corruption to cure and purge out that And therefore it is formen to be wiser then God to ground their actions upon another principle and ground then God grounds them Indeede the servants of God doe not the actions of obedience simply because of the Law written in the Scriptures but they have the Law written in their hearts too so the Spirit of God is a Spirit that guides them according to the Law and disposeth them to those actions that are sutable to the Law yet he never excludes or puts them from the Law from subjection to the Law in point of obedience I say therefore errours creepe in amongst men to dreame of a libertie from obedience when the Scripture speaks of a libertie from the Law but in other sences not in matter of dutie Secondly let men looke to the Law for tryall too Gal. 6. 3 4. If a man thinke he is something when he is nothing he deceiveth him selfe but let every man try himselfe and prove his owne worke Let him proove his owne worke by what shall he prove it Why by the Law By the Law here we meane the whole Word of God the Law of workes and of Faith I say let him proove his workes by this Law by the written Word of God Therefore if a man would now know how it shall goe with him at the day of judgement let him begin to judge himselfe by this rule before hand Let him reason thus eyther I shall stand as condemned or acquitted if as condemned it is by the Law therefore marke so farre as I goe on in any sinne against any knowne truth of God so farre I stand in the estate of a condemned person Therefore consider beloved you doe exceedingly wrong your selves because you doe not looke thus upon your actions you looke not upon them as upon things that are transgressions against the Law that shall judge you and that therefore if the Law of God condemne such actions now then thou standest as a condemned person by vertue of that Law Alas durst men goe on without repentance in any course of sinne if they tooke themselves as condemned men in truth by vertue of the Law There is not any word that thou speakest but as soone as it is spoken thou standest in the estate of a condemned man and if thou interest not thy selfe in Christ and come not in certainly the Law will passe upon it Therefore seriously consider of this that there is no evill or particular sinne that you goe on in but if the Law condemne it Christ will condemne it too at the day of judgement Therefore you must before hand condemne your selves that you may not be condemned of the Lord 1 Cor. 11. 32. Iudge your selves and you shall not be judged of the Lord. But yet this remaynes a truth still that hee that doth not condemne himselfe that doth not take off his sinnes by unfeigned repentance he stands a condemned person before the Lord because he stands condemned in the Law Therefore I beseech you beloved pleade not any priviledge in Christ I speake this the rather because men use the Gospell to their owne destruction I say plead not priviledge by Christ if you goe on in the allowance of any sinne Shall we continue in sinne that grace may abound God forbid saith the Apostle So I say when a man will come and plead I believe and I hope to be saved by Faith yet neverthelesse it may be thou art a swearer a vaine spender of thy time it may be thou art a neglecter of the duties of the worship of God and of thy duties towards men c. thou art a man in some constant course in some way of sinne or other I say this shewes thee to stand as a condemned man and in the state of a condemned man I say not that such a man shall infallibly bee damned because God may give him repentance that hee may come out of the snare of the divell but wee say hee stands for the present in the state of a condemned person and he is condemned by the Law and remaynes so till this be reversed by repentance till hee have sued out his pardon by interresting himselfe in Christ. Therefore consider this seriously that there is not that sinne in thought that thou committest not any act of sinne whatsoever but because of that sinne thou art condemned in Law therefore thou standest in the state of a condemned person for that sinne therefore there must bee somewhat done now to take off this I say a man may have a pardon and yet if he sue it not out it is of no force or use to him so letno man talke hee is a justified person by Christ but thou must sue out this pardon Therefore wee are taught upon daily suing to renew our daily prayers for the pardon of sinne There must be a daily suing out of the pardon and that upon this ground so there must be a daily condemning of thy selfe and of sinne in thy selfe Alas what shall become of a world of men and women I speake not of those that are without wee leave them they are condemned in the sight of all the world but wee speake of those that are now in the Church of those that goe some what forward in the profession of Religion and hope and are perswaded that they are in a good case and yet have little care to set things right betweene God and themselves but though such and such actions be condemned by the Law yet they hope that there is a generall mercy that will pardon it though they never sue out their pardon I say the Law shall passe on thee till thou doe that that concernes thee to be released from the rigour and sentence of the Law he that confesseth and forsakes his sinnes shall finde mercy Prov. 28. 13. This must be done and so in other particulars the Scripture is large in these things that somewhat must be done by us to sue out this pardon that though there be an act of pardon in God a free act yet there must somewhat bee done by us to sue out this pardon for our selves or else wee stand in the state of condemned persons But these things I leave to your meditations and so I fall upon the next point which I will briefly touch and that is no more but thus that since there shall be a proceeding in the day of judgement by the Law wherein mens actions and words shall bee brought to account therefore The consideration of the day of judgement should be an effectuall insentive provocation to stinmen to a holy and conscionable walking in this life So speake and so doe as those that shall be judged by such a Law Since the Apostle makes this use of it to direct us both in our speeches and actions I say we may learne hence that the consideration of the judgement to come wherein Christ will proceede according to the Law it
to make the straight wayes of God crooked to make that that God accounts straight to be crooked this is a setting against God therefore Peter saith to Simon Magus pray if it be possible that the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee So you see Saint Paul speakes to Elymas the sorcerer upon the same ground Act. 13. Thou child of the divell and enemy to all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervent the right wayes of God Now I say here are the words and speeches that men speake against the wayes of God these are speeches that argue men in a state whereby they are lyable and open to judgement and exposed to wrath therefore wee should take heed of such words The use may be to condemne those that make light account of words they thinke they may speake it may bee in rashnesse and hastinesse and they may be excused for uttering them it is their hastinesse and their passion and it was done unadvisedly c. I but the Law of God is transgressed the Majestie of God is offended the anger of God is provoked You know what old Eli sayd to his sonnes My sonnes if a man sinne against a man man may plead for him but if he offend against God who shall