth and more particularly The Gospell of Salvation and this word is a sanctifying Word Sanctifie them by thy truth thy Word is Truth and as it sanctifies us so it sanctifies the Creatures too it is the Fountaine not onely of Eternall but of Temporall Blessings And therefore we finde Christ did not onely say unto the sicke of the Palsie Thy sinnes are forgiven thee but also Arise and walke intimating that Temporall Blessings come along with the Gospell it hath the Promises as well of this life as that to come I never saw the righteous forsaken saith the Prophet David suteable to that of the Apostle He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee nor their seed begging their bread That is never so wholly by God forsaken if they were the seed of the Righteous inheritors of their fathers hope and profession as to make a constant trade of begging their bread and so to expose the promises of Christ that they which seeke the kingdome of heaven shall have all other things added to them unto reproach and imputation from wicked men Or thus I never saw the righteous forsaken or their seede forsaken by God though they beg'd their bread but even in that extremitie God was present with them to sanctifie to their use and to give them a comfortable enjoyment of that very bread which the exigencie of their present condition had constrained them to begge Thus we see in generall That the Blessing or Command of God and the fountaine of that blessing the Gospell of Salvation doe sanctifie the Creature But yet neither by the Blessing nor the Gospell is the Creature effectually sanctified unto us till it be by us apprehended with the Word and Promise and this is done by Faith for the Word saith the Apostle profited not those that heard it because it was not mingled or temper'd with faith For Faith hath this singular operation to particularize and single out God and his Promises unto a mansselfe So then the Creature is sanctified by the Word and Blessing beleeved and embraced whereby we come to have a neerer right and peculiarity in the Creatures which we enjoy for being by Faith united unto Christ and made one with him which is that noble effect of faith to incorporate Christ and a Christian together we thereby share with him in the inheritance not onely of Eternall life but even of the common Creatures Fellow Heires we are and Copartners with him therefore in as much as God hath appointed him to be Heire of All things as the Apostle speakes we likewise in the vertue of our fellowship with him must in a subordinate sense be Heires of all things too All is yours saith the Apostle and you are Christs and Christ is Gods Fidelibus totus mundus divitiarum est The Saints saith Saint Austin have All the world for their possession And if it be here demanded how this can be true since wee finde the Saints of God often in great want and it would doubtlesse bee sinne in them to usurpe another mans goods upon presumption of that promise that Christ is theirs and with him all things To this I answere first in generall As Christ though he were the Heire of All things yet for our sakes became poore that we by his poverty might be made rich so God oftentimes pleaseth to make the faithfull partake not onely in the priviledges but in the poverty
against the Kingdome of Christ in â—…e and I find by daylie experience what foiles he gives me what captivitie he holds me under how unable I am to hold conflict with but some one of his Lusts how unfurnish'd with such generall strength as is requisite to meet so potent an adversary in this case a man will bee very apt to faint and bee wearied in his striving against sinne And therefore to encourage and quicken us unto patience wee must not seeke our selves in our selves nor fix upon the measure and proportion of our former graces but runne to our faith and hold fast our confidence which will make us hope above hope and bee strong when wee are weake Wee must looke unto Iesus and consider first his grace which is sufficient for us Secondly his power which hath already begunne faith and a good worke in us Thirdly his promise which is to finish it for us Fourthly his compassion and assistance he is our second ready to come in in any danger and undertake the quarrell Fifthly his example he passed through alike contradiction of sinners as wee doe of lusts Sixthly his neerenesse he is at the dore it is yet but a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Seventhly his Glory which is in our quarrell engaged and in our weakenesse perfected Eighthly his reward which hee brings with him it is for an eternall weight of glory that wee wrestle Ninthly his faithfulnesse to all that Clowd of witnesses those armies of Saints whome he hath carried through the same way of combates and temptations before us and whose warfare is now accomplished Lastly his performances already First he maketh the combate every day easier then before our Inner man growes day by day the house of David is stronger and stronger and the house of Saul weaker and weaker And Secondly as in all other afflictions so in this especially hee giveth unto us a peaceable fruit of righteousnesse after wee have beene exercised in it But you will say these are good encouragements to him that knowes How to do this worke but how shall I that am Ignorant and impotent know how to suppresse and keepe downe so strong an enemie with any patience or constancy that all this workes in me To this I answere first consider wherein mainely the strength of lust lies and then applie your preventions and oppositions accordingly The strength of lust is in these particulars First it 's wisdome and cunning craftinesse whereby it lies in waite and is upon the catch of every advantage to set forward its owne ends Secondly it's suggestions perswasions titillations treaties flatteries dalliances with the soule which like the smiles of a harlot entice and allure the heart to condescend to some experience and practice with it Thus Evah being deceived fell into the transgression For the suggestion quickly begets delight and delight as easily growes into consent and when the Will like the Master-Fort is taken the inferiour members 〈◊〉 no longer