〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are words indifferently used for divine worship what then do you make of the Blessed Virgin to give her more then divine Adoration will shee beare your wanton and sawcy addresses to her to pray her to command her son Doth she now admire and adore him as her Redeemer and doth her being the miraculoâ—s Mother of his sacred sinlesse flesh give her the least part in Redemption Do you not embolden one another to sin by your trust in Popish Indulgencyes may not the most profligate Libertines of your way shrowd themselves secure in a wicked life from your rich pardon Office Is not your absurd Doctrine of Merits an high injury to the Merits of Christ do we not read in your Writers the Termes Aequivalence commensuration to the Reward if any of you say merits especially on a death Bed are disowned yea your Bellarmine teacheth For the uncertainty of Salvation and the perill of vain glory t is safer to trust to the merits of Christ Why is there such jugling in your Schooles and Pulpits about merits are not the ignorant people undeceived told there are no merits of an infinite reward but those of Jesus Christ How do you abuse the infinite satisfaction madeto the Justice of God by Jesus Christ as if an All-sufficient Surety had not payd the utmost farthing as if his sufferings need the supplement of the Saints further tosatisfy the demands of angry Justice Wil your distinction of Mediatorship of Redemption and Intercession cloak your Idolatrous Prayers to Saints and Angells Is not Christ the only Mediator of Intercession and Redemption Is not the prevalency of intercession founded on Redemption what else cryes for peace and pardon Grace and Glory but the bloud of Christ Heb. 12. 24. Jesus Christ the Righteous that is an Advocate with the Father is the propitiation for Beleevers sins Totus Papatus est ipsissima Crucis Christi inimicitia idque multo amplius quam Judaismus Musculus in Phil. 3. 1 Joh 2. 1. Yea therefore an Advocate because a propitiator Could holy Creatures be proved Redeemers they might be argued speeding Intercessors The Crosse of Christ hath not only had Turkes and Heathens and false Apostles who opposed themselves to the Doctrine of the Crosse the Doctrine of the Law and Circumcision but Papists also The whole Papacy saith Musculus is the worst enmity of the Crosse of Christ yea worse then Judaisme Although it set up the Wood and the forme of the Crosse in all its Temples shew it and carry it in publick streets adorn it with gold silver and precious stones yet none of these things befriend the Crosse of Christ but the beleeving of Christ crucified in the word the true heart and life crucifix by Geramus crucem non in ve ste aut pallio sed intus in corde carneÌ„ nostraaÌ„ dum hic vitam agimus carnem nostram clavis seu spiritualibus armis in cruce agamus Otho Casmannus which the true Christian is crucified to the world and the world to him Gal. 6. 14. The flesh is crucified with its Affections and Lusts Gal. 5. 24. Is not the power of the Gospell crucifixion denyed evacuated made nothing by your Artificial Crucifix Is Crucifying grace given out but to Gods own Institutions Is God wont to blesse mens superstitious inventions are not your single lived Priests and Nuns by your Church-Lawes denyed Marriage in constant Temptations to inward wanton burning flames and outward impurities unlesse in rare Heavenly â—unuchisme Is it not the Ordinance of God rather To marry then burne 1. Cor. 7 6. Are not Priests Fornication in your account more tollerable then Marriage Have not publick stewes too much favour at Rome Is not the mutteting over some Rosaries to the blessed Virgin an Atonement of filthy sins yea are not your Holy dayes your Saints dayes unholy allowances to the wanton flesh Nor will some Lent Good-Friday will worship severities clear you from carnall Libertinisme To conclude the whole Masse of Popery as it stands contradistinct to sound protestant confessions as it doth appear to our solid Orthodox examining Writers to it will appear in the great day a body of carnall Wantonesse a meer politick Engine for worldly glory a product of proud erring self-admiring fleshly mindes If though Providence popish eyes may read this partition I humbly request the selfe-applauding observing Romish children of error that have the fearfull Judgment on them of strong delusions to beleeve lies and have departed form the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints to study and be ashamed of the wanton principles and practices of their own Religion before they triumph in the loosenesse of carnall protestants and false Christians who by the principles of our Religion are taught more regular acceptable Gospell-strictnesse then their traditionall and most religious severities pretend unto I again humbly request the protestant unsetled discontented Reader who it may be hath too favorable thoughts of Popery to take heed lest he in heart turn back to spirituall Egypt hearken to those English Jesuit Captaines that in different disguise of their Names and Habits tempt Wantons in opinion and Practise dissavouring the Heavenly Manna of our pure faith and lingring after the onions and leeks the poor food of popish Traditions would lead them from the fatnesse of Gods house to Romes unwholesome provisions If O unwary Reader thou dost abuse the unvaluable Treasure of that gospell grace that is taught among us that doth not only require faith in Christ but a necessary and severe mortification of worldly Lusts of absolute necessity to obtaine Salvation and be fit for Heaven thou hast a wanton heart and dost live a dissolute life beleeve not the Jesuits nor the Papists among us that thou art like to prove a better christian if thou once prove an Apostate son or daughter of the church of Rome If thou dost seriously weigh this Section and meditate on the wanton Principles and practises of the Mother of Harlots thou art not like to better thine heart and life by being a child of spirituall Whoredomes but ruine thy selfe by drinking off the Whores cup of Fornications CHAP. VI. Shewing wherein the greatnesse of this sin appeares ALL sins are not equall some are cloathed with Chap. 6. Shews wherein the greatnesse of this sin appeares Ex nobili falerno lutum Salvian more odious circumstances and appear to rightly discerning eyes more abominably monstrous As back-sliding Israel justified her selfe more then treacherous Judah Jer. 3. 11. so some sinners may justifie themselves more then others They are more faulty that sin against the remedy sin against the Grace of God is of a scarlet dye hath aggravated guilt in twelve things the huge a accumulated evill of it will appeare SECT 1. 1. IT is a sin of greater profanesse it is a more then ordinary profane sin toabuse the Creatures Food Raiment Health Riches is an
not the cold of this World When the cloathes were put off he thought of death he should be uncloathed of Flesh and of the Resurrection to put it on again as his cloathes were put on in the morning When the day-light appeared he minded Christ the light that knows no Night nor Evening but is always as bright Mid-day His Journying taught him to think this life a Pilgrimage the way is dangerous that there is need of Christ the Guide in the high way to glory How injurious are we to Gods end of his Creatures unto our own rational faculties and to the ingenuities that grace would put upon us if we gain not affective and active Meditations by what daily comes into the doors of our senses If so great be the sweetness and glory of Gods out-house the visible World what transcendencies of delight and honor are the happy reserves in the invisible state and place of heavenly glory in the next life It is an ungracious frame of spirit that is confined to the things below They are strangers and enemies to their own happiness that could take up with a visible Eternity of poor sublunary things and cannot abide the thoughts of death the destruction of their earthly Gods Thus Reader in the forementioned eleven Sections maist thou try and take a measure of thy loose heart and life if in impartial Judgement thou canst and wilt be so faithful to the Truth and thine own soul as to believe thy guilt of manifest and gross abuses of Gods grace confess it to God deeply lay it to heart repent of it lest it prove thy ruine CHAP. XI Containing a second