plead for him I say who shall take up the matter with God in such a case as this when the offence strikes against God and his ordinances and his worship Therefore take heede there is much evill there is life and death as Solomon saith in the power of the tongue that is a man may utterly destroy himselfe by the very words he speakes unadvisedly as hee thinkes and will plead for himselfe or passionately and rashly Againe much more doth it concerne those that proceede to other kinds of wickednesse in the tongue we instanced in some particular instances then that we cannot now stand on We came to direct men to carry themselves in their speech as David to set a watch before the doore of their lippes he prayed to God to doe it And Psal. 39. I sayd that I will take heede to my wayes that I offend not in my tongue And then he prayes to the Lord Psal. 131. to keepe a watch before the doore of his mouth Hee knew well enough that there will be a time when the words that we thinke are sleight and vaine shall be brought to judgement idle unprofitable frothy talke much more rayling and reviling speeches most of all the highest blasphemies and execrations these shall most certainly be brought to a greater censure at the day of judgement But I will not stand on that I then handled Now there remaines three things more The first is this that in the day of judgement God will proceed according to his Law So speake and so doe as those that shall bee judged by the Law I say In the day of judgement God will proceede with men according to his Law Hee will proceede according to his word written therefore labour that your speeches and actions may bee such that they may be agreeable to that Iohn 12. 48. The word that I speake to you saith Christ shall judge you at that day There is not a word that Christ speakes but it shall judge he speakes not in vaine he is the judge that speakes Now you know Christ speakes two wayes Eyther in himselfe Or by his Ministers In himselfe and so eyther that that hee spake when hee was on earth in his his owne person then all the words that hee spake at that time are those words by which he will judge men as farre as they concerne morrall actions by those words he will judge men at the great day for he spake nothing but what was according to his Law Or else that which he spake in his Apostles immediatly by a certaine and infallible worke of the Spirit directing them to such truth as that they could not erre in speaking now in this Christ still spake in them The same way Christ hath in speaking to this day therefore saith he he that heareth you heareth me and he that heareth me heareth him that sent me That which he spake to them hee spake in them concerning all the Ministers of the Gospel What we speake as Ministers that is as men that looke to the direction of our Lord for we are but Embassadours and our words are so far of value and power as they are the speeches of our Lord and as we speake the word of him whose Embassadours we are Now I say looke what the Minister thus speakes as the Embassadour of Christ to the people that Christ will confirme at the day of judgement Now it will appeare what wee speake as Embassadours if we speake nothing but what is agreeable to the text of Scripture rightly understood Therefore marke it whatsoever sinne wee denounce the judgement of God against and urge Scripture for it it is the very rule that Christ will observe in judging men Or else that speech could not stand what yee loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven and what yee bind on earth shall be bound in heaven Wee bind when by declaring of mens sinnes wee denounce the judgement of God against such sinnes and so pronounce men to stand under the wrath of God that remaine in those sinnes saith Christ what you thus binde on earth shall bee bound in heaven that is Gods act shall ratifie and confirme the same sentence in heaven which we denounce here upon earth by vertue of this word So when wee come to distressed soules and declare to them that they stand acquitted and that by the Word of God and so as Ministers of the Gospell by vertue of the truth revealed to us declare that they are freed from the bond and guilt of their sinnes upon those evidences of repentance that they manifest I say it is ratified in heaven Therefore you see there is no other way of proceeding but looke as Christs owne words when hee was upon the earth so the same that are as his owne words that is those truths that are drawne from Christs truths have the same power upon the hearts and consciences of men now to command them and shall have after to judge them as ever they had But here it may be objected it should seeme that all men shall not be judged by the Law because there are some men to whom the Law hath never beene published for what shall wee say to a great part of the world that have not yet received the Scriptures we know that the Scriptures have not beene published to a great part of the world at this day there are many Heathens many Pagans that never had the Scriptures therefore how shall they be judged by the Law except you say that onely those shall bee judged by it that have beene under the preaching of the Gospell and have had the helpe of the Scriptures We answer that all mankinde and every particular man is under
the Law onely the Law is not alike expressed to them it is not revealed alike to all sorts All have the Law and the Law written too but eyther it is written in the hearts of men and so it is naturally in the hearts of all the Sonnes of men Or else in the Scriptures and so it is more clearely and evidently manifested in the Churches but yet neverthelesse in the hearts of men is the Law written as much as shall be sufficient to condemne them as we see Rom. 2. 14. saith the Apostle If the Gentiles which have not the Law doe by nature the things conteined in the Law they having not the Law are a Law to themselves and shew the effect of the Law written in their hearts their consciences accusing or excusing them before God The Gentiles that had not the Law that is not the Law written in the Scriptures yet neverthelesse they are a Law to themselves that is they have certaine principles certaine rules which remaine in their naturall consciences whereby they eyther accuse or excuse as they doe good or evill And even these doe shew that they have a Law that doth binde them and shall condemne them because that when they would not obey even that Law that is even those principles whereupon their consciences wrought to accuse or excuse they were sinners against the Law So that wee see no man shall be condemned at the day of â—…udgement but by vertue of the Law and however all have not the Scripture yet they have a naturall conscience and the Law written there whereby it accuseth or excuseth Howsoever it bee true that things are not alike expresly manifested to other people and to us that have the Scriptures yet they have so much manifested to them as shall condemne them And the reasons of it are these why it must be so First because the Law of God is Gods Scepter whereby hee governes and rules the Church Psal. 110. 