stand out Thirdly its promises and presumptions its threatnings and affrightments for Hopes and fear as are the edges of temptation Lust seldome or never prevailes till it have begotten some expectation of fruit in it till it can propose some wages and pleasures of iniquitie some peace and immunitie against dangers or judgements denounced wherewith men may flatter themselves some unprofitablenesse toyle and inconvenience in a contrary strictnesse Lust deales with the soule as Iael with Sisera first it calls a man in gives him milke and butter coveâ—…s him with a mantle and casts him into a quiet and secure sleepe and then after brings out the naile and hammer to fasten him unto death and yet all this while a man saith not within himselfe What have I done there is no hope after all this my wearinesse in the tent of Iael in the promises of lust but like the Mother of Sisera cherisheth vast expectations and returneth answers of spoyles and purchases to himselfe We will 〈◊〉 Incense to the Queene of Heaven say the people to â—…my we have not onely great and publike examples 〈◊〉 Fathers our Kings our Princes our Cities but great Rewards to encourage us thereunto for then had wee pleâ—…y of victuals and wâ—…re well and saw no evill I will go after my Lovers that give me my bread and my water my wool and my flax mine oyle and my drinke neither did shee ever returne to her first husband till shee found by evident experience that it was then better with her then amongst her idoles So that which made that hypocriticall people weary of the wayes and worship of God was the unprofitablenesse which they conceiv'd to be in his service and the unequalnesse of his wayes whereas indeed the fault was in their owne unsincerity and evill ends For the Word of the Lord doth good to those that walke vprightly as the Prophet speakes Fourthly its Lawes and Edicts whereby it setteth the members aworke and publisheth its owne will and that either under the shew of reason for sinne hath certaine Maximes and principles of corrupted reason which it takes for indubitable and secure wherewith to countenance its tyrannicall commands or else under the shape of Emoluments and Exigences and Inevitablenesse which may serve to warrant those commands that are otherwise destitute even of the colour of reason Like that device of Caiaphas when they knew not how to accuse Christ or charge him with any face of capitall crimes yet hee had found out a way that though there were no personall reasons nor iust grounds to proceede upon yet admitting and confessing the innocencie of the person of Christ the Expedience notwithstanding and Exigencie of state so requiring it fitter it was for one innocent person to perish and thereby the safety of the common wealth which depended upon their homage to the Romanes to be secur'd then by the preservation of one man to have the welfare of the whole people lie at hazard and exposed to the feaâ—…es and jealousies and displeasures of the Romans who by publike fame were very suspicious of an universall prince which was to arise out of Iudea and none so likely to be the man as he who could raise dead men out of their graves and so be never destitute of armies to helpe him so though there was no â—…quum est yet there was an expâ—…dit though no reason or iustice yet there was Exigence and Expediencie why hee ought to die though not as a malefactor to satisfie for his owne offence yet as a sacrifice to expiate and to prevent those evils of state which the fame of his mighty workes might have occasion'd And thus doth sinne deale with men sometimes by the helpe of corrupt reason and counterfeite maxi neâ—… it makes the sinnes which are commanded seeme warrantable and equall sometimes where the things are apparantly evill and cannot bee iustified yet by pretence of
inquire who they are unto whose right and possession a man may belong and then examine the Evidences which either can make for himselfe To sinne wee know doth appertaine the primitive right of every naturall and lapsed man for we are by nature the Children of wrath A purchase then there must come betweene before a man can passe over into anothers right this purchase was made by Christ who bought us with his blood And the treatie in this purchase was not between Christ and sinne but betweene him and his Father Thine they were and thou gavest them me for the fall of Man could not nullifie Gods Dominion nor right unto him for when man ceased to be Gods Servant he then began to be his Prisoner and though Sinne and Sathan weâ—… in regard of man Lords yet they were in regard of God but Iaylors to keepe or part from his Prisoners at his pleasure Besides though Christ got man by purchase yet Sinne and Sathan lost him by forfeiture for thâ—… prince of this world seizing upon Christ in whom he had â—…o right for he found nothing of his owne in him did by that meanes forteite his former right which hee had in men of the same nature Wee see then all the claime that can be made is either by Christ or Sinne by that strong man or him that is stronger A man must have evidences for Christ or else hee belongs unto the power of Sinne. The evidences of Christ are his Name his Seale and his Witnesses His Name a new Name a name better then of sonnes and daughters even Christ formed in the heart and his Law ingraven in the inner man As it is fabled of Ignatius that there was found the Name of Iesus written in his heart so must every one of Gods House bee named by him with this new name Of Him are all the Families in Heaven and in Earth named The Seale of Christ is his Spirit witnessing unto and securing our spirits that we belong unto him For hee that hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his and by this we know that he dwelleth in us and we in him because hee hath given us of his Spirit The witnesses of Christ are three The Spirit the Water and Blood The Testimonie of Adoption Sealing the Fatherly care of God to our Soules saying to our Soules that he is our Salvation and Inheritance The Testimonie of Iustification our Faith in the blood and price of Christ and the Testimonie of Sanctification in our being cleansed from dead workes for he came