Branch of Examination how we may know the secret close and more refined Abuses of Gods Grace HAving enquired into the more visible and notorious affronts of Gods grace My next labor shall be rifling bosom-work to go into the inward Rooms of the heart and there to finde out the inward Libertine that dares impurely and immodestly to licentiate before the Lord This searching inward filthy cells of darkness by the bright Candle of the word of Truth as it is always unpleasant to a close Hypocrite all whose Religion is a constant jugling with God and men so to soundest upright hearts it is very desirable If the secret rotten double-hearted Professor shall read the following Conceptions without a blush fear and trembling laying a better foundation for his propriety to Christ assurance of Grace and the hope of Heaven then cheating appearances If he have scarce patience and heart to try himself by ensuing discoveries yea though he read them will wickedly deny the signs of close dishonors to Gods grace are not in him he may shift of Paper Arraignments he shall not the unbosoming Judgement of the great day when his Sheeps skin shall be pluckt off the inside shall be turned outwards and the close Hypocrite shall appear a wicked impenitent abuser of Gods grace Indeed I have little hope to do good to the habitual Jugleâ— in the things of God who hath made a play of his Religion aâ—â— never been in good earnest My hope is a Blessing from Heaven may second Convictions in the sound heart searching Reader who is ever most charitable to others but most jealous off and servere against his own heart for thy sake O self-basing abhorring mourner in Zion I have endeavored to lay down the Transcript the Counterpane of thy wretched heart I know thou â—ilt say the next Pages are thine own experience look over weep over pray strive against the ungrateful unkinde wrongs to thy gracious God thy dear Redeemer the Spirit of Grace gracious motions thy principle of grace I know by the help of grace thou wilt lay to heart and repent of the secret Injuries of grace where the prophane hypocritical world scarce see any sin or if so very slightly think of it and have no care and conscience to reform Weigh and ponder then the evidences of close and less discerned abuse of Gods grace as laid down in the subsequent method SECT 1. 1. EVidence of close Abuse of Gods grace is a sinful close of spiritual Injoyments By these I mean all the Ordinances of grace whose ends and fruits are spiritual where succesful also the gifts of Grace Knowledge Judgement Invention Memory Utterance in Divine things Adde hereunto the sanctifying graces of the Spirit the sâ—eet motions of the Holy Ghost the joys of the Spirit in the light of Gods countenance in the Faith of Attonement by Christs blood in the sight of sincerity victory over Lusts c. These are all spiritual injoyments Now when the close of these is sinful there is a secret abuse of grace It is sinful in five things 1. In self-advancement Gods free grace is either wronged by his Servants as a Benefactor by a boasting Beggar he is well fed fat and fine and while he should lift up the bounty of the giver he is glorying in himself as a receiver So when the giver of grace in his heavenly Alms should be magnified how often do the best of men advance themselves The richest Saints in Earth and Heaven are but vessels of mercy Rom. 9. 22. Utensils Instruments God is pleased to use No thank to the tool but to the hand if it work No house builds it self When we see a comely building we praise the Art of the Builder The action of the Instrument is reduced to the essicient Ashur forgat himself and God when he looked not on God but himself Boasting in an Instrument is as if the Saw should magnifie it self it cut well and the Ax should magnifie it self it hewed well Isa 10. 15. If the Workman holds his hands the Tools do nothing Believers are the spirits Instruments God works in and by them and they dishonor the grace of God by transferring the work to themselves saying I prayed I preached I wept I gave alms I rejoyced in God I did this and that good As lofty Nebuchadnezzar lookt onely on his great boasting This I did this was my doing Is not this Babel that I have built for the glory of my Majesty So I have done this and that is the Poison that mars all the breathing of Satan turn'd angel of light the high abuse of Gods grace â—h Christian be humbled for it Diabolus laudat qua se perspicit superari virtutem injicit cordi jactantiam c. Fulgent ad Probam ep 3. and correct it by the Glass of Pauls self-abasing Grace and Christ-advancing I labored more than the other Apostles yet not I but the Grace of God 1 Cor. 15. 10. I live yet not I but Châ—ist lives in me Gal. 2. 20. 2. In dulling the edge of holy zeal This is the sad and frequent lacquey of spiritual injoyments We converse with them to a blunting and dulling of our spirits They should be as whetstones to set a keener sharpness on our hearts but they are as stones to the Sithes that gap and blunt them It is
and lives that with the repenting Jaylors they had had heart tremblings then with the secure Sodomites a fair morning a sun-shine of prosperity should usher in fiery avenging stormes of warth How wise and safe had been their estate that at once have peace with sin and as they think with God had they at once seen God and sin their enemy their softest beds had been to them beds of Thornes their sweetest comforts bitter vexations the creatures armed against them feared their very meat might prove their poyson every night might be the last that these awakening driving terrors might chase unquiet afrighted spirits into Jesus Christ that the fear and war of the spirit of bondage might end in the joy and peace of the spirit of adoption that tempestuous soules might hear these sweet calming words Be of good cheere t is I be not afraid Mat. 14 27. Fear not I am thy God Isa 41. 10. My Person Spirit Graces Comforts Glory infinite merits are thine Some in the Wildernesse of their sins feares and sorrowes have at length leaned on their beloved when the false peace of most presumptuous ones hath lur'd them into Hell As many there as have been tempted by secure flattery into their tormenting easelesse bed of Tribulation will have cause to think and say within themselves accursed be that calm of our polluted quiet hearts lives that hath brought us to an eternall storme accursed be that peace that hath cheated us into an eternall war accused be that sweetnesse that hath inticed us into eternall bitternesse accursed be that friendship with the world and Devill that hath betrayed us to an eternall enmity with God SECT 14. 4. The presumption of setting death and Judgement at far distance Sect. 14. The setting of death and judgement at far distance causeth the abuse of Grace 1. Death Resentment of it as of a Traveller thousands of miles off at scores of yeares removes begets through the deceits of the flesh and lyes of the Devill a tolleration yea a resolution to play the wanton not only against Nature but Grace The Epicure that beleeves not the Soules immortality concludes wanton voluptuous life from probable short life Let us eat and drinke for to morrow we shall die 1 Cor. 15. 32. And the Christian though he beleeveth his Soule shall live for ever doth wantonize in carnall delights from probable length of dayes he shall have time enough to get the Grace of Repentance and therefore he abuseth the space and call yea the conviction of returning the vilest of Christians while under the sentence and on the bed of death seeme to have some sober thoughts of the excellency and necessity of Grace and of some complying desires and wishes O that they had it who when they beleeved it yea found it at vast distance from them despised and abused the motions of the spirit and word and of Grace How Saint like is the inlightned Libertine within a few houres of his death how dissolute ten years scores of years before it 2. Judgement Because particular Judgement after death and the generall Judgement of the great day is delayed Therefore The heart of the Sons of men is set in them to do evill Eccles 8. 11. wanton scoffers walke after their own ungodly Lusts saying Where is the promise of his coming 2. Pet. 3. 3 4. That cooling word in the Indulge exple animi cupiditates scito tan dem sis ratio nem Deo red diturus q. d. fac quicquid mali poteris tandem vapu labis aut in manus carnificis incides Mercer l. 5. c. 2. hot chase of sin Remember God will bring thee to Judgement Eccl. 11. 