you can tell us of some curious project for gaine or but talke with us about our corne or croppe of hoppes these have some tack and savour in them there we will be for you Or if to drinke and swagger all day and night at the pot or Tobacco have at you these things taste with us here you have us tied by the sense and carnall wit can reach them But alas we know not what you meane when you speake of such high learning as to cast our selves upon the Word for pardon O yee brutish creatures Acts 18.14 read Gallio's answer to the Jewes in Pauls case O yee Jewes if you brought unto me a case of right or wrong I would heare and answer you but as for your questions of superstition and your sects and devotion I will have nought to doe with you get you from the Barre Art not thou such a Swine Nay I doe Gallio wrong to compare thee with him for he was not onely a learned man and good Justicer but as appeares by story a deep Moralist onely abhor'd what he thought superstitious But thou as a bruit beast as Iude speakes vers 10. and 19. doest defile thy selfe in the things which thou shouldst know being sensuall and not having the Spirit We say they know what it meanes to cast our selves upon a good Counsellor at Law in our sutes or a Physitian in our diseases or our friends that are well monied when we are to pay our debts nay sometimes good witches to doe us a good turne in our cattell such things as these are better bottomes to us As for a word of God or a promise tush as good offer a chip to an hungry dogge as these matters to our palate Oh wofull Idolaters Are you so carnally besotted with the creature so sensuall that no savour of a word can pierce you As it was with those Israelites Exod. 32. This Moses our spirituall man say they is gone up to God in the mount he is too heavenly a creature for us we love to see our God and to kisse him and dance before him to feast and be merry and so doing we are content to thanke him for our deliverance out of Egypt even such an one art thou Thou lovest Religion too perhaps thou art an ace beyond them I spake of But thou wouldest have it stand in thine owne way to be a morall civill man to follow thy trade to pay every man his owne to give almes to the poore to love devotion to keepe thy Church and live in the Towne as a good neighbour This we love and feele some bottome in it too But as for casting our selves upon a bare word of God or making that a reall foundation for our soules to rest upon God helpe us we know not how to feele our feet under us you seem to bid us hang in the aire and to subsist upon nothing Ah wofull wretches we bid you subsist upon no lesse or weaker bottome then that whereupon the world depends even the Sea and the Earth and the Heavens Heb. 11.2 and 1.2 and the creature whereon you dote all were framed by this word and by the power of it are supported And is this so senselesse to conceive of that this word of power and faithfulnesse should support you As Paul told them 1 Cor. 15.10 so I much more you though as heathenish as they Is this so strange unto you that the dead should arise That by casting your selves upon the word you should look for salvation Is that only ancient way of God so trodden by all both Patriarkes Prophets Apostles and people of God from Adam till now so uncouth and so dismall a thing unto you Beware lest you prove to be ranke Esau's Gargazites and such as Peter in 2 Epist 3. Chap. speakes of Atheists who would beleeve no more then they say Where say they is the promise of his comming For all these things are as they were from the beginning Oh wofull ones How righteous were it with God to leave such as savour not his way but live by sense even to a desperate way of distrust not to trust that they see but to be drown'd in infidelity hath not the Lord Jesus convinced thy sensuall heart by sensuall arguments If thy sense were not left-handed thou mightst with thy right hand beare downe thy infidelity for God hath given assurance sufficient by his Sonne unto thy very sense if thou wert not brutish Hath he not sent Majesty downe from Heaven to be a worme a servant to worke out pardon and salvation here upon earth was he not seene handled and conversed with a long space See 1 Joh. 1.1 and Heb. 2.2.3.4 were not his active services also his sufferings manifest to the eyes of all men And may not promises grounded upon so reall sensible and convincing demonstrations claime credit at thy hands Dost thou esteem a word a promise so darke and farre off when the word is come so neare thee even into thy mouth and heart to doe it Ah poore wretch is not he able to provide thee earth by his word who thereby hath purchased heaven for thee Is there nothing but the creature the creature which will down with thee Is this the burthen which hangs on so fast and doth so much inchant thee that thou canst not cast it off freely and roundly to cast thy selfe upon the promise Application of the terror Well take heed then lest God plague thee in that very thing wherein thou hast sin'd against his promise I meane thy distrust I tell thee many sad spectacles there have beene among us or about us of them Judgements of God upon carnall and wilfull unbeleevers who have beene plagued by God in their owne kinde some of great estate who yet thought they should dye beggars others distracted and saying that their wife was none of theirs their houses cattell and servants were none of theirs no wealth they had was their own they had no right to it Sometimes they have waited whiles they should be carried away quicke and never more be seene in their houses or that the earth should cleave under them and swallow them up or that the King would seaze upon their estates and bereave them of all they are worth Others have beene cast into feares that they should dye in such a fearefull sort Note well as never did any and bee made examples for all the Country to wonder at Others have died of very conceit that they were out of favour with their Prince and Country Others are troubled with distrustfull fancies viz. That they should die suddainly or that they should be forsaken of all helpe and left to shift And others ordinarily will say I doubt I have enemies who will accuse me of treason and undoe my children or take their oaths against me for some mortall offence Others who have boasted much of their skill and what they have gotten will say what if I should lose
of Simoniacall contraâ—ts for Benefices that such Simony creates a lapse Will any Minister having a living freely offered him by his Patron chuse to contract for money Is he not well worthy to lose his living by lapse The Lord Jesus is offered thee freely by thy Patron of Heaven the Lord Almighty wil nothing then serve thee but Simony to come to it by thy selfe Thou deservest to forfeit him and to be cast out by lapse Thy money O Selfe perish with thee Act. 8. because that thou thinkest by thy price to obtaine such a gift Lo thou hast no fellowship with this businesse I conclude therefore lay not out thy silver for no bread Esay 55.2 nor thy labour for that which profits not eate good things Esay 52. end and let thy soul delight in fatnesse enjoy the fruit of thy travell and refuse no pains to cast nest nest-egge on the dung-hill Trust God upon his bare word for a principle of strength from Gods fountaine which will hold out both Winter and Summer when the Brookes of Tema shall be dried up Cease joyning Selfe with Grace Doe not thinke it so desolate a worke to hang upon a promise except thy selfe have a finger in the worke and feel some warmth from thine owne feathers Bad digestion in the stomacke is not bettered by concoction such as thy root is such the branches will bee and an errour in the foundation will meet thee perpetually in the building so that either all must be puld downe againe which is tedious or else thou must rush forward with an uncomfortable spirit and upbraiding conscience False mixtures are odious to God and hee who forbad the field to bee sowne with two graines or a garment to be made of linnen and wollen meant another thing for what are these to him but abhorred the soile of the soule should be sowne with selfe and Christ and the backe apparelled with Christs robe upon an inward garment of thine owne 2 Cor. 5.5 Thou chusest to be cloathed upon but God will have thee naked for what use is there of covering one that is covered already The mixing of divers heapes of corne together mars both pease or tares are good in their kind if severall but if mixed tares are soile in wheate nay the wheat is marred by them Duties and affections if considered as fruits of Christ and his promise are good things but if they mixe and incorporate then they prove soile and marre all Filch not from God to bestow upon Selfe feed her not with Gods dainties rob not God to satisfie her to nourish up thy base heart against the simplicity of grace begge of the Lord that he would teach thee to discerne copper from gold and to shew thee the face of this Selfe in his glasse to take out of thine heart this slavish base unbeteaming and underbidding nature be affraid lest thou shouldest undergo thy selfe in purchasing the pearle looking more at the one bird in the hand then two in the bush and beeing so pennywise to detaine Gods due price and to keepe selfe with her brats selfe-pettishnesse worldlinesse ease sloth selfe-credit self-will wit and instinct that thou are pound foolish and deprivest thy selfe of a pearle worth both all that thou forgoest with an hundred fold gaine and heaven it selfe at last Hate Selfe for her selfe in point of her enmity and contrariety of Spirit to the Lord Jesus and then her branches will soone wither and lose their sap and life And this may serve for the former branch of this use of Admonition Branch 2 to the godly The second branch of this watchword may reach to the godly themselves who must know that although they have escaped this gulfe in the maine point of beleeving a mercy deserving the thanksgiving of their whole life yet she is not quite expelled from being an inmate and daily pricke and goad in their side while they live a perpetuall Peninnah Selfe a perpetuall enemy to the regenerate Let such then wonder that the Lord should ever bring them out of the endlesse maze of this selfe and give them broken humble and plaine hearts to avoid the thousand turnings and doublings of a base spirit 1 Sam. 1. and to tread the true path of wisdome leading to life Oh! should they say how loath would I be now to hazard my soule upon the successe of former labours how loath would I bee in this barren world and base heart to have the matter put to a venture Oh! I would not for a world be to beginne againe a thousand prayses to him that hath not put my soule to such a perill and not so onely but be warned also to beware lest when this divell cannot deprive us of heaven yet it should defeate us of our other hopes to grow in grace to joy in our possession to live by faith to be sound in our worshipping of God and duties to be fruitfull in graces to serve our time to bear our crosses to persevere in our course to be ready for Gods comming What is it but this wofull inmate that hinders in all these what but this selfe and presuming of our selves causes grace to be so unthrifty and to hang downe the head what but ascribing to our selves in our meanes using makes them so unfruitfull what but our utmost taking of our liberties pleasures ease and denying our selves nothing which hath but the least colour of lawfulnesse causes Christians to be so full of sorrow and repentance what is that which glues us so fast to the creature that we are loath to part with it for peace of conscience or the attaining of heaven loth to die and goe hence what caused Iob so much sorrow save the cure of this disease Job 42.2 to teach him to abhorre himselfe what save Selfe in the creature wedding our selves to our next hand props of children wealth meanes welfare causes the Lord to cut off these members altogether that as in the body which hath a leg or arme cut off the spirits might not goe to that which is dead but that which liveth even from the streame to the fountaine That we may learne by experience if the base creature be so sweet in which so small a dramme of the Lord is what is then the God of the creature worth Why should the Lord afflict the godly with so much sorrow save this that they will not be brought to improve the Lord for his strength to subdue their lusts and corruptions in speciall to make good his promises to be alsufficient in outward blessings to uphold us in our straits But we content our selves in this that we have found him good to us in pardon and reconciliation thinking the danger to be past and our selves free from taking care for the subduing of this wofull Selfe in the course of sanctification I might instance in twenty particulars take it in these two what should so much sting a poore soule
all these thou complainest of no man need bid thee be revenged of them or watch them a shrewd turne but I tell thee an enemy within thy bosome counted thy darling and close friend one called Selfe is a more deadly enemy and can doe thee more hurt then all of them together hereafter raile not upon the evill world thy cruell Landlord thy false friend bankerupts who have runne away with thy goods or thy bad wife that stings thee with her tongue thy bad children ill neighbours thy persecutors not one of these but may set thee a steppe forward to heaven none can deprive thee of it but Selfe can and will world divell and his instruments could not hurt thee were it not for this traitor which sets open the doore unto them to tempt to defile thee See Naaman here in what a wildred case he is except the Lord had made him see his enemy and undoe all his crosse selfe-willednesse and waywardnesse and to stop to Gods way yea and glad to scape so too unto what a perplexity had he brought himselfe after besides his pudder for the present even so know thou that when thou hast runne into thy long error thou must come backe againe this way of selfe-deniall or else the further thou goest the worse will thy case bee Oh! it is a tugging crying sinne it wearies ten Preachers to denounce against it Oh! to what a sweete peace had the Lord brought many an hearer of the word had it not beene for this Beloved we have had some faithfull servants of Christ both living and happily dead among us who have confessed that by this Selfe and her meanes they have spent forty years ere they could come to beleeve and do we look to make it a short cut of forty daies therefore mutter not at thine enemies much lesse at the Lord but at thy selfe and say thy perdition is from thy selfe God is enlarged Hosea 13.9 but Selfe hath hidebound thee and straited thee in thine owne bowells count that Sermon which hath taught thee this lesson one of the best that ever thou heardest Luke 5. There were many lepers in the daies of Elisha but he was sent to none save to Naaman the Syrian and hee had beene sent to him also in vaine if Selfe might have borne sway A second Branch of Instruction is of Instruction Be not offended with crosses to stay that impatience of our spirits Branch 2 which usually falls from us under the visitations of God either upon our whole man or body soul and conscience state posterity or whatsoever For why should we murmur against him that by wounding our side should let out an impostume which would else kill us such an one as no other meane would have cured save this doubtlesse as Hezekia saith By this man liveth And Iob cap. 33. Elihu tells us Hereby even by the corrections which he hath sealed such as he there mentioneth consumptions Esay 3.8 fevers and diseases which take away stomack and the like the Lord hideth the pride of man which is selfe he brings to the pits brinke of the grave that he may keep the soule from hell even the nethermost pit Oh! when the bladder of Selfe and Pride and Presumption is prickt and the bubbling froath and windy puffing thereof is let out a man comes to see himselfe as hee is a forlorne creature then his duties affections hopes sorrowes desires and performances vanish no man can so basely thinke of him as he conceives of himselfe then hee is vile dust and ashes in his own eyes Who is more free from all arrogating to himselfe and his owne righteousnesse then one that lies all pale and consumed with paine and sicknesse When we doe meet with one except some desperate blinde Pharisee who in his extremity dare trust to himselfe where is then his vain-glory his boasting of devotions fasts prayers and alms Alas the image of them is despised the pride of life is crack't and the great stomacke is broken and then his high thoughts which exalted themselves against Christ and an humble heart quaile and come downe Crosses are great meanes to let out Selfe out of the Soule Then if an interpreter come one of a thousand to declare his righteousnesse how welcome is hee When the heart is empty of Selfe then doth the Lord commonly fill it with good things and when it despaireth of selfe-hope then the Lord saith Deliver him I have received a ransome Hence it is that Iob cap. 10.12 saith Thy visitations O Lord have preserved my spirit And the truth is it is well in these dead times if any thing will doe it As Paul Phil. 3. saith If by any meanes I may attain it The word without some afflictions upon mens spirits or name bodies or posterity and that in some stinging kinde pierces not the spirit is straitned Sometims after long struglings and wrastlings of men with this Selfe hoping to picke somewhat out of their owne strength they are tired and wearied in their way and their former feares come upon them a-fresh so that they can finde no rest in their bones Then they begin to consider seriously of it and conclude There is a pad in the straw still they crosse the worke of God in one kinde as fast as they further it another Surely they resolve an heart of hollownesse sloath unsoundnesse and loathnesse to renounce the creature or their stoutnesse and sullen heart or the warmth of their owne feathers their zealous affections These or the like oppose the nakednesse and simplicity of the promise and keep the conscience in snares and defilements and they cry out Miserable men who shall deliver us And sometimes by other affronts the Lord is faine to sharpen the point of his convincing ordinance that the Soule may think the Lord is in sad earnest when she findes him to hunt her out in every corner and give her no rest till she can be content to be saved any way so she may be saved A very Papist in his straits will disclaime himselfe and say It is safest for the avoyding of vain-glory to cleave onely to mercie and shall we that professe none but Christ come short of them To conclude then as we read Heb. 12. My son refuse not the chastening of the Lord Job 7.18 nor grudge at his visitations as Iob once murmured Why dost thou visit him every morning and try him every moment Why dost thou set mee as a marke against thee But in the issue of that great trouble he was of another mind saying cap. 9.31 My very cloathes defile me And cap. 42.4 Now have I seene thee therefore I abhorre my selfe Let us doe likewise and abhorre our owne murmurings at our crosses for although they are irksome to the flesh yet they are wholesome for the spirit as we say of the body that when the spleen is smallest that is best So the body of grace is at best when that Spirit in
speake one word unto them to praise the one and disgrace the other but presently their spirits rise with indignation and conceive so much the more content in the new by how much they hear the old commended Oh! they will make histories of their beloved which their heart is set upon there is elbow-roome and liberty no enemy to hurt no feare of prisons sutes pursutes at Law wrongs or discouragements no difficulties to conflict withall in comparison of the good things which they looke for The strength of the object carries them captives pulles downe all objections and subdues them under the authority of their owne desires and the excellent things there to be had As for Sea-faring by the eight or nine weeks together in danger ill diet attendance lodging and rest want of wife children old kindred and acquaintance pleasures pastimes tush all these shall make for their good and make their new English shore the more welcome to them they hope God will weane them hereby from all the superfluous liberties sensualities and carnall affections and as for the defects of the soile or of mony or other contents they will waite seeing that nothing can bee perfect at once and when they are come thither they will not returne to the Old England which they forsoke upon any tearmes which can be offered them Oh! brethren let me speake to you without offence shall a poore conjecturall fading and earthly object so possesse the soules of men that it sets them in an extasie and shall not the promise of God wash and be cleane be reconciled to God prevaile much more to ravish us and set us beyond all Selfe and selfe-love Yes surely when Christ shall thrust Selfe out of place and become Selfe and all within us and doe that and infinitely more then that for us really which Selfe promiseth us deceitfully But here a question may be asked Object What are the workes of the Spirit of grace And what meanes are there to compasse them I answer Answ 1 These that follow which I mention shortly and so finish this first generall Exhortation And least any should aske me what I meane by the Spirit of grace I answer the same which Zack Chap. 10.12 meanes to wit the Spirit and effectuall power of the Lord Jesus his satisfaction and intercession whereby the Ministery of the Gospel is inabled to perswade the hearts of the elect to beleeve and imbrace the promise of forgivenesse and life What this Spirit of Grace is This Spirit is contrary to that spirit of Selfe which resisteth grace the one from heaven pure savory and divine the other from earth carnall sensuall and divellish The first marke of the Spirit of grace is that it is against Self and that in sundry respects Markes of it 2. First Grace strives to inlarge if self to the uttermost of her graciousnesse Selfe strives to strengthen her selfe by the plentiousnesse of Grace waxes wanton through Grace so content to enlarge Grace that therewith shee will enhaunse her selfe and will get up by the stirrop of Grace into the seate of Christ aâ—d make her selfe checkmate with him as an ill Steward or Bayliffe to a great Lord will seeme to doe him great service and looke to his grounds and cattell but so as himselfe may have a stocke of cattell going upon the same grounds so that he seeks his owne and his Masters advantage both under one he cannot beteame to promote his Masters with the losse of his owne But the true sight of Grace throwes Selfe out of her owne possession and ends The fulnesse of Grace empties the soule to the bottome Aske thy selfe then hath the view of this Grace and of the truth as it is in Jesus emptied thee of all thy gifts duties and religious performances Then it is a true Spirit and destroies Selfe There is no true godly Spirit but it is the more humble lowly and vile in its owne eies by Grace Selfe gathers false courage to her selfe by the Grace which is offered growes conceited confident and full of her selfe she thinks she cannot want enough of it whereas all runnes over and leaves her barren The spirit of Grace so shewes the fulnesse of Grace that it exhaustes her owne fulnesse wholly as those sterven Egyptians beholding Iosephs store of corne were more abased for their beggery and the Queene of Sheba beholding the depth of Salmons wisedome became a foole all her owne spirit of questioning and cavilling sunke downe If thy spirit crouch and creepe to Grace and be quite battered in her selfe it is a good signe As the Spirit of grace arises from glory to glory so selfe falls from shame to shame Jer. 14.8 to set up Grace what shall I say to thee Oh thou Saviour of all flesh surely nothing be confounded and say who is a God like to our God! It is nothing but the spirit of presumption which prides and pearks up it selfe Mica ult but the Spirit of grace quailes the heart and causes it to fall low as Naaman after did even to snatch and catch at Grace as one sterven for want of it As Peter Luke 4. beholding Christs glory cried out depart from me a sinfull man There is a legall whining basenesse and unworthinesse aiming at this that she might be worthier But there is an holy sense of unworthinesse when the savor of Christs fulnesse drinks up the Spirit and leaves it empty As when a proud boy heares a good scholar talke his conceit of himselfe turnes to abasement Oh how his combe is cut what a fool and an idot he is in his own eies If the Grace ye seek doth humble ye and not puffe ye up it is as it should be I professe brethren it would make one tremble to thinke how little of this Spirit is stirring in the world I see but few poore ones among us by this plenty of the Gospel take heed the Lord let us not bloud of this pleurisie The truth is we doe but fat people by this pasture wee bring no leannesse into their soules As if Christ served for nothing save to make men their owne Saviours in part and give over his owne honour it would doe ones heart good to behold some few poore soules how humble their knowledge of Christ makes them they stand as an empty bucket by the well side but it would cut ones heart to see how many bold bog saucy ones there are instead of a few empty ones Oh! pull pull downe your peacocks feathers If Christ be a fountaine be you a channell dried up If he be a Magazine be you bare walls If he be so rich a dole come you to it as orphans bee fatherlesse and motherlesse Hos 13.3.4 that you may find mercy rest not in thy law humiliation to lose some of thy jollity onely but let fulnesse of grace cast out selfe and all to the bottome Every one cries out alas What have I to be proud of Note