to destroy the workes of the Devill hee came with Refiners fire and with Fullers sope and with healing under his wings that is as I conceive under the preaching of his Gospell which as the beames of the Sunne make manifest the savor of Him in every place and by which he commeth and goeth abroad to those that are a far off and to those that are neere It was the Office of Christ as well to Purifie as to Redeeme as well to Sanctifie as to Iustifie us so that if a man say hee belongs to Christ and yet bringeth not forth fruite unto God but lives still married to his former lusts and is not cleansed from his filthinesse hee makes God a lyer because hee beleeveth not the Record which hee gives of his Sonne for Hee will not have either a barren or an adulterous spouse yea he putteth Christ to shame as if he had undertaken more then he were able to performe Besides Christ being a Light a Starre a Sunne never comes to the heart without selfe-manifestation such evidence as cannot be gainesaid unto him belongs this royall prerogative to be himselfe the witnesse to his owne Grace And when the Papists demaund of us How wee can bee sure that this Testimnoy of Christs Grace and Spirit is not a false witnesse and delusion of Sathan wee demaund of them againe If the flesh can have this advantage to make such Objections against the unvalueable Comforts of Christs Grace and the heart have nothing to reply If Christ witnesse and no man can understand it If the Spirit of Christ be a Comforter and the Divell can comfort every jot as well and counterfeit his comforts to the quicke and so cozen and delude a man what is any man the better for any such assertions of Scripture where the Spirit is called the Spirit of Comfort the strengthner of the inner man and the heart said to be established by Grace Certainely the Comforts of the Spirit must fall to the ground if they bring not along a proper and distinct lustre into the Soule with them And this Ambrosiuâ—… Catharinus himselfe a learned Papist and as great a scholler in the Trent Councell as any other was bold to maintaine against the contrary opinion of Dominicus Soto in a publike declaration unto whom Bellarmine dares not adhere though it bee his custome to boast of their unanimitie in point of Doctrine Besides sinne is of a quarrelling and litigious disposition it will not easily part from that which was once its owne but will bee ever raysing sutes disputing arguing wrangling with the Conscience for its old right Christ came not to send peace but a sword perpetuall and unreconcileable combats and debates with the flesh of man If a man hold peace with his lusts and set not his strength and his heart against them If they bee not in a state of rebellion they are certainely in the throne It is impossible for a King to rebell because hee hath none above him and so as long as lust is a king it is in peace but when Christ subdues it and takes possession of the heart it will presently rise and rebell against his kingdome Heere then is the triall of the Title If a man cannot shew the evidences of a new purchase the Spirit the Blood the Water the Sonneship the Righteousnesse the Holynesse Conversation and Grace of Christ If he be not in armes against the remnants of lust in himselfe but live in peace and good contentment under the vigor and life of them that man belongs yet unto the right of sinne For if a man be Christs there will bee Nova regalia extremely opposite to those of sinne A new heart for the Throne of the Spirit New members to bee the servants of Righteousnesse New Counsellors namely the Lawes of God A new Panoplie The whole armour of God New lawes The law of the minde and of the heart A new Iudicature even the government of the Spirit Thoughts Words Actions Conversations All things new as the Apostle speakes Now let us in the next place consider the power whereby sinne makes its commands to bee obeyed wherein it is more strong and sure then a Tyrant who ruleth against the will of his Subjects The particulars of this strength may be thus digested First sinne hath much strength from it selfe and that
in these regards First it is very wilfull it is as it were all will Therefore it is called in the Scripture The will of the flesh and the will of the Gentiles and the will of men And the will is the seate of strength especially seeing the will of man and the will of sinne or the flesh are in the Scripture phrase all one If a man had one will and sinne another mans will drew one way and sinnes another peradventure his power to resist might be stronger then sinnes power to command but when the will of sinne is in the will of man as a bias in a bowle as a flame in smoke as a weight or spring to an engine as spirits in the body to actuate and determine it to its owne way how can a man resist the will of sinne who hath no other then a sinfull will to resist by Secondly as sinne is wilfull so it is very passionate and lustfull which addes wings as it were to the commands of sinne The Apostle cals them passions and those working passions when we were in the flesh The motions of sinne did worke in our members There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lust and passions of lust which the Apostle cals vile lusts and burning lusts and affections and lusts that is very lustfull lusts Lust is in the best but these violent passions and ardencies of lust are shrewd symptomes of the raigne of sinne To be fierce implacable head-strong like the horse in the battaile and that not upon extraordinary distemper or surprizall as Ionah and Asa were but habitually so as on any occasion to discover it is by the Apostle put in amongst the Characters of those that denie the Power of Godlinesse For sinne must not hold its power where Godlinesse hath any Thirdly it hath Lawes and Edicts full of wisedome and cunning edg'd and temper'd with many encouragements and provocations to those that obey which as I said before the Scripture cals the Wages of sinne and pleasures of sinne by which Balaam was enticed to curse Gods people A Law is nothing else but a Rule or Principle of working which orders and moderates the course of a mans life And so sinne hath a way to carry men