2. he shall bring the rod of thy power out of Sion The rod of thy power that is the Scepter of thy power that Scepter whereby thou dost authoritatively and by power rule over the Churches and what is this Scepter It is the word as we shall see Esay 2 3 4. The Law shall come out of Sion So then the Scepter the rod of the word that is brought out of Sion is the Law that comes out of Sion the word of God the Law of workes and the Law of faith for both these come out of Sion the Law of workes as farre as it is the rule of life and then the Law of Faith both come in to rule the Church of God Yea this is the rod of Christs power therefore hee will manifest his power and make all men subject to it What power There is a power of Christ such a power whereby he manifests his owne greatnesse and soveraigntie over all his creatures over those creatures that have not sence that have not reason that is not this Law But this power here the Scepter of his power is that whereby he manifests his soveraigntie over reasonable creatures Angels and men therefore if they will not obey him yet it shall bee a Scepter of Iron to crush them in peeces Therefore we see the very Angels themselves that would not obey the directing commandement of God the rule of life in that particular place wherein they were they found it a Scepter to crush them downe and they were cast out of their place for their sinne So likewise men you see what the Apostle Peter speakes of those that perished in the time of Noah because they would not receive the Word preached to them but they would be lawlesse and disobedient or like men that would be under no Law therefore they felt the force of it in the effect of the Law in the fruite and penaltie of the Law upon them So I say Christ still rules by power in the Law in so much as that when the Law and command prevailes not then the punishment prevailes and they that will not subject themselves to the Law they shall bee subdued under the punishment of the Law that is the first thing Againe secondly it must bee that Christ must proceede in judgement according to the Law because the Law is the rule Now you know a rule is a note of distinction it is that that being streight and right in it selfe which doth distinguish and discover things that are crooked So the Law of Christ it is a straight rule in it selfe therefore whatsoever is contrary to it is crooked and perverse And he will declare a righteous proceeding contrary to the unrighteousnesse of men How by that rule that discovers unrighteousnesse How shall Christ appeare to be righteous in his Law except he have a rule whereby unrighteousnesse shall be discovered Now that is discovered by the Law the right rule as it is Psal. 19. The statutes of the Lord are right Now rectum is index sua oblique that that not onely declares its owne excellencie but the unrighteousnesse and obliquitie of the contrary therefore Christ shall proceede by the Law because that shall most cleare his proceedings For all the world will grant that that is a righteous rule Therefore Micah 6. 8. when the Prophet would deale with men that were unrighteous that would walke wilfully and rebelliously against God and then serve him with outward performances wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow before the high God he hath shewed thee O man what is good that is to doe justly and to walke humbly with thy God So that now looke what rule it is that shewes what is good that is the rule whereby the righteous Judge will proceede in judgement Now the Law shewes what is good he hath shewed in his Law what is good therefore hee gives a briefe summe of the Law there to walke humbly with God that is the substance of the first Table of the Law and to doe justice that is the substance of the second Table of the Law therefore saith hee he hath shewed thee what is good this is a righteous rule that discernes betweene good and evill Looke what that is that in the directions of life discernes betweene good and evill that also in the proceeding of the Judge will cleare his justice eyther in rewarding the good or in punishing the evill therefore Christ must needs proceede according to his owne Law in judgement Thus the point is opened Now a word or two for application Is it so that Christ will proceede in judgement by his owne Law then it serves in the first place for the just reproofe of those that neglect the Law that neglect this direction that Christ gives them Alas is it a small matter thus to slight the Law of God the Word of God why you shall bee judged by this God shall judge the secrets of all men saith the Apostle in that day according â—…o
two for the Use of this Since this is the Use that the servants of God have made and that wee should make of the Judgement to come therefore to bee more carefull in the duties of obedience and holinesse so to speake and so to doe as those that shall be judged It first shewes the cause of the discouragements of Gods servants and the prophanenesse of the world is because they perfectly beleeve not the judgement to come The hearts of Gods servants would not droupe so they would not be so faint so dejected and discouraged if they beleeved that there were such a judgement to come wherein Christ will abundantly recompence all their sorrowes and labours wherein he will bring his reward with him plentifully Againe the wicked world would not be so prophane as they are drunkards and swearers and Sabbath-breakers and all sorts of wicked persons they would not give themselves so to sinne as they doe if in truth they did perfectly beleeve there were a judgement to come when all their words and actions their company their time and every thing shall be brought to account I say the cause of all prophanenesse is this here it begins men beleeve not the judgement to come The Apostles were troubled with these kind of scoffers Where is the promise of his comming So they hardened themselves upon the observation of the continuance of the seasons upon the face of the earth in like manner from the beginning Well saith the Apostle God is not slacke as men count slacknesse but is patient and forbearing that men may repent but at the last he will come and come with flaming fire So this is certaine whatsoever you thinke and put the evill day farre off from you yet there is a judgement comming wherein all your actions and affections and speeches and your whole conversation shall be scanned and brought to the rules of this law that you have despised Therefore let men take heed and know it is a device of Satan to harden their hearts either to thinke that the law is a dead letter I meane in respect of the directing use of it that it is of no use to direct them it is a devise of Satan to put them off for they shall find that that law will judge them that now should direct them And then againe for men to thinke that there shall bee no Judgement or not such proceedings according to the law this is a tricke of the Divell to keepe men in prophanenesse and hardnesse of heart Therefore secondly if wee would grow up in holinesse in the feare of God Let us perfect and strengthen our faith in assenting to this truth that there is such a judgement to come wherein our words and actions and all shall be brought to account Therefore so speake and so doe as those that shall bee judged Thou art now in companie and thou speakest amongst men but thy words are with God they are written in thy conscience as it is in Ieremie upon the Table of thy heart there they are written the words that thou hast forgotten seven yeares agoe it may bee twentie yeares agoe and never tookest a course to get them blotted out by repentance there they are written and these words shall be brought to judgement and so many actions as thou hast neglected therefore looke to it First bewaile those words and actions past as things that else will come to judgement if thou judge not thy selfe before-hand And then againe for the time to come set on a resolution to walke daily as one that may die