the Almighty p. 20. And let thy complaint be 1. Full of sorrow 21. 2. A full complaint of all thy sins ibid. 3. A complaint aggravating all thy sins by all their circumstances ibid. 4. A self condemning complaint wherein the complaint of Ezra is illustrated in eight particulars 22. 4. Let meditation when it hath searched out thy case and made it appear how wofull it is cast thee down before God 23. Four Motives to stir up the soul to Meditation Consider it is the part of a fool not to meditate It is madnesse for a man to walk on in a course and not to consider whither it will tend 24. 2. Consider not to meditate is the brand of a Reprobate ibid. 3. He that meditates not robs God of his honour 25. 4. All the service that a man performeth unto the Lord will be abominable if he meditate not before it and after it ibid. The reason why we have so many vain thoughts in our holy exercises is because we prepare not our hearts thereunto by meditation The Contents of the third SERMON Proverbs 1. 28. 1. THe opening of the context in five particulars 29. 2. The opening of the words of the Text in four particulars 30. 1. Doctrine Those that will not hear the Lord when he calleth upon them by the ministry of his word and voyce of his Spirit the Lord will not heart them when in their misery they call upon him 21. Three Reasons of the point 1. The law of Retaliation of rendring like for like requires it ibid. 2. Because Gods two Attributes of Mercy and Justice have their season in this life and when Mercy hath acted her part then cometh Justice upon the stage for to act her part 32. 3. Because it is Gods manner for to do so in temporall things and therefore much more in matters of grace and salvation 33. God giveth to men a day and no Man nor Angel knoweth how long this day lasteth or when this season of grace shall have an end 35. And as there is a personall day so there is a Nationall day 36. Objection 1. A man may be called at the eleventh or twelfth hour of the day 37. Answer Those that were called at the first hour came in at first hour those that came in at the twelfth hour were not the same that were called at the first hour ibid. Objection 2. The day of grace lasteth as long as the day of life ibid. The Objection is cleared under three particulars Answer And it is answered that the day of grace may end to a particular man long before his death 1. Because God may harden a mans heart 38. 2. Because God may sear mens consciences ibid. Objection 3. Suppose I go on in my sin and repent upon my death bead will God hear me Answer The answer is negative 39. Objection 4. Suppose I humble my self by fasting and prayer will not God hear that The answer is negative if thou neglect the day of grace ibid. Object 5. At what time soever a sinner repents he shall find mercy Ans It is true if he repent from the bottom of his heart but a man may have many a degree of repentance and yet never repent from his heart ibid. Self love may make a man do much ibid. 2. Doctrine It may be this very day even this particular Sermon this instant hour may be thy day that art now in thâ— sins that if thou repent not at this very one Sermon thou neglectest eternal life for ever 40. Four Reasons of the point 1. Because Gods patience is in his own breast and who can tell how long it will last ibid. Wherein Joel 2. 12. is opened in five particulars ibid. 2. God usually giveth some signes of death beforehand 41. But the day of grace may end and a man never have any warning of it Because Gods patience giveth no marks or inkling of its ending before it ends ibid. 3. Because God keepeth a strict account how many opportunities he hath vouchsafed 42. 4. Consider it is a wonder that the day of grace is not ended already and that thou art not now in hell 43. The Contents of the fourth SERMON upon upon Philip. 3. 18 19. 1 AN Explaination of the severall parts of the Text in five particulars 43. Doctrine That those whose minds and thoughts run habitually on earth and earthly things their end must needs be destruction 44. 6. Reasons 1. The curse of God is the desert of vain thoughts ibid. 2. The curse of God is the event of vaine thoughts ibid. 3. The man whose thoughts are habitually on the things of the world can never truly repent 47. 4. Because that man whose thoughts run habitually on earthly things hath no part in Jesus Christ 48. 5. Because so long as a mans thoughts run habitually on things of the world that man hath no true love of God in him ibid. 6. Because so long as a mans thoughts run after the world he can never depart from his sins 49. 2. Uses 1. For humiliation because these vain thoughts bearing sway in the heart they make that mans end to be destruction 50. 2. For the terrour of those men who suffer their hearts to be taken up with vain thoughts 51. Objection But I think of God and of Christ of faith and repentance 52. Answ 1. Consider whether thy good thoughts be meerly cast into thy heart or whether they be raised by thy heart ibid. A wicked man may have a thousand good thoughts and yet goe to hell in the midst of them 53. 2. Thou hast good thoughts but consider whether they be fleeting or abiding thoughts 54. There are two kinds of vaine thoughts 1. vaine because the matter and substance of them is vaine 2. vaine for want of durance and lasting though not vaine for the matter of them ibid. 3. Thou thinkest of God but consider whether thy thoughts be studied or accidentall thoughts 55. A godly man not only thinketh of God but he studieth how to think of God ibid. 4. Thou thinkest of God but consider whether thy thoughts of God be profitable or unprofitable thoughts ibid. Thoughts how free and not free Free from mens knowledge and mens Courts Not free 1. From Gods knowledge ibid. 2. They are not free from Gods word ibid. 3. They are not free from the wrath of God 57. Three meanes in the use whereof we may rid our selves of vain thoughts 1. Love the word of God ibid. 2. Go unto God by prayer ibid. 3. Consider thou hast not so learned Christ 58. All vaine thoughts arise from these three Heads 1. From the variety and abundance of the thoughts of the world ibid. 2. From the Fountain of corruption that is in mens hearts ibid. 3 From the damned malice of Satan and his temptations both within and without ibid. Thoughts become vain four manner of wayes In respect of the Matter In respect of the Forme In respect of the Efficient In respect of the
then they shall be glad to be converted then they shall be glad to come out of their sins then they shall be glad to get grace and seek reconciliation with God but alas they saw not this then but God foresaw it well enough then shall they call but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me Lastly here is the frustration of their hope which hath two things in it First in regard of themselves in regard of the flaw in their seeking it being not aright Secondly in regard of the Justice of God who rewards every man according to their works But I will not hear them Whence observe this point of Doctrine Those that will not hear when he calleth them God will not hear them when they call unto him Those that will not hear the Lord when he calleth upon them by the ministery of his Word and voyce of his Spirit the Lord will not hear them when in their misery they call upon him Thus the Lord dealt with the people in Ezekiels dayes the Lord called them to repentance and obedience but when they stood out and neglected the opportunity of grace and seasons of conversion see how God deals with them though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice yet I will not hear them saith the Lord. When men have gone beyond the time of Gods mercy and out rowed the tyde of Gods forbearance and will not returne the Lord sets it down with himselfe that his wrath shall return upon them he will no longer forbear they had a time wherein the Lord did pity them and offered grace and mercy unto them but they neglecting this season and withstanding this proffer of grace God resolves with himselfe they shall never have it again There was a time wherein God did pity them but now he will not pity them any more twenty five years he called unto them and sought to bring them home but because they stood out and refused the Lord saith I will love Ephraim no more Beloved there is a double day a white day and a black day there is a day of salvation Isa 49. 9. this is the day in the which the Lord said to the prisoners Come forth and to those that lye in their sins repent and beleeve Now if any man will come forth and humble his soul before the Lord let him come and welcome for it is a day of salvation But there is another day of damnation which is a dark day a black and a duskie day wherein the Lord will visit the sinnes of the world and revenge the quarrell of his Covenant Hos 9. 7. The day of visitation is come yea the day of recompence the people shall know it the Prophet is a fool and the spirituall man is mad Beloved we are fools and all the spirituall men under heaven are mad that lay not this day to heart For the day of the Lord is a day of visitation and all the world shall rue it though now men sleep in securitie If once mercie be rejected and God turn away his ear from a man then grace shall be no more the door of life shall for ever be shut up against him and when once this day comes he hath lost his own place and deprived himselfe of eternall happinesse Now there are three reasons of this point the first is the law of retaliation of rendring like for like which is the justest law that can be made with man for to give unto every man according to his works to make him take such as he brings as the Heathen calls it to give a man quid for quâ— Now if God call upon thee and thou wilt not hear it is righteousnesse with God yea equity with God that is more that when thou callest on him he should not hear thee For thus runs the tenor of Gods Word Prov. 28. 9. He that turns away his ear from hearing the Law euen his prayers shall be abominable He that turns away his ear from Gods Law God will turn away his eare from his prayer He that turns it is spoken in the present tense that is he that now turns away his ear his prayer shall be abominable in the future tense that is the Lord marks what master or servant what father or mother what husband or wife what man or woman it is that turns away the ear of his head or the ear of his heart from hearing his will and obeying of his Commandements the Lord takes speciall notice of it and sets it down in his Calendar and records it in his Memoriall keeping a strict account thereof as if God should say Well is it so I now call and will not this man or that woman answer Do I now stretch out my hands and will not they take care to obey me Well let them alone saith God there is a day coming that I shall be a hearing of them times of sorrow and misery will take hold of them and then they in their affliction will cry unto me but I will not hear they will beg for mercy but I will not regard they will seek me early but they shall not finde me It was one of the Articles of high Treason brought in against Cardinall Woolsey that he had the pox and a stinking breath and yet durst come into the Kings presence So it shall be an Article against thee of high treason before the King of heaven if thou come into his presence with the stinking breath of thy sins living in thy lusts and wallowing in thy filthinesse all thy prayers are but as so many stinking breaths in the nostrils of the Lord and every dutie that thou performest unto the Lord shall be as so many Articles of high treason against thee to condemne thee because thou livest in rebellion and a Traitor against God His prayer shall be abominable he doth not say I will turn away mine ear from hearing his prayer which turns away his ear from hearing my law that is the true exposition of the words no but like for like is sometimes injustice for if a man should strike a Magistrate a box on the ear it were not justice for him to give him another for it is a greater sin to strike a Magistrate than any other common person and therefore a greater punishment the Law requireth So God doth not say he will turn away his ear from hearing his prayer but will serve him in a worse kind he will count it abominable yea abomination in the abstract it shall be loathsome yea lothsomnesse it selfe in the worst manner Galat. As a man soweth so shall he reap if thou sow sparingly thou shalt sparingly if thou sow a dull ear to Gods Word thou shalt reapaâ—dull ear from God to thy praier for God will reward every man according to his works Secondly because of the time of Gods Attributes both mercy and justice VAIN THOUGHTS ARRAIGNED At the Barre of Gods JUSTICE SET FORTH In a