in and Principles to governe men by which Saint Paul cals Seculum the course of the world Such as are Rules of Example Custome good intentions Gods mercy taken by halses without respect to any conditions which it brings with it the common frailâ—…e of our nature that we are All men and that the best have their infirmities distinctions evasions justifications extenuations partiall strictnesse in some particulars the opus operatum or meere doing of dueties requit'd and many like most of which things I have spoken of more largely heretofore upon another Scripture Fourthly it is full of flattery to entice and woe a man cunning to observe all the best seasons to surprize the soule And though enticements be base yet they are very strong like a gentle showre or a soft fire they sinke and get in closer then if they should be more violent That which is as soft as oyle in the touch may be as sharpe as swords in the operation And therefore as a man is said in one place to be enticed by lust so elsewhere he is said to be driven and thrust on by lust Take heede to your selves lest you corrupt your selves lest thou lift up thine eyes to heaven and when thou seest the sunne and the moone and the starres shouldst be driven to worship them and serve them The Objects themselves have no coactive or compulsory power in them for they worke but as Objects which is the weakest way of working that is for Objects aâ—…e never totall Agents but onely partiall they doe never any more then cooperate with some facultie and power unto which they are suteable yet such is the strength of those lusts which are apt to kindle by those Objects that a man is said to be driven to idolatry by them All which false prophets can doe is but morall and by way of cunning and seducement yet such is the strength of those lusts which they flatter and worke upon by their impostures that they are said to Thrust a man out of the way which the Lord commanded him to walke in For as we use to say of the requests of a King so we may of the flatteries and allurements of sinne That they doe amount unto commands In one word sinne is throughly furnish'd with all sorts of Armour both for defence and opposition all strong holds all reasonings and imaginations and thoughts which can be contriv'd to secure it selfe and therefore no marvell if it have much strength from itselfe Secondly it hath much strength from Satan and the world which are the counsellers and aides of sinne which bring in constant supplies and provisions unto it Therefore lusts are said to be of the World and to bee earthly and divellish because the world and the divell supply them with constant fuell But lastly and principally lust hath much strength in and from us First because they are naturall unto us A mans sinne is himselfe it is call'd by the name of our Old man And therefore to be carnall and to walke as man to live after the lusts of the flesh and after the lusts of men are all one To live to sinne in one place is to live to our selves in another To crucifie fleshly affections in one place is to mortifie our earthly members in another To deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts in one place is to deny our selves in another To lay aside the sinne that doth so easily beset us in one place is to cast away our right eye and our right hand in another And therefore the wayes of sinne are call'd our owne waies and the lusts of the flesh our owne lusts and being our owne we love and cherish them No man ever hated his owne flesh neither can any man by nature hate his owne lusts unto which he is as truly said to be married as the Church is to Christ. And this serves much to set forth the power of sin For the love of the subject is the strength of the Soveraigne a king shall then certainely be obeyed when he coÌ„mands such things as it were difficult for him to prohibite Secondly lust hath from us weapons to set forward its strength The heart a forge to contrive and members instruments to execute the heart a wombe to conceive and the members midwives to bring forth lusts into act Lastly sinne must be very strong in us because we are by nature full of it So the Apostle saies of naturall men that they were filled with all unrighteousuesse and full of envie debate deceite c. and S. Peter that they have Eyes full of Adultery that
Comforts and Emoluments which yet are not valid enough to devest him of the whole right and state in a living so some sinnes may bee of so heavie a nature as may unqualifie a man for an actuall admittance into Heaven or possession of glory which yet doe not nullifie his Faith nor extinguish his Title and interest unto it Thus we see that sinne may in the most holy have great power the examples whereof are all written for our learning to teach us what is indeede within us how circumspectly wee should walke how watchfull over our hearts how stedfast in our Covenant lest wee fall after the example of those men and so breake our bones as David did For one great sinne presumptuously committed will bring either such a hardnesse of heart as will make thee live in a wretched securitie and neglect of thy service and peace with God Or such a wofull experience of his wrath and heavie displeasure against sinne as will even bruise thy Conscience and burne up thy bowels and make thee goe drooping and disconsolate it may be all thy dayes But yet though sinne may thus farre proceede against a regenerate man all this doth not amount to a complete raigne Though sinne may have a victorie in the faithfull and that even over their wills yet it hath not a kingdome which imports a complete and universall resignation of the whole will and man to the obedience of it It is one thing to have the whole consent of the will unto some one sinne stollen away by some particular temptation and another to be whollie addicted and devoted to the waies of sinne to have the whole heart universally married to Lust and filled with Sathan whereby it bringeth forth fruite unto deaâ—…h Into the former of these we grant the faithfull may fall and yet even in that case the seede of God which abideth in them though it did not operate to prevent â—…inne will yet undoubtedly serve to