discovery of Grace in the effects of that discovery and the end of it For the first of these The Spirit of Grace is all for Grace in the discovery of the mystery of it the amplenesse largenesse height depth and length of it to the poore soule that it may appeare in all the excellency and fulnesse freedome bounty unchangeablenesse and wel be teamingnesse thereof that no corner of it may lie hidden from the heart of a sinner so farre as may further him in the bottoming of the soule in mercy This is a singular and peculiar act of the Spirit tending to this end that the soule may not stagger about the sufficiency of Grace which God offers unto her but may behold the power of the Priesthood of Christ once offering up himselfe as a compleat and spotlesse sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of the elect needing no more to be offered able to procure from the Father endlesse wel pleasednesse and acceptance also a free offer of reconciliation and to create in the soule alone and of it selfe without any antecedent free will liking and cooperating of Selfe a most sufficient clearing of conscience from guilt and feare yesterday Heb. 10.3 Heb. 13.8 to day and for ever This cannot sinke into the heart of an hypocrite he cannot bee perswaded that there is enough in the Lord Jesus alone to discharge him in the Court of heaven the offer and promise are empty notions with him to sway all his strength upon neither dare hee rest thereupon with peace without a further addition of his owne feelings But the Spirit of Grace grounds the poore soule in this as the maine worke of all that so all the building may subsist thereon and makes sure retreat and refuge for her in the midst of her distresse that her foundation may not be shaken I wish that the method of that Epistle to the Hebrewes especially in the 7.8.9.10 Chap. might well be observed to the understanding of this act of the Spirit Secondly the Spirit of Grace doth not onely offer such a light to the soule but lets it in by her owne working into her setting the soule on worke to concurre with his revealing light and shewing it both that the Lord will conferre no lesse then all this Sufficiency upon a needing soule and therefore shee may without presumption take and partake them from his hand It sheweth her that it is the endlesse matchlesse Grace of God that he can find in his heart to pardon her yea to cast love upon her not only when she seems zealous and affectionate for Self can make her beleeve that but even when she is basest in her owne eies and under the conscience of her guilt when she is in her bloud when her originall loathsomenesse her actuall wickednes of thoughts of words of wrath hypocrisie and the like doe lye as a burthen upon her yet then even then marke what I say he hath love in a corner of his heart for such an one such as he will have herselfe confesse to be causlesse on her part yea such as if he had no more aime at being knowne to be loving then to love for any amiable thing in the object he would never shew to any Nay more lest the Spirit of Grace should leave any thing behinde him he doth offer to create the gift of faith in the soule Esay 5â— 19 to claspe upon this gift of mercy and includes this gift in the offer as knowing that it were in vaine to offer the one without working the other And hereby he causeth the soule to lay hold upon his strength and ablity to save as having received a ransome sufficient which is no other saving the writing of his covenant in the fleshy tables of her heart Esay 27 4.5 prepared by himselfe for the nonce And moreover that all this hee hath done of his owne free will and motion without any former principle acting him to intend it or concurring with him to create it I say he hath done it of himselfe as judging it meet for himselfe to doe whatsoever we bee and for the glory of his Name No entreaty of men or Angels no difficult tearmes of perswasion caused it but it flowed naturally from him as most honourable to his Majestie to doe Fifthly the Spirit of Grace stayes not here but proceedes to accommodate the soule to embrace this power of God for to what end should the Lord be willing to do it in her for her except she also felt sutable inclinations wrought in her soul towards it And therefore he moves her sadly to digest this grace offered to count it no light nor strange thing no nor yet beyond the soules apprehension but as on the one side hee causeth it to be most weighty pretious and to be highly valued so on the other side he makes it familiar sweet clear and evident not a thing above the clouds nor under the earth farre fetcht but neere the soule put into her bosome Rom. 10. belonging to her not to bee rejected or thrust away from her except she will perish These together with the infinite benefite of receiving it and the endlesse losse in forgoing it as being the onely remedy doe marvellously stablish the thoughts upon it and ravish the affections with it so that layes a most sad charge upon the poore soule upon paine of forfeiting her peace for ever not to passe it by slightly deadly and formally but to view and meditate of it savourly deep y unwâ—ariedly with admiration till by this mirrour of beholding the Lord with open face she be transformed to the gloriousnes of this gracâ— and carried 2 Cor. 3. end yea left in the streame thereof by the Spirit of the Lord. This for the first of the three particulars The second is the effect of this presenting worke of the Spirit And that is union The second worke the effect hereof viz. Union Whereby the Spirit of Grace shewes the soule into what a condition she is translated by faith in the promise That is she is made one with the Lord Jesus thereby and really partaker of all his good things true peace contentment in blessings crosses all conditions freedome from all former garboiles feares enemies joy in God and his salvation never to be divorced from him any more This causes the soule to shake off that wearisomenesse of Selfe never settled that bottomelessenesse never grounded that inconstancy and vanity never at rest and why Because it had no reall good to fasten upon and to determine those restlesse desires of hearts But now the Lord Jesus himselfe both in his present grace and hope of glory to come runues in her streame or rather turnes hers into his so that looke what Selfe was to her before emptily and barrenly now Christ is in her stead Christ is the Selfe of the soule he is all in all to her acts her comforts her staies her quickens her guides upholds
our places and callings and be not too indulgent to our backs bellies companies travells and the like sensuall recreations and contentments many men affect such a breâ—th in the uttermost of their liberties and jollitie that their very garbe bewraies them to bee men who savor not much of denying themselves goe to the Lord often with this thorne in thy heele and bemoane thy paine unto him 2 Cor. 12.6 till he ease thee as Paul did and ceased not till the Answ 6 spirit was sufficient for him Beseech the Lord not to leave thee to thine owne findings but to take thee into his own patronage maintaining thee at his cost and charge It is said that Ieconia long after his obedience to the Prophet Ieremy Jerem. 52.31 to yeeld up himselfe to the King of Babel was so honoured by God as to become of a vassall and captive a favorite and to be nourished from the Kings owne dish to have a portion of meate from him daily meditation of the Pearle Matth. 13.44 caused the Merchant to sell all and buy it How doth Paul Phil. 3. heate his heart with the Lord Jesus till hee cast out himselfe as dung Dâ—vid Psal 73. recovers himselfe out of his temptation of distrust and impatience by meditation and then breakes out Whom have I in heaven but thee Luke 2.51 Mary bred Christ in her soule by pondering the message of the Angell against her feare and doubting Nothing a greater nourisher of Selfe then unacqaintance and slothfull neglect of the promise Againe behold the practice of the Saints both in Scripture and experience both living and dying Heb. 13.7 how they have moulded their souls into the truth of God and have been content to hazard their own salvation thereupon saying if I perish I perish Let also as I toucht before the afflictions Answ 8 of God whether in our bodies or soules breake us off from our wilde olive stock and implant us into the naturall and sweet olive Say Lord it is a sweet mercy not to live to my self though it cost me deare to learne this discipline but to be at thine allowance As an idle wench chuseth to live basely and idely at her owne hand rather then under a Mistresse so would Self do if God did not over-rule the soul But when she is corrected and instructed then she smites upon her thigh and repenteth Lastly Answ 9 be not too eager in pursuit of our worldly affairs but quietly let us set our boate upon our streame of providence to crosse our selves in our carnall appetites and though God crosse us not yet deny we our selves inuring our hearts to mercy compassion to such as are in necessity bodily or spirituall Let not Papists the chiefe favorites of Selfe condemne us Protestants in this kinde farre it be it from us to foster a spirit of envy which lusteth in us after uncharitablenesse indignation morosity austerity censoriousnesse anger revenge suspitions contentions Jam. 4.4 discontents either with men or with providence and Gods administrations that please us not for these morall distempers will defile us spiritually if we be not aware of it Seeke not honour repute respect and acknowledgement from men let God alone with these Joh. 5.44 and let us not for such base scurfe yet highly set by in the world destroy the worke of God Oh! beloved consider what I have said of this weighty argument and the Lord give us understanding in all things for mine owne part I have cause to mourn that notwithstanding all I have spoken I have so small hope to prevaile with men because I goe against their edge and speake riddles to men of another metall What are we but signes and spectacles to men and divells in preaching these doctrines What serve we for save to harden their hearts For they will fulfill the doctrine and Selfe is like to quash their hopes when all is done The Lord prevent it in you for his mercies sake And so much also shall suffice for this whole use of exhortation to them that seeke conversion Now concerning the latter branch of Exhortation 2. Branch of Exhortation Gods people must practise selfe-deniall in their conversation to them who through mercy are converted already Let me urge this upon them so much the rather to deny all for Christ and his name by how much they have already obtained favour to count all as drosse in respect of pardon and reconciliation If in the former respect that of our Saviour be true how much more in the latter He that will bee my Disciple must deny all if the case so require take up his crosse and follow me And the truth is such are the times we now live in that I am in a manner forced to adde this point of use to the former For you must know the former is secret from the view of men though one day it shall be knowne to men and Angells so that we should doe men a world of wrong if we should judge them to bee other then selfe-denyers and beleevers Matth. 16. end But indeed there is another selfe-deniall a consequent upon faith and that is an outward renouncing of our selves and selling our selves out of all our profits pleasures ease and liberties for the name the truth of doctrine the profession of Christ in power That rather then we would betray these to the enemies thereof neither liberties nor lives should be deare to us Now herein what doe men Alas they shew that either they never knew what it meant to cast out Selfe to receive Christ or else they have found a narrow distinction between barke and tree to save themselves harmelesse viz. That although they deny themselves inwardly for him never so yet they have a dispensation so that outwardly they will not lose a dramme of wealth credit maintenance ease love of wife child will or appetite for his sake And at this plat the world of our professors now fall off Causes They love Christ with their hearts but they will not lose one straw for him Alas what wonder that it is so with them For why Why most men so little deny themselves for Christ To deny a mans selfe for Christ requires a better bottome then they have any The Lord Jesus never denyed himselfe to the death for the redemption of their soules never gave himselfe as a price to wrath for their pardon and peace The Apostle Rom. tells us Doubtlesse for a good man one would be content to dye Christ hath not been a good Christ to them for if he had they would deny themselves to the death for him They are upon their owne bottome still their owne ease will health pleasures life and liberties are too deare to them they love them as pretiously as a zealous Christian loves Christ therefore they will part with nothing for him If Christ were their Selfe their inner man their joy and content they would cleave to him as their
into the dungeon and then it falls downe as Saul with that light which shone about him Act. 9. and saith what wilt thou have me to doe I am as thou wilt have me 1 Sam. 3. my wisdome my wit shall be thine speake Lord and thy servant heareth he that formerly should have perswaded me of this might as easily have forced me to say it is light at midnight But Lord now I am a foole in my selfe meerly empty of mine owne sense and wholly thine addicted to sweare to thine edicts and if thou sâ—â—ak the word I lay hand upon mouth and have done This is to be as a little child whom ye may winne to say what ye list Oh! this is the next way to make thee wise to salvation This is to be unto Gods wisdome as the Queene of Sheba was to Salomons even to have no spirit left in her Oh! thou must say with David My fingers shall forget to play and lose all cunning Thirdly thou must so be stript of all thine owne Word of truth must cast the seed of God into the soule when once emptied of her selfe as yet thou must Branch 3 not be a meere void and empty one of all other wisdome But the word of truth must be shed as seed into thy soule and the principles thereof must be infused into it to informe it and to create of nothing a new nature of divine light into it I say as they spake in Act. 23.7 If an Angell from heaven have revealed any thing from heaven to him we will not gainesay it These words the Pharisees used of set purpose to oppose the Sadduces who denyed Angels and souls of men So must thou That which hath beene most contrary to thy wisdome must now bee all in all Now thou must oppose thy selfe thus If God have revealed any truth of his from heaven I will sooner cast thee out then resist it Be thou as parties who put their matters to compromise They are first bound in bonds to stand to award So doe thou binde thy carnall reason as a dogge to the stake that it stirre not a foote nor once mute while God is speaking yea doe thus with gladnesse as poore men are glad to be bound to arbitrement because they desire an end So thou because thou desirest to be savingly wise be glad there is such a word of truth shining in a darke place and open all windows to let it in do not stop any crevis of light which might enter but greedily attend study meditate in this word till the Lord thereby have let it into those darke corners of the heart that was before in the shadow of death and till the truth doe incorporate with thine understanding and cause the scales of darkenesse to fall off as Pauls did that thou maiest see cleerely those things that concerne thy peace All the fogs mists and cavills of carnall reason being scattered Oh! let her interrupt the Lord as she will yet the soule knowes whither to goe for deciding the question she will not forfeit her bond by which shee is bound to stand to the last decision of the word Fourthly get the spirit of the Lord Jesus into thy soule The fourth The Spirit of the Lord Jesus must create holy wisdome in the soule Joh. 1.18 who is the active worker of true and sanctified wisdome in the renued soule According as the Apostle tells us He is made unto us of the Father wisedome c. He enlightens every one that comes into the world with true light being that light which the soule must come by to the Father whose light cannot else be approached By the flesh of the Lord Jesus the soule is made capable of this light of the word else there is no capablenesse And the Spirit of the Lord Jesus workes the soule into this light because it reveales him unto it in the mystery of reconciliation and forgivenesse For why Till the soule be made wise to salvation all her wisdome is only in the brain will not hold The Spirit of Christ therefore lets into the heart as well as the head of the beleever this light and conveies the goodnesse warmth and sweet of it into the soule and that it is which causes it to dwell in the soule and to be an immortall and unâ—â— caying light which shall abide to eternall life till the soule see light in Gods light else the light of the Hypocrite is but a violent and dim twilight caused rather by a necessity of conviction then a powerfull perswasion Therefore apply thy selfe especially to such helpes as may bring Christ into thy soule The sight of his salvation to thy soule is the quintessence of spirituall wisdome this will cause thee to grow in all light when once thou art enlightned in the mystery of acknowledging Christ to be thy Saviour Ephe. 1.18 For why This will teach thee that Christ is all godlinesse in a mystery all the whole truth of God is lapped up in him as his infants body was lapped up in cloaths and swath-bands Else all knowledge is but a guessing and conjecturall thing count it then thy chiefe wisdome to be wise in escaping the snares of death and in beleeving unto salvation Oh! who shall bring me where I shall heare a Sermon of Christ to pardon me to reconcile me to God! If faith in the Lord Jesus once turne thy stream and carry thee with a fuller sway to heaven then all thy worldly wit carried thee before to thy cavills and objections there is hope thou hast well quitted thy selfe of carnall reason Faith the true eye to behold the mysteries of salvation Fifthly looke with the eye of faith into all the mysteries of godlinesse to beare downe carnall reason No mystery can be understood without faith The Spirit of God workes faith first as that instrument whereby the soule is led into all the secrets of God Faith by a promise will make carnall reason stand by as a very foole Hence it is that the spirituall man is said to judge all things even the hidden things of God And yet to be judged of no man 1 Cor. 3. Why Because the light of faith is the highest light All other lights are of a lower kinde And hence it is that a carnally wise man comming to heare a poore soule to speake by the light of faith touching the matters of God stands as a man astonished and as a foole in the presence of a wise man For why The Spirit which revealed the promise of salvation reveales therewith all other promises and all parts of the will of God So then I say in the fifth place let faith subdue thy reason and shew thee a reall sensiblenesse savour and wisdome in all the matters of God By her eye judge of the Sacraments discerne the reall presence of Christ there though not really carnall behold a sacramentall union betweene him and the Elements for the carrying of the soule into
persons disdained not to learne of so poore a counsellour what should such as wee doe who are yet as much more stout then they as they were wiser then wee are And so much for this poynt Doct. Another poynt offers it selfe from hence also and that from the order of his obeying The Text telles us Then hee went and dipped himselfe When I pray you Surely when his stomack was brought down and sunk in him then hee went dipped himselfe in Jorden when that which all this while letted was removed then did he obey believe and doe as he was bidden and that in a moment The poynt is very speciall to prepare us to the poynt following for it acquaints us with a main barre and stop which lies in the Preachers way and the Spirits way to wit a rebellious and selfe-conceited heart and with that which makes easie and sweet that is an heart convinced and yeelding to the Word No man I suppose will expect me to be large in much opening of this disease for I have spent many Sermons in the handling of Self Self-love carnall Reason Rebellion and coy Pride in Naaman when I went over the 11. verse Now I take all that for granted and from the issue of the Lords working thus long upon Naaman his humbling of him to the command Humility alway goes before grace compared with the effect of his obeying I would present unto your eye this poynt That alway when the Lord means to create faith in the soule he doth immediatly put an end to all that stoutnesse of spirit that hindred the same The poynt is cleare No sooner had the Lord emptied Naaman here of his opposing heart but immediatly followes his obeying the charge So true is that golden speech of Ieremy Jer. 31.18.19 I heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as an Heyfer unaccustomed to the yoke Surely after that I was turned I repented and after I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed and confounded because I did beare the shame of my youth The summe of the words is That all the while that Ephraim was proud and wilfull no grace would enter into him But as soone as the Lord thawed his spirit and made him humble lo hee presently submitted and bare Gods yoke with meeknesse and obedience Prophets there were before who did beat upon him and tozed him with rebukes and terrors but alas they were but as the blowes of the Smith upon his Anvill which is the more hardned But at last God cast into his heart a secret thought of his long rebellion and how little good it had done him then by and by hee listned and smote upon his thigh and repented Even so all the day long sayth the Lord by Esay Chap. 52. ult have I stretched out mine arme to a people in vaine None hath beleeved my report the word of God is revealed to none Why Hee addes because it is a stiff-necked and a gain-saying people q. d. But for this they had beleeved long agoe This is that which elsewhere the Prophet foretels under the Gospell that such as should bee converted unto God Esay 2.4 Esay 2.12.17 should turne their Swords into Mattockes and their Speares into Sythes that is of warlicke and turbulent ones become peaceable Husband-men and Inhabitants The Aspe shall suffer the young childe to play at the hole of the Aspe and the Lyon shall feed with the Lamb and the Beare with the Bullocke meaning the savage and wilde dispositions of men should turn meek and tractable Iob in one place brings in the Lord asking this question Job 39.5 Wilt thou tye the Unicorne to the furrow or wilt thou make the wilde Asse feed at thy Crib q. d. No their nature is unbroken thy Oxe and thy Horse are fittest for that whom thou hast tamed to the worke Even so assure thy selfe the Divell and Christ Light and Darknesse may as soon comply as a stout rebellious heart and grace Rebellion and Unbeliefe yoke together so doe Selfe-deniall and meeknesse of Spirit with faith and obedience As while the sinewes of mans heart is of Iron the Lords heaven is Brasse so when the soul begins to melt the Lord begins to turne and convert it It is with the soule in this kinde contrary to that it was with them in Acts 27. If these goe out of the ship it must needs miscarry But if pride and rebellion abide in the heart no grace will grow the man must perish Ottomans horse they sayd wheresoever he became made the grasse that it could not grow so doth a stout heart keep grace from the heart There is a secret intelligence between hell and a proud spirit And contrarily there is an entercourse between an humble heart and heaven Hosee in one place tells us Hos 2.21 That the Lord would speake to the heavens and they should heare the earth with rains and then the earth should heare man with fruits So first heaven must grant the heart tendernesse and relenting and then that will heare the Lord commanding and promising The windes being very loud the aire is dry but if they be downe then presently we have store of raine See that 1. King 19.12 So is it here when the tempests and stormes of the heart bee up whether in morall sinnes against the Law or spirituall rebellion against the Gospell there is no obedience but if they be downe never so little the clouds will follow after raine that is faith and obedience will ensue Prov. 15. ult The feare of the Lord is instruction and wisedome And before honour goeth humility Whom shall I teach Doctrine Esay 28.7.8 Even him that is weaned from the Milke and drawne from the Breasts The sweet milke of the breasts of Selfe and carnall Wisedome are alway opposite to the wisedome of God Sacrifices thou wouldest not but an eare thou hast boared Why That I might doe thy will O God who before did mine owne Vse 1 For briefe use First it is instruction to put us out of question why an heart of unbeliefe hath so long pestered the most of our hearers Instruction Why the most hearers are pestered with unbeliefe Because the heart was never brought down and why the Lords perswasions have so little prevailed to make us believe Surely if you doubt as I feare few need to doe the enemy is this wicked Haman of a rebellious heart Perhaps some of you are of another minde because you can so colour and crust over this sore with courtesie and good words but the truth of it is There is an heart within big and high and stout This is the Camell which suffers not the soule to goe through the needles eye Somewhat is the cause why the felon upon the hand swells it is an humor which is not yet let out if that were out the felnesse would cease Enquire and consult either a cursed heart will keep some base lust