9. is too litle remembred the words of Mercer are observeable Feed and dandle thy lusts with most cockering indulgence coming to every desire of thy carnall mind yet know at length God will reckon with you fill up your measure of sin to your utmost possibilities at length you shall smart for it and fall into the hands of avenging Execution my Lord hath delayed his coming said the loose evill servants and therefore they were intemperate and injurious rioted in drunkennesse and Beate their fellow servants Matth. 24. 48 49. As the wanton whorish woman argued to uncleannesse Come let us take our fill of Loves let us solace our selves with Love for the good man is gone a long journey Prov. 7. 18. So the wanton Christian argues to licenciousnesse he may in the spacious intervalls between his healthy time and the last Judgement bathe his fleshly mind in fleshly loves and delights for it will be long ere the last Assizes come and will it be long what if millions of years it will come at length too soon and too sore upon the injurious slighters of Gods Grace Ah Christians that sport your selves with your own deceivings Irremediabile periculum sit aliquem cupiditatibus fraena laxare ut se rationem Deo non meminerit redditurum Bernard that Gospell Grace and liberty will favour your disordered walking that give your Lusts too large roome under the plain hearing and convincements of strictnesse that stumble in high noone day slacken the Reines to your head strong desires as if God would call you to account Bernard tells you this is an irremedilesse soule danger If the Faith of the last Judgement do not teach men holy Wisdome Repentance Temperance Obedience what will what can weep you said the Apostle James to the rich loose wantons of his time And howle for the miseries that are come upon you Jam. 5. 1. why Ye have lived in pleasure in the earth and have been wanton ye have nourished your hearts as in a day of slangther v. 5. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh As if he had said you play the wantons with creature mercies forgetting God and your duties but the accounting day is nigh Faciat jructū qui potest adest dominus qui fructum requirit faecundos vivificet steriles depre hendet Am. Super Luc. The Judge is at the doore They are good words of Ambrose Let every one bring forth the fruit of Grace the Lord is present in his word to faith who will require fruit will not be put off with leaves He will give eternall Life to fruitfull trees will take and cast barren ones into Hell SECT 15. 5. The presumption of time enough to repent hath brought 15. The presumption of time enough to repent doth cause the abuse of Grace forth this uncomely Monster The abuse of Grace There are not a few incurable instances in the other World who have first delayed and then everlastingly lost the space and Grace of repentance Those words of Christ concerning Jerusalem may be truly and sadly said of Grace-refusing and abusing Christians Hadst thou known in this thy day the things belonging to thy Peace but now they are hidden from thine eyes Hannibal bewailed the loss of his opportunity to master Rome when he would have
Gospel Famine That the word of God the God of the word will depart from us and leave England in that Death Darkness Destruction it hath deserved May we not from likeness of sins fear likeness of Judgements Abuse of Grace hath been we may fear it will be an un-Churching sin O all you Zions mourners who are what you are by distinguishing Gospel grace bewail your own unsuitableness to Gods grace Sigh and cry for all the Abominations that are done in the midst of our sinful Jerusalem if days of desolation come it will cheer your hearts you were affected with Gods dishonor you will be markt out either for deliverance out of common evils supportance in them or an happy issue out of them CHAP. VII Wherein are set forth the Punishments of this great sinne Abusing Gods Grace WEE have seen the aggravated evil of this too common and dishonourable Sin the Abuse of Grace We can be in nothing more crosse to the choice design of God than in wronging his grace Not to give God the praise of the glory of his goodness in nature is deep ingratitude but to deny him the praise of the glory of his grace is deeper indignity The wrath of a King will be more enraged when he is abused in his Throne than in his Common Highway The Gospel acquaints us with Gods Throne of grace God slighted in his grace is an abused King in his Throne This without repentance will turn the Throne of grace into a Throne of angry Justice They that abuse the blood of the Lamb shall feel the wrath of the Lamb. No damnation like that which is heightned by the abuse of Salvation For the Gospel to be a savour of death unto death puts a sharper and fiercer sting into eternal death than when it punisheth onely unnatural sinnes God sets black marks of his displeasure upon the Abuse of Gospel grace He is wont to plague it with these punishments in special six sad ones wherein he expresseth dreadfull vengeance SECT 1. 1. IUdgement is giving up to carnal Lusts As God hath punished the abuse of his Goodnesse in nature so he hath revenged 1. Sheweth the greatness of the judgement to be given up to carnal lusts the wrongs of it in grace He shined forth the glory of his Godhead Eternal Power Love Wisdom and other glorious Attributes in the Workmanship of the World the Glass of his Glory the great Folio every Leaf whereof proves his Invisible Deity but when the goodnesse of God was abused to Idolatry the creature was served and worshipped more than the Creator the Lord in just wrath gave up wantons against the light of nature to their own lusts Rom. 1. 24. to vile affections 26. to a reprobate sense 28. to receive in themselves by these spiritual Judgements the recompence of their error v. 27. whip them with their rod chuse their own delusions and suffering them justly to perish in their own choice The like vengeance he hath exercised on the injuries done to his Gospel grace The Lord proclamed himself to the God of Israel in an external Covenant of Grace I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of AEgypt typifying the Grace of Redemption from Saran and the world sweetly inviting them to desire and accept his grace with enlarged hearts open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81. 10. But this sweet tender of grace in postive rebellion was wantonly rejected But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me and thus the Lord plagued them with their own choice and waies So I gave them up to their own hearts and they walked in their own counsels ver 12. The sadnesse of this Judgement in giving sinners up to their carnal Luds for the perverting of Gods grace appears in four things 1. It is a sad judgement for a sinfull weak erring creature to be deprived of a safe unerring guide the Grace of God When Contumaciae pana gravis desertio spiritualis Ames the offers and restraints of his Grace are removed man is like the Philistins house when the Pillars by Sampson were removed an heap of ruin like a Coach without a Coach-man to order it like a Ship without a Pilot like an Infant without a Nurse like an heady people without a Magistrate The spiritual departure of Gods grace is a great punishment of obstimte contumacie It is just that grace should forsake those that forsake it 2 Chr. 24. 24. that they should have none of its safetie that wil have none of its soveraignty that they should perish without it that would not be ruled by it It is Chrysostomes resemblance when a King seeth Rex cum perditum vidit fidium suwn abdicat eum boais suis deserit Chsys his Son lost and past recovery he casts him out of his Royal Protections Provisions and forsakes him so God strips loose sinners of his aide and grace As it is great mercy to be guided by Gods counsel so it is great severity to be deprived of it The way of man to obtain everlasting happiness is not in himself He is safe in Gods way but perisheth in his own 2. It is a sad Judgement for a sinful weak erring creature to have a false deceitful guide and so have all they that are given up to their own luâ—s They are like Traiterous Collonels that lead their Regiments into the very mouth of ruin within the Enemies Ambush Besides they are foolish Guides and unskillfull they know not the way of peace Who will take a naturall fool or a stranger to be guided in a journey That Ship with it 's Fraught and Passengers is in a poor case that hath an ignorant Pilot and the full Coach that hath a blind Couch-man Carnall Lusts are foolish 1 Tim 6. 