every day and then shall bee brought to judgement Therefore judge thy selfe daily renew thy Covenant settle thy peace on a right ground daily and perfect holinesse in the feare of God daily as one that expectest a Judgement Saint Iude condemnes those that feasted without feare They were at their Tables companying and feasting as men without feare S. Ierome speakes of himselfe that whatsoever he was doing he had a fearefull apprehension of the day of Judgement Alwayes saith he whether I eate or drinke or whatsoever I doe I heare the Trumpet and the voyce of the Arch-Angell saying Arise yee dead and come to judgement Well I say doe thou so let this be thy serious thought and doe it not slightly but thinke that this may bee thy last word and thou must bee brought to judgement for it this may be thy last opportunie and thy last action and thou must be brought to judgement for that Doe things in this manner as those that so speake and so doe that they must bee judged Wouldest thou be content to have thy oathes brought before Christ in judgement if not take heed of swearing for it is judged already by the law therefore judge and condemne thy sinnes in thy selfe and forsake them that thou maist find mercie Wouldest thou be found guiltie of Sabbath-breaking at the day of Judgement if not repent of thy former guilt and bee more conscionable of sanctifying the Sabbath after And so I may say of every sinne Wouldest thou be found an Usurer a Deceiver unrighteous in any course a scoffer a prophane person Wouldest thou appeare before Christ so in judgement If not repent of thy guilt in this kind that thy sinnes may bee done away when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of Christ. And in the meane time set thy selfe in a contrarie course to that thou hast beene doe as one that would have Death find thee in a good course for as death leaves thee judgement shall find thee If Death find thee in a state of repentance in a course of reformation of thy evill wayes judgement shall find thee so too Let Death therefore find thee as a man interest in Christ as a man humbling thy soule abhorring thy selfe for thy former sinnes let Death find thee as a man reforming all those evills that are condemned in the Word and in thy conscience Now when I say let Death find thee so I meane set about it presently for how soone Death may set upon thee thou knowest not whether to night or no and if this be not now done if thou set not about it now it may bee too late thou shalt have no more time therefore doe that now and goe on constantly after knowing that Death may find thee every moment Therefore it is that God keepes from us upon purpose as it were the certaine knowledge of the time of Death that wee may bee alwayes prepared for Death FINIS SINNES STIPEND AND GODS MUNIFICENCE ROM 2. 8. 9. Vnto them that doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doeth evill upon the Iew first and also upon the Gentile LVKE 12. 32. Feare not little Flocke for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdome LONDON Printed by Iohn Dawson for Ralph Mabbe 1639. SINNES STIPEND AND GODS MVNIFICENCE SERMON XXIX ROM 6.
every member and for every sense I cannot stand upon particulars Thu must give an account likewise for the gifts of â—…y mind how thou hast imployed thy wisedome and learning and experience c. For all thy passions hee that is angry with his brother unadvisedly is in danger of judgement For all the dispositions and inclinations of thy heart for out of the heart commeth thefts and murthers and adulteries In a word whatsoever abilitie thou hast whereby thou mightest have beene beneficiall and serviceable to the Church and Common-wealth thou must give an account of it in particular unto God hee will call thee to a reckoning of every parcell by it selfe The Master in the Gospell that gaâ—… the talents to his servants hee called them to an account for every talent hee gave them so there must bee a particular enumeration to God of all those severall abilities where with hee hath fitted thee for his service how thou hast behaved thy selfe in matter of health and strength and time in thy senâ—…es in the members of thy body how with thy mind how with the dispositions of thy soule how in all the gifts and endowments hee hath intrusted thee with for the service of the Church and Common-wealth Secondly it is called a reckoning because in this reckoning God will goe by a method keepe an order such an order as men doe in reckoning with their accomptants every thing hath his due place God will proceed to give every one in the day of judgement his due place and yee shall find then many sinnes that yee have accounted the lightest of all will bee the most heaviest and grievous at that day I will set thy sinnes in order before thee saith God in Psal. 50. Hee had reckoned them up confusedly here these things thou hast done but I will set them in order before thee God will observe such an order as every thing shall have its due place its due head In the first place shall be that Apostacie whereof all Adams posteritie are guiltie This David saw and therefore when hee judged himselfe hee judged himselfe as one borne in sinne I was borne in sinne and in sinne hath my mother conceived mee In the next place shall bee that concupiscence that depravaâ—…n of nature from whence all actuall sinnes proceed This Saint Paul knew and therefore hee bewaileth it as the originall and root of all other actuall sinnes Rom. 7. God will begin first with the sins of the heart because thence commeth all the outward actions of the whole man Then all the outward actions Hee will begin first with those against the first Table Atheisme infidelitie prophanenesse contempt of God and his service neglect of his glory and the opportunities hee hath given us And â—…hen the Law and the Gospell come together hee will proceed more severely for the sinnes against the Gospell then the Law That is the reason that our Saviour telleth us that it shall bee easier for Sodome and Gomorah then for Capernaum at the day of Iudgement Why so Sodome and Gomorah had the Law but Capernaum had the Law and the Gospell too And saith the Apostle Heb 10. If they that obeyed not Moses Law died of how much sorer judgement shall they bee guiltie of that disobey the Gospel of Christ the law of faith Thus God will proceed And therefore when yee would exercise repentance follow Gods order mourne more for impenitencie and infidelitie then for other things Bee more humbled for sinnes against the first Table for prophannesse for Atheisme and neglect of God then for sinnes against the â—…econd though these must bee lamented and repented of too Againe be more in lamenting the inward sinfull disposition of thy heart then thy outward sinfull actions and forget not the originall root of all which we brought with us into the world I say marke Gods method and his order that which hee takes most notice of at the day of Iudgement lay that to thy thoughts and take greatest notice of it now It is a grievous thing for a man to be borne in sinne but to adde actuall sinnes to that it is more grievous For a man to sinne in thought and in heart is grievous but to adde actuall sinnes to those it is more grievous It is a grievous thing for a man to sin against righteousnesse to deale unjustly with men but to deale unrighteously with God in point of his worship is more grievous It is a grievous sinne for a man to disobey the law of God but to disobey the law of faith to delay repentance to deferre turning unto God is far more grievous Thus we should