generall texts satisfie not a scrupulous soule in so weighty a matter and flesh is ready to say what signe from heaven shewest thou us of these things We would see some sight or heare some voice to confirme the word Ah poore soule I may say of thee as the Scripture speakes of Samuel 1 Sam. 2. thus did he ere he knew the Lord so these are thy crotchets ere thou knewest the promise But afterward thou sawest more in that alone then in all other waies for the Promise and Testament of Christ 1 Sam. 2. is written with the finger of God by the penne of the Spirit dipt in the bloud of God But to utter what God is willing to have spoken I must say that he who might claime this absolute power over the soule to be beleeved upon his bare word yet seeing the sensuality of man and our wofull distrust is willing to allow us all the meanes of strengthening our soules in his promise both by such seales and witnesses as confirme it yea Miracles Sacraments and oaths annexed to his Covenant and especially by those properties of a promise and of him that makes it and all to conclude and set the controversie beyond questions And by this meane faith is wrought In the which course of God appeares his great love and wisdome for herein hee hath endeavoured to answer all our doubts and carnall objections we are not so ready to cast in feares as he by this meane casts them out For why O poore soule dost thou suspect the Lord will not satisfie thy desire in giving thee Christ Either it must bee because there is no ground or cause for which he should doe it The ingredients of a promise and this is answered by his freedome graciousnesse Or he is a God just and revenging sin but this is taken away by satisfaction made taken Or because he cannot and this is false for his power is omnipotent Or because he meant it not eternally But the promise is from election Or wills not in time But that he doth for he invites and beseeches us Or he is not wise enough to compasse it But that he is for he is wisdome Or he is untrue in his performance But that he is not for he is faithfull Or he may change but that he cannot for he is immutable So that let us but set perfection of nature and grace in him against that which is in us our distrust and unbeleefe and we shall see every sore hath his plaster each distemper hath his medicine And all these are included in a promise So that whosoever hath the gift of ripping up a promise aright should behold all Gods riches in it But is a great skill and the promises of God lye in the Scriptures as gold and jewells lye deep in the earth at least in the field of the Gospell and we are not aware of them nor acquainted with that fulnesse and perfection which is in them And many confesse one of these who will not acknowledge another grace comes in drop by drop else wee should looke upon a promise with other eyes then for the most part the most of us doe A word or two of each of the branches For the first Freedome true it is 1. Freedome there is nothing in thee to procure such mercy but he is of his owne accord for his owne sake Esay 63.4 cut off his plea thought thoughts of peace he hath done it for the glory of his grace even because he will shew mercy it better pleased him so to doe then the first creating of Adam for now by his fall he addes mercy to goodnesse and magnifies himselfe in many attributes more Justice Wisdome and Truth He seekes nothing else save the winning and binding of the soule to him for ever in covenant which else so treacherous an heart as ours would never have yeelded to So that thou maist well trust him in this respect if thy faith can but get in with the Lord for if he do it not for thine ends yet for his own he will so that thou canst set thine owne under his so that thy best prop will be the preciousnesse of his glory which he will not give to another and therefore thy unbeleefe shall not rob him of it 2. Strength Secondly satisfaction is made and taken therefore he hath ground enough to settle his graciousnesse upon Justice could not cry it down by revenge rather then it should a satisfaction made by the bloud of an onely Sonne the bloud of God and man shall stoppe the cry of it upon this both made by Christ and taken by our Judge lo he turns wrath into mercy and his bosome is set open and unlocked as a fountaine 2 Cor. 5.20 21. He offers us reconciliation because hee hath made him sinne and curse who knew none that we might bee his righteousnesse And this is called the Lords strength Esay 27.4 that is the bottome whereupon mercy maintaines herselfe against all quarrell of justice and this hath taken away the dint of it so that hee truly professeth anger is not in me therefore come in not to an enemy 3. Omnipotence but to a father feare not Thirdly he is omnipotent He can doe what hee will His power ushers and attends his love as an handmaid Esay 57.14 The high and lofty one who inhabiteth eternity yet lookes downe that he may be strong with the humble and contrite ones His power is no crushing power save of our enemies and all that hate us But a releeving power an outstretched arme of salvation Not to destroy but to build up Esay 63.1 He that commeth from Edom dyed red with the treading of the winepresse of wrath is glorious in his apparrell travells in the greatnesse of his strength and is mighty to save Be the thing never so difficult to us with him nothing is impossible Can the Lord say they spread a table in the wildernesse The answer is can he not What is it which he cannot doe Except it be to deny himselfe and that nothing no not thy unbeleefe can bring him unto This power of God cannot be severed from the former satisfaction 4. Eternity Prov. 22.8 Fourthly he meant it from eternity as I said in the first of these he set downe with himselfe the frame and way of his owne grace long before Adam was or sinned the disease was foreseen the remedy fore provided It s a secret which lyes deep and hidden in the bosom of eternity though not farre above us in point of participation in this life yet in comprehension we must not looke to reach it here We may cry out O depth unsearchable and past finding out But till we come to heaven Rom. 9. end and behold it in the face of God being made one with him we cannot gage it our happinesse is that it is really so great that we cannot 5. Willingnesse Fifthly he wills it most cordially in
his Mediation and Merit as King Priest and Prophet I am afraid to die I doubt if hard times should come I should bee the first should stagger and deny Christ I am troubled oft about my evidences when I have any I keep them not long mine example is darke my peace small my selfe very silly to conceive remember affect goodnesse all goe before me and a thousand such Well But yet this thou hast that when all is done Joh. 19.7 yet thou art not willing to give over the Lord there is a secret thing which upholds thee thou knowest not as yet what God is doing for thee but thou shalt know Thou sayest Whither should I go Lord Joh. 6.68 if I forsake thee Thou hast the words of eternal life This againe thou hast when thou canst not swim yet thou liest upon the bladders of the promise waiting for more skill If thou sink as thou art comming yet thou hast an hand to put out and a tongue to say Lord Jesus catch me Matth. 14.30 Thou canst not answer every doubt by a word but thou plungest thyselfe upon it to answer for thee and canst send Divell World and Unbelief to Christ in thy stead Be comforted all is well When Peter Acts 12. was bidden to put on his Cloke and Sandals and follow the Angell though he saw not why or wherefore being asleep yet this he did he obeyed and did as hee was bidden and when hee was past all Barres and Gates hee saw the truth of all So dost thou obey although yet thou seest not why But in time thou shalt And therefore doe not mutter seasons of more light strength and comfort are in the Lords dispose not thine If thou be neither lazie nor rebellious it is God and not thou who holds thee at this stay Be as God will have thee Behold the salvation of God it shall bee thy strength to sit still Perhaps there is more within then appeares as yet Rather wonder that thou hast any thing that thou livest or mayst look up to heaven then thy strength is no greater And this know the Lord tries thee with little to see if that will make thee thankful that he may give thee more Still clasp upon the Promise remember Salomons speech Prov. 30.26 The Cony is a weake Nation but they make their holes in the rocke and so become strong because wise in weakenesse The Ivy is a weake plant but it hath teeth and strings to fasten hard upon a bricke wall and so growes above the Oake A weake child hath all the parts of a strong man although not the strength of any In a word apply that to thy selfe which the Lord speakes Esay 50.10 He that hath no light but is in darkenesse yet feares God and obeyes his voice let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God Better a little light then thy owne sparkles As for the worlds disdaine it is common to thee and the strongest And so much for the whole Doctrine which as it was my chiefe scope in this Treatise so I pray God above all and yet withall the rest to blesse unto us both Having finished Naamans obedience it selfe The second generall of the verse vâ—z The extent of Naamans obedience now wee proceed to the rule or if you will to the extent of it For the Text precisely addeth That he did obey according to the word of the man of God Before we have heard how crossely he carried himselfe toward this message and the Holy Ghost hath at large shamed him for it But now the Lord having got the victory over his stout and rebellious spirit lo how he also rejoyceth to describe it and to present unto us what a strange change is wrought in him For why Now he submits himselfe to the rule of the word at which he had so cavilled and to the uttermost thereof he went downe and obeyed according to all the circumstances of the word of the Prophet In two things Two things there were in the Prophets saying First a solemne charge in and under the authority of God this charge he yeeldeth unto 1. Extent of the command For he goeth downe to Jorden washeth himselfe and that seven times omitting nothing at all of the charge neither for matter nor manner Secondly there was a promise 2. Extent of the promise and that was a perswasion to obey from the assured effect that would come thereof This promise he consents unto acknowledges it good reason to be in it and takes it as no humane but a meere divine cure and so concurres as I have said with it and that to the uttermost intention and meaning of it From these two branches arise two points the first whereof we will now propound open and make use of ere we come to the other The former point then is this Gods commands are sad things not to be shuffled or dispenced with but to be obeyed according to the true tenor intent and contents thereof Perhaps some may thinke The grounding of the former of these that I am more curious then I need to be in fastning a point of such weight upon words in shew not bearing it well up For why They will take this phrase of the Holy Ghost to be but a complement of speech Quest meaning and containing no more then a bare narration of a thing as it was done without further scope and besides the charge having in it no morality being onely an occasionall charge for the time present concerning Naaman onely and reaching to none else they may alledge that it instructs not us of any morall obedience which is of a perpetuall nature To whom I would make the fuller answer because I shall treat somewhat Answ 1 fully of the Doctrine and first I will grant that perhaps in the Scripture many Texts may be found in which the sadnesse and closenesse of obeying commands might be more strongly grounded but that is not the question now onely this it is whether the expresse relation of the Holy Ghost touching the punctualnesse of his obedience be not ground sufficient of the Doctrine especially the Text seeming to mention it with delight and to record how farre the Lord brought downe Naamans heart from the extremity of slighting all to such an extent of obeying to the uttermost Answer 2 Secondly I would have it well noted That meerly occasionall and temporary commands when the Lord thinkes good to give them in charge binde as sadly and fully Occasionall commands binde as much as morall and perpetuall for the present for the present and for them whom they concern as any morall and perpetuall ones doe I adde that they are as dangerous and sad in the transgression to such as they are made unto whether the parties be faithfull or unfaithfull For example It was but a meere positive and as farre as I can learne a temporary charge Exod. 12.22 to sprinkle
and looke not that they should drop into thy bosome or be let downe in an engin all on the suddaine upon thee thou knowest not how quicken up thy faith daily else performances will prove but dead ware and according to thine unbeleefe 3. Murmuring so shall it be unto thee Thirdly murmure not when promises answer not thine expectation If crossed in our marriages in our children in the successe of our labours if debts pursue us if crosses follow us if wee be not presently answered in our fasting and prayers but still our hearts be obstinate and hardned then we fall to mutter against God as if he were unfaithfull but never enter into our selves to see how we warpe from the promise and go to worke with our owne tooles Ex. 14.2 4. Some grosse sin Fourthly lay no stumbling blocke of our owne iniquity in our owne way to stop the performing of promises Every loose common and hollow professor let him decline never so much from God in his course yet will boast as much of promises as others and will not be beaten off Judg. 19.20.21 ca. As those Israelites in fighting with the Benjamites would needs goe forward in the revenge of their sinne and lookt that God should assist them but never saw the sinne which still lay underneath their Idolls I mean which cost them the losse of forty thousand souldiers ere they got the victory Men think if they should be stript of Gods promises they were forlorne folk but in the mean time they walke not close with God keep not touch with him in their covenants dare play most unfaithfull parts with men in their practice and thus runne into arrearedges never dreaming that thereby they forfeit their right to performances but hold up their heads with boldnesse and think that as good bloud runnes still in their veines as in the best beleevers 5. Limiting of God Fifthly limit not God in his performances we care not how little we have for our money so we may have our humor pleased in some carnall content we can forgoe spirituall so we may have our turn served in some one promise we have enough and can give God over for a good while after and think much to hold on with Gods bounty because our strait hearts are pincht with the exercise of faith and therefore its just with God to punish our basenesse and unbeteaming spirits 6. Error of the wicked Sixtly beware of the error of the wicked who goe to worke by sense and esteeme Gods performances according to the outward meanes and possibilities which they have to compasse their ends God is but a formall notion upon point with them If thou looke upon the world thou losest the sight of God and wilt turne Atheist Seventhly beware of oversight and inobservance of promises God performes daily and hourely one or other to thee or thine to body or soule in blessings or in corrections yea more then hee is bound to But thou gapest after some greater or some other things 7. Unobservance so overseest and passest by such as are before thee and thereby stoppest the course of thanks and of blessings because thou seest not how many waies Gods performances lye Be quicke fighted in observing mercies and say with the Church Lam. 3.23 The compassions of the Lord are renued every morning great is thy faithfulnesse An observing heart encourages the Lord to performe more and he cannot abide an heart that pockets all and puts them into a bottomlesse purse Hag. 1.8 8. Curiosity and censure with others Eightly shunne curiosity and propensenesse to challenge the Lord when his publicke government and administrations please us not To these many moe might be added as sloth and ease worldlinesse formality in worship little meditation and such like They procure a dead life a barren heart an uncomfortable course Remember it must be an heart qualified for the nonce which must walke with God in his promises and performances It must be a cleare humble watchfull innocent and selfe-denying spirit not tainted with il custome and such shall have no cause to complaine of God nor be sent empty away So much for this Use Eightly this point is Exhortation to all beleevers and that in sundry particulars Vse 8 First that they revive in themselves the former Doctrine that is Exhortation that they take measure of Gods promises to the full that since God is so faithfull Branch 1 a performer of them all they may understand their owne liberty To take measure of promises and improve it Lose no performance for lacke of a promise God can enlarge Christ to every dimension of fulnesse height and depth So doe thou Those John 6.27 could beteame to follow Christ for loaves but they saw no further Say we thus Lord if thou heare me in this prayer thou shalt heare of me often I will ply thee with importunity for there is no measure no end nor bottome of thy goodnesse I will come to morrow next day continually For thou art yesterday to day and for ever the same Tell thy soule Heb. 13.8 heaven were not heaven if thou couldst reach all in it yet doe thine endeavour and pray with Paul Eph. 3.16 that thou maist see more in Christ then thou canst aske or thinke Mat. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As in the Lords Prayer thou art bidden to aske bread enough for the day and that which exceeds for so the word signifies As much more Lord as thy bounty can afford Oh brethren who would not know this Charter and Lease except he cared not whether God performed or no Lord I beleeve in that promise which reaches to all my life to my corruptions temptations straits feares to this and to a better life Secondly having so done learn to lot upon him for each performance Lot upon God for performance Ezra 8.21 especially when it goes hard Branch 2 with thee otherwise except God should sticke to thee Thus Ezra having obtained leave of the King for his journey and being now at a pinch for a sufficient convoy in so perillous a journey concluded he would not goe to the King for it lest he should upbraid him but he would goe to the promise for it by fasting and prayer and having so done was well appaid in himselfe lotting upon God that in such an extremity he would not faile him So do thou Thirdly to this end strengthen thy self by the plentifull experience of performances Branch 3 in time past get a calender of performances Strengthen thy self by thy experience at such a time I was heard for my wife for my childe answered in point of marriage estate gifts credit such a strong corruption was subdued such a grace enlarged so that I see it were not in vaine to waite upon thy promises if I had faith sufficient to equall and concurre with them Let me forget none of thy faithfulnesse in my receivings of the Sacraments