supplie repentance in due time and though Consent went before to conceive sinne yet it shall not follow after to allow it being committed but they review their sin with much hatred and selfe-displicencie with affliction of spirit humiliation of heart admiration of Gods patience and forbearance with renewing their Covenant with Complaints and heavie bewailings of their owne frowardnesse with a filiall mourning for their â—…ngratitude and undutifulnesse unto God But that a regenerate man should totally addict himselfe to the wayes of sin is repugnant to the Scripture and extremely contrarie to that Throne which Christ hath in the heart of such a man For the second Case how unregenerate men may bee convinc'd that sinne doth raigne in them wee must observe that the complete raigne of sinne denotes two things First that strength power soveraigntie and dominion of sinne which hath beene already opened Secondly A peaceable uncontroled willing universall subjection of all the members vnto the obedience of that King Now to measure the unregenerate by this Adequate Rule wee must know that they first are of severall sorts and stampes Some are apparantly and in conspectu hominum outragious sinners upon whom every man that sees them and is well acquainted with the trade and course of sinne which they live in may without breach of Charitie passe this sentence there goes a man who declares himselfe in the eyes of the World to bee a servant of sinne I speake not this for liberty of censuring but for evidence and easinesse of discerning onely Every man that thinkes it basenesse and below the straine of his spirit to tremble at Gods Word to feare judgements against sinne denounced who with a presumptuous and high hand rejects the warnings which God sends him who in his practise and sinfull conformities makes more account of the course of the World then of the curse of God of the fashions of men then of the will of the Spirit of the estimation of men then of the opinion of Christ and such is every one that allowes himselfe in the same excesse of rage and riot of swearing swaggering and uncleannesse with his divelish associates in the name and authoâ—…itie of the Lord Iesus I pronounce that man to be a servant of sinne and if he continue sinnes servant he shall undoubtedly have sinnes wages The wages of sinne is Death even the everlasting vengeance and wrath to come and if hee despise that warning the word which I have spoken shall rise against him at the last day Others there are of a more calme civill composed course men much wiser but not a dramme holyer then those before And here mainely stickes the inquirie and that upon Three exceptions with which they may seeme to evade and shift off this power of sinne First in those men there appeareth not so soveraigne and absolute a dominion of sinne as hath been spoken of in as much as they seeme to live in faire externall conformitie to the truthes which they have learned To which I answere first in generall that there may bee a raigne of sinne where it is not perceived and that Insensibility is a maine argument of it For this is a certaine rule the more tenderly and seriously any man is affected with sense and sorrow for the power of sinne the more hee is delivered from it The young man in the Gospell was fully perswaded that hee had kept the whole Law and little thought that his owne possessions were his king and that he was a vassall to his owne wealth till Christ convinced him of a mighty raigne of covetousnesse in his heart A ship may in the midst of a calme by reason of a great mist and the negligence of the Marriners to sound and discover their distances from land split it selfe against a rocke as well as be cast vpon it by some irresistible storme and so that man who never fathams his heart nor searcheth how neere he may be to ruine but goes leisurely and uniformly on in his wonted formall and pharisaicall securities may when he thinkes nothing of it as likely perish under the power of sin as he in whom the rage thereof is most apparant As there is a great strength in a River when it runnes smoothest and without noyse which immediately discovers it selfe when any bridge or obstacle is set up against it so when sinne passeth with most stilnesse and undisturbance through the heart then is the raigne of it as strong as ever and upon any spirituall and searching opposition will declare it selfe The Pharises were rigid demure saint-like men while their hypocrisie was let alone to runne calmely and without noyse but when Christ by his spirituall expositions of the Law his Heavenly conversation his penetrating and convincing Sermons had stopt the current and disquieted them in their course wee finde their malice swell into the very sinne against the holy Ghost It is the light of the Sunne which maketh day when it selfe lies shut under a cloud and is not seene so in every
but Gods Love and Mercy is the onely reason of making promises The Lord did not set his Love upon you nor choose you saith Moses to Israel because ye were more in number then any people but because the Lord Loved you that is the ground of making the promise and because he would keepe the oath which he had sworne to your fathers that was the ground of performing his promise For thy Words sake and according to thine owne heart saith David hast thou done all these great things According to thine owne heart that is ex mero motâ—… out of pure and unexcited love thou didst give thy Word and Promise and for thy Word sake thou hast performed it not for any thing that was in mee for whâ—… am â—… O Lord or what is my house hast thou brought me hitherto Thou wilt performe saith the Prophet the Truth to Iacob and the mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworne unto our fathers from the dayes of old Why Truth to Iacob and Mercy to Abraham We must note the promise after a sort began in Abraham therefore he is call'd the Father of the Faithfull and when God makes a promise it is onely out of Mercie but the Promise was continued unto â—…a cob who being Abrahams seede was an heiâ—…e of the Promise and so the inheritance which was out of mercy given unto Abraham did out of Truth and fidelitie