this it not enough This is a solemne Ordinance of God and an ordinary disposition will not serve the turn Though every child of God be ordinarily disposed to every good word and work to pray and to hear the word of God he is prepared and furnished to every well-doing ordinarily and habitually but a man must be disposed farther There is a solemne preparation required to the Communion as in Deut. 16. 15. there were solemn feasts in the Law so there is this solemn feast in the Gospel and there are solemn preparations required thereto When we come to the Communion to eat the Lords Supper it is not eating and drinking in Christs presence for so may any reprobate do and yet Christ may say to him Depart from me thou worker of iniquity It is not to come and sit in your Pewes and wait till the Bread comes and take it and till the Cup comes and drink it so many a Reprobate may doe as the Corinthians did that did eat and drink their own damnation But there must be a solemn preparation to it to be sealed with the Spirit of Promise to be righteous by faith in the body and bloâ—d of Christ For a man to be humble and empty of his sin to be â—â—â—â—sâ—y aâ—â—â—â— the precious bloud of Christ to be fed and built up in the promises It is a weighty thing to come to the Communion a man must be a worthy man or else he hath nothing to do here As Solomon said of Adonijah if he be a worthy man not a hair shall fall from his head but if wickednesse be found in him he shall dye 1 Kings 1. 52. So if we be worthy men and women not a hair of our heads shall fall to the ground none of the curses shall light on us that light on unprepared persons but if wickednesse be found in us if we be guilty of any sin if we live in any lust not mortified if there be any prophanenesse in our lives in our families in our courses and callings though we catch hold of the horns of the Altar though we partake of these holy mysteries yet we shall be so far from having any mercy as that we shall hasten our own ruine we set a seal on our own judgement and make our case worse than it was before Let us take notice of it and never dare to rush on any of Gods Ordinances You know what became of the foolish man in the Gospel that when they were invited to come to the marriage supper he thought it was nothing but to come with them that came to crowd in with them and sit down among the rest he considered not what he went about that he might be prepared accordingly the event was this he was cast out into utter darknesse Matth. 22. 13. It is dangerous rushing on any of Gods ordinances To rush upon prayer for a man to fall down upon his knees and to utter any thing before the Lord hastily with his mouth not considering that God is in heaven and he on the earth A mans word may damn his own soul and pull vengeance on his own pate his prayers may prove a curse his prayer for mercy may be turned into vengeance So the higher the service the greater the danger As the servants of Abigail said to her Consider what you do when evill was determined against them so consider what you do when you come to the Sacrament you come to a weighty thing to that that will either set you neerer to the Kindome of God or hell and condemnation But I let this passe and come to the words themselves Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. In these words observe First the matter of the duty commanded that is to eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Secondly the manner of doing the duty not only to eat of that bread but so to eat and not only to drink of that cup but so to drink Thirdly the rule of direction how to come in a right manner to partake of it that is by examining of our selves Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Fourthly and lastly the benefit following that direction and that is in this word But let a man examine himself He had said before He that eats and drinks unworthily is made guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord and he discerneth not the Lords body verse 27. But saith he as if he should say if a man would prevent this if a man would take order that he be not guilty of the body and bloud of Christ that he do not come undiscerningly to these heavenly mysteries but with comfort and title to the promises with hope and confidence and speeding there of the benefits of Christ exhibited then let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Now I will passe over some of these points namely that we are to eat that bread and drink that cup. There is a necessity that we should receive the Lords supper I need not stand on this you know it sufficiently proved by the Sacrament of the Law which was the fore-runner of this Sacrament that soul that did not partake of that was to dye the death he was to be cut off from Gods people Num. 9. 13. If the Lord was so carefull of those Sacraments that were inferior to these and yet they were of the same substance as these that the man that neglected to come to them to partake of them was to be cut off to be excommunicated from the people of God and to be rent off from the congregation of the Saints then how much more for these heavenly and weighty and glorious Ordinances of the Gospel which are farr more glorious than them of the Law But I will not stand upon that I might here take notice too of the frequency of the duty for so it hath dependence on those words formerly As oft as you eat this bread and drink this cup ye shew the Lords death and so that is as oft as ye eat do it in this manner This is the command of God that we oft receive the Lords Supper In the Primitive times St. Basil observes that they eat it three or four times in a week on Wednesdays Frydays and on the Lords day but that was a time of persecution I will not stand upon that I think it not neeedfull But it should be often we should not thurst it only upon Easter and Whitsuntide and Christ-tide three or four times in the year Again I might observe here from this mystery received in that he calls it Bread I might observe against the Papists Transubstantiation that the bread received is not transubstantiated but is bread still and against that of receiving in one kind So let him eat of that bread and drink of that
SERMON preached at Linton in Kent By that Reverend and Faithfull Minister of Gods Word WILLIAM FENNER B. D. Sometimes Fellow of ` Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Pastor of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford A SERMON OF M. WILLIAM FENNERS Preached at Linton September 9. 1629. PHIL. 3. 18 19. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you weeping that they are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose belly is their God whose glory is their shame and who mind earthly things THE Apostle in the closure of this Chapter setteth out unto us a two-fold kind of life First the life of the Godly and that 1. by way of Exhortation verse 17. Brethren be followers together of me and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example 2. By way of declaration verse 20. But our conversation is in heaven whence also we look for the Saviour even the Lord Jesus Christ Then secondly he sets forth unto us the life of the wicked which walked otherwise than the Disciples and Apostles of Christ walked in these words read unto you The Apostle warned those wicked men again and again but they would not take warning neither did they think themselves so bad as he made them and therefore they thought they should speed well enough he preached to them in the Pulpit and wrote unto them though he were six hundred miles and more distant from them and that weeping too that they were enemies to the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly who mind earthly things These words may be construed two waies either as being meant 1. Of severall wicked men as first of Heterodox walkers such as walk contrary to the Apostles or 2. Of wicked persecutors of the Gospel enemies to the Crosse of Christ 3. Of Drunkards and Hypocrites whose God is their belly 4. Of Ambitious and proud persons whose glory is their shame and 5. Of covetous and carnal-minded men who mind earthly things or as Chrysostom expounds the words and so it seems is the meaning of them to be meant of one sort of men who mind earthly things they are such as walk otherwise than the Apostle walked Who are they that mind earthly things they are enemies of the Crosse of Christ Who are they that mind earthly things Whose hearts and affections run more after the things of this life than after the crosse of Christ Their God is their belly Who are they that mind earthly things and think only how to increase their living and enlarge their estate and make them sure unto themselves their glory is their shame Who are they that mind earthly things that give their hearts the flower of man and their affections the flower of their Souls unto the world and unto the base things of the world still they are they that mind earthly things which set either their loving thoughts or their raking and caring thoughts or their fretting and vexing thoughts or the eager covetous and vain thoughts on earthly things they are they that walk otherwise than the Apostles of Christ walked These are are those that are enemies to the Crosse of Christ whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things whose end is destruction Hence then will we observe this point That those whose minds and hearts run habitually on earth and earthly things their end must needs be destruction Jeremiah 9. 