yea to runne into some morall evills which yet were damnable then thus to play the hangbies upon Religion Prayer for healing of our times of this numbe palsie of spirit necessary Ier. 2.2 and to eate out the very heart and entralls of her by our wofull unsavorinesse and declension Oh that God would heale our back-slidings cancell our Bill of devorce and make new love to us as in old times As those Martyrs so pray we Once againe Lord the power and life of thy Gospell give unto us the skinne and bones of an empty profession to be fill'd up and beautified with flesh and colour with countenance and savour of grace Oh Lord thou who madest the spirit of man breath a second spirit of thy Word to inspire our dead Carcasses with a second and better life Thou who causedst that Sunne of the Heavens to go backe ten degrees Esay 38. cause this Sunne of Grace to goe forward tenne degrees for it is gone backward too many already Thou who by that happie wind of thine scattered upon the surface of the earth didst hazle and drie up the forlorne dregges and slime of Noahs deluge Gen. 8.13 cause a new face of zeale and grace to appeare upon our age drunken and soaked in ease and sensuality Lord help us to cast our Eagles bill Psal 103.5 pluck off our Snake skin and renue us as the flesh of Naaman after Jordan Oh command an heart spirit of first love courage thanks joy and esteem of thy pretious Truth and Christ to return into us let it be as new blood in our veines and marrow to our bones count those daies of our decay declinings death distemper as if they had never bin Impute not unto us our unfruitfull Ministry unprofitable hearings returning to our vomit lingring after Popery and her defilements contempt and disdaine of powerfull ordinances which have deserved that we should be stript and wasted of all meanes Malach. 4.2 and left to utter woe and ruine Come and bring healing in thy wings at last and pardon the sins of all sorts that might hasten further wrath for what can be such a marke and symptome of misery comming spuing out of thy mouth Revel 3.18 as this decay of our temper So many of us as cleave to God let us not give him over for this mercy for surely many of us here especially of the richer sort whose gaines come in merrily and live at ease in Sion do shrewdly leane to this disease of luke-warmenesse Amos 6.1 begge it I say of the Lord that he leave us not quite here in this corner and make us not an hissing to all our neighbours for our barrennesse and desolation of the meanes who have hitherto abounded and caused the borders of our Towne to be wetted with those streames which have overflowed among us So much for this Branch 3 Thirdly so many of us as hitherto have lurked in our dens of ease and unprofitablenesse looke up at last and endeavour after this spirit of Naamans clensing and cure Exhort Gen. 18.12 Exhortation to get the spirit of true conversion Alas perhaps we laugh as Sara did when she heard she could give suck to heare of this that such dead blockes and lowring louts as many of us have beene to this day surviving our owne hopes and outbidding all threats and feares of the Word by a carnall stupor of our owne savouring nothing save our lusts and humours I say we thinke it impossible that ever wee should become any other Should such as wee ever be healed of our ignorance hard hearts and senselesnesse Should we ever come to be quickned by the hope of the Gospell to be forgiven and saved Should we ever become savory humble tender and zealous ones Truly I must tell you considering how some of us in this place have snorted out seven times seven yeares of Sermons or well nigh and fatted our selves under the Gospell with nothing but sottishnesse and security me thinkes I am halfe afraid of it Now am I leaving of you but how many shall I leave as I found them if not farre worse and what is like to be their end if they should live under no meanes or unfruitfull who knowes if a good day have not mended them must not a bad needs paire them The Lord flaite many of you this day out of your holes and corners me thinkes I behold your face with horrour and feare of any good Esay 55.8 but seeing the long sufferings of God are bottomlesse and his love as farre above our thoughts as the heavens above earth therefore I leave Gods secrets unto himselfe and spread before you still even at this last farewell the cords of the Lord and beseech you to come in and be converted and get this spirit of grace into you ere you goe hence and be seene no more Psal 39.3 Gal. 1. ult Oh it would make the Angels rejoyce and the world to wonder as Paul saith Gal. 1. Those that having knowne mee a persecutor heard that I was become a Preacher of the Gospell they magnified God for mee so should praises be offered up by many for you if it should be thus Who can tell brethren long hath the Gospell been laid in three pecks of meale in some of you Mat. 13.33 if now it might at last breake out as leaven and season you throughout what a blessed parting should it be to you and mee As you are I grant most of you no other is to be looked for then hath beene earth at first earth still and earth hereafter But if earth earth earth will heare the Word of the Lord it shall be otherwise Naaman was as far off as you till hee washed in Jordan but afterward what a spirit of healing and conversion came he forth withall How doth he come backe to Elisha Who can stay him How is his lowring heart enlarged to the Prophet What is too deare for him hee loves the ground hee stands upon and would carry it away upon mules his heart is ravisht with God and his worship and much water cannot quench love Such might you bee if the Lord would send Elisha to you Elisha is gone and the comming and going death and departure of many both Elija's and Elishaes you have seene and now of mee a poore Minister of Christ What shall no fruit come of all I am now going to tell my Master what fruit of all these sixe yeares worke here and many more in other places and by other my Predecessours hath beene reaped What shall I be able to say nothing to comfort the heart of God and his people Oh sad thing Well I leave it to your thoughts it is as much as I can say That if God perswade you nothing was done upon Naaman but might be done upon you Many of your own number out of the stools wherin you sit some of your wives in your bosomes children and servants under your
and the question might as well be made of any other period of number 3.4.5 as this of 7. Onely Popish superstition thinkes it hath never made her nose cleane save when it hath forced blood by wringing it too hard Forsooth they looke after mysteries in each corner and verse of the Scriptures and this period of seven is a very pretious number with them and hath a great deal of holinesse in it They say the holy Ghost useth it ordinarily both when he would determine an uncertaine number of many by a certaine Mat. 12. as seven spirits for many seven abominations for many and also when hee would set downe a voluntary period then he names seven as Elisha bids his servant goe looke upon the sky seven times 1 King 18.43 Jâ—sh 6.3.4 The number of 7. a great fancy with Papists the Lord bids Ioshua compasse Jerico seven times And it is true if in that respect they hold it a sacred number as used much by the holy Ghost I agree with them and I thinke the holy Ghost doth the rather use it because it is a modell and determining of the workes and rest of God after the creation of the world the circle whereof being the period of seven hath in likelihood occasioned this period of seven to become a stile of numbring with the holy Ghost yet when the seventh day was sanctified we reade not that the number was Number of 7. no holier then other numbers I passe by the favour which this number hath with Arithmeticians for the commodiousnesse and previledge of computation But as for esteeming of this number of seven to have any more holinesse in it then other numbers it is ridiculous and superstitious They must have theit seven sacraments for religion sake and their seven fold exorcisme and adjuration of Divells their seven Ave Maries their seven degrees of Angels seven penitentiall Psalmes and in a word wheresoever they goe they goe by sevens Seven deadly sinnes they will have and seven contrary vertues and seven steps to perfections as if they might go to heaven by a ladder of seven staires This number hath done them some pleasure for else they would no doubt have proceeded to sevenscore sacraments as well as to seven And seeing this number is more pretious to them then Gods two it is strange that they dip not the infant seven times instead of three counting it more holy then the Trinity we abhorre them and all their superstitious fopperies and mysteries more fit for inchanters and sorcerers to worke by then such as goe to worke on Gods name by the power of a word and ordinance See Joash his reproofe 2 King 13.19 The holy Ghost tyes not himselfe to this number as oft as he uses it but useth all other numbers as occasion offers it selfe indifferently As for Naaman here of the number of seven serves to teach any thing it teacheth the depth of infection in his body and much more in his spirit which needed such frequent washing one after another and all too little But as for any holinesse in the number as seven otherwise then the charge of God exactly required we put none at all in it We leave that superstitious holinesse to them who turned religion it selfe into a masse of superstitious judaicall pharisaicall heathenish and sorcerous vanities The true successors of Pharisees as our Saviour tells us That they put Gods service in washing pots and platters dishes and trenchers and sundry other toyes destroying substance for circumstance even so do these They place religion in old slippers shooes bootes and buskins rotten chips rotten garments in Crucifixes Images and rusty reliques and so in numbers yea asthe Pharisees would have the most holy sacrifices and Temple of God to borrow their holinesse from the gold of the Temple Mat. 23.16.17 and the altar of sacrifice so do these Forsooth the most holy Ordinance of preaching prayer sacraments if these Pharisees may bee beleeved must be holy because offered upon their altar or superaltar because made said or done in and upon their consecrated Temples Pulpits or Masse altars Oh ye fooles is the whether is the more holy the gold or the Temple Oh ye altar or sacrifice the Pulpit or the solemne ordinance of preaching the Church or the praier offered up A separation of place we acknowledge to be meet and fit common use for Gods but for inherent holinesse in it we abhor and renounce To conclude let us cleave to naked Scripture and not fancy to ourselves a Samuel wheresoever we see an old man in a mantle nor a mystery where there is no such matter and so leave the simplicity of truth for a novelty of superstition Ever since such scurfe tooke place in the Church substance decayed as the dog lost his flesh for the shadow such shells cost more the cracking then all the kirnell is worth The more we cleave to the sacred and pure truth of God the more we shall abhorre all such fooleries Give me one sacrament of Christs institution and let them take the seven One prayer made in faith and let them take their 7. Ave-maries one crosse and the power of one Christ and they their seven crossings and rowes of Beads And so much if not too much for this number of seaven The message it selfe The message it selfe followeth Naaman looked to be cured by great Elisha that worthy Prophet but the remedy which God makes use of is the washing of his flesh in Jorden seventimes A poore thing one would thinke to compasse such a great effect But so it is commonly the Lord effects those things which are of greatest consequence by poore and seely meanes such as the world would thinke most unlikely and contemptible Commonly I say so it is I say not alway For sometimes God useth to effect solemne things by see ly means the Lord chuseth great ones and wise ones and learned and valourous and experienced and in great esteem to be his instruments because he will be knowne in his owne gifts lest they should not be esteemed But when it is thus commonly the Lord shewes as great power in making such instruments great being of themselves before meane or despised at least he brings them low in their owne eyes and makes them rare patternes of humblenesse before he dare use them Esters hist cap. 2.3.7.8 c. 1 Sam. 16.12.13.14 2 Cron. 34.35 c. Ester was a great woman and effected a great deliverance But she was made so of a poore captive so that still God was as manifest in her another way So David yet made of a poore shepheard and therefore a mirror of as great providence Iosia effected great things but how Not by his greatnesse but by his extraordinary grace of melting and humblenesse If God use great ones either he makes them great of mean ones or mean of great ones And so many Preachers perhaps are used to doe God some glory But
To teach us the price of grace which of us would ever thinke grace to be such a thing as it is which of us would not wax wanton with God and forget our former condition which of us would pâ—â—se mercy and conversion as the inestimable free gift of a gracious God who might have left us at large to the corruptions of the world and the depth of the Divell But when we see how the Lord crosseth us what blocks are in our way and how hard it is to be vessels prepared for mercy to be clensed from our evill savour which would defile the grace of God then we wonder that ever the Lord should bestow any mercy upon us at all And so we walke in the sense and savour of it more humbly and thankfully afterward we suspect our base hearts we are jealous of forgoing it earnest to pursue it glad of the least dram of it and why we know the price and worth of it In this frailty and corruption of nature we can beare no great measures of grace by good experience of that it cost us to compasse it Where is there a man who is meet to enjoy any great matter from God either outward blessing or spirituall favour without pride and swelling So that the Lord is faint alway to be much in preparing such as he intends to bestow any great matter upon How long was David in preparing by the Lord See 1 Sam. from chap. 15. to the end of the book ere he came to the kingdome Between his first anointing and his Crowning how many turn againes and pursuits had he Surely as the Merchant of the East Indies who ventures for rich wares and pretious commodities hath an hard taske of it goes through strange hazards by pirates by tempests by winds by rocks and by continuall feare both going for them and comming home with them and all to teach him the price of them that he may after enjoy them more soberly so is it here The Lord is faine to prolong the day of his mercy and pardon and to bring the soul through many adventures to teach it to enjoy mercy without wantonnesse giddinesse lightnesse and boasting A drunken man can beare strong drinke or wine with his weake braine aswell as our slight hearts can entertaine grace we wax vaine and frothy idle and empty as not knowing what we have received from God nor how sober and wise we ought to be in the use of it 2 Cor. 1.2.3 So Paul the Lord meant to betrust him with deep revelations But before that how was he faine to buffet him what bitter greetings had he of his vile heart and how was he abased in his owne feeling And why Surely to teach him to walke humbly not to swell nor disdaine others but to distinguish the excellency of Gods grace from the basenesse of his owne spirit As we see it to fall out in the disposition of seasons and weather Simil. while the winter season is in her setling and height although there be a generall coldnesse of the aire yet it is mixed with some calmnesse and moderation But when once the spring tide is approaching we see what inequality of weather there is winds raines tempests and blustering all to purge the sky and to bring down the winterly distempers of it that the coast being cleare the sweet season of the spring and summer may succeed Just so it is with the soule perhaps while it lies under the winter of her owne desolation she makes a shift and hath no great chaines upon her as being under the hatches of misery But if once the Lord cause the spring time of life and conversion to approach strange it is what tempests clouds and weather arise the heart growes full of feares corruption rebells by occasion of the Law and selfe rises up in armes by occasion of the Gospel a marvailous change appeares in the soule through terrors bondage doubtings resistings cavellings and distempers of a base heart loth to leave that hell of hers which by custome became her heaven But all this is but as it should be the Lord proceeds gradually and by steps delayes the worke of grace and all that the coast may be somewhat cleared before hand and the soule prepared to welcome the season of mercy with calmenes humblenesse and modesty To conclude the Lord is Reason 4 most wise in thus trying his owne servants before he convert them To discerne them from such as are not his owne to the end that he may discerne them from such as are not of his number For why when hypocrites once come to see the conditions of grace what attendance upon means what knowledge and sense of sin what deep convincing of conscience is required how humble hungry painfull earnest the Lord lookes the soule should be that desires grace how plain-hearted in her aimes and prising it above all liberties how willing to sell all and glad it may to buy this pearle lo their rotten carnall hearts fly off and abhorre to stoop so low upon any hopes They thought heaven might be compassed with small adoe and that they might have it and their owne wills too But when they see it will not be nay more that many a poore honest soule is faine to waite long at Gods gate till he see it a fit season to bestow his grace upon it alas poore wretches they never were either so pinched with sinne nor affected with mercy as to bestow halfe the cost for it although they might be sure of it and therefore they fall off either altogether and so turne backe to their lusts or else if light and compulsion of conscience scare them from that they still abide as they are in a saplesse fulsome and dead course But it is not so with the others Gods true Merchants of the best pearles who know the true worth of them will not be beaten off by such discouragements but but with Naaman in the verses following rather then they will forfet all their hopes and carry back their lepers skin With them See Mat. 13.44 they will put their lives in their hands or rather themselves in the Lords to deale with them as he please and whatsoever difficulties or delayes they meet with they will beare them seeing they are for the best all shall end well By waiting the Lord will appeare at last but by giving him over they are sure to perish Oh! there is great use of this course how many desperate hypocrites doth the Lord trie hereby discovering their basenesse rage and discontent and how doth he comfort his owne faithfull poore servants that have waited upon his salvation assuring them it was his owne grace that sustained them in such delayes and difficulties to hold on Vse Instruction admonition to all Novices in grace not to be dismaid for difficulties The use whereof should be instruction and admonition to all Naamans and novices in regeneration and the worke of
to containe townes corners and Kingdomes in peace and order which being so extensive a good within her compasse must needs cause men to imagine some excellency therein Fourthly 4. The examples and opinion of men rarely vertuous the rare parts and endowments of such as are thus qualified excelling in shew the vertues of some such as are in an higher ranke of christianity and religion and blemishing their weaker qualities must needs reflect upon them more then ordinary esteeme among such as behold them especially when they shall bewray more bounty liberality compassion and mercy forbearance and patience with other usefull and admired vertues then they who claime the chiefe name goodnesse Fifthly when besides all these Civilities and Moralities 5. Some tincture of religion they adde some varnish and lustre from a tincture of Religion keeping their Church applauding a forme of serving God and discoursing of such matters which although they doe not for any perfiting of their vertues which they â—ount to be their strong hold but onely for complement and formality 6. Similitude with the godly yet hereby they stop the mouthes of any who might brand them with irreligion and prophanenesse Adde hereto the similitude which they seeme to hold with the godly for they also have their slips and errors sometime blemishes of note and vices of deepe dye and alas these have no more and therefore so long as outsides only may hold water there will seeme little difference There are none so bad and base None so bad but some shreds of good may be found in them 2 Sam. 12.27 1 Sam. 11.7 Gen. 27 41. And what use a civill person makes of it but have some shreds of goodnesse in them Ioab a vile cruell and bloody wretch yet a valiant Captaine who fought Gods battels and was usefull to the Church in destroying the enemies of it Saul a notorious hypocrite and self-lover yet adorned with abundance of heroicall martiall politique and morall vertues wisedome awe and authority courage and resolution equity and justice love to his followers till his spirituall treachery of heart quasht them Esau himself had his restraint of malice and so had Haman till their fitter opportunity And in a word as there are few so good but they have their tincture of some evill so neither are there any so bad but they have some morall reliques left in them of vertue and praise And this causeth them through a base heart balking God in his way of Christ to rest themselves satisfied in that sufficiency which they finde in these things as thinking they neede seeke no further for any superiour happinesse because they finde this to give them so abundant content both from within and from without feeling these feathers and colours of their owne both to heat and to adorne them And the truth is this selfe of morality and nature is so much the more dangerous by how much in shew it seemes so glorious for how vast a gulfe seemes to be betweene the former vicious forlorne caitiffe and this painted moralist Alas nothing is more apt to puffe up a naturall man then the abused privity to a former estate of excellency such and such they were bred and although they have lost all yet their breed and the reliques of their old ruines are enough to make them some body As we see it in them who having bin well bred Simil. and fallen to decay though they have nothing to take too yet even in the necessity of forced begging beg with indignation at the basenesse of it and will say good Sir shew some respect to a poore Gentleman putting on their hat instantly and scorning to bee as they are even so is it here That which should most abase us doth most pride us our very ruines seeme rarities unto us and nourish a sufficiency of our owne in us so that wee canâ—ot resigne it up and throw it at the feete of Christ to purchase a better But then much more prone are we to be puft up if we thinke that wee have raised our fortunes to a pretty estate the second time by our owne improvements and industry None are prouder then such as being privy to their ruined estate of creation yet make themselves beleeve that by their owne worth they have raised themselves from it to a very faire competency of estate in morall and civil vertues others remaining still in their beggery of viciousnesse and base evills Use of the point Briefly then of this second sort this I adde Oh how lamentable is it that a man borne to bee a sonne of God and beautified with his owne image should become so disguised as having lost grace in the substance to rest in a meere shadow thereof destitute of a principle of divine life and goodnesse and to stay all such from their conceit of selfe-sufficiency herein A civill estate dangerous let me tell them first their vertue is copper coine and wants of the nature of gold as much as kennel water of the purenesse of spring water therefore their sufficiency is but a dreame a fruit of their ignorance and owlelight of discerning nay it is but a madnesse as he must be a foole who really can satisfie himselfe in counters as if they were peeces Secondly there is no safety herein for the error of their conceit may more harden them against Christ then the prophanesse of the wickedst if God vouchsafe them both equall light Thirdly if God leave them in this hardnesse of heart they may prove as desperate opposites and pursuers of all grace of Christ and Christians as the most horrible open swine yea worse as we see in Saul and Iulian. Therefore to conclude let all such know that till the Lord have lighted a torch by his word of a greater discovery of themselves then yet they have seene they are farre off from the embracing of Christ they are wedged already into so deepe a sufficiency of their owne that Christs is unsavory And therefore although I will not advise them to renounce the vertues themselves nor judge them as vile as open offenders yet I wish them to come under a better banner and cast their owne worth upon the dung-hill They are gone up to heaven by a ladder of their owne framing and setting But they must come downe each step thereof with more shame and confusion ere they can set one step towards Christs ladder in which respect I see not but he who stands upon the ground still and never went higher is somewhat nearer the bottome of Christs ladder then they And so much also of this second kinde of grosse selfe viz. selfe-naturall morality I come to the third The third carnality or flâ—shly savor Rom. 8.6 And that is carnality or fleshly savor of the which I spake somewhat in the tenth verse shall say more in verse twelve Here therefore I will onely touch the point and shew wherein this grosse selfe opposeth Christ