9. O the folly of immortal soules that are led by the foolish guidance of their lusts 3. It is a sad judgement to be given up to carnal Lusts because these are Gods â—vengers He is revenged of men where they least beleeve it Even in those sweet Lusts they hugg and pamper will God plague the enemies of his grace No need of Non opus eâ— carnisicibus externis domesticos habemus ultores Pet. Mart. in Rom. Outward Punishments if we will plâ—y the wantons with his grace He hath his Avengers in our very bosomes The Lusts of wicked men are Gods â—ods xes Halters The servants of sinfull Lusts are an inestimable infinite masse of misery when they shall feele it in the other world they will beleeve it Men sinnes are Gods punishments though they see it not 4. It is a sad judgement to be given up to carnal Lusts because such are Volunteers in their own destruction It is sad to fall by the Sword but more sad like Saul willingly to fall by ones own Sword It is a sad judgement to die by Poyson but willingly to drink up a known cup of Poyson is
have given themselves over to Lasciviousnesse Unsorrowing sinners are most sad spectacles for yearning bowels O tender hearted christians in your secret Indolentia non sentiunt naturales conscientiae morsus Dicks mournings pitty hardned Libertines that pittie not themselves weep for them who neither can nor care nor desire to weep for themselves A sorrowless stupidity and lethargy that feels not the check and lash of the natural conscience and is deaf to the Spirits motions that is contracted by a benumming liberty and custom in sin is a woful judgement SECT 6. 6. BEwaile the abuse of Pardoning grace How sad will be 6 Bewaile the abuse of pardoning grace their account whose Faith or rather Presumption of Pardon adds to their sinne Christ said to the pardoned woman sin no more Carnall confidence sayes Sin more you shall be pardoned though dayly dear sinnes are written down in the conscience the Spunge of pardoning grace will blot them out The truly tender conscience cleared from old guilt would not willingly but is afraid to contract new but the brawny seared conscience makes use of Christs indulgence to ease his spirit not to heal his lust It s a lamentation Mâ— wallo vâ— in their pollution because of free remission The Lord hath spoken in that verse where he proclaims the glory of his grace a sad word He will not clear such guilty persons To lay the Dishonors of gospel grace to heart three things may be heart-affecting expedients 1. Such as are grieved for this sin write after the copy of Jesus Christ and the choicest Saints of Christ He beheld Jerusalem where the Messengers of grace the Prophets were abused and slain where himself the author of grace was to be condemned and crucified where the sweet Messages of grace were delivered and despised and wept over its sin and punishment Luke 19. 41. Again a dolorous sense of the injuries of grace is like to that mourning frame of spirit that was in the pious Jews who sighed and cried for all the abominable planings of Gods grace Ezek. 9. 3 4. This suits with eminently holy Pauls spirit who spying looseness among his knowing but wanton Corinthians expressed thus his jealousie I fear lest when I come to you my God will humble me and I shall bewaile them that have not repented of their wantonness 2 Cor. 12. 12 13. 2. Such as are humbled for this sin discover a child-like in-genuous disposition A good Son is afflicted for his Fathers dishonour If I be a father where is mine honour Mal. 1. 6. It speaks us Strangers not Children the born of the Flesh not the Spirit if we see the reproaches of Gods grace with contented spirits 3. Such as mourn for this sin in others and have some taint of the guilt of it in themselves shall find this a soveraign preservative against it for time to come Godly sorrow works repentance and by the real sadness of the spirit and countenance for sin this great sin the heart is made better Eccles 7. 3. The ingenuous child that feels the smart of the rod will be fearful of falling into the sinne that brought it Holy anguish of soul for abusing Gods grace will be a memento and a Medicine to heal it CHAP. X. Containing an Vse of Examination IN that Gods grace is turned into Wantonnesse Use 3 for Examination its useful for Examination Whether or no this odious guilt be fastned upon us We may know it by a serious perusal of the kindes and wayes wherein this great sin is committed layd down in the Doctrinal part If the trying reflecting conscience find any of the particulars wherein grace is abused experimented either in heart or life there the sin is impartially to be charged home In and about the great duties of conviction of sinne sorroâ— for it and returning from it we ordinarily through self-love carnal flattery supine carelesnesse yea too often wilfull ignorance put off particular arraignments close inditements self-condemnation and so resolutions and endeavours to reform Though as hath been shewed the abuse of Gods grace is an universal sin yet there is not one of a thousand that seriously and sadly saith I am the wretch that hath wronged Gods grace Who almost though eminently guilty but can smooth and applaud himself in the thoughts of innocence he is no enemy but friend of grace or if fâ—ulty but a very little inconsiderably peccant Though all are offenders yet very few lay it to heart by sound conviction and say We are the persons that have vickedly affâ—onted the grace of God Unless reason and conscience be feared and judgement besotted and spiritually mad if thou hast any degree of the fear of God and sober sense left thee and thou wilt be judged by the Word of God wherewith whether thou wiâ—â— no thou shalt be at the great day I shall set before thee guilty Reader a glass wherein thou mayst see the spotted deformed face of this ugly sin be ashamed of it be humbled for it and repent No becauseit is in this kind of sin as it is in Hypocrisie there is a grosse and a close hypocrisie so there is an evident and notorious and less discemed and suspicious perverting the grace of God I shall therefore endeavour to discover the more visible and palpable symptomes and the more hidden close and less evident tokens of this disease As touching enquiry who are more notoriously clearly grosly guiltie of this sâ—nne I shall lay down many symptomes SECT 1. THey may know themselves to be manifest gross abusers of 1 They abuse Gods grace who oppose gospel merits and mercies to the worship of God Gods grace 1. Who first oppose Gospel-merits and mercies to the Worship of God Such as call God gracious in himself and to them and yet call not upon him how doe they vilifâ—e his grace He makes light of that thing which he desires not and he of the grace of God that he prayes not for God is free of his grace but to them who by the aide of the same grace ask it The spirit grace is a spirit of supplication Zach. 12. 10. A man may pray and have no grace being a trifler cold hypocritical unbeleeving tyred in his Devotion but no man ever had grace but in faith fervency and perseverance prayed to God for it Prayerless are graceless soules Families past Praier are past grace If Prayerless professed Christians were asked the question Have you any part in the grace of God The Ansâ—er would bee Ignorantly â—oldly Roundly returned from some Yea I hope I have from others Yea I thank God his grace hath helped me from a third sort an answer in angry looks sharp words that the Questionist should doubt it the confident Atheist hath not Gods grace in him All take it for granted they are the favourites of grace though they pray not to the God of grace by the Spirit of grace Doe not these clearly prophâ—ne Gods grace Things we basely