19. Hear O earth saith God behold I will bring evil upon this people even the fruit of their thoughts because they have not hearkned unto me but rejected my Law Wherein we may see three things 1. That the curse of God is the desert of cursed evil and vain thoughts 2. That the plague and curse of God is the event of evil and vain thoughts evil thoughts do not not only deserve Gods plagues but also bring them 3. Here is notice given to all the world Hear O earth as if he had said here is a reckoning that you little dream of I will bring a plague upon you not only for your idolatry for your whoredom and fornication but even for your vain thoughts Prov. 24. 9 The thoughts of the wicked are sin The Lord doth not only condemn the actions and courses of of wicked men but sets his curse upon their very thoughts Sin is of an homogeneal nature of which every part of a thing is the whole every piece of a stone is stone for it hath the nature of the whole even so it is with sin the least part of sin the least thought of sin the least shiver of sin is sin and abominable before God The reasons why those whose hearts and thoughts run habitually on earth and earthly things must needs end in destruction are 1. That mans end must needs end destruction that never repents Now so long as a mans thoughts run usually and habitually on the things of the world that man never repents repentance not only cleanseth the out-side of man but the inside also even the heart repentance goeth as far as the Law of God â—â—eth where the word of God begins there repentance must noeds begin now the word of God begins and strikes at the heart as saith the Apostle The Word of God is sharp powerful sharper than any two edged sword peircing to the dividing asunder of the soul and Spirit the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts of the heart Heb. 4. 12. Now then if the word of God strike at the thoughts of the heart then repentance must go and teach so farr to reform and amend the things of the heart or else he never repents Let a man sweep his house never so much yet it is not clean so long as there remains one Cob-web in it so if thy heart be swept from drunkennesse whoring and swearing and yet if the old Cob-web of vain thoughts remain in any corner of thy heart not washed out nor swept down thou hast not as yet repented Oh Jerusalem faith God to his Prophet wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4. 14. Mark how the Lord inforceth his exhortation see how he backs his counsell that thou maiest be saved as if he had said thou canst not be saved unles thou wash thy heart from vain thoughts how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee He doth not say why do vain thoughts come into thee for they will come into the best and most holy heart but how long shall they lodge within thee If vain thoughts do lodge in man and take up their nest in his heart if a man let his thoughts dwel upon vain things and he give away unto them and use them as his market trade and recreations he cannot be saved it is an emphaticall kind of speech as if the Lord should say O Jerusalem
profits hath never the more pain nor anguish in his soul he is soule-whole and heart-whole what need hath he of a Physitian This is a man whole in his sins The wholenesse of the heart is called fallow ground Jerem. 4. 4. for it is like an unbroken field not tilled nor manured there can be no harvest because the ground doth lie fallow so there can be no harvest of grace in that man whose heart is fallow and unbroken and therefore to repent and to break the heart in Scripture is called the putting of ones hand to the plough Luke 9. 62. to plough up the fallow ground of the heart Brokennesse of heart may be considered two wayes First in relation to wholenesse of heart in sin so brokennesse of heart is not a maladie but an inchoative cure of a desperate maladie Secondly in relation to wholenesse of heart from sinne and so it is a maladie or sicknesse and yet peculiar to one blood alone namely Gods elect for though the heart be whole yet it is broken for its sinnes as a man that hath a barbed arrow shot into his side and the arrow is pluckt out of the flesh yet the wound is not presently healed so sinne may be pluckt out of the heart but the scar that was made with plucking it out is not yet cured The wounds that are yet under cure are the plaugues and troubles of conscience the sighs and groanes of a hungring soule after grace the stinging poyson that the blow hath left behind it these are the wounds Now the heart is broken three wayes First By the Law as it breakes the heart of a Thief to heare the sentence of the Law that he must be hanged for his robbery so it breakes the heart of the soule sensible to understand the sentence of the Law Thou shalt not sin if thou do thou shalt be damned If ever the heart come to be sensible of this sentence Thou art a damned man it is impossible to stand out under it but it must break Is not my word a hammer that breaks the rocks in pieces Jer. 23. 29. that is Is not my word my Law a hammer Can any rock heart hold out and not be broken with the blowes of it Indeed thus far a man may be broken and yet be a reprobate for they shall be all thus broken in hell and therefore this breaking is not enough Secondly by the Gospel for if ever the heart come to be sensible of its blow it will break all to shatters Rent your hearts for the Lord is gracious c. Joel 2. 12. When all the shakes of Gods mercy come they all cry rent Indeed the heart cannot stand out aginst them if it once feel them Beat thy soul upon the Gospel if any way under heaven can break it this is the way Aristotle observes that a hammer may easily break a hard stone against a soft bed but if it be laid on an anvil which will not give way underneath strike it as hard as you will with the hammer on the top the anvil underneath props it from breaking or if it do break it will not break into shatters for the anvil below helps the stone to hang fast together but if you smite it against a soft bed it breaks it all to shatters So smite thy soul upon the Gospel preach the law as much as as you will preach hell and damnation as much as you will let that be the hammer but then be sure lay thy soul on the Gospel drive it to the Gospel smite against this soft bed and then if ever it will break If you strike a stone against a hard anvil though the parts thereof would fall asunder yet how can they flie off when as the hard anvil will not give way the hard anvil on the one side and the hard hammer on the other side stop up its way from falling asunder So strike the soul with the blows of Gods wrath as much as you will and let it be upon the Law alas whither should the Law open it self that it might break the Law doth but fear it on the one side and the wrath of God doth terrifie it on the other yet all this while it is not broken the soule all this while knows not what it shall doe but smite it on the Gospel and this with the Law rents it and breaks it indeed So Joel he preached hell and damnation to the people of the Jews and laid their hearts upon mercie and then the hammer crie rent for he is merciful c. he laid them on the soft bed of the Gospel and then he smites them Thirdly the heart is broken by the skill of the Minister in the handling of these two the Law and the Gospel God furnisheth him with skill to presse the Law home and gives him understanding how to put to the Gospel and by this means doth God break up the heart For alas though the Law be never so good a hammer and although the Gospel be never so soft a bed yet if the Minister lay not the soul upon it the heart will not break he must fetch a full stroke with the Law and he must set the full power of the Gospel at the back of the soul or else the heart will not break It is a pretty observation of Aristotle Lay saith he an axe upon a block and a great and mighty weight upon it yet it will not enter into the block to cleave it but if you lift up the axe and fetch a full blow at the block then it enters presently So if the Minister have not skil to fetch a dead blow at the heart alas he may be long enough ere he break it but let him fetch a full blow at the soule then doth he break it if ever I took unto me two staves saith the Prophet the one I called beauty the other I called bands and with these I â—ed the flock Zach. 11. 7. There is the course of a true feeder of the flock he feeds them with the Law and the Gospel he takes his two staves and he layes about him till the hearts of his hearers feel him and this is the way to feed them and to breake them off from their sins Thus you see the meanes that God useth to breâ—k your hearts He healeth the broken in heart Hence observe That Christ justifies and sanctifies For that is the meaning First because God hath given Christ grace to practise for the sakes of the broken in heart and therefore if this be his grace to heal the broken-hearted certainly he will heal them The spirit of the Lord is upon me c. He hath sent me to heal the broken in heart c. Luke 4. 18. If he be created master of this art even for this purpose to heal the broken in heart he will verily heal them and none but them He is not like Hosander and Hippocrates whose father appointed them both to be Physitians he
your selves unworthy of everlasting life c. You that have heard the word of God apply it to your soules it is a blessed plaister let it lie on your soules go home and say Lord I have been told of this and that sinne of my pride hypocrisie deadnesse and distraction in thy worship and service c. I see they are against thy will and thou commandest me to come out of them and to leave them Lord I beseech thee inable me to leave them all so Lord I have been told this day of such and such graces which thou hast commanded me for to have of such and such duties that thou wouldest have me to take up and performe Lord subject my heart to the power of grace and to every commandement of thy word Take heed if thou doest put off the word of God or any tittle of the word and wilt not walke according to the same thou puttest off eternall life from thy selfe Doe therefore as Gods people did who when Moses had preached the Law and Will of God to them it is said Exod. 12. 