descend unto Iacob the seede of Abraham and therefore we shall finde Covenant Mercy and Oath ioyned together in the Scripture to note unto us both the ground of making the Covenant Mercy and the ground of performing the Covenant made the Truth and Fidelity of God Thy God shall keepe unto thee the Covenant and the Mercy which he sware unto thy fathers saith Moses To performe the Mercy promised to our fathers and to re member his holy Covenant The oath which he sware to ouâ—… father Abraham c. saith Zachary in his song Thâ—… wee see that the Promises are the tokens and fruits oâ—… Gods meere Love And in that regard they are apt to cleanse or to moue us to any dutâ—…e which God requires of us For Love and mercy being by faith apprehended are strong arguments to love and feare God againe is love him because he loved us and they shall feare thâ—… Lord and his goodnesse the goodnesse of the Lord begetteth feare and that is all one as to cleanse and purifie for the feare of the Lord is cleane and pure There is an uncleane feare like that of the Adulteresse who feareth her husband lest hee should returne and deprehend her in her falsenesse to him but the true feare of the Lord is cleane like that of a chaste spouse who feareth the departure of her Love There are none so destitute of humanity as not to answere Love for Love Secondly Promises are the Efficient causes of our Purification as they are The grounds of our Hope and expectations Wee have no reason to Hope for any thing which is not promised or upon any other conditions then as promised Hope is for this reason in Scripture compared to an Anker both sure and stedfast because it must have something of firmenesse and stabilitie to fasten upon before it can secure the Soule in any tempest To hope without a promise or upon any promise otherwise then it stands is but to let an Anker hang in the water or catch in a Wave and thereby to expect safetie to the Vessell This argument the Apostle useth why we should not cast away our confidence or slacken our hope because there is a Promise which by patience and doing the Will of God we may in due time receive and which is a firme foundation for our Confidence to â—…est upon So Abraham is said to have beleeved against hope in hope that hee should be the father of many nations and the ground of that hope is added According to that which was spoken to that word of Promise â—…o shall thy seâ—…de be And else where he is said to have looked for a City which had foundations that is a Citie which was built upon the Immutable stabilitie of Gods â—…ath and Promise Thus we see Promises are the grounds of our Hopâ—… and Hopâ—… is of a cleansing nature The Grace of God saith the Apostle teacheth as to deny 〈◊〉 and worldly lusts and to live â—…oberly righteously and Godly in this present World the reason whereof is presently enforced Looking for that blessed Hope and the Glorious appearing of the great God And againe He that hath this hope in him saith S. Iohn namely to bee like him at his comming Purifieth himselfe even as He is Pure Hee that hopeth to be fully like Christ hereafter and to come to the measure of the stature of his fulnesse will labour to his uttermost to bee as he was in this World For a man hopes for nothing de futuro which he would not presently compasse if it were in his power No man is to bee presum'd to Hope for the whole who hates any part or to expect the fulnesse who rejects the first fruites of the Spirit He that loveth not his brother whom hee hath seene how can hee love God whom he hath not seene That is He that cannot endure nor looke on that little glimpse and ray of Holynesse which is in his brother in one of the same passions infirmities and corruptions with himselfe will much lesse be able to abide the light of the Sonne of righteousnesse and that most orient spotlesse and vast Holynesse which is in him The same reason holdes here he that cannot endeavour to purifie himselfe here doth never truely hope to be like Christ hereafter He that directs his course towards Yorke can never bee presumed to hope that hee shall by that journey get to London when he knowes or might easily be informed that it is quite the other way And the truth is no wicked man hath any true or aâ—… saint Peter calâ—… it lively Hope to come to Heaven Blind presumptions ignorant wishings and wouldings hee may have but no true Hope at all For that ever supposeth some knowledge and preapprehension of the Goodnesse of that which is Hoped for and there is nothing in Heaven which wickedmen do not hate as very evill to them the Presence of the most Holy God the purity and brightnesse of his Glory the Company of Christ Iesus and his Saints c. If they might be suffered first to have a view of it and see what is there doing what Divine and Holy imployments take up all the thoughts desires and powers of the blessed company there they would abhorre no place more Hope begets Love whom having not seene ye love saith the Apostle Hope to bee like Christ hereafter will worke a love and desire to expresse so much as wee can of his Image here Hee that longs for a thing will take any present
inheritance by the Right of Christs purchase and by Covenant in him Not onely things present but things to come are theirs they have the Truth of God pawn'd for their preservation and supplyes so long as they continue in his way A way of Piety industrie and honestie And they have them for themselves and their seede The promises were to Abraham and his seede I never saw the righteous forsaken nor his seede begging their bread The wicked have earthly things onely as dâ—…ensations and employments nay as vexations and toyles of life as idols snares and thornes things that eâ—…tangle their hearts and take them of from God As a cloud exhal'd by the Sunne hides the light of the Sunne which drew it up as a Worme eates out the wood and rust consumes the Iron which breeds it as water in a vessell raised by the fire puts out the fire which raised it so the great estates and temporall blessings of God unto evill men serve but to intercept the thoughts and to blot out the notions and remembrance of him that gave them I spake unto thee in thy prosperitie but thou sata'st I will not heare And this hath beene thy manner from thy youth saith the Lord Ier. 22. 