positi in religione peccamus Salv. de gub Dei l. 3. in fine name When this most sacred name doth load our guilt for therefore under the stile of Religion we mock God because we sin under its holy profession Thus we see the loose carriages of former times hath sadded the hearts and sharpned the stile of Pious Zealous Judicious Writers Well were it if this prodigious sin perverting the grace of God had been confined to former ages The same impure corrupt Spring of dissoluteness that of old hath sent forth muddy streams of polluting opinions and conversations hath run in our own times in too offensive and plentiful a Current No side or denomination of Protestants as Lutheran or Calvinist Episcopal Presbyterian or Independent but in something or other either in greater or lesser spots they have defiled their Garments Gods chastising hand hath been very heavy upon the party of the Prelatical perswasion among whom I hope some have risen by their falls been inriched by their impoverishments and endeavored to secure the certainties of blessed Eternity by seeing the brittle glassen Pomp and glory of Dum splende scit frangitur the World glittering and broken and such a glorious fruit of the Crosse I wish to all complaining losers that they may see they have as well faln in their sins as their Estates But alas are not many of you wantons both under and against Gods Judgments and Mercies in your Principles Fancies Fashions sensual Pleasures Visits vain Education of your Children and Servants Family Irreligion mis-spending precious time Do you not throw the old scoff of Puritans upon all that dissent Doctor Potter once Provost of Qu. Colledge in Oxford from you Read with patience what a learned Doctor spake in an Holy Day Court-Sermon Our Profession is Christianity but not our practice We resemble Paganism We are so far from emulating gracious examples that of all things we cannot endure to be suspected of too much Holiness therefore we choose to swear swagger riot quaff with prophane company rather then to be defamed with the imputation of purity If your own experience Eccho with this loosnesse blame not what you read but be humbled zealous and repent And Reader if thou be such a one as hast sought for a strict Government Order and Worship of God in his Church thou hast even cause to resent it with grief tears and blushing that there want not proofs that endeavored Reformation hath been too impotent to prevent the wanton Abuses of Gods grace Have not some loose opinions been Preached Printed Dispersed Believed Tolerated yea infected Consciences and Lives Do those that cry out against the men spirit and ways of the world stand at such distance from the World in Lusts Affections Conversation as they do in Language Doth their outward garb shew they are not fashioned to the world Are not the Pleasures gaudy Fashions Estates Pomps of the World too grateful Tertullian hath taught us Thou art delicate O Christian If Delicatuses Christiane si in saeculo voluptatem concupiscis Quid lucundius quā Dei patris demini reconciliatio quam virtutis revelatio quam errorum recognitio quae major voluptas quam fastidium voluptatis Hae voluptates haec spectacula Christ anorū Tertul. de spectaculis thou desirest worldly pleasure Thou art a fool if thou accountest this pleasure What is more delightful then Gods Reconciliation Truths Revelation Errors acknowledgement Sins Pardon What greater pleasure then the contempt of Pleasure What greater liberty then an upright conscience a contented life and a fearless death These are the pleasures these are the spectacles the merriments of Christians How will standers by be convinced that that Reformation is of such a sublimate Heavenly extraction which should better appear by shining Graces then glittering out-sides I know Christian liberty as it is now stretched doth not onely allow monstrous long Hair but glorious apparel glittering in gold and silver lace and other sumptuous Gaudery which in the Judgement of Scripture Conscience and the last Tribunal were better bestowed upon the bellies and backs of the poor That speech might here be properly applyed Ad quid perditio haec I could wish Christians would learn of Proba an heavenly Christian descended of Roman Consuls brought up in Royal Delights yet was such an humble servant of God that she forgat her high birth and breeding contemned the delights on the body relieved the hungry by her abstemious fasting and was clad in Suam famem satiandis deservire corporibus vilibus tecta indumentis vestiendis pauperibus curam impendit Fulg. de statu viduali ad Gal. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato Tom. 1. pag. 416. g Prov. 10. 20 mean apparrel that she might the better cloath the poor O ye rich professing Christians follow Proba and abatements of your pompous glory on your backs and tables will speak you less worldly and fit you to be more mercifull 'T is a ground of sad conjecture that you are little taken with inward glory when you lay out so much in outward Plato held it a notorious crime for a Magistrate to touch gold and silver to wear it in garments to drink out of it because said he they have divine gold and silver in their minds and need none of mans deeming it irreligion to prophane the divine with humane O professed Christians who if really such doe out-worth the gold of Ophir and the Spanish Silver Fleets if you can study value get and improve the choice silver of Righteous Tongues g and the richly wrought cloth of gold h visible shining Good Works you wil be very little taken with outward splendid glory He humbled you are such worldly gaudy fashion-followers Besides doe not your ungoverned passions and tongues want of Pitty courtesie equity external reverence in the Worship of God over-greedy covetous purchases selfishness slight formal keeping the Sabbath divisions contentions crying up and down the Ministry of the Gospel according to your fancy and humour not your reason not grace speak you Wantons and in these things too much carnal Psal 45. 13. and walkers as men i 1 Cor. 3 3. Think of this O all ye Reforming party that decry abuses in Prelatical Government and spend much breath heat and time in declaiming against them though I excuse none of their faults study bewail amend your own visible miscarriadges We can never confute nor reform others faults by our own Le ts take heed when we cry out against others that we doe not as Diogenes did of Plato trample upon their Pride with greater Pride O that all parties would lay to heart their sad unanswerableness to Costel-grace and by the wisdom that is from above without partiality think themselves concerned in the Annon fere omnes in foedissimo abusu denorum Dei vivimus Luth. in Gen. following Tractate No Christian unlesse he be drunk and spiritually mad by the Quakers cup of Error the intoxicating fume or
the power of binding lost sinners under the power of the spiritual death and guilt of eternal Heb. 2. is cast out in the merits and power of infinite redemption John 12. 31 32. Grace is not a shadowy but real war though it be often worsted yet it rallies again and by the renewed Auxiliary Forces of Divine power it beats down strong corruptions before it What injury is it to Grace to contemplate but never practice Mortification to profess the Christian warfare but never to fight or in undue arms or without skill to put on Gods Armor or to sleep in them or to lay them by or to run to the enemy and so to do no execution on carnal Lusts and Affections What is this but to disparage and endeavor what in us lies to degrade Divine Power from the glory of its victorious ability as if the contracted corruption from the first Adam could still be too hard for the Grace of the second How doth a powerless profession over sin proclaim it self a stranger to the mighty Arm of the Prince of Grace never feeling the power of these truths Christ brings forth judgement unto victory Matth. 12. 20. Greater is he that is in victorious Believers than he that is in the world 1 Joh. 4. 