50. Thus did all the Children of Israel as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron so did they So doe you goe home and apply the word to your soules it was spoken for your good make use of it and the Lord be with you Thirdly Scrutiny it is not onely an outward word but a word of the heart if any man say that is if any man think that he is in Christ he ought to walke as Christ did Hence we might observe That a Minister is bound to preach to mens thoughts But time cuts us off THE ENMITIE OF THE WICKED To the light of the GOSPEL In a SERMON By WILLIAM FENNER Minister of the Gospel sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Lecturer of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford THE ENMITY OF THE WICKED To the light of the GOSPEL JOHN 3. VER 20. For every man that doth evill hateth the light neither cometh he to the light least his deeds should be reproved THis is part of Christ his parly with Nicodemus concerning regeneration wherein our Saviour doth declare four main points The first is Mans naturall estate and condition without Christ It is impossible that ever he should be saved that ever he should get grace or come within the list of eternall life Christ saith it and bindeth it with an oath ver 3. Verily Verily I say unto thee except a man be borne again he cannot see the Kingdome of God much lesse inherit it Secondly here is Gods gracious provision which he hath taken with the world that though man were in a way of damnation invincibly yet now he is put in a way of probability of salvation ver 16. though he were damnable by nature yet now he is salvable by Christ Thirdly here is a general proclamation upon the condition of faith that this salvability may be attained if a man believe In the same verse God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him c. It is a condition of faith put to all none excepted Whosoever he be that beleeveth in Christ he shall be saved Fourthly here is the reprobation of the world he that beleeveth not is condemned already The cause whereof cannot be cast on Christ for God hath not sent his Son to condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved It was Christs primary purpose and the first end of his coming to save the world it is an accidentall end or rather an event of his coming that the world is condemned Christ is not the cause of it he is not the efficient cause for he is a Saviour nor the deficient cause for he is a sufficient Saviour That the cause of their condemnation is from themselves and not from Christ is proved by three arguments First from their own consciences he that beleeveth not is condemned already He cannot here speake of the condemnation of hell for he is not in hell already But he speakes of an apprehensuall condemnation in their own consciences as Chrysostome observes he meanes the condemnation of their own consciences he that beleeves not his conscience tells him that it is his fault that he beleeveth not though it be not in his power to be beleeve yet God hath gone so farre he hath so farre strugled with mens consciences that there is no default on his part They cannot excuse themselves saying I have no power to beleeve their own consciences will tell them that God hath knocked at their hearts and offered them power to beleeve but they rejected it They cannot say I know not how to beleeve his own conscience will tell him that God hath offered instruction to him whereby he might have been taught but that he refused it so that he that beleeves not is condemned already his own conscience riseth within him and tells him that it is his own fault that he doth not Secondly it is proved by experience experience shews that men are the cause of their own condemnation verse 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world but men loved darknesse rather then light the meaning of it is this This is the cause of condemnation to the world not Gods predestination not their fatall destiny not their breach of the first covenant nor any other impiety but this sinne of Infidelity If the world stood guilty of never so many sinnes yet if it did beleeve in the Lord Jesus it should be saved So that it is not all the other sinnes that a man commits that damnes him but his infidelity that layes all his former sinnes that ever he committed upon him here is condemnation that though light be come into the world to pull men out of their darknesse and sinnes yea though Christ though grace come to them yet they will not come out of their sinnes men will not have Christ men will not have grace men love darknesse rather then light Thirdly It is proved by reason verse 20. the verse now read unto you For every man that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light least his deeds should be reproved It is a strong argument to prove that if men be damned themselves are the cause of it for if light come into the world to instruct men if Christ come into the world to pluck men out of their sins if Christ come with his bloud and spirit to cleanse and sanctifie men and men will not be sanctified Then if they perish in their sins they are justly guilty of their own condemnation The words comprehend in them two things First the wickeds rejection of the word of grace which is set forth both positively he hates the light and then privatively or rather negatively neither cometh to the light Secondly the cause of the wickeds rejection of the word of grace which is twofold First the qualification of his
see a pill but his stomack riseth against it Behold I wil hedge up thy way with thorns Hos 2. 6. I wil not be so precise saith the heart I wil go on as I have done I wil go after these and these courses I will hedge up thy way with thorns saith God meditation is Gods instrument and sets a thorn in the way to every sin to bring the heart back again Would the heart lash out into luke-warmnesse Meditation sets a thorn in the way God will spue thee out of his mouth Would the heart sally forth into any sin Meditation sets a thorn in the way Cursed art thou if thou dost err from Gods Commandements The heart cannot step forth into any lust but meditation meets it with a thorn this curse and that curse this plague and that plague Would the heart reach at mercy in its sin Meditation pricks it mercie is vengeance unto thee so long as thou hankrest after sin Would the heart reach after Christ in his sin Meditation pushes it back with a thorn no Christ for thee but a severejudge so long as thou itchest after thy vanities What shal we think of them then which are loth to practice this duty Most men are loth though they be willing enough to meditate on their worldly affairs The Mariner meditates and considers his course by his Compasse or else he might soon runne on the quick-sands a Pilgrim is full of thoughts what am I in my right way He never comes to a doubtfull turning but he stands in a study and muses O which is my right way The Merchant meditates and his mind runs on his Count-book or else he is soon bankrupt The voluptuous man his thoughts run on his pleasure the drunkard on his cups the proud man on his credit But it is one thing to look to that which is thine and another thing to look to thy self Take heed to your selves saith the Lord Deut. 11. 16. Deut. 12. 30. Deut. 4. 9. Exod. 34. 12. as if he should say think on thy self of thy poor soul let thy Meditation run on thy poor soul The heart is untoward unto this duty and as unwilling as a Bear to be brought to the stake the Bear would rather be rambling abroad then be baited so men had rather let their hearts ramble about any thing then bait them for their sins yea men scoff at it saying shall we alwayes be poring on our sins shall we run mad shall we drive our selves to despair cannot men keep themselves well while they are well The poor man he hath no time for this tedious duty the rich man he needs it not the wicked they dare not so no man will No man repented him of his wickednesse saying What have I done Jer. 8. 6. no man would meditate and think with himself what is my case how stands my condition before God what evil have I done in the Ark and in the old Law if there were any beast that chewed not the cud it was a sign of an unclean beast the word implies the bringing up of their meat into their mouths again and sitting down to chew it again But now men like unclean beasts swallow down the food of their souls unchewed and will not meditate thereof that it may turn to good nutriment but like Cormorants they take it down by whole-sale and are never the better So the Word is to them as the Quails to the Israelites while the flesh was yet between their teeth ere it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against them and smote them them with a very great plague Num. 11 33. So the Word of God sticks in their teeth ere they chew it or meditate upon it the wrath of God falls upon them and strikes them with a very great plague of hardnesse of heart and leanness of soul But the truth is you that will not now see your sins nor meditate on them you shall see them and meditate on nothing but on fear Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed Isaiah 26. 11. Now the Lets of serious meditation are First vain company When Peter saw the people touched Acts 2. 37. he said unto them Save your selves from this untoward generation verse 40. as if he should say If you love your selves God hath touched your hearts suffer not Satan and these wicked instruments to steal away these impressions of terrour from your Souls If ever you love your souls sort not your selvs with this untoward generation See as it humbles you so let meditation follow upon it so that it may still humble you Ill company brings a man to the gallows as the proverb is and ill company will bring a man to hell say I and meditation cannot be admitted to it David would not have a wicked man to abide in his sight when he was to meditate he wisht that there were never a wicked man in the world much less would he keep company with them My meditation of him shall be sweet let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more Bless thou the Lord O my soul ps 104. 35. The second Let is multitude of worldly businesses A dream saith Solomon comes through multitude of businesses Eccles 5. Multitude of businesses causeth the mind so to run on them that they do even dream of them in their sleep as Lucretius Seneca Claudian and many others of the hearthens haue observed He that over-imploys himself his meditations of heaven are dreaming meditations his thoughts dreaming thoughts he can never seriously meditate on the good of his soul Many ingrosse businesses into their hands never thinking they have enough they are so greedy after the world and so carelesse of heaven So they make their hearts like high-way-ground the word sown in their hearts is like seed sown in the high-way where is such a throughfare and a broad Carriers road of earthly affairs that all the word and meditation thereof is trodden down as the grasse in the high-way which cannot grow so neither meditation in a busie-bodied heart For a good meditating mind Nemo ad illam pervenit occupatus saith Seneca no man ever came to it surfeited with imployments David although he had abundance of State-affairs both his hands ful yet he would not to be over-charged but that he might meditate in Gods word My hands also not all down to businesse only in the world but also up to thy Law will I lift up to thy commandements which I have loved and I wil meditate on thy statutes Psal 119. 48. Take not too much upon thee like those grasping worldlings that wil have a finger in a hundred things Martha Martha thou art cumbred about many things but one thing is needfull and Mary hath chosen the better part Luke 10. 41. and what was that one thing Mary was sitting and meditating in and pondring Christs words not