marke Gods order that hee will observe when he bringeth us to a reckoning Thirdly It is called a reckoning because God will proceed with men at that day as Masters with their servants by writings by bookes In the tenth of Daniel the booke was opened and in the 20. Revel there is mention made of bookes that should bee opened God will proceed with all his stewards upon bookes that shall be opened The bookes are either the booke of the Law that shewes what wee should have done The words that I speake saith Christ the same shall judge you at the last day And there is one that judgeth you even Moses that is read daily And then secondly there is the booke of Conscience that shewes what wee have done here God will put the memories of men to the taske as Abraham did Dives Sonne remember that thou in thy life time hadest thy pleasure So remember that thou in thy life time haddest riches but how didst thou imploy them remember that thou hadest Authoritie and office and place in the Church or Common-wealth but what service didest thou doe to God remember that thou haddest wisedome and learning and knowledge but what good had the Church or Common-wealth by it God I say will put every mans memorie to the taske what opportunities are lost carelesly nay what opportunities he avoided wilfully when hee might have done God better service yet lest he should bee disadvantaged in his by-respects in the world hee bauked them remember this The sinnes of Iudah saith God are written with a penne of Iron and with the point of a Diamond they are graven upon the table of their hearts God hath the sinnes of men graven on the table of their hearts Little doest thou that art an old man thinke of a thousand things that God will bring against thee that were done in thy youth Ioâ—… little thought till the day of his affliction when God made him possesse the sinnes of his youth that there was such abundance of guilt against him as there was God will remember that that thou hast forgot God will proceed by bookes and this will cleare Gods justice in his proceedings and make every thing appeare righteous in the sight of men and Angels because every mans conscience shall testifie against himselfe and therefore
is the reason why infidelity doth presently bring judgements upon men The cause is apparant infidelity it draweth men from God An unbeleeving heart departs from the living God And when a man departs from Gods presence God pursueth him with his judgements All the judgements of God are upon that place where Gods presence in his grace is not If I goe saith David to the uttermost parts of the earth thou art there if I goe into the deepe thou art there And how there Not only as an observer but as a punisher that is when men come to this point to flie from God Now unbeleefe is a drawing of the soule from God to the creature therefore it provokes God for it sets up an Idoll in the heart of man and Idolatrie exceedingly provokes God and therefore he bringeth judgements upon it Beside that marke the threatning of the Word against this Deut. 29. When a man heareth the words of this curse and blesseth himselfe and saith I shall have peace though I walke in the stubbornnesse of my owne heart the Lord will not spare that man but the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoake against him and all the plagues that are written in this booke shall be heaped on him When is that when is the time that the wrath of God shall smoake At that very time and instant when he flattereth himselfe with his vaine conceits that he shall have peace though God threaten judgement then at that very instant the wrath of God shall fall upon such a man In this manner did God deale with the Israelites in Isa. 6. 9 10. Make the heart of this people fat make their eares heavy and why so that they may see and not perceive that they may heare and not understand lest they should be converted and I should heale them How long shall this be saith the Prophet till the Cities be wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the land be utterly desolate When God giveth over a people to bee regardlesse in hearing the Word that they heare and doe not hearken they heare and doe not regard they doe not conforme and reforme according to the doctrine delivered then God intendeth to sweepe them away by judgement that they may be utterly left desolate as the Text saith You see then it must needs be a grievous fore-runner of a judgement upon a place or Citie or people or nation when they remaine impenitent in their sinnes and yet crie peace Againe secondly If you marke the concommitants what accompanies this carnall securitie in the hearts of men and it will appeare then that it must of necessitie bring a judgement upon a a Land and place What is that that accompanies it A disposition slighting of God himselfe When a man I say heareth the Word the judgements threatned heareth the Law warning him to take heed of wrath the Gospell alluring him to repent and yet all moveth him not but still hee flattereth himselfe I say here is a disposition slighting God himselfe God in all his Attributes is slighted His power his wisedome his justice his truth is slighted yea his mercy and patience and long-suffering all are slighted when a man in the course of sinne goeth on in carnall securitie Especially amongst the rest this is a slighting of Gods patience and long-suffering and forbearance of men Wherfore do men harden themselves against exhortations to repentance but because they presume upon the continuance of Gods long-suffering toward them Marke how the Lord takes notice of this Rom. 2. 4. The forbearance and long-snffering the goodnesse and mercy of God should lead thee to repentance and therefore God hath for bore thee all this while that he might bring thee to repentance But what if hee doe not Thou after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart heapest up as a treasure to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath What day is that The day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God As if hee should say Now you obscure Gods justice and righteousnesse from others and from your selves Well God therefore will take a time to declare his righteous judgement for that purpose God hath a day of wrath and thy daily going on in sinne against the long-suffering and patience of God it doth but adde wrath to that day Thus it is when God hath borne with a man his owne selfe So it is likewise when God warneth a man by his patience toward others What hardneth men in securitie Doe wee not see God hath beene mercifull to many sinners why may he not be so to me too Hee gave them repentance after many sins committed why may he not doe so to me Marke what Solomon saith Eccles. 8. 11. Because sentence against an evill doer or an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is set in them to doe evill This they purpose they resolve upon they venture up on God hath beene thus and thus to others patient and long-suffering and why may hee not be so to them Well yet I know saith Solomon that it shall not goe well with them in the end neither shall the wicked prolong his dayes Why because he feareth not before God They are not awakened by the example of his judgements on others they are not allured by his patience and long-suffering it doth not make them to feare him therefore it shall not goe well with them in the end Thirdly Looke to the end what the consequence of this carnal securitie is what followes upon it Where there is carnall securitie there must of necessitie be an increase of sin and consequently a hastening of judgement for the more sin hastneth to ripenesse the more judgement hasteneth also upon the sinner God hath set unto particular men a certaine stint and it is not knowne to them what that stint limited is Gen. 15. 