must needs vanish and leave the soule as low as ever they found it and so the longer and closer they are clave to the greater confusion they cause till the soule being weary of her owne pride and mixtures freely resigne it selfe as empty and nothing to the meere good pleasure perswasion and leasure of the spirit to act and effect all both preventings assistings and perfectings by his owne strength which is alway strongest when the soule lies lowest as the red earth of which Adam was formed till the Lord breathed the spirit of life into it And surely to conclude there is nothing more easie then to be deluded in the triall hereof for such is the inchantment of self in this kind that no experience of disappointing the soule by her false feelings will teach her to deny her selfe and humble her self before God except only she apply her selfe closely to the rule of the word in every steppe she takes examining from what bottome her affections and preparations proceed and finding self to be chiefe in the work instantly to suspect it and constantly to resist it beleeving that the most abiding and lasting worke of humâ—liation and preparation proceeds from the sweetnesse and freedome of a promise from a reconciled God when the heart is most desolate and helplesse in her selfe By these few the reader may perceive what I meane by this privy-selfe and by these heads hee may learne to judge of other like which are infinite Now then I proceed to prove the point that this mixt selfe when all is done will deprive the soule of mercy if it be not prevented Let the first text be that Heb. 4. ult We see they were disappointed of the entring into his rest why were not they faire for it Proofes of the point yes surely they had forsaken Egypt and come a great journey in the wildernesse But what letted them Unbeleefe And what caused that Selfe Not only their wishing to be in Egypt at their fleshpots nor yet their fornication and Idolatry But as Esay tells us they rebelled against his holy spirit Esay 63.10 Their spirituall rebellings cavillings distrust were the causes They erred in heart as the Psalmist calls it that is Psal 9.2 they entertained false conceits against him sometime they asked Can God spread a table in the wildernesse Sometime they pitied their children saying Alas We shall never see Canaan Sometime they said Numb 9. the Giants were able to eat them up there were chariots of iron Sometimes they said this was not the way God might as well have brought them the right way to Canaan as the wrong if he had meant them well They made the promise of entring easily and plaine in it self to be difficulter then it was some saying it is as high as heaven how shall we get thither can we climbe up others thus it is as deep as the nethermost earth how shall we descend thither is it possible for us to construe so hard a promise whereof we see neither sense or colour to make a worke of forty daies to be forty yeares and yet meane us well Therefore Moses tells them Deut. and Rom. 10. say not the word is far off for it is neare thee in thy mouth yea thine heart that thou mightest beleeve it The deceit of the erring hearts warped these crotchets to hold them out of Canaan and to scatter their carcasses in the wildernesse Another text is Heb. 12.15 Heb. 12.15 Let no man faile of the grace of God Let there be no bitter roote springing up in you to defile you and turne you off He had spoken before of Esau who was the first borne and sought the blessing with teares yet failed of it he came too late after it was conveied away from him too sure to Iacob why he had a bitter roote springing up in him a selfe-willed peevish heart against his brother he disdained that he should be preferred The Apostle applies it to the Hebrewes who were faire for the promise read Rom. 10.1 2 3 4 Rom. 10.1 2 3 4. 5 6. c. but yet failed and lost it the Gentiles were preferred And why there was this bitter roote of selfe in them they stood upon their conceit none were the Church save they none so righteous as they They scorned that dogs should goe to heaven before those whose righteousnesse was so precise as theirs and this conceit defiled hardned them and overthrew the righteousnesse of Christ They could never submit selfe to the word preached nor comply with it but bitterly rejected it and them who preacht it as being a new way to heaven and not that which they had learned and should they stoop to this new learning of Christ This bitternesse overthrew them So Ahaz Esay 8. Esay 8. was faire for the promise of victory insomuch as the Prophet bid him demand a signe he would not why Selfe-presumption letted him he thought he was sure enough of God if once he spake the word But the Lord looked at his owne honour and therefore gave his people a signe by a Virgin that should conceive and bring forth a sonne So that the confidence of his foolish heart which thought hee beleeved God whereas in truth he sought himselfe onely and not the glory of God Luke 4. deceived him So it is said Luke 4. the Pharisees and Elders comming to Iohns baptisme despised the counsell of God touching their salvation why because they were carried with strong self-prejudice against the way of Iohns Ministery and chose rather not to bee faved at all then that way The Galathians were faire for heaven also and ran well Gal. 3. what letted them a misprision thrust into their heads by false teachers that Pauls way and Gods way agreed not and that the old way by Ceremonies was best easiest and likeliest because agreeing with flesh and this makes Paul to feare lest he had bestowed his paines upon them in vaine Our Saviour Christs Disciples were faire for faith what letted them selfe-sloth dulnesse of heart Oh you dull and slow of heart to beleeve all which is written in the Law and Prophets concerning Christ Luke 24. in what a depth of darkenesse did it hold them Their eies were held so downe that they could not discerne the Lord Jesus when hee stood and talked with them I will but adde one or two more That yong man in the Gospell was not farre from the Kingdome what stopped him Surely he came full of himselfe and had kept the Law from his youth this he had a strong conceit of but when hee was turned out of that confidence and put into a new way of selfedeniall and selling all he went away sorrowfull not onely because he was covetous but because forestalled in opinion that his way was best and is now crossed To conclude that is a solemne text which our Saviour urges Ioh. 5. Joh. 5. How can ye beleeve when ye seeke or receive
begunne in the soule yet seeing many have gone farre and perished faith is of few and the free worke of the spirit which bloweth onely upon some also feeling fearfull untowardnesse in her selfe darkenesse dulnesse deadnesse and unworthinesse doubting also of her election or sanctification that either she shall never renounce her lusts or persevere upon these or the like feares she concludes she belongs not to God nor shall beleeve Now this feare a man would thinke were rather selfdeniall then selfe but in very deed it is often discovered to be a more tenacious enemy then the former for why it trencheth horribly upon the simplcity of the offer the power and truth of the promiser as if it would set grace at a non-plus and as if the Lord were a tyrant a lyer so doth it claspe to it selfe will not be beaten out of her den 3. Withdrawing selfe nor resigne up her selfe to God The third and last degree is yet most dangerous of all I meane withdrawing selfe and may be conceived to be the last corner of the strong fort of selfe in her opposing of Christ and to prevaile with many whom the former two could not foile Marke it well And it is that wofull and desperate flinging out of the soule and incompliablenesse of the spirit with the onely and sound way of God to save the soule which is faith comforting pacifving converting and changing the heart to God Which way when the closenesse solemnesse nakednesse and necessity of it is presented to the soule it findes her marvellously wrapped and wound in with abundance of such secret scurse of her owne that first shee begins to be offended at the purity spiritualnesse and holinesse of it as farre exceeding her carnall comprehension or content as the heavens exceed the earth shee sees not how it is possible for two such extremities to bee reconciled And secondly she feeles such a Law within herselfe such an horrible repugnancie of heart against this way such an old custome of formality in Religion ease sloath restinesse and luskishnesse of spirit as Rahel sitting upon her Idols and loath to stirre that this way workes her to extreame unwillingnesse to consent and obey shee wishes from her heart that the command of faith were of a shorter size and a narrower extent she fore-casts such an utter misery in selling her selfe and all for the gaining of a promise as the young man did Heb. 10. ult when he was bidden to sell all and therefore concludes The price is too great the commodity as good as it is is too deare how shall it stand with selfe What will old froth and vanity liberty and loosenesse of heart of thoughts and affections say to this geare she must for ought shee sees consult with them and have their good wills ere ever she can consent here 's the pudder Selfe will not yeeld her old bent frame and streame is carnall or at least but mixtly and halfe religious and therefore to cast that out would make her forlorne and a begger an unsubsisting creature without a bottome On the other side God will not yeeld his bent and end is to subdue the soule to himselfe to bring her within his owne narrow compasse to be all in all to her as selfe was before the meere and naked bottome of her joy welfare he hath given his Sonne to purchase the soul thus to himselfe He hath denied his glory and himselfe that hee might thereby win the soule to magnifie him in his love and glory in his grace and therefore he will not lose his ends Except then the controversie bee determined and the soule drawne up and overcome to resigne up and raze this fort of Selfe and trust God with her owne soule for mercy and for powerfull subduing of her selfe This last degree will make her rather to chuse the forfeit of heaven then of her owne will and content And this may serve for the three degrees of mixt or secret Selfe Now I come to the second part of the answer touching the foot-steps and passages of this enemy and so to end the question Concerning which I say Secondly by her passages Three 1. Ground of Selfe is flesh that the passages of selfe may bee conceived in these three particulars First in the ground of it secondly in the carriage of it thirdly in the scope and issue of it For the ground or principle of it it is Flesh that which is not from Grace is no better then flesh seeme it what it will and that may appeare both in Legall selfe and Evangelicall For Legall selfe I may say that which the Holy Ghost Esay 58. Esay 58. speakes of Hypocrites that even in their fasting which was selfe-afflicting Levit. 23. Levit. 23. yet they had pleasure they kept their false measure within and nourished such a carnall heart as caused their humiliation to be defiled so is it here If we knew who were elect and who not as we cannot we might as well discern them by a defect of Legall as well as Evangelicall preparations for Christ is Alpha and Omega Revel 1. the beginning and end of the salvation of his owne So that as common a worke as the Law is accounted sure it is that selfe hath her bredth in that narrow and admits not such abasement as the Law worketh in the elect but rather she hath pleasure and beares off the dint by some extenuation of her sin or other even then when she should receive the sacrificing knife to cut the throat Both in respect of the Law and the Gospel 1. The Law that is to slay the pride and jollity of nature she lickes her selfe whole if she can as fast as the Law wounds But if it so fall out that the Lord is purposed to breake in upon such a soule with his terrours and to cast her downe to the ground so that shee is under water and terrified to purpose yet herein selfe appeares that either she windes herselfe out as soone as the extremity is over by indirect meanes or else the strait shee is in is no meanes to drive her out of her selfe to another but rather to fret and rebell thinking she hath wrong or she growes thereby to thinke herselfe to be in a better case because she is stopped in her old course or if the utmost extremitie comes she chuseth rather to rid her selfe from it by violence and destroying of her selfe rather then to see God in the worke But not hereby to behold the clear way of God to bring the soule to a condition of grace when she is at an utter losse and plunge in her selfe For then this worke should leave her better then it found her that is cause her upon a ground of the Word to see herselfe within Gods net and so to grow to conceive some possibility and hope which is too lively a worke for selfe to reach unto 2. Gospell and that both in the eye-sight
seeing hee might not build him a Temple Salomon might build it not looking at the doer so God might have it built And Paul would have Christ preached any way rather than not preached by any as well as by himselfe rather then not at all yea chose rather to lose his owne happinesse then Israel should not be saved To draw to an end what subtilty is this 5. Instance To offer to God more then he askes to imagine that the offering of God more services then he ever commanded should discharge the conscience for breaking such commands as hee expresly enjoyned What else was the religion of them Micah 6. save to baffle Gods eyes with their selfe worship And this is a true marke of Selfe to outbid true worshipers in the multitude of our devotions that we might bee dispensed within our underbidding of the price which God calls for why is this but that we might be spared in the maine work of selling self and all our out bidding the Lords owne asking is no marke of our selfe-deniall but rather of subtill-selfe which would teach God to pitch a new price upon Christ but not offer him that price which be demandeth when the Lord bids thee bring nothing wilt thou bring him thy cost and when his price is thy selfe dost thou offer him other things to keep back that price what is an handfull of brasse worth to him when he demands a dram of pure gold why doe we loath Popish superogations save that they come short in their kinde of that which God asketh within the kinde offer to him the least dramme of selfe-deniall and soundnesse but else out of kinde no performance is welcome seeme it never so plentifull what shall thy subtilty do thee good when thy issue and Gods issue will not joine thou bringest in prayers teares duties devotions abstinences affections and he called for none of them as his price but thy will Prov. 26.23 thy wisdome thy conceit thy selfe give him his asking and as for the other thou shalt be in them all as a defiled clout and they shall be no more unto thee in point of Christ then if thou hast never done them And this may serve for the first branch Branch 2 Secondly consider the danger of this disease enough hath beene said of it in the reasons before of Admonition See the danger of Selfe Now I adde two or three things to the former And first to urge that maine danger in the doctrine mentioned That it threatens to deprive the soule of grace it selfe when all is done and to throw downe all the false building thereof at once as if one should with his foote dash a little childs house of oystershels which it hath built with much labour Esay 55.2 2 Joh. 8. Now what a sad thing were this to lose the good things which thou hast earned with much travaile so that thou shouldest never enjoy the fruit of all thy toile and labour under the Sun of Gods ordinances Selfe forfeits all her labour and cost in worship and dutâ—es nor eate of the worke of thine hands what a misery were it if it were but to lose the cost of thy plowed field thy compasse and husbandry the cost of thine orchard and garden planting graffing setting sowing how unpleasing a thing is it But then what is the losse of a few bushells of wheat plumbs or apples berries or flowers to the losse of Christ thy eternall crop Selfe will come betweene thee and home in this kind if thou prevent her not The Estrich laies her egs in the sand Job 39.13.14 as Iob saith and leaves them to their lot to the feet of beasts to tread on but why God hath denied her understanding to lay them in secret and to hatch them Art thou destitute of understanding to value so meanly thy cost in hearing in questions in travaile in trialls in duties as to forget what they cost thee If a Schollar should see all his note-books papers a great rich man all his silver and gold his evidences a Farmer all his corne and graine to bee consumed would it not sting him Are they not the fruit of his travell which every man naturally more priseth then a thing that befalls him which he never took paines for when the ship makes shipwracke in the haven what saith the merchant It grieves me as much for the losse of my voiage as for my ship is this the issue of my three yeares sailing over the seas my adventures my exchange of wares mine escapes of rockes and quick-sands so shouldst thou say in this case Oh! it grieves me as much for the losse of so many sweet Sabbaths Sacraments Communions Ordinances as for mine owne soule shall I thus lay heapes upon heapes and die for thirst Judg. 15.16.18 how much better had it been that I had never travelled to beate downe some forraine enemy of lust and prophanesse then that this inbred elfe this selfe and selfe-love as a viper should eate out my bowells and defeate me of heaven To what end should I come up to the City as farre as the suburbs to lie downe there and die for lacke of heart to enter the City gate Thus hast thou done O poore soule thou hast given faire onsets and hopes Thou hast felt thy selfe lost mourned prised Christ laboured and held out longer then many of thy companions here thou hast left some behinde thee sticking in the deepe slow of the earth others have turned backe having the winde the sunne the stormes of persecutions crosses and enemies in their face others in their pleasures and lusts which have overtooke them and shall a bosome enemy doe thee as much hurt as these and shalt thou for all thy twelve houres toile fare no better then they who came in at the last Oh! consider how desperate thy case will be and what a world of regret losse of heaven will be when so narrow and small an oddes must deprive thee Oh! it will sting thee as fire to see that such an offer of an invaluable purchase was made thee which thou biddest faire for and forsookest at last in a tech that thou wouldest not give a penny more whether have it or lose it This parting penny shall sting thee as much as now it troubles thee little Oh! there is but a little oddes betweene thee and home thinke that now the loving heart the heart bloud of the Lord Jesus wooes thee in this manner saying one thing yet remaines besides all thy preparations adde but this let none of these be thy Christ mistake them not they are but sparkles comming from my fire that onely can put life into thee deny these let me and my promise be thy pardon thy peace thy strength and thou hast bought the pearle I say do but consider the mischiefe of this selfe which causes in thee this sad mistake and will worke in thee so remedilesse repentance Besides in the second place The
heare that cleaving to a promise should be of greater account with God or the deniall of our owne best duties and devotions then outward reall forbearances of sin abstinence from liberties or services of Religion carnall reason saith so much as thou esteemest thy selfe others will Seventhly let us see what carnall liberty judges of lawfull liberties Instance 7 Surely thus She puts no difference betweene the one and the other Lawfull liberties thinking all to be lawfull to them at all times in any measure with any circumstances without respect of offence or expediency nay rather such liberties games pastimes they count lawfull as their carnall sway leads them to except some great let hinder them they looke neither at rules nor ends but thinke all serve for mans content and can goe as well from one as other to their devotions sobriety and mediocrity they regard not And lastly for their common converse with men in buying selling Instance 8 Conversation with men eating drinking and other passages of life and conversation carnall reason either thinkes them quite besides the bounds of Religion at all or else goeth to worke by no rule in them but conceives in these each man left to himselfe without any controll their tongues their passions their trades and all their civill dealings they count arbitrary matters and so that they be not debauched in any notorious kinde as in oppressing wronging or foule excesses they suppose it is free for every man to get what he can to shift for himselfe and to seeke for the best gaine who shall be jolliest bravest and live at the best tearmes for the flesh This be spoken for the first generall to shew what this taint of carnall reason is how bad and incompetent a judge it is in Gods matters forestalling the soule from cleaving to his truthes As the oile in the hand cannot be hidden so it is easie to discover the nature and behaviour of this humor as she told Peter so I may say to every rationall and carnall man thy very speech thy garbe and outside bewray thee what thou art Matth 26.73 for thou wilt have one finger in each of Gods dishes his word sacraments or whatsover I come now to the second generall Proofes of the doctrine to prove the point by some texts both of truth and examples and then by reasons For the former note that 1 Cor. 2.14 The carnall man savors not the things of God for they are spiritually discerned Such as the man is such is his reason And againe The wisdome of the flesh is enmity with God It is not subject to Gods matters neither indeed can bee They that are after the flesh minde the things of it And to be carnally minded is death and so many more might be added So for examples the Scripture is full of them both of grosser and finer spunne stuffe in this kinde When our Saviour Ioh. 3.5 â— discoursed to Nicodemus of being borne againe what said he Shall a man then goe againe into his mothers wombe and be born a second time And yet what a great Doctor of Israel was he His great Mastership could read no lecture against carnall reason So againe read the example of the people which came to chuse Saul King 1 Sam. 10.27 when they saw what he was for meane breed and parentage the text tells us they despised him Shall such an one reigne over us Can hee save us So the Prince whose arme the King leaned on when he heard the promise of God that within one day the famine should be turned to plenty made this answer If there were windowes made in heaven could this be 2 King 7.3.4 I will never beleeve it It repugnes to sense and the present state of things So those Jewes who saw and heard our Saviour preach and doe miracles despised him Shall this man save us When the Messia comes no man shall know whence he is But as for this man we know him and whence he is Joh. 7.27 a poore man Ioseph and Maries sonne of no breed training or outward glee to the world-ward So those false teachers of whom Paul writes in all his Epistles were carnall ones and led by the reason of the flesh despised Paul for his meane preaching without eloquence 2 Cor. 4. 5 chap. and for his meane presence and person being as it seemes to outward appearance of no great stature nor glorious utterance And those Corinthians although not so deeply tainted yet had a dregge of this poyson when they esteemed of Preachers according to the fancie of the man 1. Cor. 3.4 some would cleave to Paul some to Cephas some to Apollo some to others as their humour led them Who cannot by these examples perceive what an ill judge carnall reason is in cleaving to the truths of the word As Naaman here was held from Gods purpose to heale him by his Abana and Pharfar so each of these examples were hindred from embracing one truth or other by the obstacle of their owne reason Nay the Scripture rests not here alone but brings in the Saints themselves with infamy for their being fore-stalled against the truth hereby Moses is taxed for distrusting God at the waters of Meriba See Texts before Gideon for cavilling against the Angels message Samuel for inclining to Eliab Sara for laughing which I named before all of them being letted by this enemy from cleaving to the truth because they felt nothing within to favour it carnall reason foisting in this cavill Tush What likelihood or proportion is there between this truth and thee Thou give sucke and bee a Nurse at ninety yeares old and so of the rest So much for proofes Reason 1 Reasons follow First the soul is stript and bereft by the sin of Adam from that holy purity of Reason Soule bereft of the puritie of reason in her first creation whereby it could conceive digest and understand the matters of God as their proper object without mistake or errours as the eye or eare can discerne colours or sounds This holy power of created nature is now turned to a meere privation sinking paper being as able to containe the distinct impression of the letters written thereon as corrupt reason can distinguish or discerne the stampe or notions of holy things It cannot reach them for it faileth as the short arme of an infant cannot reach a thing above it it cannot retain them for it vanisheth in them as sense doth in dreaming They are above the capacity of the soule as she is even as Hebrew is above the reach of an ideot no man wonders that he rejects it with indignation as exceeding his faculty Gods matters are reached by a superiour power to that which a naturall man hath as a tale told is reacht by a faculty above that which the beast hath The substance of the understanding is as it was but the excellencie of her faculty is lost Reason 2 Reas 2.