and displease him A wicked man will swear and blaspheme the Name of God and by and by it may be he will cry God mercy and so he thinks of God The man breaks out it may be into wrath and malice fury and passion and then it may be a thought will come into his mind to cry God mercy for it and thus he thinks of God The man is carelesse earthly dead and lukewarm in the performance of good duties and because his Conscience tells him it is not good he will aslo God forgivenesse he will be proud vain and rotten in his speeches and then it may be a thought will come into his mind to ask God forgivenesse and so he thinks of God he will think of the world of his pleasures profits of his lusts and sins and then it may be a good thought will come into his mind and then it may be he will think a little of God too Beloved this is carnal and devillish thinking of God thy thoughts then of God must be joyned with the fear of God Fourthly and lastly thou thinkest of God but the question is whether thy thoughts of him be profitable or unprofitable thoughts a godly man thinks of repentance and repents upon it he thinks of calling on God more faithfully and fervently then he did before and he accomplishes his thoughts for he goes a bout it and his heart is the better for it Thus it was with David when he said I thought on my way ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Psalm 119. 59. I thought on my wayes there was his good thoughts and turned my feet unto thy testimonies there was the profit of his good thoughts but on the contrary thou thinkest of God but God hath never the more service of thee thou thinkest of leaving of thy good fellowship and merry companions but for all thy thought thou retainest them still thou thinkest to give over all thy deadnesse and luke-warmnesse and so get more zeal fervency yet day after day and year after year thy heart is as dead vain and secure as before as ever before Examine thy self and see thou hast good thoughts thou saist but where is the profit of them thou thinkest of leaving thy wrath and of bridling thy filthy passions but art thou enabled by thy thoughts to put up an injury the better it may be thou thinkest of death but is thy life the more holy and sanctified by it Thou thinkest of Christ and his blood but is thy heart purged by it Oh the wretched misery of the most men in the world because of the unprofitablenesse of their thoughts they have many good thoughts but they want the profitable use of them they get no good by by them There is an excellent description of the thoughts of wicked men though it be Apocrypha The heart of the foolish is like a Cart-Wheel and his thoughts like the rowling Axeltree As the Cart-wheel goes round all the day and yet remains on the Axeltree so is it with wicked men their thoughts wheel and wheel them up and down a thousand thousand times their thoughts run upon this thing and then upon another thing and so they rowl up and down continually yet their heatt is at the same passe it was still an earthly heart it was and so it is still a prophane heart it was and so it is still a carnall proud heart it was and so it remains still But let these know that the time hastens wherein God will judge them even for their very thoughts Where are they then that say thought is free It is true indeed it is free from mens knowledge and from mens Courts but not from Gods they are not free from Gods all-seeing eye and knowledge Thou hast tryed and known me saith the Prophet thou understandest my thoughts afar off Psal 139. Beloved as you are in the Ale-house or gaming house as you walk abroad in the fields as you are imployed in your callings or about any holy duty God seeth all thy thoughts what is going in and what is coming out there is never a thought in thy heart but God sees it how then can thoughts be free God will weigh the thoughts of men Prov. 16. 2. Beloved what a fearfull day will that be when God shall take his Scales and weigh not mens bodies and estates for then in may be that rich men and fat and grosse men will out-weigh them that are better but he will take mens thoughts and weigh them he will weigh their souls he will take mens good thoughts and put them in one scale and their bad earthly carnal and unprofitable thoughts into another scale and to try which weighs heaviest Now if thy earthly and sinfull thoughts weigh heaviest then down thou goest into eternall damnation Secondly as thoughts are not free from Gods knowledge so are they not free from Gods Word for Gods Word can meet with them for it is lively and mighty in operation and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. Doth the word of God discern the thoughts of mens hearts Then much more doth the God of this word and therefore how can thoughts be fee Thirdly and lastly they are not free from the condemnation of hell and and damnation I am he saith God that search the heart and reins and I will give to every one of you according to his works or as some translations have it according to your thoughts Revel 3. 23. Now if God will so severely punish thoughts take heed then how thou retainest any evil thoughts I should here give you some meanes in the use that so you might rid your selves from vain thoughts First love the word of God if ever thou wilt come out of them prize the truth of God and labour to get thy mind and thoughts to be set on better things and then the thoughts of the world and all vain things will vanish away This course the Prophet David took Psal 119 113 I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love How came it to pass that he hated vain thoughts namely by loving Gods Law if he had not loved Gods Law and those excellent things therein and set his heart on them he could never have hated vain thoughts The way then to break off thy league with vain thoughts is to be in league with good thoughts Dost thou complain of vain thoughts in prayer in hearing the word in receiving of the Sacraments and art thou stuffed and filled with them that thou canst not think upon God and holy things thou dost hereby bewray thine own rottenesse and corruptions And therefore know that if thou lovest the Lord and his Word and didst set thy thoughts upon him thou wouldest never have them so much imployed about such base things Secondly if ever thou wouldest rid thy heart of vain thoughts especially when thou art in holy action thou must go unto God by prayer there is no greater
in the grace of God and in Religion Now man is naturally unprepared for it First a man must fell his wood and then cut it and hew it even and carve it and plain it fit and prepare it before he build So a man must hew down his own heart he must humble his own soul and qualifie all within him and so be sanctified before he be fit As for example in prayer a man must be prepared to prayer before he pray he must prepare his heart and then Gods ears will hearken to it In Psal 10. 17. The Lord will have the heart prepared before he hear the prayer So it is with the word of God a man must be prepared before he hear it As a man that preacheth must be prepared before he preach as Ezra is said to prepare his heart Ezra 7 10. He prepared his heart to do the Law and to teach it So a Minister cannot preach except he be prepared beforehand with a commission from God with preserving knowledge with a coal from Gods Altar with a spirit of wisdome and understanding with a Law of kindnesse in his lips with meditation and with a Theme fitted in his mouth for the people he must be prepared with a burning and a shining light or else he shall not edifie the congregation So it is with all other Ordinances For humbling of a mans soul a man cannot humble his heart except he be prepared to it Amos 4. 12. Prepare to meet thy God he speaks of humiliation If a man would humble himself before God if he be not prepared if his heart be not prepared to let go the world his worldly profits and vain pleasures and carnal acquaintance his wonted lusts and former delights If he be not prepared to let these go when he comes to keep a Fast or to afflict his soul and goes along to do the duty to lay himself down before Almighty God some lust or other will stick in his teeth and intercept his heart he shall never be able to do it as Samuel said to the people If you will turn to the Lord prepare your hearts to do it 1 Sam. 7. So it must be in all the ordinances of God and much more in the Sacrament Secondly another Reason is because the Lord Christ hath made great preparations to provide the Lords Supper therefore we must be prepared to eat it You know what a great deal adoe there was before the Supper was made Christ must be incarnate and fulfill all righteousnesse he must conclude it upon his suffering he must tread the wine-presse alone and suffer himself to be beaten and rejected of God and men and suffer death the cursed death of the Crosse all these things were concluded upon before this holy and blessed Supper was provided Come saith he I have prepared my dinner Matth. 22. Mark Christ is fain to prepare his dinner he makes a great Feast there was great preparation for it so there must be great preparation of our souls before we can come to this holy banquet It is true among men there may be great preparation for a feast and little or nothing for the eating of it Sometimes there are two or three dayes preparation for a feast and is eaten presently The reason is because man naturally hungers after meat and drink and he alwayes provides twice or thrice in twenty four hours for eating and drinking But the Lords Supper is a spiritual banquet a man is every day and hour and moment naturally unfit for it and there is much adoe to put an edge upon mens appetites and a keennesse upon mens desires that they may be fitted and prepared for it Thirdly another reason is Because the Lord Christ when he administers himself in this heavenly mystery he offers to come into the soul and he looks for good entertainment and therefore of necessity there must be preparation for it You see when a mortall man an earthly Prince or a Noble man comes to another mans house what a deal of preparation there is to provide for him there is meat made ready and purging the house and sweeping the yard and trimming up the very pales and every thing and making clean all the Chambers and ridding out whatsoever fills it and every thing that is out of order it set in tune And what will my Lord think and what will his Majesty think he wil think he is slighted and contemned And when he comes in it may be his own children shal serve and his own wife wait at the Table and there is running up and down of errands and a great deal of adoe to give such a one entertainment There is preparation to entertain a man as Saint Paul said to Philemon I will that you prepare me lodging how much more when the eternall God shall come under a mans roof and dine with him Lastly Because the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a part of Christs last will and Testament Now it is a terrible thing when we know our Lords will and prepare not for the doing of it Look in Luke 12. 