4. Are there not many among us that have notions fancies expressions of Grace yea infused gracious heavenly motions speaking in them But do they leave these sins and do these duties in the fear of God How can they that are false to their own Convictions Confessions and the Holy Ghosts Inspirations What mocking of God is there in unmortifying profession as is too legibly to be read in the lives of men Doth not all the Grace of vain idle opinionative Christians that seems to be expressed in Prayer ex tempore or of set forms in appearing to be taken with gracious examples Sermons Chapters good Books and Conference evacuate into lazy Speculation and powerless profession In holy duties of worship there seems to be Evangelical Grace but in the frame of the heart and course of life in dealings with men in Callings Conditions Relations with many there is no being of Grace and with the gracious no constant sufficient convincing exercise of Grace a few excepted that make Religion their business What a disgrace is put upon the grace of God What temptation to blaspheming Sons of Belial that the Grace of God men speak of is a Fable a Dream a Fancy no Reality Such do-nothings or nothing to purpose as beat the air in their cold professâ—ons and dead convictions of Gods grace may blâ—sh and be ashamed of their wanton spirits and conversation when they read these Scriptures From the day the grace of God was known in truth by Deus ex peccatorum sordibus ad frugem meliorem â—ecare dignatur Gualther de Matthaeo the beleeving Colossians they brought forth fruit Col. 1. 6. Wee beseech you receive not the Grace of God in vain by offensive conversation to God and men unrepented of 1 Cor. 6. 1 3. The Gentiles had their understandings darkened alienated from the life of God past feeling given over to lasciviousnesse working all uncleannesse with greediness but you have not so learned Christ Eph. 4. 18 19. The grace of God O holy Ephesians hath over-powered your hearts to an abhorring and declining these sinnes and to walk in the blessed paths of holinesse Grace acting to purpose in regenerate Zacheus put him upon liberal contribution to the poor and honest restitution of ill gotten estate Luk. 19. 8. When the Gospel came to the Thessalonians not onely in word but in power it enabled them to turn from idols in the zealous worship and preservation whereof Idolaters are usually mad Jer. 50. 38. to serve Idolis renunciaveritis vosque in servitiuÌ„ Dei addixeritis Diksonus Magices libros intelligimus Gualt in loc the living and true God 1 Thes 1. 5 9. when the same word of grace took possession of the hearts of them that used curious and Magical Arts they brought their books together and burnt them before all men though they were worth fifty thousand pieces of silver Act. 19. 19. O shame of the common powerless Christian profession of the Age The Gospel of grace by the mighty breathing of the Spirit came near the hearts of Magicians made them Christians and open penitents even to a publick sacrificing of their wicked Propriori numinis afflatu tacti libros publicè congestos exurunt books to the flames but a thousand Sermons of Gospel grace may reach the eare the fancy the understanding of professed Christians but never change the heart to a powerful reformation Oh that bare Illuminists and verbalists in Religion that live as if the essentials thereof were onely notions and words would consider three things 1. The Kingdom of God stands not in word but power 1 Cor. 4. 20. It s reall subjects are as well diligent doers as good speakers Lay moreâ— stresse on hearts and lives than lips had rather be than seem to be penitents rather run in the way of Gods Commandements than talk of them A groundlesse intitling to Christ Lord Lord will speak no faithfull Subjects of Christ at the great day why should it now The kingdom of God is righteousnesse Rom. 14. 17. not onely imputed but inherent not onely of Justification but Sanctification In the Kingdome of grace all saved Professors have holy hearts and good lives Satans subjects though they take Christs Press-mony in Baptisme use the badges of his Government yet never did set one foot into Christs kingdome 2. Such as call Christ their Lord and Saviour yea often bind their sayings by these words as they hope to be saved when they neither rightly understand salvation nor true hope yea all Libertines of stricter profession that have carnall loose epicurean hearts and lives they are no better than the enemies of Jesus Christ and self-destroyers The compassionate Apostle could not but speak of these with teares They are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly who mind earthly things Phil. 3. 18 19. Let them look over this Text and weep who either in larger professions or stricter but easie religious formalities are effeminate delicate flesh-pleaser belly-students and gloriously back-adorners money-idolaters almost in nothing denying themselves in their sensualities they are enemies to the crosse of Christ Did they Epicurei jurâ— dicuntur hostes Christi videntur enim velle regnum suum illis restituere quod Christus â—n cruce spoliavit Daven in Colos never read Our Old man was crucified with Christ Rom. 6. 6. That as corruption was crucified meritoriously on the cross so it should be crucified efficaciously in the heart was it not the great design of Christ crucified that the body of sin should die are not these enemies to his cross that pamper it and keep it alive Besides are not they enemies to Christs cross who
holy but a part of the Devils Kingdom is slily admitted standers by seeing divided Sects and different Opinions in Religion yea each party entitling its Tenent and Practice to the Scripture the Truth the Spirit the Glory of God conclude in this dust they cannot see their way to Heaven In this season Satan the Arch Heretick Divider Deceaver and Libertine plies his Market to perswade to dissolute life some he tempts to be of any Religion some none to be stark Atheists and debauched prophane ones and many in the true Religion to be cold and formal much heat and strength being spent upon the out-side that should have been bestowed upon the in-side the vitals of Christianity In the Pro and Con Disputes about out-works the inward Guards have been neglected Sound Christians holy walking is not so lively and wicked Libertines sit down contented and resolved to allow and follow the pretended felicities of their unmortified Lusts Satan through Church contentions tempts to believe that Religion is a bottomless Pit not to be sounded a meer fancy And while men of piety and learning cannot agree there is in some a pleasing agreement about Whoredom Drunkenness railing at all Ministers contempt of Ordinances yea the bloody subtile Jesuit and his blinded Popish Votaries stand behinde the Curtain and cry Hereticks Schismaticks Libertines Among Protestants no Ministery no Ordinances no Church no Salvation Happy had it been in our sinning days if Unity Truth and Peace had prevented this great temptation Put though the healing of our deplorable diseased Zion be rather to be wished then to be hoped for yet two sorts of abusers of Gods grace discontented Protestants and seducing Papists that warm their hands by our fires will not finde the least real Sanctuary for their injurious reflexions upon the Gospel of grace in past and present Divisions and Contentions I shall apply my self to both the parties that it is to be feared are glad to see the offensive dishonors to the grace of God yea are much injurious to it themselves 1. To discontented exceptious Protestants O you Sons and Daughters of Belial Ignorant Prophane Irreligious Have you reason about differences of Religion to grow secure wantons to Sleep Drink Game Swear away your time prophane the Sabbath keep the worship of God out of your Families and the fear of God our of your hearts to live a bruitish sensual voluptuous life to resent the thoughts of Heaven and Hell as idle Fables to live as if there should be no resurrection of the Body and Judgement to come to mis-spend your precious hours in carnal visits no way relating to Gods glory and your everlasting salvation to neglect provisions for Eternity to be as great strangers to the beneficial practical thoughts of Religion as if you were born and brought up among Heathens Did the Corinthians make this use of their Divisions and Erronious Opinions to justifie and support a Godless Graceless conversation Can you prove that every different Opinion in Religion is a different Religion May not you finde in unhappily divided Christians among us an Harmony of Religion in the vitals essentials thereof referring to the life of Christ and the power of godliness May not dissenting ones tune in a thousand places of sacred Scripture which teach soundness in the Faith necessary renewing grace and godly life Will not common acknowledged Principles of Believing Repenting Obeying Persevering arraign and condemn your loosness If you Object Some Sects are Heretical and Blasphemous deny Christ the Scripture the Resurrection Let these Apostates that hold not the head Col. 2. 