late being men wholly ungrounded in the principles yet under pretence of zealous magnifying the freedome of grace and power of faith how have they puffed up themselves in a conceit of their owne perfection and maintained that they need not pray daily for pardon Oh wofull pride Moreover beware ye Ministers of Christ of preaching Christ carnally of envy rather then good will and of swerving from the plaine and effectuall demonstration of the spirit whereunto all learning and parts are too meane to serve and attend Beware I say of taxing such as although they affect not your course yet come not shorâ— of you in sufficiency and worth Farce and stuffe not your Sermons with quaint and neate words frequent quotations of Fathers and languages whenas God knowes you make it some of you but a vaile to hide your ignorance among them that are simple Alas oftimes your false Latin and Greeke bewraves you to the judicious Peter converted not three thousand at once with such preaching Be wise unto sobriety I deny not but among the learned or in controversies handled among them there is good use of tongues and arts oftimes 1 Cor. 14.21.22 But to the simple idiot ye are but signes of Gods wrath no instruments of Grace Again affect not morall subjects alone in your Ministery though there be use thereof but especially strive to goe against the carnall edge of the people and first ground them in those things which are spirituall urge the doctrine of originall sinne faith in the promise selfe-deniall the new creature mortification taking up the crosse preparation for death and the comming of Christ other things will fitly follow if once your peoples hearts be truly broken and moulded in Christ they will soone take the stampe of your morall doctrines but if ye beginne with these you shall as soone take an hare with a tabor as draw them to savour that which jarreth with their carnall reason So much for you my brethren Now for you the people and hearers I say this be not led away with Object 2 partiality and conceit in heaping up to your selves teachers of your own despising others People in divers things but in all simplicity embrace such and all such with an indifferent spirit according to the proportion of their gifts who are meet to do you good God hath made them all yours to serve your souls be not so base as to embondage your selves and cleave to such or such persons or parts neglecting the maine scope of common edifying occasion not jealousie and distaste among Gods Ministers themselves by your folly as ye must needs doe if they be not the wiser but cull out each mans speciall gift and make use thereof as given you to the supply and furniture of each part of the body with most apt and meet grace and ability for her need Discourage not Gods Ministers who are faithfull by balking theif Ministry and cleaving to strangers and perhaps inferior to them These are pangs of carnall wisdome and savour not of that spirit which is from above pure and peaceable Jam. 4. Much lesse be drawne away from sound teaching to carnall jangling that so ye may learne an easie way to heaven forsaking that one way which is truth and life Affect not pompuous words great shews such as set forth themselves with carnall complements and ostentation admire them not perhaps because you would faine come from Church with as whole a skin as yee brought loath to be galled because your conscience is crazy therefore ye seeke to such And just it is with the Lord to plague people for this carnality of yours with Ministers just like themselves lips and lettuce cup and cover agreeing that each may be a stumbling block to the other So that although you live as ignorant and blinde as blocks or bats yet you shall glory in the flesh of each other saying you have one of the Belwethers of the Country as good learned peaceable and good a fellow as any in the Kingdome Oh! how doth Satan infatuate the world with the golden cup of formall devotion through such that he might cry downe the power and sincerity of the truth Furthermore although you affect the most Religious Ministry yet rest not in the person fasten not your faith upon man his worth zeale holinesse beleeve not for mans sake but for that power and efficacy which you discover in the ordinance let Gods truth be that into which your assent resolves it selfe Joh. 5. end least otherwise Satan buffet you in the time of trouble that you never distinguished persons from thinges and the demonstration of truth from mans excellency Againe catch not at new points forsaking old grounds nor at choice similitudes allusions and discourses I observe it among some of you that if God vouchsafe us sometime more neate expressions then ordinary how are you taken with them Oh! such a Sermon such a point how it affected you take heed your braines deceive not your hearts chuse out speciall Sermons by the peculiarinesse of conviction and perswasion not by pleasing conveiance of words Besides looke not at the outside of thinges but at their spiritualnesse looke not at a Minster as a friend or one that stands up to fill the roome to serve the cure and to stoppe confusion 2 Cor. 3.1 But so let men thinke of us saith Paul as the dispensers of the mystery of Christ whatsoever their infirmities errors and wants be and of the manifold graces of God as messengers of reconciliation as helpers of your joy not to domineer and play Rex but to feede the flocke and to seale them up by the promise to beget them to travell againe of them till Christ be formed in them which thinges if they were looked at by the people alas that unsavoury and carnall eye wherewith they behold the Minister would be turned into a spiritual their feet would be beautifull they would give them their very eies Rom. 10. and count them as men of tenne thousand Job 33. Men weigh not their gold in large hoppe scales but in small ones for the nonce and so they weigh truly so let not the Minister of God be put in common carnall ballances but in the weights of the sanctuarie Then the Minister should be a Shekel indeed and have double honour and maintenance and be received as in the name of a Prophet above a common man you whose soules are ingaged to him as an instrument of your salvation Matth. 7. can tell what I meane Such say with Paul 2 Cor. 5. I know no man now according to the flesh but according to their grace and spirituall use Inure your selves to it now and at sickenesse and death it will be sweet for you to heare God in him I mean your Minister losing upon earth that which he hath formerly forgiven in heaven But I see that I have broken my bounds I must breake off abruptly and leave that which
spirits of these and all other declensionâ— of yours by carnall reason And to conclude Counsels added 1. Let not the conceit of your Religion deceive you lest yee should thinke any of you that your disease is incurable be staid with a word or two of counsell And first beware lest the conceit of your religion blind-fold your eyes that ye should not see how carnall yee are it is not that which can save you harmlesse The ground is nought and your blacke colour will take no other dye What boots it that now and then you heare the Word That will not alone mend you as long as this bosome Oratour lodges within which will in one night undoe as much as God hath done all the weeke Offers and wishes and prayers vanish where this Divell is harboured Judg. 20.8 Little Iether cannot kill Zeba and Zalmunna great Giants What is hail shot to shoot downe a Fort Or a speare to the scales of Leviathan As long as thou liest in this ship thy going up and downe stops not her motion thou art carried by it neverthelesse Carnall reason is no torrent soone up soone downe but a gulfe which onely the Spirit of God can exhaust and dry up Secondly consider well the nature of it it is enmity to God 2. Counsell Consider the nature of it Enmity to God and perpetually opposite to his matters The more spirituall the object the more contrary is this Till it be searcht to quick t is smooth and quiet but then it will flye in Gods face Gamaliel advised his fellowes Act. 5. to desist lest they should fight against God Carnall reason dares do it either at long sword or with a pocket dagger Bee afraid therefore lest God turne againe and fight against thee Acts 23.3.4 As Paul said to him that perverted the Law so I to thee Take heed God smite not thee thou painted wall that opposest his purenesse and spiritualnesse Acts 13.8 Paul seeing Elimas the Sorcerer bent himselfe against him and said Oh! thou full of all malice and subtilty how long wilt thou pervert Gods way Stoop therefore to God and prevent the wrath Thirdly 3. Counsell And the penalties attending the custome of this evill 1 Sam. 4.9 consider whether Gods hand be not upon thee by some either spirituall penalty of a dead hard impenitent scornfull spirit or else temporall judgement upon thee according as thy sin lieth When thou seest God really come against thee play not the Philistin to fight against him the second time God can vex thee even by them thou hast scorned He can force thee to consult with a poore Minister for ease scaring thy conscience If he doe so resist not God delights to resist the proud and by mean things to beat downe mighty Bee not as the Drunkard on the top of the mast who being beaten felt not God aimes by conquering of thy masterly carnall reason to pull downe twenty more jolly fellowes Once I knew one who was converted to God by an holy servant of his and his conversion brought the whole Towne into order under Gods becke For why as Ahabs childrens guardians trembled at Iehu when they saw two Kings could not stand so these seeing one tall Cedar fall and stoop with all his wisedome fell downe flat Oh envie not the Lord this honour 2 King 10.4 make him and thine owne soule this amends Entertaine but a suspition at least that God will bee revenged Brethren Gods market growes low this ware lieth upon our hand let us take some handsell this day of some of yee we will take any thing rather then sit still If I could but draw a jealousie and feare that all is not well with some of you I should goe home with gladnesse Oh! Doth God say 1 Cor. 1.12 Not many great learned and wise are called And doe not I tremble O Lord am I one of these few Say not if there bee but three at Church to day touched I will be one It stands not in boasting Oh! that this needle might draw the thread after it 4. Counsell Fourthly know that as hard as this leprosie is to be cured the Lord is able to doe it Looke upon Naaman in the 13. verse Yea by the despised remedy of preaching even a foolish way to flesh See those prophesies Esay 25. ult Hee shall pull away the cover of darknesse and pull downe the lofty ones So Esay 24. Read also Ezek. 28. Though Tyrus sate as a Queene thought herselfe wiser then Daniel having encreased her wealth and jewels yet God saith he would pull her downe Labour that this pulling downe may be in mercie But more of this in the use of exhortation and the means there prescribed Thus much for these fourth and fifth uses of Terror and Reproofe Vse 6 Now I proceed to the last use of Exhortation and of Comfort and Thankesgiving annexed thereto Exhortation and so conclude the Doctrine And Branch 1 therefore in the first place Give up our weapons of carnall Reason to God Job 42.2 I exhort all Gods people that if formerly carnall reason distrust and cavilling of heart have dogged them in matters of God they would now at last being thus convinced of the truth of God startle and shrugge at it and say with Iob in a like case I have once spoke but I will hold my peace and lay mine hand upon my mouth He had long jangled and cavilled with God alledged for his owne innocencie and seemed to call God to the Barre of his owne carnall reason And as his freinds one way had cavilled against his uprightnes by the misery that was upon him So he on the contrary cavilled against the justice of God by justifying himselfe But the Lord approved neither of both but sent Elihu to be a moderator between them And the Lord steps in him selfe and convinces them both till at last Iob yeelds with confusion of face and comes in with abhorring himselfe and silence Oh! this is up and downe our base spirit we have long lived in an habituall contradicting of God not onely in his crossing of us but in his ordinary walking toward us Oh! how should it humble tame us Oh! how should we abhorre our cavilling spirits The very Papist himselfe is not more carnall then our spirit is They cavill against a spirituall presence of Christ in the Sacrament and plead the words Hoc est corpus tooth and naile They cry Is it not the word the very Text They can cleave to the Text when it seemes to serve their turne but else they make it a nose of waxe And how eager are we against them for it calling them Capernaits and Carnall But meane time wee see not that carnall reason within our owne breasts which fights against Gods spirituall government and administrations We cavill saying If God were as hee promiseth wee should heare some reall voice from heaven or see some glimse of his presence in
heare ill when we have done well which is a royall grace indeed Secondly this also may be just reproof to others though not so ranke as Vse 2 the former and these are of many sorts First Reproofe such as although they live in a bad course and know it yet are no sooner convinced thereof but they cavill against God himself and lay him in all the fault they would as faine be better as the Preacher and they cannot deny but they are farre from that they should be But these Ministers they say would goe beyond God and have them better then God will make them which cannot be for till God change and mend us all we can be no better let men teare their tongues to the stumps And and whence is this cavill Truly from base prophane Selfe which is crossed in her way imagining that because it is easie for God to worke as he please Cavillers against God as if he were in fault for all their errorâ— convinced and the worke of conversion is onely his therefore they may live the whilst as basely idely and prophanely as they list They would have grace droppe out of the clouds on the suddaine into them that their hearts might all at once be humbled comforted and turned to God before they bee aware and then they thinke they might scape a great deale of trouble that others meet with who are so restlesse painfull and unwearied in the use of the means For their own part they will use good means too on the Sunday and come to Church and heare but they will waite till God worke To whom I answer The Lord rebuke all such wretches God open their eies For tell me I pray you these waiters upon God how live they the whiles Most loosely deny themselves no liberty lust or will of their owne but lash it on upon the score till grace come and wipe off all they spare for no sinne committing to be lewd companions drinkers covetous or the like For why should they If heaven will be favourable it can pardon great as well as small offences If it will not in vaine should they strive For they have no strength of their owne they confesse to restraine from any such courses till God turne their hearts then you shall see what manner of persons they will be when they be of Gods making you shall see what new men they shall be But oh you white Divells you that turne rebellion into smoothnesse and play the still swine who eate up all the draffe how should such as you ever come into Gods mint to be new stamped I denounce unto you that all your hypocrisie tends to the vailing over of your sinne it is not grace you seeke if your brests were open hell and destruction are there and the way of peace you have not knowne Peace you would have pardon and heaven Gods love and favour but your cursed wills you would not forgoe And therefore that ye would have mercy I meane you shall never have and what ye would shunne you shall for ever inherit even woe and wrath I know some of this sort are not so prophane as others but feed themselves with duties and moralities a smooth way of Religion and so wait Matth. 3. Esay 30. But who hath taught such to escape the wrath to come by their sloth and ease What although it be our strength to sit still Must we therefore suspend our labour paines and use of meanes Will God be found in a way of ease of yawning desires and lazy hopes which abhorre to be guided Gods way and to come to his oath and covenant of humiliation aith and selfe-deniall No neither the prophane nor the lazy shall enter into his rest no more then the rebellious They maintaine a secret distemper and pritch of heart and tetch of selfe against God and either will be saved their owne way or not at all And therefore to these I also professe with sharpe reproofe The way to peace yee have not knowne neither will you rather will quarrell with God for not fulfilling you wills to make you such as you would bee without your trouble This way God never knew Nay I say more Though God would save you yet you would not if ye might and I may say truly salvation it selfe cannot save such as would not because it saves none but the willing Pull downe your cursed spirits and cease to kicke against the pricks for till you be content to abandon your lusts and ease you doe secretly cavill with him whom you shall never be able to make your cause good against you stand not right in your plea the Court is Gods the judgement is his who shall curse all weapons formed against himselfe and condemne all those most justly who cavill against him Therefore I say againe take this word of reproofe with meekenesse Esay 54. ult and sit still in the point of cavilling but abhorre to goe against Gods edge by your prophanensse or your ease for the Lord will never beleeve that either of these will ever be content to finde mercy though they might enjoy it And as Esau when time came would have had the blessing but yet would be still a sensuall Epicure and therefore it was finally denyed him So I say to you If in truth you would have grace pray to God to plucke up that roote of bitternesse which springs up in you Heb. 12. for that will defile you faster then all your idle and false wishes can clense you and no wonder if you well weigh it And secondly here come to be censured all such as go yet a steppe further Branch 2 and will close with meanes and be deepe in paines taking Selfewilled ones who binde God to their labours convinced but then when they see that God will take no paines for full price but for serving his owne grace and good pleasure onely then they fret and fume at their lot because God regards not their labours What say they Is this equity that the Lord should alike esteeme of the painfull and the lazy I answer thee yea if Selfe defeated be the caviller Thou takest paines it seemes that thou mightest be warme by thine owne sparkles and have somewhat to alledge why God should regard thee That is thou wouldest have him for thy sake to forsake his owne way and turne free grace into wages Rom. 9.13.14 And because he will not as indeed hee never will be a servant to the runner or the willer therefore thou frettest and fumest at him for not serving thy turne But oh man Who art thou that disputest with God Shall the axe quarrell with him that cutteth with it I answer thee therefore The Lord doth not simply equall thee with such as take no paines keepe thy paines still and if thou wilt adde more unto them but rather take away thy upbraiding spirit doe that thou dost with meeknesse and be content to sinke in thy
simply What then Is thy speech to be commended No in no case For why Dost thou not go by the worlds rule it seems not to be so I cannot thinke it Is this enough to bury the truth of a word of the eternall God under Doe not still speake evill of the way of salvation because God makes it not so rationall as thou wouldest and will not sell thee heaven for thy praiers and devotions He askes no more then his word beleeved will give thee power to performe if thou reject it not by distrust Instan 2 Another Instance is this Beloved so long as Gods government in the Church Administrations of God must not be quarrelled or upon our selves pleases us while hee dandles us in his lap holds off enemies enlarges our abilities keepes under our corruptions tries us by no great temptations annoints our paths for us and gives us better gifts fruit of our labours and outward blessings then we expected Oh how we can cleave to him This drawes water out of a marble stone But let our sunne enter never so little into an eclipse or if God remove our strong holds from us leave us to enemies seem to smile upon them side with them suffer them to enjoy whatsoever their heart could wish Psal 80.4 Job 1. Mica 2.7 in having their wills on us But to frown upon us not onely while we sinne but when we repent and to disregard us even in our most frequent importunate praiers Do we then persist in our uprightnes Dowe then as Micah saith beleeve that still Gods word is as good as ever it was to such as walke uprightly When neither Moon nor Sun appears for many dayes do we abhor to suffer darkenesse to possesse us within because there is such a darkenesse without Can we fall to Pauls remedy Act. 27.20 Act. 27.20 Judg. 6. Mica 7.9.10 I beleeve God No no wee cavill and say If the Lord be with us how are all these evills upon us Why I beseech you Although hee hath promised to all beleeving soules to shew them light in darkenesse and after to turne their darkenesse into light yet did hee ever promise us to keepe this darkenesse quite from us Had Christs love so appeared if he had come and kept Lazaras from dying as it did by raising him up when hee was dead and beganne to stinke Bring me forth one word sounding that way that God would alway keepe one even tenor of outward peace and prosperity over his Church and then tell him hee is not as good as his word But this is a Religion better fitting Papists who know not what faith is then such as we Oh be warned This carnality of ours sits neere Gods heart loades him as the cart with sheaves is loaden Doe not give God over thus say there will be light for the righteous it is sown for them though not come up yet God is good to Israel to the upright in heart The eternall strength of God is a brasen pillar Psal 73.1 which the soul may swing all her strength upon in the greatest straits although heaven and earth goe together such shall have peace peace that is sure peace as Esay speaks and as for carnall reason she shall see it too Esay 26.2.3 2 King 7.3 but she shall not eat thereof it is a dainty onely serving for waiters and beleevers It is faith which must doe the worke of workes keepe fire from consuming the bush or burning the three children It is faith which must doe all these feats Heb. 11.35.36.37 Carnall reason never wrought one miracle but it hath marred many Faith and the power of God hath kept a venice glasse from being broken against the wall when it was cast with violence But carnall reason breakes all it throwes Therefore to conclude take heed of her and learne admonition to lot upon the word of truth for thy selfe for the Church in the promise of God in the providence and alsufficiency of God If he satisfie not thy desires know it is not because he is weaker or falser or lesse pitifull then he was but he hath other ends then thou seest hee aimes at purging out thy canker of Selfe and perhaps hath more universall ends for the manifesting of his vengeance upon a Nation not worthy to be beloved deserving a decree to come forth This is no season for carnall sense to lowre but for faith to fall to worke if not to save others yet to save each one himselfe and lay in as Iosia did for himselfe Jer. 45. 2 Kings 22.20 that he may have his life for a prey and he may not see the evills which shall come upon others And so also to lay in pledges of hope for posterity that when Gods winter is come downe and his people scoured and his old brasse and candlesticks melted he will make better vessels of our posterities even zealous ones and prepared for every good worke And againe a third Instance may be this The outward difficulty of Instance 3 the times is great the Lord having marveilously plagued our spirituall surfeting upon his bread of life not onely with a famine of it but even with cleannesse of teeth This hath beene a sore yeare for the poore and pinched the rich What doe you poore ones now For the rich may scape better Do ye fall to fears that you shall be starven Or your do ye solace your selves that still the word abides for a stay unto hearts in these hard times Tell me truly Doth lesse meat serve you because you trust God Doth faith and a cheerfull heart make a little goe a great way Or doe ye runne to the cursed phrase If windowes were in heaven it could not be holpen Truly I hope some of ye speake the truth when you say Gods word for man is not fed with bread only doth sustaine you It is a signe that flesh and sense doe not altogether beare rule I am glad it is no worse goe on and prosper and as the Lord hath hitherto holpen you so that the scarsity of other thevish savage poore hath not oppressed you so hee shall still finde mercy in mens hearts and purses to relieve and helpe you through this famine while plenty come onely learne by this experience to build your altar with Samuel and say Hitherto the Lord hath holpen us and so hee will he hath not kept us from a Beare and a Lion that a Giant 1 Sam. 7.12 a Dog should destroy us Say thus The Lord hath not yet put us so sharply upon the pikes of famine as that we should eate our owne children or mice dogs cats and rats as in former ages of Popery they have done in this Kingdome Therefore I will trust him still and although there shall be no Calfe left in the stall Habac. 3. nor Bullocke in the flocke yet the Lord shall be my salvation I will not as poore as I am say as a Carle lately did