48. he that knew it not did things worthy of stripes but in verse 47. That servant that knew the Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes that man shall be damned with much damnation he shall be damned deeper than any body Dost thou know the Lords Table that this blessed Sacrament is part of Christs last Testament and wilt thou not prepare thy self for it to get an humble heart and labour for a holy life and seek for a thirsty soul and vow upon new obedience and enter into Covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ for a better kind of conversation for the time to come Wilt thou not go and examine thine own soul and go and reform whatsoever is amisse in thy family in thy place and calling Wilt thou not do these things to prepare for this holy will of Jesus Christ thou shalt be damned deeper than any body else because this is a part of Gods last Will and Testament and thou knowest it and therefore woe unto thee if thou prepare not for it THE DUTIE OF THE REPROVER And the Persons Reproved SET FORTH In a SERMON preached By that Reverend and Faithfull Minister of Gods Word WILLIAM FENNER B. D. Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Pastor of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford THE DUTIE OF REPROVERS And Persons Reproved A SERMON preached by Master WILLIAM FENNER Minister of GODS Word PROV 29. 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shal suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy THese words by reason of the ambiguity in the Hebrew tongue doe bear two expositions and our English can suffer but one The first exposition is this He that reproveth another and hardneth his own neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy The other is as we have
us and so falls aboard and he thinks that God must needs sanctifie them unto him and after supper he goes to prayer and so to bed and thinks that he shall be heard for his much babling sake Mat. 6. they think God will have mercy on them But poor souls if they knew how unseemingly they prayed how unfitly and what want there is in seeing their own estate they would say is this to pray for my soul for such infinite mercy Lord how do I abuse the throne of grace how do I abuse thy sabbaths thy house thy name and all the holy ordinances which I go about A man that is importunate in prayer is ashamed but when they think highly of their prayers they are insolent their prayers are damned and they too Secondly as men have high conceits of their prayers so they have mean conceits of their sinnes they think not their sins so bad as they are These men are like Abner who said Let the young men arise and play before us 2 Sam. 2. 15. They account murder a sport and dancing and musiking little worse then Davids playing on the harp Amos 6. 5. And if they commit adultery they say that's but a trick of youth if they tell a lie it is only at a dead lift when they have no other shift That man that doth not think of every sin he commits as David did of his even to make his heart to ake for it that man shall never speed well before God Thirdly as men have mean thoughts of their sins so they have base thoughts of God They cannot think that God should damn a man for drinking a pot with his friend I cannot think God will be so strict No no I love God with all my heart say they and they think that God is of their mind and if they were as God they would not be so strict So Psal 50. They thought I was such an one as themselves they think God will pardon â—â—em and therefore because of this men are not importunate with God God hath sent me a crosse saith one but I hope to rub it off well enough Why God will not keep his anger for ever Jer. 3. 5. Suppose a man be absent from Church or break out into some unsavoury speech will God be angry for this Suppose a man be negligent in a good duty will God require every dayes work Tush tush God will not Psal 10. 13. A company of Puritans say he will but I know he will not and hence it is that men will not be importunate Lastly because they have wrong conceits of importunity If a man knock once or twice or thrice and none answer presently he will be gone this is for want of manners thou wilt knock seven times if thou be importunate with them They within may say Hold thy peace be gone c. but thou wilt not so be answered Beloved men are close-handed they are loth to give and they are close-hearted too they are loth to take the pains to ask of God they are loth others should be importunate with them and therefore they are loth to be importuate with God Examine your selves then in this duty for importunate prayer is evermore the prayer of an importunate man THE EFFICACIE Of Importunate PRAYER The Second SERMON By that laborious and faithful Messenger of CHRIST WILLIAM FENNER Sometimes Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Ministers of Rochford in Essex London Printed by E. T. for John Stafford THE EFFICACY OF Importunate Prayer LUKE 11. 9. Ask and it shall be given unto you Seeke and you shall finde Knock and it shall be opened unto you TO proceed then There be six signes to know whether our Prayers be importunate or no. First importunate prayer is evermore the prayer of an importunate man and the man is importunate if his praier be importunate but how can a man importune God for mercy when his person importunes God for vengeance It must be the prayer of a godly heart Preserve my soul for I am holy Psal 86. 1 2. David makes a prayer and he was holy when he made it his prayer could tell him that he was one that laboured to work in holinesse Therefore when thou goest to God in praier consider whether thou canst say Lord hear me foâ— I am holy and I would fain be holy but if the saying of these words châ—ak thee tâ—en thy prayer condems thee Of all begging it is a great matter who it is that begs at the door Who is that saith the indweller and when he opens the door and sees it is a thief c. Oh is it you saies he you may stand long enough you shall never have alms of me So in praier it is all in all who it is that prays The woman in the Gospel having an issue touched our Saviour he looking about asked who touched him and when he saw the woman Oh is it you saies he be of good chear Luke 8. 48. So when a man praies to God Who is that saies God that would have these mercies And when the Lord sees it a Drunkard or a covetous man c. is it you saies the Lord you may stay till Dooms day and yet never find mercie The spirit of supplication and the spirit of prayer is called the spirit of grace Zach. 12. 10. If them thou hast not the spirit of grace thou canst not pray The text saith not Whosoever asketh the Father in my name but whatsoever you ask the Father in my name there is many a man may use the name of Christ at the throne of grace but certain it is none but those that are in Christ can pray and with them every thing operates A man that will walk with God in obedience to his lawes must be a holy man hence is that saying of our Saviour John 15. 7. a place fit for the purpose If you abide in me and my word abide in you c. as if he should have said You may ask what you please and intreat God all the daies of your life yet unlesse you abide in me you cannot speed That man that walks not in holinesse of life can never be an importunate orator as was Moses the man of God but a wicked mans prayer as Augustine speaks is tanquam latratus canum c. no better then the barking of dogs or the grunting of swine therefore you whose consciences tell you that you live in sin your prayers never speed at the throne of grace for eternall mercy Secondly an importunate praier is the praier of a pure conscience Suppose a man doth not see that he lives in sin yet if his conscience crie guilty if he have a foul conscience his prayer never prevails with God If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer saith David Psal 66. 18. that is If I can say or my conscience can tell me that I regard iniquitie in my heart the Lord will not hear
person he doth evill Secondly the disposition of his male partnesse that cannot indure to be reproved From the first of these we observe this That a wicked man hates the word of God grace yea he doth not onely hate the word of Gods grace but he hates grace it felfe he doth not onely hate the Lanthorne that beareth the light but he hates the light it selfe I choose not to stand to shew you how the word is called a light but that which I take to be more necessary for this place I will first shew you what this hatred of the word of grace and of grace it self is and I thus define it It is an actual affection of the heart whereby a man riseth up against an union with that which seems to be opposite and contrary to his lust So that there be foure things in a wicked mans hatred of the word First it is an actuall hatred for there is an habituall hatred of the word even in them that never heard the word they doe not actually hate it because they never had it but they would hate it if they had it as sore eys hate the light of the Sunne even when it is down for if they had it they would twinckle at it Thus all wicked men hate the word and may be condemned for despisers of the word though they doe not actually hate it because they have it not yet habitually they hate it they would hate it if they had it I speak not of this hatred but of that which is actuall hatred whereby though they have the word yet they hare to be controled and reformed by the word Prov. 1. 22. O ye fooles how long will ye hate knowledge Secondly it is a passion of the heart and so I distinguish it for I know a wicked man may love the word of God with his understanding and conscience his understanding may love the word and say it is good his conscience may love the word and say it is gratious yet if he cuts not off his sinnes for the word he hates it Psal 119. 