21. But the faithfull have earthly things as rewards of their righteousnesse as an accession advantage and overplus unto the Kingdome of God as testimonies of Gods Love and care of them as exercises of their thankefulnesse charitie mercie c. But it may be obiected why then have not the faithfull more aboundance of these things then worldly men I answere first A little that the righteous hath is better then greate possâ—…ssions of the ungodly For first they have the maine substance of these things as well as the other they live and eate and are cloathed as well as they and secondly they have the comforts more lesse anguish of heart vexation and contention of minde then the others have And to them it is all one whether they goe into heauen through the gate or through the wicket As a Bird with a little eye and the advantage of a wing to soare up withall may see farre wider then an Oxe with a greater so the righteous with a little estate ioyned with faith tranquillity and devotion may have more pleasure feele more comfort see more of Gods bounty and mercie then a man of vast possessions whose heart cannot lift it selfe aboue the earth Secondly As nature when shee intendeth a farther and more noble perfection is lesse curious and elaborate in inferior faculties As man is exceeded by the Eagle for sight and the Hound for sent and the hare for swiftnesse because nature intending in him a more spirituall and divine Soule chose to be lesse delicate and exact in the senses so God intending to bestow upon the faithfull a farre more exceeding and aboundant weight of heavenly glory doth not alway so fully enlarge his hand towards them in these earthly things as to those who have no other portion but in this life We see then how much it concernes us to looke unto the ground of our Tenure to observe in what service wee hold our estate whether as appurtenances to Gods kingdome or as meerely the pastures of a beast which doe only fatten against the day of slaughter Seventhly and lastly Gods Promises to us must be the grounds of our prayers to him When ever God makes a promise wee must make a prayer And there are two things in this Rule to be observed First that wee can make no prayer in boldnesse faith or comfort but for things promised For if we will have God heare us wee must pray according to his will we must aske in faith we must see the things we aske made Ours in some promise and engagement before we must presume to aske them This as we have before observed encouraged David Iehoshaphat and Daniel to pray unto God because hee had made promises of the things they desired and therefore they were certaine that they prayed according to his will This was Nehemiahs ground in his prayer for the reparation of Ierusalem Remember I beseech thee the word which thou commandedst thy servant Moses saying if ye trangresse I will scatter you abroad But 〈◊〉 you turne unto me and keepe my commandements and do them though there were of you câ—…st out unto the uttermost part of the heaven yet will I gather them from thence c. Now these are thy servants and thy people whom thou hâ—…st redeemed by thy great power and by thy strong band O Lord I beseech thee let now thine â—…are be attentive to the prayer of thy servant and to the prayer of thy servants who desire to feare thy name c. Secondly that God will not performe promises till by prayer they be sought for from him till in our humble desires we declare that we accompt his promises exceeding great and preâ—…ous things The Lord had promised deliverance unto Israel yet saith the Lord For this I will be enquired of by the house of Israel to doe it for them Thus saith the Lord After seventie yeeres be accomplishâ—…d at Babylon I will visit you and performe my good word towards you in causing you to returne to thâ—…â—…lace For I know the thoughts that I thinke towards you thoughts of peace and not of evill to give you an expected end But how shall this excellent promise of God be effected It followes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon me and ye shall goe and pray unto mâ—… â—…nd I will hearken unto you c. So againe The Lord maketh a promise of forgivenesse of sinnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blotteth out thy transgression for mine owne 〈◊〉 and will not remember thâ—… sinnes But for the execution of this promise God will be sought unto Put mem remembrance saith he and let us plead together for when we pray unto God to fulfill his promises we testifie first that they are promises of Mercie and not of dutie or debt because God is not bound to tender them unto us but we to beg them of him Secondly we declare our need and by consequence estimation of them and dependance upon them And lastly we subscribe to the truth and acknowledge the wisedome power fidelity and wayes that God hath to make good all his owne words unto us We have no reason therefore to esteeme any thing a blessing or fruit of Gods Promise which we doe not receive from him upon our knees and by the hand of prayer As promises are the Rule of what wee may pray for in faith so prayer is the ground of what wee may expect with comfort Thâ—…s we see what use we are to make of the promises to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fâ—…om all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and the 〈◊〉 we may make of them likewise to perfect our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the â—…eare of God For as the exceeding great â—…d pretious promises of God doe cleanse our natures and make us â—…scape the corruptionâ—…