As the loadstone holds iron to it selfe so I have felt thy promise to draw me so that I cannot give it over nor forsake the meanes but they are daily sweeter and sweeter to me I have not felt such temptations to hideous thoughts lusts as some have done I am not disquieted so much about the measure of my preparations as some have been from my youth up thou hast by steps and degrees wrought that which thou art faine to worke in others by violence and with difficulties Nothing but excesse of clemency and mercy hath beene my portion and yet in all I have held some good testimony in my owne heart of sincere and plaine intentions although feeble yet faithfull Oh blesse the Lord Pitty such as get to heaven with difficulties As for others whose birth costs more travell and paines pitty them the rather and confesse thou owest them so much the more compassion by how much they come harder to heaven then thou dost We see an heire toiles not so much for all his inheritance as a poore labourer for a groat a day Doth the poore man murmure at him No but puts himselfe under providence which hath made some owners some tenants some to live at more ease others with more toile The Lord is the maker of both and perhaps foresees that if the poore had as the rich he would beare it worse and therefore his rough spirit must bee basked and held downe from pride and rebellion Let not such as meet with more hardship in their conversion accuse God for changing ease into toile Let them not murmure at Lydia at Zachee and such as have beene easily brought home but blesse God that he would trouble himselfe with such peeces as they rather then burne them as knotty logs scarce worth the hewing and bestow any cost upon them for his owne names sake rather then they should perish But let them be farre from cavilling at God that they have abode the heate of the day and others comming in at the eleventh houre have fared as well Matth. 20.15 Is thy penny the worse silver for theirs Or is thine eie evill because Gods is good wonder rather that ever that penny should come in thy purse then that others fare as well or that thou farest not better So much for this Branch Branch 2 Secondly let this be an admonition unto thee for the time to come that this ease of the first mercy Beware lest the ease of the first mercy cause thee after to slight it become not a snare unto thee afterward to cause thee to slight it and forget it Doe not as wanton heires who spend it as lightly and basely as it came easily Lest the Lord make your hearts ake for it and set you on the racke teaching you to repent and to keep within bounds Oh! abuse not this goodnesse slight it not walke not slackly sit not loose upon easie mercy devote thy selfe rather to God for so free sweet easie mercy with the most close faithfull heart thinking nothing too deare for him David could breake forth Psal 43. ult into great triumphs after a tedious conflict and combat with his fears doubts depth of heavines and say I will still praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God And shalt not thou say so much more who hast escaped many such scourings Doe not now thinke thou art safe thou maist heare pray receive the sacraments as loosely and formally as thou wilt because grace came easily No make the more precious account of it else thou art a slave and no Sonne An heire seeing himselfe stockt by his father with sweet dwelling rich grounds great revenues so that he needs not to carke and toile for a living What doth he Surely as the Lord bids the Israelites who came into a land flowing with milke and hony and that at the best vantage even in the harvest of all commodities But rather knit the heart to God Joshua 5.11 Beware lest now yee forget the Lord that hath thus endowed and furnished you Walke humbly and feare the Lord that it may goe well with you So should we doe we should say now all other things are done to mine hand there is but one thing to doe Lord teach me to do it well If I can be full and yet remember the Lord that made me and highly esteem the rocke of my salvation he will thinke them well bestowed Deut. 32.14 and confirme them to me else they shall be a snare Fall not to Adams and Eves sinne who in the abundance of all things being set in a Paradise could not digest their happinesse but fell to revolt and so were cast out Say not Soule eat drinke be merry cry not peace peace but let the ease of mercy keepe thy soul from all presuming and sensuall security John 5. Remember that bitter pill given by our Lord Jesus to a loose one whose cure cost him nothing so he began to play his parts Thou art healed now sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee and then thou wilt wish would I had lien lame by the poole still We are scarce able brethren to beare the ease of mercy but we wax wanton and that is the cause why so few finde it and so many complaine of such difficulties It is just with God to make us weare the chaine for it to teach us to walke before the Lord more humbly and soberly And so much for the second Branch of the Exhortation I should now have concluded the Use with the third and last Branch that we walke in the experience of this blessed ease to trust God forth on for the like goodnesse But the time is spent Let us cut off here and call upon God c. THE FOVRTEENTH LECTVRE Still continued upon this thirteenth VERSE VERSE XIII And his servants came neere and said unto him Father if the Prophet had bid thee doe some great thing wouldest thou not have done it How much more then when he saith unto thee Wash and be clean VERSE 14. So he went downe and dipped himselfe in Iorden seven times c. 2 Kings I Gave you an hint briefly beloved in our Saviour when I last ended the former Sermon what I would have proceeded with if time had permitted I have shewed you That the beleeving of Gods promise to such as are in case is an easie thing Sundry grounds and Scriptures I cleered the truth by and sundry Uses of Instruction of Terror of Reproofe and of Exhortation I have added And to this last wherein two branches were urged Branch 3 then belongs a third that is That all who have found this handfull of ease The ease of mercy should make Gods yoake light for ever after in beleeving pardon should be earnest with God for the ease and sweetnesse of an holy course that the yoake of God may become easie and his burthen light Say thus unto the Lord Hitherto
or if it doe yet thou shalt alway be doubtfull The Word on the contrary saith Doe not desist nor revolt to thy former pleasure in sin for in that course there is no hope thou art then in a desperate case Proceed rather and goe to the promise for thereby its possible thou maist find some redresse What doth the soul in this strife She compares the argument of the word with the counsell of the flesh and findes it better then this because it is farre more safe to chuse a possible redresse of misery then to fall upon the assured pykes of certaine wo and despaire Here we see a fight but no victory no assurance only that rest which the soule hath is not from any thing she feeles within herselfe but without in the word Secondly here comes in a second doubt and therein Satan tells Quest 2 the soule it is true Thou chusest hope before despaire but what hast thou to doe with peace Or how knowest thou whether thou oughtest rather to chuse the one then the other or what right hast thou to ease and pardon Here againe steppes in the word and succours the soule telling her That she ought to fasten upon life and pardon and chuse it before sinne and death for God hath bred in her the condions of faith a longing mourning restlesse selfe-denying heart therefore to her and to no other this pardon and ease belongs and she may claime it God indeed hath no where said in his word I will pardon thee Iohn thee Thomas c. But he hath said such and such I will pardon so and so qualified Now she assumes this qualification to herselfe and therefore she concludes that to her it belongs This is another word of the Spirit which still drawes on a poore soule to bee willing to beleeve But now comes the nearest worke of the Spirit in the word and Quest 3 that answers a third objection which is this How shall I know in speciall its mine owne Perhaps it may belong unto such a one as I am but many things belong to men which yet they are by one meanes or other defeated of How shall I know that God will give it me in speciall and grant me the gift of faith to beleeve it In this the word grapples closely and nearly with the soule and brings it to the strict point of beleeving and tells the soule That all to whom the promise of pardon and life belongs by the allowance of God he will most undoubtedly bring it to passe for them and conferre it upon them yea and give them faith to cast themselves upon it For in saying Come unto me all you loaden ones and I will ease you he meanes not onely you may but you must come not only it belongs unto you to come but I will in my calling you enable you to come and put strength and power into you to come that is to beleeve and by beleeving ease you By this the word setles the soule upon the promise as being that which it seemes she sees God is willing she should beleeve and therefore will conferre it on her And in so doing the Spirit causeth the heart which is willing to become effectually willing that is takes away all feare of defeating and tells her she shall speed of her desire and therefore now she dares venture and cast herselfe upon the promise and if she perish so she is content for she dares jeopard her soule upon Gods Truth Now we see this casting and venturing upon the promise is the best of all these three acts of the word and yet here is no assurance for the soule in respect of herselfe is neverthelesse full of doubting all her bottome is this last word of the promiser that he will effect that in the soule which he hath promised By all these I inferre The act of faith is no assurance within but an evidence without resting upon the word which word the more evident it is made to the soule the better and stronger is the act of beleeving but the best of these is no assurance Quest It will bee demanded May not assurance be had at all I answer Answ yes it may be and is the portion of such as the Lord sees meet to enjoy it Eph. 1. Rom. 8. but that stands upon another bottome and that is the immediate evidence of the Spirit in the conscience of one who is already a beleever making her to know that she beleeves This is not by the word directly but the Spirit of the word which reflects that into the heart with knowledge and feeling which before she only had by the fidelity of the Promiser But this as I said is not faith for then none should have faith who want this which God forbid but an effect of faith in some speciall persons and not all that beleeve Thus much for the former question Now for the latter viz. how faith is wrought The sufficiency of a promise is the object of faith You see brethren it is evident that the nature and worke of saving faith stands not in any fulnesse of sailes or reflex knowledge and overpowring sweetnesse of perswasion But as I said in a grounded casting herself upon the word For by this only mean faith is wrought And I call it grounded because so weighty a matter as the resting and casting of the soule upon a thing requires that the thing bee a foundation of great warrant to beare up a soule from revolting againe Nay when the conscience is come thus farre as to fasten upon the word Oh! she hath thousand objections against the sincere meaning of God in his word Hence it is that the word is so full of places wherein this sufficiency of the promise to rest upon is urged Sometime the Lord contests with them that quarrell against it Is the Arme of the Lord shortned Hath he said it and it shall not come to passe Hezechia tells us Esay 38.15 He hath spoken himselfe unto us and he hath done it Heb. 13.5 For he hath said I will not faile nor forsake thee So againe The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Among men its called an unsure argument to prove a thing by authority because men are liars further then their truth will speake for them And yet some great persons have born such sway and authority in the hearts of their Disciples that their bare word hath carried assent with it But to be sure this is a sure argument God hath said it therefore it is true as in all the words which ever went out of his mouth so especially in his promise Phil. 4. 2 Cor. 1.20 that above all pleads certainty Faithfull is he who hath promised who also will effect it And Elizabeth Luke 1. tells Mary There shall bee a performance from the Lord to his handmaid of that which he hath promised All the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus with a thousand more But
the revealing of it for who shall construe it otherwise who heares how many sweet invitations cords of perswasion arguments to enforce terrors against despisers he uses Esay 55.1 and 2. verses Read that Chapter and marke his offer Come all you that thirst drinke freely His contest verse 2. Why lay you out silver for no bread His compellation Incline thine eare hearken unto me and come c. He that concludes not hence that the Lord is willing to communicate his grace nay takes thought lest it should not be accepted and would rejoice if it might must needs call God a notorious dissembler which were hellish sacriledge And this a main point for all who confesse Gods power and are convict yet are not so of his will If thou wilt thou canst heal me Luke 5.12 1 Tim 1.17 Sixtly he is Wisdome it selfe 6. Wisdome When the Apostle had spoken of this mystery he concludes Now to the only wise God be honour c. Why so wise Because of all other waies he thought this the best he would in the best of his counsells finde out no other nay could not finde out any so good as this for then who is only wise would And the like I may say of the manner of publishing of it By men like our selves of like infirmity who might familiarly insinuate themselves By a promise rather then by any waies of old as visions miracles or voice of his immediately as more spirituall and effectuall So that the very Angellâ— looke into it with admiration how much more should we cry out Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdome of God! Heb. 1.1 To all unbeleevers a stumbling blocke and foolishnesse Rom. 11.33 but to us that beleeve the wisdome and power of God Seventhly his faithfulnesse It is a principle 7 Faithfulnesse 1 Sam. 15. Luke 1. God is not a man that he should lye The strength of Israel cannot lye God will not be mocked therefore neither will he mocke any And therefore hee hath bound it with an oath to Abraham and his seed Surely in blessing I will blesse thee Therefore Simeon saith To performe the covenant which he sware to our father Abraham that he would give us They are called the sure mercies of David and Heb. 6.18 In the covenant and oath adde thereto the seale of his Sacraments which speake to each soule in particular in Baptisme thus I baptise thee in the Supper thus The body of Jesus broken for thee The bloud which was shed for thee And as himselfe is so is his word in each part Heaven and Earth shall passe but not one jot or tittle thereof shall passe Above all his promises cannot which are his first borne and carry with them the birthright of his faithfulnesse and therefore are a maine bottome to rest upon Lastly his unchangeablenesse His nature is so as Iob saith Job 23.13 8. Unchangeablenesse he decreeth and changeth not Farre above all decrees of Medes and Persians Although we read oft in Scripture that it repented God of some things yet of this he saith I have sworne and will not repent Thou shalt be a Priest after the order of Melchisedec If foure thousand yeares could have changed the minde of God Christ had never came And looke how the Lord was in the great promise Gal. 4.4 so is he in all that follow thereupon God willing to shew to the heires of his Promise the immutability of his Counsell and againe that by two immutable things wherein it was impossible God should lye we might have strong consolation in our taking refuge So that nothing can separate up from his love first nor last Thus in these few particulars I have shewd what bottomes faith may have to cleave to a word and to cast herselfe upon it for pardon and life And so much for the first Question Now I come to the second If any desire further light in this let him consult with my booke of Sacraments in the triall of faith And that is why faith is called Obedience and Consent This question arises from the ground of the Text For Naaman you see being convinced by his servants Quest Why faith is called Obedience and Consent obeyes and consents and doth as he is bidden Esay 1.19 If ye consent and obey you shall eat the good things of the land Hence I call faith by these names only observe that one and the same faith in divers relations hath divers names As it relates to a command of the Gospell so its obedience As to a perswasion so it is consent As Naaman then in one act both obeyed the command of the Prophet and consented to the promise or perswasion thereof so doth faith obey God commanding and consent to him promising or perswading This is the Commandement of God that you beleeve in his Sonne whom he hath sent Luke 5. As Peter to his Master so faith saith to this command At thy command Lord I will let downe my net although it seeme never so absurd As Abraham being commanded by God went downe right without looking at the absurdities or objections first he would kill him and then thinke of them and drownd them all in the charge so doth faith nakedly obey against all stops and then casts them upon him who set her on worke So againe shee consents to his promise and perswasions Gen. 24.28 Much like Rebecca having heard and seene Isaacs motion and tokens answered I will goe with the man She saw enough against it but the perswasions of Eliezer were more potent to overpoise her Spirit So doth faith she hath a thousand cavills and disswasives yet she breakes through and consents and then shee heares no more of them Thus Abraham hearing the promise of Isaac is said not to looke at Sara's wombe which was now withered but hee looked simply at the promise and cast them upon God So that this act of faith casting herselfe upon the word doth both obey nakedly the word of command and consents to the promise as Naaman here doth to both these words of the Prophet Goe wash and be cleane So much also for this second question Now it is time to come to the Vse 1 Uses Terror for all such as live prophanely and yet thinke themselves within a condition of mercy And first I will insist upon the condition of the promise First then here is Terror for all such as are so farre from the condition of faith that they utterly reject and cast it off And of these there are two sorts The one prophane the other schismatickes For the former They please themselves with this That God bids all sorts indifferently bee reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 be they never so base and lewd yet Christ came to save them if they can beleeve but as for this preparation they cannot tell what it meanes they will let God alone with that so they can beleeve they shall doe well And that they
mine eyes or bee taken lame in my hands or feet or unable to get my living or lye upon my poore husbands hand till we bee not worth a groat with a thousand such crotchets Are not these just plagues of old unbeleefe Doe not men upon their death beds cry out It is just with God thus to handle me for I never could trust him nor his word further then I saw felt and tasted him Oh God hath met with you Did he not threaten the despisers of his Law with astonishment of heart with hanging by the eye-lids an heart of heavinesse sorrow saying in the morning would God it were evening in the evening would it were morning Read Deut. 29. that roll of curses what anguish of heart fears perplexities the Lord threatens to send upon such as applauded themselves in their rotten peace and the stubbornenesse of their unbeleefe Surely we may thinke then it s juster to smite them that have abused his Gospell with spirituall penalties making a scourge of their owne cords And yet all this will not serve to drive men out of their prophanenesse and dallying with the word still they will cavill against faith and say Tush these men of the Spirit would have all men like to themselves but we cannot bee so heavenly our time is not yet come when God will it shall be and till then t is but folly for us to struggle we will doe what lies in us and put our helping hand to Gods and then hope the best Others tell the Minister they thinke it is impossible for any to know themselves happy in this life or if it be not yet it is very difficult or very unlikely Oh say they we cannot forgoe such a lust or ill custome and this faith will bereave us of all our sweet pleasures and liberties we shall never have done with it if we once beginne others come by it easilyer then we we are dull schollers poore men must doe as they may and cannot follow this learning so hard our businesse and worke hinder us and our memories are shallow we see these beleevers are as little set by among men as any a thousand of these base cavills men have But remember that these vanities will make you forsake your mercy at last Jonah 2.8 and then he that will bring you but once word to rest upon in your horrors should be as one of a thousand but then it will be too late Esay 27.11 then terrible sentences will come into your thoughts That he who made them will not save them and he who formed them will shew them no mercy And then shall that bee verefied Acts 13.40 Behold ye despisers wonder and vanish I worke a worke in your dayes which if one tell you of you will not beleeve you that wilfully stopt your eares against Gods word before shall now wish you could see the truth and beleeve it but if you would give a world for it it shall be denyed you If there bee any sparke of sense in you let this move you else you shall then catch at a word of God to comfort you but none shall be granted you So much for this first Use A second Use is Instruction to teach us the most pretious and excellent Vse 2 nature and prerogative of faith For the nature of it Instruction 1. Branch The nature of Faith is most pretious 1 Pet. 1.8 wee see this only and no other grace is allotted the soule for this end to fasten and take hold upon the Word and Promise As the Word is the only thing which beares witnesse unto us of good and his way to heaven for we see nothing as Peter speakes yet beleeve so the onely gift to cast the soule upon this word is faith And therefore it is the off-spring of God that grace which hath the birthright of all the rest and is the Reuben and strength of God such a one as if the Lord would even study how to dwell with us and in us Prov. 8.31 as wisdome saith in the Proverbs She delights to inhabit with men yea how to make us partakers of the divine nature and restore his Image in us he could not doe it by any other so excellent a grace as by this of faith Therefore Esay 57. it s called the creation of God 2 Pet. 1.2 3. I create the fruit of the lips peace if the daughter peace then much more the mother Faith its that grace which onely can say as Iob did Job 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth it counts one word or promise of God as a deed done for faith is when that is done which is spoken it gives a realnesse and being to the word and promise and as you see a mould presently fashions the mettall according to it self just like it and as the seale printing upon the soft wax leaves that impression upon it which it beares it selfe even so it is with faith it fashions it selfe according to the mould of the word and beares the same stampe upon it which the seale of the word bare looke upon the one and behold the other Nay it s the instrument of the Spirit without which it workes not As Samuel said to Ishai of David send for him for wee can doe nothing till he come So till faith come into the soule to bee the organ of the Spirit to worke in us by it alas the Spirit is a stranger to our soules It s that coale from the Altar wherewith the Lord touches and inspires the soule the soule is the life of the body and faith is the soule and life of the soule causing it so much to excell it selfe as an Angel doth a man Briefly the word is a dead letter to us if faith make it not a powerfull word a word of life in us It s that which causeth out of the belly of the soule even as water from a spring to flow rivers of waters of eternall life John 7.38 even of peace through pardon and of joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 2 Pet. 1.2.3 By it as Peter saith Most great and pretious promises are given to us so that if that hand that taketh rich gifts be a pretious hand then surely so is faith which only receives the gift of Christ and all he hath and hoardeth them in the soule That Christ Eph. 3.14 may dwell in your heart by faith That you may comprehend all love even the length depth and all dimensions thereof as flesh here is able to doe as all Saints doe saith the Apostle No other grace is ordained to this end save this It was the instrument of receiving Christ into the wombe of the Virgin by which all generations should call her blessed and so it is still the same spiritually Luke 1.38 ver 48. Prov. 31.29 and therefore may say as Mary did The Almighty hath magnified me above all my fellow graces Many daughters have done well but
And this was the whole course of this Hypocrite in crossing the command of God having once won ground for himselfe by his first trick lo he hardens himselfe so fast in his treachery that he sees not his owne hypocrisie And what was his end Surely notwithstanding all his tricks yet he could neither avoid the censure of God nor escape vengeance when it fell point blanke upon him Jude 11. Num. 31.8 for he was devoured by the sword he all his nation both Kings and people Oh let not this terror passe from us in vaine Assuredly whosoever shall shuffle with Gods commands and harden his heart by his owne subtilty to sinne without sense commonly the Lord suffers them to goe on blinde-folds without any hope of remorse Fearful judgement of God upon hollow hearts in dispencing with commands till he teare them in peeces like a Lion and there bee no remedy Dally not with Gods commands for it will cause the conscience to fret secretly like a moth without sense and that 's the next way for the Lord to teare it in peeces and to send it to hell that there at leasure it may feele that which before it would take no notice of And all to teach men to abhorre the breaking of commands under colours of distinctions 2. Branch The trickes and wayes of hypocrites in breaking of commands The second Branch by which I would make way for this Terror is to lay downe the severall wayes by which hypocrites do cast off Gods commands when they pinch them The view whereof will aggravate the terror exceedingly And these briefly may be summed up in these heads following First hypocrites cast off pinching commands by denying and avoiding the truth and realnesse of the command 1. By avoiding the realnesse of commands And thus many shunne the dint of a spirituall command to keepe the Sabbath holy by denying the whole morality of it and calling the authority of the fourth Commandement into question and scruple that so under that buckler they may walke on desperately and senslesly in the breaking of it whether Ministers by not preaching or people by not sanctifying it Secondly by a base shifting off the knowledge of a command 2. Shifting off the knowledge of them that having no knowledge thereof they might lurk in their disobedience the more sweetly Thus Joh. 3.20 They who hate the light come not at it that so they may lurke as unconvinced of their own sinne which if convinced they must needs abandon So also those Jewes who being urged by our Saviour to answer whether the Ministery of Iohn were from heaven or from men Marke 11.31 They consulted together thus If we say it was from heaven he will aske why then did you not beleeve it If from men the people will stone us seeing all held Iohn to be a Prophet They resolve therefore to answer we cannot tell which though it were false and a deluding of their conscience 3. By diminishing their extent yet they washt their hands of it the more easily Thirdly if they needs acknowledge commands in spite of them yet they take away and diminish from the extent of a command and limit it to a narrower extent then it reaches unto Gen. 3.5 Thus Adam and Eve were content to abridge the strictnesse of the charge and to restraine it as themselves pleased adding a peradventure to Gods absolutenesse and so of an whole charge they made but halfe an one Thus the Pharisees by their Sophistry cut off the spirituall part of the morall Law Matth. cap. 5.6.7 and they limited it to the outward act by which they established their own ease in the keeping thereof literally 4. By opposing of one command to another Matth. 15.4 Fourthly when they are beaten off here then they shunne a command by opposing one against another that so they may destroy both And thus did those Pharisees by their Corban They imagined that it could not be denied but there was good use of offering to holy ends and it seemed a pious act for a child to nurse a decayed parent Now for their private Corban they discharge the child from his obedience to father or mother as Papists doe at this day debarre parents of their children by snaring them with vowes against their consent whereas first it should be decided whether of the two commands were most necessary to bee done That so the one might give place the other might prevaile Fifthly 5. By false plea of presidents and examples hypocrites shunne the dint of commands by false plea of presidents and examples of such as God hath dispenced with in some speciall cases and therefore say they why may not we bee spared aswell as such A some have stollen other goods some have been tollerated in their officious lies See Gen. 30.39.41.42 others have beene allowed other liberties or at least been connived at and pardoned in them why not they aswell Whereas some of their examples are facts of boldnesse and presumptuous pollicy Exod. 1.19.20 1 Sam. 20.6 as Davids answer to Abimeles Ex. 12.35.36 and the apology which he put into Ionathans head to stop Sauls mouth withall Others although God winked at yet he allowed not Sixtly hypocrites elude the force of Gods commands by the adding of new commands which God never made 6. By adding of new commands of their owne as supposing that hereby they may well be spared from obeying such as God hath commanded And this is an old and beaten way of hypocrites to load themselves with outward burdens and imposts of their owne that they may seeme to be farre from them that breake commands They will not spare their flesh but impose more then God could finde in his heart to impose If he call for an hin of oyle or wine they will offer him whole Baths and Buts thereof Mica 6. yea rivers and floods if God require of them a fast once by the weeke tâ—ey will fast twice if he appoint them a sacrifice of their flocke Luke 18.12 a sheep or bullocke they will outvie him and offer him the fruit of their owne loines and wombes in sacrifice by which superogating they doubt not but to be accounted through-obeyers of his owne commands and by this pollicy our Papists and formall worshippers at this day subsist and justifie themselves imagining themselves to be worthy obedients to commands because they devise so many which God never dreamt of But you must consider in the meane while that the commands which themselves devise may bee obeyed by their owne strength and power and serve to while and keepe them occupied that Gods commands may be dispenced withall They are no such great friends of voluntary as they are sworne foes of necessary commands As it was said of Ottomans horse That where he once set his feet grasse would no more grow after so where the devotions of these hypocrites take place Religion and the