70. Their heart is as fat as grease but my delight is in thy law as if he should say my heart is a leane heart an hungrie heart my soule delighteth and rejoyceth in and loveth thy word I have nothing else to fill it but thy word and the comforts I have from it but their hearts are as fat as grease their hearts are fat hearts fat with the world far with lust they hate the word As a full stomack loatheth meat and cannot digest it so wicked men hate the word it will not go down with them it will not fetch up their lusts If thou partest not with thy sinnes thy heart hateth the word yet thou thinkest thou lovest the word thou sayest thou lovest to hear the word and thou lovest good Ministers and good discourses c. it may be that this is nothing but the assent of thine understanding and the approbation of thy conscience and so a man may love the word in his understanding and conscience and yet be a hater of the word of God The Devills have attained to so much divinity as this they like the word in their understandings and assent to the truth of it in their consciences but though their understandings and consciences tell them that it is a good word yet they hate it This is a damnable and a most unnaturall hatred Indeed if a mans mind and conscience were against the word it were naturall for him to hate it it is naturall for a man to hate that which is against his mind but when thy conscience shall tell thee this is the word and the will of the Eternall God and thy conscience shall tell thee that it is a most true word a righteous a just an holy commandement that commands thee to serve thy God onely and so to part with all thy sinnes if yet thou wilt not obey but goe contrary to his word thy hatred it is unnaturall and divelish As it was said of Agrippa his dogge he had a divell tyed to his collar of another that he had a divell signed on his swords pummell so I may say to every one that hates the word and to be ruled by it and yet knowes it in his own understanding and conscience to be a true and good word I may say it is a divelish Hatred and he hath a divell tyed to his heart a divell in his heart Thirdly this hatred is that whereby the heart riseth up against an union with the word hatred is a shunning of an union with a thing A man doth not hate any evill naturally but he hates an union with it A man doth not hate poison it selfe he hates no poison in a toade let it be there as much as it will he cares not so the shepheard be hates not the wolfe in the Forrest but in the Flock A wicked man hates not the word so long as it keeps within it self he loves Epistles and Gospells the first and second lesson so long as the word keeps in the Scriptures he likes it but if the word begin to take union with him if the word begin to plucke sin from him to pull his cupps from him to pluck his pleasures and delights from him and his lusts from him then he hates the word when it comes in this union to his heart I put this union of the word in opposition to foure things First against generall preaching a wicked man loves generall preaching though it be of all the truthes in the Bible while they take no union with his heart he may heare a thousand Sermons and like them all well enough so long as the word closeth not in with a mans conscience so long as it grapples not with his heart so long he may love and like it But let the word come in particulars to him and tell him this is thy sinne and thou must to hell for it if thou givest it not over this hath been an old lust of thine which will be thy bane if thou repent not This thy old corruption it will be thy breake-necke if thou part not with it if the word come in this union with his soule then he hates it So long as Iohn Baptist tooke his text and dwelt on the reasons and went no further Herod heard him gladly but when Iohn came to his use to apply it and told him in particular this reproves thee Herod and all the evills that ever thou hast done and in particular for thine unlawfull marriage with thy brother Philips wife when Iohn came thus then Herod claps him up in prison before he heard him with joy and gladnesse but when he comes close to his conscience and tells him that his marriage would condemne him and his other sinnes would damn him if he repented not Herod cannot endure this preaching any longer Secondly in opposition to mercifull preaching A wicked man loves mercifull Preaching why it takes no
the poor saith the text of him he went away sorrowfull as if he should say he was sorry that there was any such truth in the Scripture he would have been glad that there had been no such text in the word of God The Prophets prophesie falsely and my people love to have it so Jer. 5. 31. they hated to have it so as the word would have it But when the false Prophets told them it was otherwise O they loved that Beloved the men of the world would be glad that God would make another Bible that drunkards and whoremasters might be saved another Bible that earthwormes and worldlings and proud persons might be saved If God would raine down a new Bible another Bible I feare there are many thousands among us that now say they love the Bible yet would love to heare of it and come from all places to seek after it after another Bible that would shew the way to heaven a little wider men are loth to heare of so much holinesse so much precisenesse they love not to be beaten on that string a signe that they hate it Can a man that is nothing but flesh and bloud love the text of Saint Paul that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 15. 50 Can an old filthy sinner love that text of Isaiah An old sinner though he be an hundred years old shall be accursed I saiah 65. 20 Can a Usurer love the 15. Psalme Can a luke warmling love Rev 3. 16 no he would be glad there were no such truth in the word and therefore he hates it Rom. 8. 7. A wicked man is such an enemy to the word that all the Ministers in England cannot reconcile him to it Secondly wicked men hate the word because they doe hate the nature of the word If men did love the word of God they would will what the word of God wills and nill what the word of God nills It is a good proverbe amongst us It is the property of lovers to will and nill the same things If men did love the word then look what the word saith they would doe what the word commands them they would obey If men did love the word they would comform their hearts and lives to the rules of the word But the carnall mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. A wicked man hates the law of God why the heart of a wicked man conceives the word of God to be against him he cannot think a thought but the word is against it he cannot speake a word but the word of God is against it he cannot pray his dead-hearted prayers but the word of God is against him c. And as the word of God is against him so his heart is against the word he is of one mind the word of another he is of one minde and the word of the cleane contrary mind against him Lastly as a wicked man hates the being of the word and the nature of the word in it selfe so he hates the being of it in his understanding he cannot abide the knowledge of the word therefore they say unto God depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes Job 21. 14. A wicked man would faine keep this and that lust he is loth to depart with his old corruptions his old sinnes he hath lived in them so long that he is loth to part with his old friends he would faine goe on in his lust and therefore he hates the knowledge of the word that would strippe him of his lust saith Aquinas Now he cannot be free for his sinnes and be curbed by the knowledge of the word I will tell you once it was my hap to preach a Sermon two or three hundred miles from this place and when Sermon was done I heard a man say O what a beast was I to come to this Sermon what a beast was I to come to it When the word of God comes to men and tells them that their state is damnable if they live in their sins when the word of God comes to the heart many are sorry that they ever heard the word of God that ever the word made such â—â—hing known to them The drunkard the wanton the Usurer and the worldling how glad would they be that the Minister could prove by the word of God that these sins were lawful that usury were lawful that covetousnesse were lawful c. But when the word goes flat against them then they cannot endure that word why their conscience begins to pen them in it puts their hearts in the stocks as it were they cannot have freedome in the pursuite of their lusts and sinnes an evident signe that men hate the word Austin saith of a wicked man He loves the truth shing but he hates the truth reproving As much of the word as you will to make him skillfull in knowing but he hates the word every dramme of it checking and rebuking girding and controuling him for his sins Beloved what is all our preaching doth it not shew that men hate the word need any goe to the field and exhort the Husbandman to plough and sow his ground need we goe to your houses to perswade men to feed to eate and drink and to cloath themselves need we goe to the Alehouse and perswade the drunkard to drink the swearer to sweare the gamester to play no men love their backes and their bellies men love their profits and their pleasures men love their lusts and sinnes But they must be exhorted and intreated and commanded to obey and to love the word of God and all little enough Hence then is a reproofe to all the wicked amongst us O beloved it is too true that abundance of us doe hate the light Did we not hate the light we would have shaken all our hands of our sinnes sheere ere now did we not hate the light we would have crucified our anger and our wrath and our pride ere now we would have subdued our security and our selfe-love and our lukewarmnesse in good duties did we not hate the light we had all been children of the light ere now Plato saith He loves that hath a similitude of that he loves but we have not a similitude and a likenesse of the light and therefore we doe not love it Beloved let me come a little neerer and convince all that heare me of this point They must needs be said to hate one another whom no intreaties nor beseeches can possâ—ibly reconcile That is irreconcileable hatred which cannot be taken off by all the intreaties of the world Herâ—d hated Tyrus and Sidon but his hatred was taken off by Blastus his intreatie Acts. 12. 20. but that hatred is irreconcileable hatred that no intreaties can take off Oh how often have Gods Ministers intreated you and beseeched you to give over your sinnes and yet you will not how often
done iniquity I will doe it no more Secondly In reformation under the rodde you must be sure to have your worke guided by God himselfe as Isa 2. 3. He will teach us his ways and we will walke in his paths so Psal 86. 11. Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walke in thy truth knit my heart unto thee that I may feare thy Name Thirdly in the worke of reformation under the rodde you must be carefull to reforme in one particular as well as another you must go through stich with this businesse that which I doe know and may know to be blame-worthy and have borne chastisements for in that I will offend noe more and if any thing further shall be made knowne unto me I will stop in my course and if it can be found out that therein I have sinned I will doe so no more For know assuredly he hath not reformed in anie thing aright that doth not reforme in every thing blame-worthy as Hosea 14. 2. saith the Prophet Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity what followes then saith he ver 3. Take unto you words and turne to the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us gratiously Take away all spare none every eye that offends every hand that sins every lust that provokes though never soe deare unto thee foregoe all manner of profit and credit in regard of thy temporall calling if it prove to be a sinne beare with one and in Gods sight thou bearest withall live in the breach of one of Gods commandments and thou art guilty of the breach of all Fourthly in reformation under the rodde you must not onely reforme in what you your selves doe or may understand to be amisse but you must take direction to know what is blame-worthy be eager and earnest to understand wherein you doe amisse say Good Lord if I doe amisse in relation to others as a husband as a wife as a Father as a child as a Minister as a hearer as a servant as a Master as a doer as a sufferer Lord shew it me Lord shew me my fault that I may reforme Make an earnest desire to God and say Good Lord if any thing be blameable let it have no shelter in me search me if any way of sinne try me if any way of wickednesse be in me and lead me in thy way for ever as it is Psal 139. 