16. The iniquitie of the Amorites is not yet full They were a sinfull people at that time but the neerer they came to that fulnesse and stint and limitation that God intended to be the immediate fore-runner of the judgement the faster judgement hastned upon them So for particular persons there is a certaine stint limited Let every man looke to it The adding of one sinne more may be thy uttermost stint that shall bring the last stroke of judgement and destruction upon thee Now I say this carnall securitie is that that increaseth sinne upon a man Wee know how the securitie of the Israelites increased their sinne upon them And the securitie of Sodome their pride and idlenesse increased the rest of their sinnes and consequently hastned on their judgement In Rom. 3. when there was no feare of God before their eyes when there was a neglect of that there was abundance of wickednesse amongst them and what followes then there was nothing but destruction and calamitie in all their wayes I could give you sundrie
he 〈◊〉 the hand of God was upon thy father for this and this yet thou hast done the like and hast not humbled thy heart So may I say You have knowne what God hath done to your brethren in other countries yet you doe still the same your selves for the which they have beene punished Is not this security Looke likewise upon our selves and wee shall see a generall neglect of those judgements of God that have beene upon our selves How hath God smitten this Land this Citie especially with the Pestilence and may we not say wee have beene smitten and yet have not felt it is not this securitie and a dead sleep God threatneth those in Ier. 31. 9. That escaped the pestilence that they should fall by the sword by the hand of Nebuchadnezar Why so because they did not reforme and amend by the pestilence What cause have we then to feare lest wee fall into the hands of the sword of some Nebuchadnezar or other when the pestilence hath done no more good among us when it hath not awakened and reformed us Looke upon your selves upon your houses upon your dealings your company your conversations see if there be any reformation since there was such a mortall calamitie as drove you from the Citie and frighted you from your owne houses and from the house of God Well these are fearfull prefages that when former Judgements prevaile not worser are a comming I have smittenthem saith God in the fourth of Amos with cleannesse of teeth and yet they have not returned unto me What then I have smitten them with blasting and mildew and yet they have not returned unto mee What then I have smitten them with the pestilence after the manner of Egypt and yet they have not returned unto mee What then Therefore I will come against them and because I will doe this prepare to meet thy God Oh Israel As if hee should say I have now stood out and tried you at one or two weapons and found you obstinate and rebellious I have stroke at you with the sword of Famine I have shot at you the Arrowes of pestilence I have smitten you with other judgements You should now meet me if not I have more weapons yet I will come and bid the battell against you and it shall appeare who is the stronger you or I And since you will stand out against me notwithstanding the Judgements executed upon others and afflictions upon your selves see if you can stand out against my last stroke you have escaped some lesser sicknesses upon your owne bodies you have escaped the Pestilence already but you shall find it a hard taske when God biddeth battell to escape his last stroke if you will not now be reconciled and come in and seeke his face This is the first demonstration whereby it appeares that we are sinfully secure which is a fore-runner of Judgement because we are not awakened by the judgements of God upon our selves and others Secondly another signe is this The contempt of Gods ordinances the slighting of the Prophets This is an evident demonstration that wee are under this carnall security I now speake of Marke how the Lord describeth a people whom he meaneth to destroy Zach. 7. 11 12. They refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder and stopped their eares that they should not heare Yea they made their hearts as an Adamant stone lest they should heare the Law and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former Prophets therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts A great wrath what is that Therefore vers 13. it is come to passe that as Heecryed and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord of hosts Well beloved little doe you know what time and wayes God hath to make you cry and roare in the anguish of your hearts because of Judgements and afflictions when you will not now heare God that striveth with you and cries unto you with the voyce of his Spirit in his Prophets from day to day When men will not heare God speaking to them in his Word it is alwayes a fore-runner of judgement In the sixth of Amos the Lord challengeth his people and telleth them that hee had used many meanes for their reclaiming but nothing would doe them good well now saith he heare the rod and him that hath appointed it As if hee should say there is no more dealing with you with the Word but I must come with the rod with judgement Is it not thus with us at this day May not the Lord say of us as hee did of the people in Ieremies time You have forsaken my law which I set before you and have not obeyed my voyce neither walked therein but have walked after the imaginations of your owne heart And then what followes Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts Behold I will feed this people with wormewood and give them water of gall to drinke and I will send a sword after them till I have consumed them Doe not many cry out as they in Ier. 23. 33. What is the burthen of the Lord Where is it that the Ministers have not beene threatning judgement and telling you that God is comming out to bee avenged upon a sinfull nation have they not beene crying thus this seven ten twentie yeares Where is that burthen of the Lord Well you shall find what it is when the day of the Lord commeth a day of blacknesse and terrour it hasteneth and this very security is an evident signe thereof even as in the dayes of Noah that preacher of righteousnesse and in the dayes of Lot that vexed his soule with the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites they would not beleeve their words but they seemed unto them as if they mocked and then came the judgement of the Lord upon them If this bee not the estate of this Land at this day what meanes the complaints the heavinesse of the spirits of the Prophets What meanes their teares and cries and prayers because of the obstinacie and hard-heartednesse of people that will not be drawne from their sinnes by any meanes This is a second evidence or signe when all this crying and calling will not awaken that we are in a deepe sleepe of security Thirdly another evidence is the vaine hopes of this Land It is a signe of carnall security and that we are all in a dead sleepe when we have such idle dreames out of idle fancies and vaine confidence that delude and deceive men What doe men rest on to secure and perswade themselves of imunitie from wrath and impunitie Certainly this that we have the ordinances of God amongst us Oh the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord. Alas had not the people of Israel the Arke and yet the Philistims tooke the Arke and slew the sonns of Eli. Had they not the Temple and yet the Lord in