for this time Let us pray c. The end of the ninteenth Lecture THE TWENTIETH LECTVRE continued upon the 14. VERSE VERSE XIV Then he went downe and washed himselfe seven times in Iorden and his flesh came againe unto him as the flesh of a little child and he was cleane WEE ended last time with some exhortation But brethren because mee thinkes I heare some say Were it a thing within my power to compasse there is nothing which I more wish then to delight in the law of God in my inner man Quest But I finde no power to it Tell me therefore how I might attaine it Answer For answere whereto I will finish the whole Doctrine with those Meanes which direct hereto Meanes dâ—â—ecting to obey 1. Faith The first and one mayne is get the Lord Jesus to be thy lawgiver Moses is a commander of rigorous impossible duties serving rather to convince the soule of that power of created righteousnes which we have lost then to enable us to obey But the Lord Iesus is a more mild and mercifull lawgiver who as he hath united God with flesh in his owne person so therein he hath broken downe that wall which stood up as a Tower impregnable Coloss 1.20 Eph. 3.15.16 between God and us he hath made all levell and easie and fastned the hand-writings of Morals and Ceremonials unto his Crosse that it might never appeare against us Nay more hee hath fulfilled all righteousnesse both of doing and suffering that wee in him might be clothed with it as a Robe from top to toe and might fulfill the Law by faith Practic Catech part 3. Art 5. I have at large opened this point elsewhere in the doctrine of it Let us here urge the necessity of faith upon our selves and close with the promise to make it our owne The truth is there is no command of God but Christ hath made it possible and sweet and by a promise he conveyes it to the soule saying Take my yoke upon you for is easie Mat. 11.29 and my burden for it is light Of our selves wee have another Law in our members leading us captives thereto a law of lust pride ambition sloth prophanenesse hypocrisie and selfe-love These naturally we take thought to fulfill as Paul saith Rom. 13. ult But the Lord Jesus hath destroyed this power in us of sin and death Rom. 8.2 Rom. 13. ult eased us of the impossiblenesse of obeying through the weaknesse of our flesh He hath quit us of being debtors to our flesh to fulfill it and redeemed us to himselfe Nothing remaines now save that wee put on the Lord Jesus by faith that wee renounce our old base bondage and slavery that we be willing to be free-men and that we close with the promise of sweet obedience by our beleeving it For this was his scope in easing us of one burden to put upon us another yet easie and sweet Let this then be the first Rule If thou wouldest fulfill the Law beleeve Faith hath united all the elect to Christ his Flesh and God-head who fulfilled all righteousnesse Rom. 10.4 and was made under the Law that he might be the end of the Law to righteousnesse for all that beleeve Fasten then upon this That the Lord Jesus never brake one Law performed all never preacht Sermon lesse then hee was bound to never did one miracle lesse then hee ought failed in nothing ground substance manner measure end of obeying but did all in perfection And none of this he did for himselfe sure I am not properly and purposely but for us wee were his scope for our sakes he did all And why Surely that we might partake it not onely in freedome from guilt and wrath but also in acceptation with God as his beloved and his righteous servants prepared for every good worke As the Lord offered us Christ to the former end so doth hee for this latter he is as faithfull in the one as the other Therefore 1 Thess 5.24 Rom. 12.2 Coloss 1.10 Philip. 4. sunder wee not those things which God hath joyned together but put wee on Christ in both to redeeme us from guilt and to make us Priests and Kings to offer up sacrifices of all well pleasing and obedience with holy delight and cheerfulnesse He is faithfull that hath promised who also will doe it He who hath him for his owne who hath done and suffered all hee whose Christ is by imputation of righteousnesse and by not imputation of sinne sinneth not fulfilleth the Law and is that which he is unto whom he is united by faith This for the first Secondly if thou wouldest obey commands closely 2. Meditation of the object then muse seriously of the sadnesse and solemnesse thereof and incorporate thy soule into it First muse of the spiritualnesse of them If Gods Candle search the bowels of the belly and pierce the soule bee convinced in thy meditations that the basenesse of thy hollow vaine worldly wandring heart upon the Sabboth vexes the Spirit of God as much as working or playing and so in other duties Secondly of the universality of them Muse therefore of this It is not my wealth or poverty my greatnesse or meannesse my learning or ignorance which can dispense with me with God there is no respect of persons No time no place no circumstances can prescribe against God he is one and the same object of feare in all places duties times occasions Thirdly muse of the indispensablenesse of Gods Commands Courts may dispense with mens offences Gods penalties cannot be bought off nor commuted Gods commands are unappealable comming from the highest Court of heaven Lower Courts cannot be appealed unto from the higher Fourthly they are his Commands who is infinite in wisdome righteousnesse and vengeance sees knowes and tries all obedience is present every where and strong enough to punish the breaches of any one no man can avoid his eye or escape his censure He backs all Commands with threats and pursues threats with revenges Fâ—fthly they are absolute no colours no distinctions will be admitted they are subject to no mans interpretation but to their owne They are both Text and Comment to themselves Other mens charges and statutes are yet subject to construction and interpretation so oft as any ambiguous questions fall out about them and by that means are often perverted quite and cleane from their sincere intentions But no Divell hereticke or prophane person could ever remove Gods limits or overthrow his meanings As they were so they still abide 1 Pet. 1. ult The word of God abideth for ever Such thoughts as these being setled by meditation upon the soule may be as powerfull to perswade closenesse in obeying as the thoughts of bad men upon the wrongs offered them provoke them to revenge If the Lord goe with the one as Satan goes with the other they must needs prosper Righteous O Lord are all thy judgemens therefore thy servant feareth
Terror Hypocrites who rush upon promises ere they be fitted for them reproved who boast themselves of faith in the promise having yet no right to a promise Promises if aright beleeved must be beleeved according to their order not contrary thereto and against the edge thereof Ah poore creatures and raw beleevers Did you ever come under the condition of faith Were you ever in a strait and at a deadly losse for want of a promise Were you not alway beleevers from the first till now Yes surely you never came under the Law to drive you to a promise and to make it sweet to your taste drinke to one a thirst Therefore you dream of promises like brainsick folke Simil. Once a phantastick fellow standing upon a Tower would needs have men to beleeve that each ship comming up the channell was his owne whereas it was neither so nor so Even so doe these But know it you have neither part nor fellowship in this businesse of promises We have a rule in Physicke that humours must not be raw but met and digested ere they can be purged else physicke scatters them rather into the parts of the body then expells them But if they be once setled physicke will purge them So say I to these your lusts are violent fierce not brought to an head but by the conviction of conscience and the spirit of bondage if they were then perhaps the promise being applied in season might purge them out but else the promise is ranke bane unto you and would rather disperse your lusts make you more jolly mad resolute in sinning without feare or remorse then rid your soules of them Promises breed either the best bloud in mens souls or worst if kindly appiled according as the truth is in Jesus when the sad Schoole-master of Rebells hath once sent them to Christ they breed the best settle the soule produce faith and cleanse the conscience But when they are catcht at by bold and presumptuous ones who although there be but three saved yet looke to be of them they breed the worst bloud of all even the bloud of impudent secure presumption Therefore away from promises all such hands off be affraid to mix with them Gold will not unite with drosse nor promises with you rather goe to the terrors of God which may like darts smite through the dead loines of your soules to tame you and prepare you for purging Goe to Iohn Baptist first to cast downe every high hill to fill every valley and fit you for the King of heavens free passage upon your hearts and then shall you perhaps see what a promise meanes till then you sleep under the hatches dangerously till you be throwne into the storme of wrath which yet will not cease then neither Oh ye proud Pharisees Papists Pelagians what have you to doe with promises As he said to them so say I to you Matth. 3.7 what doe you here Who taught you to escape vengeance to come You are the vipers who fret in sunder this wombe of promises Can you indeed doe as you say that is fulfill and more then fulfill the Law can ye merit and supererogate Surely then promises and you accord not your righteousnesse hath destroyed the righteousnesse of God As for promises and Christ himselfe you make him but a stalking horse to a proud heart and as a stirrop to get up into your owne sadle when you have tired your selves in your owne wayes and wearied your selves in your error compassing your selves with your owne sparkles this is the portion which God gives you Esay 50. ult even to sinke in your owne sweat and to lye down in sorrow Behold all you that venture upon a promise in this pickle wonder and vanish for you shall not beleeve the promise though a man of a thousand should declare it unto you Act. 13.38.39 That Doctrine that belongs to you is a doctrine of despaire in your selves for your stout hearts and standing out with God This Word must first cast downe all high thoughts and make you calme 2 Cor. 12.4 ere ever the doctrine of a promise can finde entrance into you What have you to doe with peace and promises Turne behinde Iehu the furious marcher 2 King 9.22 arm'd with the revenge of God to humble your soules So much for this And thirdly lest I should forget it let this be terror to that generation Branch 3 of Rome who make no bones of the Lords promises Of terror Popish abusers of promises terrified but devoure them all whole without scruple Who can read those usurpations of the Romish Whore and impudent claiming of promises even the choycest of all which the Word containes for the comfort of the true Spouse of Christ in all her turmoyles under her malicious enemies Dare they who are the tyrants lay claime to the promises which onely belong to the innocent Saints The persecutors themselves to the promises of the persecuted members An harlot to the promises of the chaste Matrone When that wofull Gregory the Pope called Hil debrand or Brand de Hell trode upon the necke of good Henry the fourth Emperour he used these words Psal 90.11 Thou shalt trample upon the Serpent and Cockatrice and tread upon the Lion and Dragon Can any modest eare heare such abuse of promises I speake not onely for the malitiousnesse of calling a Lamb a Lion and Dragon but the prophane arrogating of such a promise to himselfe who indeed was one egge of this Aspe and Serpent whom Christ shall crush and destroy But who wonders at this in him Who takes upon him to make Scripture and marre it at his pleasure So he takes that promise to himselfe Psal 2.8 I will give thee the Nations for thine Heritage and the Gentiles for thy Possession And thus he defends his unlimited jurisdiction And againe The wicked shall hoord up treasure but the righteous shall possesse it Job 27.16 This serves his turn for his raking in of Treasure So againe I will give thee the Keyes of the Kingdome Matth. 18. This for the pardoning of sinne He might as well take one promise from the Divell as abuse so many of Gods Behold all the Kingdomes of the world they are all mine and I wil give them thee if thou wilt worship me Sure I am of all other promises this most fitly belongs to him upon the condition But as for all other Oh wofull prophane mouth to chalenge promises contrary to their scope Paul I know and Iesus I know but who art thou Terrors are for thee not promises Secondly this point serves for use of sharp reproofe and that of Vse 2 sundry sorts First of such as being under the condition of a promise Reproofe yet refuse to cast themselves upon it I spake of these before but this Branch 1 point enforces it much more For what is so according to a promise as that they who need it apply it But these dally
his seed should be set free after it was a stranger in an heathen land for four hundred and thirty yeares and so it fell out Gen. 15.13 Exod. 12.42 when the time came that God delivered them what saith the Text That selfe same day of that terme expired the Lord brought forth Israel with her armies So in the Gospell marke how curious the Holy Ghost is in expressing of the faithfulnes of God in each passage of Christ his nativity his parentage his dwelling his person life betraying passion death buriall See throughout the Gospell Mat. 1.2 c. Forty severall times one or other of the Evangelists refer the passages that fell out to the promises themselves That it might be fulfilled which was said And thou Bethlem are not the least of the Cities of Juda That it might be fulfilled Rachel lamented for her children and would not be comforted c. That it might bee fulfilled Out of Egypt have I called my Sonne He that ate with me in the dish he betraied me And he was counted among transgressors Marke 15.28 And upon my vestures did they cast lots Matth. 27.35 And he shall make his grave with the rich And he shall be as one of no beauty like a withered branch with a great many more Not so much as his riding to Jerusalem is omitted Behold thy King commeth lowly and meeke riding upon an Asse the fole of an Asse Why is all this To let us to understand that he who would be so punctuall in all petty passages belonging to the great promise of the Messia Matth. 21.4 would be as faithfull in performing all other promises consequent upon his merit and satisfaction And the like speeches are used to this purpose in the personall promises made to the Patriarkes as to Abraham concerning Isaac to Rebecca concerning the elder serving the younger to Iacob that God would be with him in his journey and bring him backe and deliver him from Esau To the Church in the wildernesse concerning the possession of Canaan Ioshua tells them Josh 21.45 after the conquest nothing failed of any one particular promise which God had made concerning the giving of the land of Canaan to the seed of Iacob Infinite many more instances might be alledged as the fulfilling of the seventy yeares captivity and the returne of the Church backe againe to their City and Mountaine as Esay 57.13 All being pledges put into one bosome touching the maine fidelity of God in making good the promised Seed and Messiah so oft made and renewed to Adam Abraham David Ahaz and his people which though it were kept in the bowells of time for foure thousand yeares yet at last Gal. 4.4 When the fulnesse of time was come was accomplished And hence all other promises tooke their originall 2 Cor. 1.20 and derived their issue So saith the Apostle All the promises of God are in him Yea and Amen to the praise of his glory that is Luke 1.45 firme and inrepealable Thus saith Elizebth to Mary A performance shall be from the Lord of whatsoever hath beene said unto his handmaid Faithfull is he who hath promised who will also fulfill it The Lord is faithfull Heb. 6.10 and will not conceale the labour of your love 1 Tim. 5.15 This is a faithfull saying and by all meanes to be beleeved c. endlesse it were to reckon up all and as for the addition of the point that sometimes he fulfills them for the better we see what Paul saith Phil. 4.19 Our God is able to doe for us more then we can aske or think When Salomon chose to aske a wise and understanding heart to goe in and out 2 Kings 3.11 lo saith the Lord I have given thee it and moreover I have given thee such wealth honour and wisdome as never any had before nor shall have after thee Matth. 6.32 And so saith Christ Seek the Kingdome of Heaven and the righteousnesse of it and other things shall be cast in So that it was not Naamans case onely but by consent of Scripture we see that his particular case is made the case of each beleever more or lesse so farre as is meet This for proofes Reason 1 Reasons are First the name of Gods essence Jehovah argues that he performes all the promises which he makes Because he is Jehovah For as hee is an absolute and infinite being in himselfe giving to all other depending creatures their beings So by vertue hereof he vouchsafes a being to all his promises which are the most excellent parcells of all his Scriptures He gives the like substance and beeing to all his commands and threats to all other sorts of truths but especially to these being his chiefe truths Gen. 17.1 Exod. 6.3 And as he said to Moses I was not knowne to them before the flood nor to Abraham by any other name save El-shaddi alsufficient but not by the name of Iehovah this name is a more reall name and gives a reality to my promises and causes me to performe them So now may we say I was not knowne by the name of the Father of Christ Jesus in former times as I am now for in him I make good all my word he hath sealed up all my truthes my love in him is attended with all my other attributes wisdome justice and faithfulnesse all my strength and power assists that so that whatsoever I have promised I will performe for I can doe it I will doe it and I am true in promising therefore I must fulfill it God then is Jehovah the being of all his promises our God in Christ Second Reason God is faithfull in performances in respect of his Reason 2 owne honour For his owne honour He knowes that except he should keep touch with his Church and maintaine the glory of his keeping promise with her hee should destroy the credit of his Ministers the faith of his elect and in a word the hope of drawing any out of the common course of the world to the Kingdome of grace So that his unfaithfulnesse threatning utter ruine to the whole art and way of Religion either in faith or obedience and shaking the very pillars of the Churches confidence it must needs stand the Lord in hand to see his promises fulfilled Thirdly forasmuch as whatsoever is in God is eminently in him and Reason 3 by way of excellence as before I noted in the point of commands Because whatsoever is in God is eminently in him therefore his truth in fulfilling promises must also be singular and eminent It must become that excellency of his truth not onely to content himselfe with such a performing as the poore creature can expect and concur withall but such an one as is above whatsoever the soul can aske or imagine that is rather to be over then under his promises better rather then worse this makes much for the adoring of his faithfulnesse and the
roofes have tasted the like and what hindreth but you may Oh chuse rather to follow my counsell then to cause the wrath of God to smoak out against you for adding drunkennesse to thirst and speaking peace to your selves Deut. 29.15 and saying Though I stil walk on in the stubbornnesse of my heart yet I shall doe well enough God keepe this plague farre from you And so much for this Branch 4 Lastly and so I shut up all you that have long feared the Lord Exhorta ions and shewed forth the fruit of this spirit of Conversion go forward and persevere I must not deny God the honour of his truth And such as have to nourish it in themselves he hath not left us without witnesse in this particular Few are they whom this doctrine is verified in yet some there are and the very sight of their faces this day doth not a little encourage me to speake unto them If ever then you saw cause at your first comming out of Jordan to joyne with God his Religion his glory now especially joyne partners and cleâ—ve to him now side with him and the power of Christianity Surely he that hath hitherto kept you alive and brought you safely through so many waters deserves it much more at your hands now being much neerer to your salvation Rom. 13.11 1 King 9.33 then when you first beleeved Doe as those two Eunuches of Jezabel when Jehu cried out Who is on my side Who They looked out at the window and became agents for him Could they thrust her downe headlong who were of her bed-chamber how much more you who have long since beene sworne confederates to the Lord Jesus Never was there better season for you if there be but a sparke of this spirit in you to declare your selves on whose side you are The power of godlinesse is on every side deserted and she throwne to the ground if God mercifully did not by the power of the sword and civill Magistrate preserve us what should we be save a booty to Papists and enemies who have long watcht our overthrow Now therefore if you halt with God halt for ever If God bee not God 1 King 18.21 give him over If he be that God who hath forgiven you and will save you let Baal be Baal and let him be as he deserveth Say thus Have I but one poore life to give for him who gave ten thousand times a more precious one for me and shall I thinke it too deare for him Shall Rimmon be more deare to me Shall I goe and bow to that Idoll having received a better cure from the God of Israel then he could have given me No Lord There thou wannest my heart to thy selfe for ever That sweete welcome those embraces which then I felt those Flagons and Apples can never be forgotten Cantic 2.5 Psal 73.19 I behold the workes of such as decline but I blesse thee I repent not of my choyce their Image is despised by me My soule come not into their counsels Oh! if you can say thus blesse God who hath kept you And for time to come I exhort you that the more you shall see the power of truth scorned and forsaken in the world the closer you cleave to it and if this be to be vile be yet more vile 2 Sam. 6.22 Pick out some speciall services in which you may be usefull to God and his glory If the Devill take any Apprentises he will set his marke upon them both in their hands and foreheads either they must shew some singular zeale for him or else hee will suspect them And are you ashamed of your Master Matth. 7. end Now this world destroyes the Law write it you upon your frontlets and the fringes of your garments shew the world what Master you serve Deut. 6.8 and be not ashamed Let the same spirit rest in your bosomes for Grace which you see now a dayes rests upon them who are going from us into New-England They will not endure you to speak one word amisse of it but their hearts are at their mouthes presently they magnifie and extoll it in all places wheresoever they become their very spirits are possessed and taken up with the hope and longing for it they stand upon thornes till they be there where their treasure is they are soone knockt off from hence though their native soyle where they have had all their conversation yet as if they had not knowne it so doe they renounce it and all the contents of it They use it as if they used it not for the affection sake they beare the other Parents neighbours kindred yea wives and children are deserted for it and who may controll them Tell them of the sad attempt of going what danger by Sea what change of fare there and want of all commodities Oh! you doe but encourage them by your disswasives they are content to learne to deny themselves and to change their dainty diet for bare their soft beds for hard and what not so they may come thither Paines cost selling all and packing up their fardels is nothing to them for their desire sake Oftentimes I have wish'd the place good enough for such affections But in this argument touching the spirit of Conversion and Grace for the embracing of which no affections can be sufficient how doe we flagge Where is the man who can doe thus much for God and his glory from the experience of mercy Aske thine owne heart Doe I loath the least appearance of evill doe I carry about me the zeale of Gods owne house am I tender of the least offence can I not endure the least affront to his person Lawes Gospel Ordinances doe I honour his Ministers doe I thinke nothing too deare for him is my life liberty name wife children vile unto me in respect of a good conscience Oh! that it were so How happy should we be in approving our selves Let me leave generals Particular urging of this exhortation to al sorts Ministers people Magistrates c. and come to particular estates and conditions yee Ministers of God pick out speciall service for God a few of you are left to wrestle for God ply your worke let not the glory of the Gospell fall labour to inspire the soules of your hearers with Christ alas they cannot chuse but be dead hearted when there is no glad tydings brought them no love shed into their soules Yee people looke up your old evidences for Heaven scoure off your rust you see upon what costly terms the Gospel is maintained this is no season to palter out your time shew forth your courage for God let not the spirit of Popery nor prophanenesse quash that spirit of Grace which is within your bosomes Walke humbly wisely and yet boldly hold out the truth of God without feare against all scorners and Edomites God shall prop you up feare not the vilest wretch shall never bee able to