23 24. Thus make your requests to God this practice will prove the sincerity of your hearts thus praying you may know what is out of order when you compare your life and the word which is the rule together Mark what he Prophet Jeremy saith Lament 3. 39 40. Wherefore is a living man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sin let us search and try our wayes and turne again to the Lord Let us looke to our wayes this hath been my opinion my practise my way are they answerable to scripture consonant to the rule the word of God this we 〈…〉 labour to know when we would reforme our wayes Fifthly a Christian under the rodde should be so wrought upon with a Resolution to reforme that he should by solemne covenant binde himselfe to God for the future even all his life long marke the text Surely it is meet to be said to whom to our selves no to be said to God I have borne chastisements c. say Lord thou that hatest every evill way heare me what I have to say that have run out of the way Thou that art privy to all my sinfull affections help me to be reformed I resolve by thy help for the time to come to be more exact in my obedience to thy law that knowest my trouble and affliction make me reformed under the crosse This was Davids care Psal 66 13 14 I will goe into thine house with burnt offerings and will pay thee my vowes which my lippes have promised and my mouth hath spoken in mine affliction When he was in trouble and under the rod he promised something to God and now he resolves to be carefull to pay it Sixthly and lastly Christians under the rod must severally and personally not only joyntly in companie and assemblies reforme what is amisse according to the forementioned rules He doth not speak in the plurall number It is meet for Cities Countries and Kingdomes or Nations but It is meet for me that is for every particular man and woman of what degree estate or condition soever this must be my work my task my care husband apart wife apart child apart servant apart Minister apart people apart For usually that is done to best purpose which is done single in a way of secrecy The souldiers come to John and say What shall we doe the Publicans and sinners What shall we doe every one of them in particular desired to know what belonged to them in reforming this lieth plainly in the text Seventhly There is something else that I meant as a seventh help it is that Christians should not only looke upon their reformation under the rodde as a taske necessary and as a duty commanded but they should looke upon it as an imployment comely and lovely meet saith the text what a beautifull and beseemingthing is it in a Christian resolving to be reformed under the rudde And thus we have done with the first thinge propounded viz. what kinde of reformation it is we should resolve upon under the rod. The second thing propounded is what arguments may prevaile with Christians according to the latitude of this Text thus to reforme under the rodde There are arguments of two kindes that I shall suggest First some in relation to God Secondly some in relation to our selves First in relation to God I shall name six or seven whereof five I shall finde in this chapter First because God that calleth for Reformation under Correction is the author of every blow of every scourge he it is that breaketh the bones that teareth the skin that bruiseth the flesh this you may see in the 13 14 15. v. Who hath given him a charge over the earth or who hath placed him over the whole world If he set his heart upon man speaking of God and gather unto himselfe his spirit and his breath All flesh shall perish together and man shall returne unto dust he doth not say if they will breake themselves to pieces or if infectious aire or unseasonable times will produce a pestilence to sweepe them away but if he shall doe it that is God he is the author of it Consider that place Jer. 5. 3. where the Prophet speakes thus by way of complaint O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth thou hast stricken them but they have not sorrowed thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a stone and have refused to returne should not the childs care under the smarting rod be to give content to the angry father know the Lord is the
to the riches of his grace turne to your joy and everlasting comfort When the Lord threatned the Captivity Jerem. 24. he compares them to two baskets ef figges whereof one one was good the other naught by the good figges he sets out those that should be reformed by their captivity verse 6. I will set mine eyes upon them for good and I will give them a heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God They shall be happy though under the power of them that hate both them and their profession they shall enjoy me for good saith the Lord because they have turned to me with all their hearts Will you see what heapes of comfort heape upon heape the Lord hath provided for them in reading that place Job 22. 22. to the end You know in what a case Job was his estate was wasted his Children killed his wife become a cold comforter Now mark 22. Receive I pray thee the Law of his mouth and lay up his words in thine heart 23. If thou returne to the Almighty thou shalt be built up and thou shalt put iniquity from thy tabernacle See further the restauration of his estate and the supply of his want so far as abundance may be for thy good thou shalt have it if under the rod thou returne 25. The Almighty shall be thy defence yea thou shalt have thy delight in the Almighty The reason why we have so little communion with God is because lusts ly unsubdued in our bosome we take delight in our riches and pleasure and this hinders us of the sweet joy we might have in Christ He goes on Thou shalt lift up thy face to God what is the reason a man runs and hides his head it is because he hath sinned he goes on Thou shalt make thy prayer to him and he shall heare thee he will so heare that he will grant thee thy requests and thou shalt have to pay thy vowes that thou hast promised thou shall decree a thing and he shall establish it unto thee thou shalt alway speed and prosper in thine undertakings and the light shall shine in thy wayes God himself shall direct thee when others are cast down then shalt thou say I am lifted up See what a company of comforts is here for them that will be reformed under the rod. What need I name particulars when as Jesus Christ in whom is all the promises of this life a better is made over to them that are careful to reforme both in their spirit and wayes in reference to that God that casts them down the redeemer shall come unto Zion and unto them that turne from iniquity in Jacob saith the Lord Isaiah 59. 20. Is not here strong arguments to move you therefore take the Place of the text and say we will beare chastisements we will not offend any more that which we see not teach thou us and if we have done iniquity we will doe it no more The third thing was what course we should take to be wrought upon to attain unto this frame of Spirit First Throuhly from scipture light informe your selves concerning the sinfulness and the uglinesse of this course in regard wherof you must reforme saith the Prophet After I was instructed I repented and smote upon my thigh and said what a thing is this that I have done that which I see not teach thou me may be I doe not see it if I doe see it may be not so ugly base and abominable as it is therefore oh teach me If men did but think what it is to be a naturall man for a man that hath an immortall soule to lye stinking in a puddle to goe to the trough with the Swine and under the table with the dogge there is noe man but would think this to be a very deformed and unseemly sight how much more to have your soules your immortall soules rooting in the dirt this is the condition of a naturall man Consider is it not a horrible thing to resist God to pluck God out of the chaire of state to pull him out of the throne of majesty to wring the Scepter out of Gods hand this is horrible treason indeed A proud man doth it he resists God he sets himself against God God against him if you did but consider this you would down with your proud hearts Again consider what it is to be an unbeliever to give God the lye as every unbeliever doth to let the greatest meities of God to fall into the channel rather then I will put out my hand to reach them this every unbeliever doth Now we should consider the danger of these sins and labour to avoyd them and we should strive to see the latitude and utmost extent of the bloudinesse and basenesse of our own hearts that so we may keep the better watch against them Sometimes when a Father would have his child ashamed of himself he fetcheth a glasse and shews him what a deformed face he makes himself Oh that you did but see the sinfulnesse and deformity of this course whereof God would have you to reforme you could not but be ashamed of it Secondly you must be deeply humbled for what ever it is that under the rod you doe discover to be out of order both in your heart your minde and actions the way of reformation is by weeping crosse I smote upon my thigh and was ashamed Rich Manasses who was a King humbled himself greatly before the Lord God of his fathers this indeed is repentance not to be repented of what feare what indignation what zeale have the saints of God shewed in their reforming under the rod saith God my people that are called by my name shall humble themselves and turne from their evill wayes noe turning aright without humiliation when a child once sees wherin he hath offended and the haynousnesse of his offence he falls down upon his knees and cryes out pardon pardon So must we labour to see the greatnesse of our sins and the hainousnesse of them that so we may be the deeper humbled for them and then the soule at the apprehension of sin growing upon the heart in regard of the root of originall sin that feeds it and in regard of the weaknesse of his own nature to withstand the world the flesh and the divill will seek after Christ get Christ hugge Christ then he will know the worth of a Saviour and will esteem of a Saviour for he knows that God hath set him apart that he may give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins Acts 5. 31. To blesse you in turning every one of you from your iniquities as Acts 3. 26. he knhws that Christ hath power to bind the strong man cast out devils if he speak but the word the waves and winds shall all be quiet It was foretold Isa 11. 6. 7. that in gospel time the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe and the Leapard