19. Jesus Christ un-christian'd and become Heathens themselves answer if they can for themselves These Renegado's sad Revolters from Christs colours to the Devils Camp have a worse Judgement on them then Prisons and flaming Stakes They have denyed the Lord whom they professedly owned to be their Redeemer and in the Judgement of the Apostle Peter have brought upon themselves swift destruction These do not onely bring themselves into the Order of Heathens but are worse then they for they have cut themselves off from the way of salvation there is not another Christ to be their Mediator and there remains no more sacrifice for sin Do you that declaim against the errors of the time know any such Carnal mirth becomes not such a notice you should go into your Chambers and bitterly mourn over their Apostacy They are the black marks of Spiritual Judgement are fittest Objects for Christian compassion I beseech you after you are somewhat off the hears of pursuing in an Hellish Chase your ungodly Lusts after your fiery tongues scorching the precious name of sound Christians with the hot charge of Hypocrites Hereticks Persons unfit to live in the common Air In cool blood and serious earnest consider whether Contentions and Divisions about Truth in Religion will be a Cloak broad enough to cover your excess of Riot contempt of the Laws Requiries and Gospel-duties your Heathenish and worse then Heathenish practical Atheism whereby you live in your Families without Prayer to God Hath natural Religion taught Pagans Devotion to their apprehended Deities The Mariners in the tempest called upon their gods Jonah 1. 5. yea probably at other times also Can your Chambring and wantonness your Oathes and Scoffs at the shining presidents of practical Piety your desperate security in sin without the least remorse of conscience and least hearkning to the motions of the Spirit now and then shaking you by the conscience if it be not cauterized and dead your Graceless devouring the Creatures without serious thoughts of your deep Engagement to your abused Benefactor The blessed God your dreadful carelesness of your own souls not much mattering whether they be saved or damned your casting off the thoughts of Gods strict recording of your thoughts words and actions in the Book of his Remembrance your dissolute ill good-fellowship your treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath your slight thoughts of the last Judgement Will this and other sad Bills of Indictment be answered and crossed out by Christians dis-agreements in controversal Points If you shall be so blinde and bold as to conclude in your Death-bed and in the accounting Day different Judgements about Religion will Apologize for your Libertinism Will not the Judge of all the world convince and condemn you out of the Ten Commandments the rules of the Gospel the Wisdom and Piety of standing Saints in evil tempting times whose soundness in the Faith Lamps burning Loyns girt Garments kept clean upright Conversation have been an Antidote against publick Infection Will not God finde plentiful matter of your damnation from your own sins Yea further which is a sad Quaere should not you who sport in sin and scoff at holiness and holy Ones live without God and Christ in the World rather make another construction of Errors Janglings and intemperate heats about Religion What if God suffer these scandals and stumbling-blocks to ruine us for our
him and thus as the ploughing of the wicked is sin so is his câ—â—â—â—â—ment Because with some persons civill â—itles are so abominable though they are not like to read this Page yet the holy Scriptures will assure the sober Reader their folly is manifest and notoâ—ious Put case persons of honour are wicked as too many are who are like to smart for it to all Eternity for staining their oâ—n honour and Gods too Yet Paul a vessel of honor without courtship but by the teachings of the Holy Ghost had learned this good manners to give great though bad persons their civil respects Noble Felix Act. 24. 3. King Agrippa Act. 25. 26. I appeal to Caesar Act. 25. 11. Pauls persecutors at Antioch were yet stiled Honourable Women and chief Men of the city Act. 13. 50. No unmannerly railing Quakers in â—poâ—o lical times But because in civil courteous Appellations it is not more easie than common to erre there is an huge generation of vain complementists whose immoderate compellations are the froth of language the vanitie of minde the waste of time the impertinencie of Christian society I would willingly caution the gracious person convinced of his duty he must be courteous and give honour to whom honour is due to observe these Rules Christian when you give civil honour to others according to their worldly Qualitie and Precedencie 1. Do it with Reverence of the Majesty of God Persons of Honour are the Image the bright Beams of God the infinite â—â—ountâ—in of Honour 'T is he hath set the children of men in their Titles Seats Estates of Honour Neither Affliction nor Promotion comes from the ground God is the Judge sets up whom he pleaseth Ps 75. 7. As in Wisdoms left hand are riches and glory Pro. 3. 16. so he distributes worldly honours moâ—ly to vile men However they are civil honour is not vile though the persons that have it be vile come vilely by it and use it vilely 2. Give civil honour for conscience sake the sense of duty God hath commanded it not so much to please them as to please God 3. When the lip honoureth let the heart reverence Wee may neither give men civil worship nor God religious hypocritically 4. Lavish not out too many words nor time in civil courtesies 5. From a prudent observation of Persons Time and Place mix religious and spiritual with civil discourse To spend whole hours mornings afternoons as very many vain frothy persons do in air-beating soul-unbettering windy courtesies and merry discourse without a thought a word of the Majesty of God who as he hath a Book of remembrance to note down the pious words of them that fear him so he registers too the numerous superfluous words of them that fear him not will have a sad account in the great day 6. If among your civil treatments as the Spouse let your lips drop like the Honey-comb when you speak of by a secret ejaculation beg a blessing on your gracious words for your own and the companies advantage 7. Labour to affect your heart with the good things that in gravity and wisdom you deliver 8. If you see civil courtesie swalloweth up pietie your selfe and heavenly language be a burden to the company savouring not the things of God preferring a Romance before a Sermon vain chassie Tales before the precious Truths of God they had rather be foolishly carnally constantly merry than really wise goe home and mourn in secret you have given vain spirits their due honours who denyed God his they have been all for courtesie nothing for piety visited only one anothers bodies not soules spent their time and strength in outward while strangers to inward mirth SECT 9. THey without breach of Charity do grosly wrong the grace 9 They abuse grace who are eminent worldlings of God 9. Who under glorious pretensions to Saving-grace are eminent worldings When Heaven and Earth meet together then will Heavenly and Earthly minds Grace as it is heaven-born so it doth make heavenly The Mediator of Grace hath taught us We cannot serve God and Mammon How many go among us in their own thoughts and in others opinion for persons in the state of grace and yet dextrously deeply with all the powers of their understanding and carnal reason design project for the world affect it vehemently pursue it fervently keep it basely part with it sorrowfully heap it up covetously desire it endlesly admire it adore it idolatrously are afraid to put too much in Christs coffers the bellyes of the poor Is this the fruit of grace Did ever grace come with power but it did unglue the heart from the world Is not this Scripture The love of the world and the things of the world and the love of the Father dwell not together 1 Joh. 2. 