hath not bid him as any the Question is what principle sets him aworke if it be an inward principle of life out of a sincere affection and love to God and his ordinances that carrieth him to this it argueth that man hath some life of grace But if it bee some wind that bloweth him on the wind of State the wind of Law the wind of danger of penaltie the wind of fashion or custome to doe as his neighbours doe if these or such like bee the things that draw him thither this is no argument of life at all it is a cheape thing it is counterfeit and poore ware Thirdly that which I have often said to be the principall and the most considerable thing that I know in all practicall Divinitie and which is the most Charactaristicall of the truth of Grace and of the life of Pietie in any one our spirits and soules and affections towards God must be advanced to this height to be carried toward God aboue all other things I beseech you seriously thinke of it I have often spoken of it but it may be there may be some roome left for the mention of it now and some necessitie of pondering it well It will bee the Charactaristicall thing by which a man may most certainly discerne himselfe And I would desire to know wherein my defect of understanding is if I be mistaken but it seemes to me as a cleare thing that every one here that hath not a mind to affront the mind of God he dares not contest this argument that it is a rationall thing that if God be the best of Beeings he should have the best portion in our love All reason commands us to love that best which is best and to dispense our love according to the degree of the excellencie of the thing There is no man but apprehendeth this clearely A man may say that he loves his Wife and he will prove it and this shall be his argument I love her aswell as I doe another woman Is this the proofe of conjugall love was this the covenant made betweene them hath hee fulfilled it in this case to her or she to him There is no man but seeth that there is more required there is a peculiarity and proprietie of love required in this case It must certainly be so here for we contract and espouse our soules to Christ and upon those very termes for better and for worse to forsake all the world and to cleave to him alone and if our spirits be not raised and advanced to that degree of affection that Christ and God be so lovely and beautifull in our eyes and so good for I name one sometime and sometime another it is all one upon the point if I say they be not advanced thus high the conjugall knot was never tied betweene Christ and the soule it is impossible therefore that such a one should have to plead the benefits that flow from a Conjugall union neither can hee have title or right to any thing that issueth from a marriage with Christ whose soule did but equivocate and would never speake out the words and who never answered the interrogations of a good conscience as Saint Peter speakes in another case that when the soule in the contract should say that she takes him for to love and honour and obey him and to make him her Lord and Saviour if the soule doe not yeeld to this which it cannot doe if it doe not esteeme him the best of all others and that all others are to bee thrâ—… away and to be forsaken in comparison of him This is the tâ—… circumstance I have noted hence which I suppose is intimated in these words Though I have not said it is exprest here yet it is so carryed with such a fulnesse the desire of our soule is to thee and to the remembrance of thy name as if it were to God only or at least to him principally But I must hasten In the fourth place It must be a universall love and so a universall obedience which is the fruit of it which must justifie the truth of our affections towards God and set the heart in a right frame and temper Except a man love God and love all the wayes of God and all the ordinances of God and yeeld himselfe in subjection and resigne himselfe in obedience to them all if he doe but reserve and make choyce of any one sinne to lie and wallow and tumble in he doth evacuate all the other good hee throweth downe all the other good with that one evill Will you come and plead with God that there is but one sinne that you have defiled and polluted your soule with and wallowed and tumbled in all your life and I hope God will never refuse me or barre me out of his presence and fellowship and communion with him for that Yes you are as filthy all over as filthy and defiled and abominable and odious to his eye and to every other sense aswell with one as if you had beene in ten thousand slowghes one after another And as the Philosopher speakes a Cuppe or some such thing that hath a hole in it is no Cuppe it will hold nothing and therefore cannot performe the use of a cup though it have but one hole in it so if the heart have but one hole in it if it retaine the divell but in one thing as we use to say In law one man in possession keepes possession and a man can never have true possession till he have voyded all so except all be rooted out and exterpated and a man commeth to yeeld a full and absolute subjection to Christ universally Christ hath no part or portion in us nor we in him Lastly there were divers other particulars that I thought to have added in this but I see I must passe them over It is not every affection that may seeme to have some height and universality though I doe acknowledge that they will in some measure characterise out the truth but yet there must be this addition as it was with the feed that was cast into the good ground it had depth of earth so this must have depth in the heart it must be well rooted and fastned for perpetuity it must be a constant affection grounded and established in the heart The Ayre you know is light and yet we call it not a lightsome body because it is lighted by the presence of another and when that light body is removed it is darke you may say it is darke for the Ayre is darke in the night when the Sunne is absent as it is light when the Sunne is present those we call lightsome bodyes whose light is originated and rooted in themselves So it is in this case such are not godly persons that may have some injections of godly thoughts and godly affections cast into them and be in them for a spurt and for a brunt and for a little flash like