eyes to apprehend Secondly It is hid in some sort from the faithfull themselves First under the prevalencie of their corruptions and adherencie of concupiscence as Corne under a heape of chaffe or a wall under the Ivie or mettall under the rust which overgrowes it Secondly under the winnowings and temptations of Satan As in sifting of Corne the branne being lightest gets upmost so when Satan disquiets the heart that which is finest and should most comfort will sinke and bee out of sight Thirdly under spirituall desertions and trials as in an Eclipse when the face of the Sunne is intercepted the Moone looseth her light so when God who is our light hideth his Countenance from us no marvell if we can discover no good nor comfort in our selves Secondly the life of glorie is much more obscure and secret for notwithstanding the first fruites and inchoations thereof bee in this life begun in the peace of Conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost as in an Eclipse of the Sunne some dimme glimpses doe glance from the edges of the interposed body yet in regard of the plenarie infusion of glorious endowments and those prerogatives of the flesh which belong unto it at the redemption of the bodie it is a hidden mysterie It is a light which is onely sowed for the righteous though we expect a revelation of it yet now it is but as corne in the ground covered over with much darknesse Now we are Sonnes saith Saint Iohn we have Ius ad rem right unto our Life and Crowne already but we are in a farre countrie like the prodigall absent from the Lord and therefore It doth not yet appeare what we shall be we can no more distinctly understand the excellencie of our inheritance by these seales and assurances which ratifie our right thereunto then one who never saw the Sunne could conjecture the light and lustre thereof by the twinckling of a litle starre or the picture thereof in a table Onely this wee know that when he shall appeare wee shall be like unto him not onely in true holynesse for so we are like him now wee are already created after him in righteousnesse and true holynesse but in full holynesse too we shall be filled with all the fulnesse of God as the same Apostle speakes Such a fulnesse as shall satisfie us when I awake I shall bee satisfied with thy likenesse Therefore the last day is by an emphasis called a Day of redemption First in regard of the manifestation and Revelation thereof The Lord shal then appeare and bee revealed from Heaven all those curtens shall bee drawne those vailes betweene us and our Glory those skinnes with which the Arke is overlaid shall be torne and removed our sinnes our earthly condition our manifold afflictions the seeming povertie and foolishnesse of the ordinances shall be all laid aside and then wee shall see our Redeemer not as Iob did from a dunghill nor as Moses through a Cloude but we shall know even as we are knowne Here then wee see one of the maine reasons why wicked men despise religion and abominate the righteous as signes and wonders to bee spoken against They judge of Spiritual things as blind men do of colors These are hidden mysteries to them no marvell if they count it a strange thing and a very madnesse that others runne not to their excesse But our comfort is that our hope is Germen a growing thing a stone full of eyes a hidden Manna sweete though secret a new name which though no other man can know yet he that receiveth it is able to reade And this is the reason too why the Saints themselves are not enough affected with the beautie of Holynesse because it is in great part hidden even from them by corruptions and admixture of earthly lusts Lift up your heads saith our Saviour for your redemption draweth nigh noting unto us that so long as the thoughts and affections of men are downeward their redemption is out of their sight Open thou mine eyes saith David that I may behold the wondrous things out of thy Law I am a stranger on earth O hide not thy Commandements from me When a man makes himselfe a stranger unto earthly things and setteth not any of his choisest affections and desires on them he is then qualified to see those mysteries and wonders which are in the Law If there were no earth there would bee no darknesse for the shadow of the earth is that which makes the night and the bodie of the earth which absenteth the Sunne from our view It is much more certaine in spirituall things the light of Gods Word and Graces would not bee eclipsed if earthly affections did not interpose themselves This is the reason why men goe on in their sinnes and beleeve not the Word because they have a vaile over their eyes which hides the beautie of it from them Who hath beleeved our report or to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed saith the Prophet intimating unto us that the Word will not be beleeved till it bee revealed The Lord opened the heart of Lydia to attend unto Pauls preaching As soone as the vaile is taken away by Christ and the Truth Goodnesse and beautie of the Gospell discover'd there is immediately wrought a cleare assent and subscription in the minde an earnest longing and desire in the heart a constant purpose and resolution in the will to forsake all things as dung in comparison of that excellent knowledge As in the discoverie of mathematicall conclusions there is such demonstrative and invincible evidence as would make a man wonder he had not understood them before so in the discoveries of Grace unto the Soule the Spirit doth so throughly convince a man that hee wonders at his former stupiditie which never admired such things before Againe the faithfull are here to be directed in this state of obscuritie how to carry themselves under those corruptions temptations desertions which here hide the brightnesse and beautie of their life from them First above all preserve sinceritie in the heart There is nothing in us so perfect so contrarie to our corruptions as sinceritie that will ever bee to the soule in the midst of darknesse as a chinke in a Dungeon through which it may discerne some glimmerings of light whereas without it all other shewes and pretences are but like windowes fastned upon a thicke wall onely for uniformitie in the building though they seeme specious to the beholder without yet inward they transmit no light at all because they are laid over an opace body Secondly foster not temptations doe not pleade nor promote the Divels cause set not forward thine enemies suggestions Though it bee our dutie to have our sinnes alwayes before us so it bee upon the suggestion and proposall of Gods Spirit yet we must turne our eyes from our very sinnes when Sathan displayes them Christ will be confessed but hee forbids the