15. Will this passe for good Divinity Will either the Scriptures a Death-bed or the Last Judgement own it viz. A gracious Mammonist a gracious Worldling a gracious Hold-fast a gracious Hard-heart a gracious Rebel against the Laws of Christ that commands labour for Heaven more than Earth laying up Treasure in Heaven more than in Earth more to be rich in good works than in wealth to settle the affections on things above and not on earth will cordial and practical contradiction to these and many such Laws of Christ speak a gracious person the honour of grace the power of grace O no the nullitie of grace the infamy of grace Else the Apostle would not with tears speake of earthly minds as enemies to the Cross of Christ whose end is a sad word a very sad one destruction Let the Masters of great Estates consider it that had such before the Wars among us or since the Civil bloody commotions by providence shining on gracious profession in Court City Country the Bench the Pulpit the Army who have not walked but suddenly leapt to huge riches some to hundreds others thousands by the year Whoever they are be they assured of it they grosly abuse the grace of God who give sad proof they are eminent worldlings I beseech you all who are so and shall cast your eyes on these lines seriously ask your own soules Do you not set your hearts on the Mammon of iniquity Are not your stupendious sweet possessions your Idols Are they not your treasure do not your thoughts esteems affections run out in full stream to them Do not your poor neighbours in the Countries places where you live see and bewail it your bowels move no more to them than rocks Doe you know when to say we have enough to give largely to Jesus Christ as well as to your families In these years of Judgement when Loâ—ships Farms great Riches have changed Masters are there none that say Poor creatures that think on it with tears Ah wofull change our old Masters fed and cloathed us but we may starve under our new Possessors I dare not charge you all for gracelesse worldlings God will your consciences one day
you doe in Word and deed do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God and the father by him Col. 3. 17. And this will secure against loosnesse in the duties of our Relations worldly enjoyments Ordinances of Grace Talents committed to us SECT 9. 9. HElp is godly sorrow Those ill humors that are contracted 9 Godly sorrow is an help against abuse of grace Indicium re fipiscentiae sollicitudo securitatis excussio metus ne nevo peccato implicarentur Dickson by carnal mirth godly sorrow will help to cure as in Nature so in grace contraries cure Fasting is one remedy of distempering feasts Godly sorrow is the spirits sack-cloth and fast for sin When it wrought in the Corinthians repentance it wrought carefulnesse which shook off security and fear of relapse into the old sin by fresh temptation By the sadâ—ess of the countenance the heart is made better Eccles 7. 3. True sorrows eat out the love and liking of sin Men lay not to heart the abuses of grace and then adventure them The three principal things that God requires are Justice Mercy Mourning The last is a singular help to the two first Could we walk mournfully before the Lord we should love Mercy and do justly Mic. 6. 8. The Jews were wanton in their marrying Idolatrous Wives and their mourning ushered in their reformation Ezra 10. 1 3. Good natured childrens ingenuous sorrows for their soose pranks are Preservatives against like disorders In Malachy the prâ—â—â—ical Atheists did look upon Religion as vain serving God keeping his Ordinâ—nces and walking mournfully before the Lord of Hoast Mal 3. 14. Those mock-Gods and loose Libertines that laugh at mournful walking with God and are ever irreligious they keep not his Ordinances nor serve him at all The tears of repentance do sweetly water the seed of grace Zions mourners are the most thâ—â—ving Christians None are further off from the dangerous snares of soul-ruining wantonnesse then humble souls that soâ—e in tears They reap in Grace and Joy while others that soâ— in carnal security and delights reap in sin and wrath It is told in Gath and published in Askelon that many that seemed to set their faces Heaven-wards are loose â—ibeâ—tines They dâ—re to think speak and act what once to think on would make them tremble They dare sin without â—emoâ—se and count it their perfection And whence this sad â—postacy Surely as in part from an ungrateful glut of and formality in the â—rdinances of Grace partly from the spiritual pride of high attainments and partly from exchanging the house of mourning for the house of mirth walking mournfully before the Lord with them is Apochrypha sorrow for sin is legal and antiquated The holy Spirit exhorts rich Wantons to change their mirth into mourning Jam. 4. 9. But what Spirit it is that moves them to change their mourning into mirth you may easily guess It is just with God that when dissolute ones in sinful hardness have laid by sorrow for sin in judicial hardnesse they should be not more merry then mad jocund Wantons The Pulpit is no place The Sabbath no time to speak vainly I hope I speak the words of Truth and Soberness of all the holy frames of the Spirit I would desire of God in my sinful Pilgrimage of imperfection this choice gâ—â—cious indowment That the top-power of the Spirit in me might be in the Gospel-humblings of brokennesse of heart and contrition of spirit Pelievers are called should be little ones Matth. 18. 6. are ever best and safest yea nearest God when lowest SECT 10. 10. HElpe is close union to God The whorish woman at distance 10 Close union with God is a special help against abuse of grace Pe. didisti fornicantem abs te aliquid supra te amantem Pelican from her husband played the wanton Prov. 7 19. and impure soules fornicate when they thrust themselves out of Gods presence wanton spirits distance from God their choice and delight Job 21. 14. Is their damnation Lo they that are afar from thee shall perish Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee Psal 73. 27. They that love any thing above God leave Heavens bed of Loves for Earthly delights and shall pay dear for their wantonnesse The remedy against it was close union to God But it is good for me to draw nigh to God 28. As if he had said Unchast Fornicators that leave God the Fountain of living waters for lying vanities to their eternall losse shal be indited for whoredome but my soule enter not into their secret though they are Wantons behind Gods back I see it is sâ—fe it is happinesse to me to get neer his Fâ—ce in his presence is Aâ—e Purity and Joy I dare not be loose while I see him besore mine Eyes wil a promoted favourite abuse his Prince wrong his grace before his Face the close union of Gods Reverence Love Purity Joyâ— Contentment Admiration will not be abusive Appropinquatio ad Deum elongatio ab omni corruptione Parisiensis The neerer to the Holy God the further from corruption as the neerer the fire the further from cold the neerer the sun the further from darknesse it is sinners turning their backs upon God which makes them wantons the true vision fruition of and delectation in Gods face is grave serious holy and heavenly What Christian that ever had sweet tasts and close viewes of the blessed God but his experience is sweet testimony hee feared to thinke desire do say that evil in close addresses to God which at other tims of distance hath had too sinful allowance The happinesse of the next life wil be divine sweet vision and union without darknesse and separation eternal closures betweene God souls wil shut out wantoness so much as there is of spiritual conjunction now there is provision against sinne SECT 11. 11. HElp is a constant subduing the first depraved motions 11 A constant subduing the first depraved motions is a special help to prevent abuse of grace to carnal desires and affections he that denyes the first parly and specious offers of a trecherous enemy prevents consent when we give the subtil motions of sin audience and listen to their pleasing arguments it is a thousand to one but we grant them wanton indulgence and ready obedience turning the deaf side to the whorish flatteries of sweete corruption is a soveraign Antidote against Libertinisme Are we sure an enemy knocks at the door we loâ—k and bar against him but open not unto him spirituall Judgment sayes the loose motions of sin knocks at the door sayes open not O my soule open not they are Theeves and Robbers My Son saith Solomon If sinners intice consent thou not Prov 1. 10. So say O my Soul if that great Pandor to all the Wantons of flesh and spirit corrupt nature intice consent thou not when lust hath conceived in consent it is ready to bring forth in Execution