joy is the good things promised us And those may be reduced to two heads God hath made promises either in regard of evill things as wee call them of afflictions that befall us Or the weaknesse of the graces that are in us Now in the evill of Affliction wee may rejoyce first In the promise of protection in affliction 2. In the promise of Edification by affliction 3. In the promise of deliverance from affliction All in the best season Againe for the defects of grace in us which indeed is a thing exceeding grievous to a true Christian. Here wee may rejoyce First In the promise of preserving of grace 2. In the promise of augmentation and growth in grace 3. In the promise of bringing the weastest grace to perfection Here you have the well-head of Joy Oh that young men would know God and Christ Jesus and the word of God and the promises that they might leave this sinfull and sottish joy whereto they are so adicted This is the meanes to bee rid of it by getting into their soules the sense and feeling of the true Joy of the children of God Againe in the second place Young men should bee exhorted not to walke after their owne heart which is the next thing that Solomon noteth as a fault in them The heart saith Ieremy is deceitfull above measure and desperately wicked It is so deceitfull sucha Cheator that we are not able to comprehend it it is desperatly wicked Who will follow a false guide and a desperate wicked guide so is the heart of man Lastly they should not walke after the sight of their eyes David prayed Turne away mine eyes that I regard not vanity and quicken mee in thy Law And againe Open mine eyes that I may see the wondrous things of thy Law There is much danger in following our eyes Eve was misled by her eye shee looked upon the forbidden fruit and saw it beautifull and so lusted after it And when I saw saith Achan among the spoiles a goodly Babylonish garment and a wedge of gold then I coveted them and tooke them David was defiled by the eye Hee saw Bathsheba from the roofe of his house washing her selfe and then he lusted Holy men have prayed to God that hee would keepe their eyes in a right frame and temper These are the particulars that Solomon giveth to young men in direction to take heed of carnall joy to take heed of walking after their hearts or after their sense And these things brethren I have now committed in direction to you The last use of this Doctrine is for old men For if young men may not rejoyce carnally much lesse may old men Youth may plead for it selfe in want of wisedome and gravitie sobrietie and experience better then those of age If young men may not have evill hearts and evill eyes much lesse old men Looke to it you that heare me this day that are stricken in age as the Scripture speakes that are smitten in your limmes with age that you cannot walke with activity and nimblenesse and are smitten in your senses with age that you cannot well see and heare and taste Oh that your hearts would smite you for your sinnes May not young men rejoyce in pleasures in friends in honours in wealth Much lesse may those of old age Must young men be carefull to chase away all carnall joy and to get spirituall joy that beginneth in godly sorrow much more must old men It is no time for those that are old to rejoyce in carnall things a few daies will make an end of them and lay them in the Grave Oh then you that are of yeares breake off your sinnes by repentance and your iniquities by mercy Rejoyce in being good and in doing good This Joy will continue with you as for the Joy of corne and wine and oyle and silver and gold this joy will die when you die Yea notwithstanding all the supports of this joy in this life yet in another life you may bee transported to hellish torments Thus much for this first In the second place Solomon sheweth the remedie against this carnall Joy in young men which also may bee a preservative against sinne both for young and old But know thou saith he that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement The Doctrine is thus much That the Lord God will certainly bring men to judgement for all the sinnes they have committed This is an infallible truth Know thou this that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement Malach. 3. 18. A booke of remembrance is written before God for those that feare the Lord and thought upon his name So the Lord hath a booke of remembrance wherein hee writeth downe the sinnes of the sonnes of men and this shall bee opened and unclasped in the evill day Eccles. 12. 14. God will bring every worke into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it bee evill 2 Cor. 5. 10. Wee must appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it bee good or bad 1. Thes. 4. 16. The Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voyce of the Archangell and with the trump of God Epistle of Iude vers 14. And Enoch the seventh from Adam prophesied of this saying the Lord commeth with ten thousands of his Saints to execute Iudgement upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him For opening of this point I will briefly shew you these two things First what is the reason that God will bring all these things to Judgement Secondly what manner of Judgement it shall be For the first What is the reason that God will bring all these things to Judgement The first reason is His Decree Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed to all men once to die and after this the Iudgement Even as it must needs be that men must die because God hath so appointed it so also it must needs be that men must come to Judgement in regard of the purpose and decree of God Secondly God will doe this in regard of his righteousnesse Hee is a holy God a hater of iniquitie But many times in this world it is well with the wicked and ill with the godly Lazarus hee is in wofull miserie and Dives hee is in abundance of prosperitie Now God will shew his love to the righteous and his hatred to the wicked in this Judgement If judgement here begin at the house of God It is impossible the familie of Sathan should escape hereafter Thirdly God will by this meanes cleare his wayes as the Apostle speakes Rom. 2. 5. There are many wayes of God that are darke and
all the enemies of a Christian are either reconciled or conquered and foyled and what then need he feare them For God that is an enemie to every man naturally he is reconciled Christ hath made our peace with God hee hath made our attonement we need not feare him slavishly though wee may and must feare him with a filiall feare we must not bee afraid of him with horrour as to runne from him but wee must so love him as to reverenâ—…e before his foot-stoole Againe in regard of the evills of the world they are enemies too but how Christ hath beene pleased to sweeten these to us all things in the world saith the Apostle speaking of afflictions Rom. 8. they worke for good to them that feare God Shall a man be afraid of his owne good Nay there is nothing in the world that more workes our good then afflictions and losses and crosses we might spare any thing better then them shall we be afraid of that that workes our good Death it is reconciled and made our friend It was the greatest enemie Christ hath pulled out the sting and changed the nature of it he hath made it the birth-day of eternitie a sweet passage to a better life Death brings not evill to a man that is in covenant with God but rather terminates all evill that he is molested with in the world So then some enemies are reconciled and made our friends and these wee have no reason to feare Againe there are some that are irreconcileable and they are conquered and overcome The Divell will never be friends with us therefore Christ hath spoyled principalities and powers and trampled Satan under-feet and now if he walke about yet hee is in his chayne he can bite but he can hurt none but those that willingly betray themselves into his hands For sinne it is of a condemning nature but those that are in covenant with God and walke with him it is removed as farre from them as the East is from the West it is throwne into the bottomelesse sea of Gods mercy so that it shall never anger God or hurt us any more then if we had not committed it Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Nay more God hath bestowed his Spirit whereby hee hath freede our hearts and whereby if a man labour to stirre up the grace of God in him and to walke comfortably as he might in the presence of God he might through the power of God free his heart from these horrours and feares for saith the Apostle yee have not received the Spirit of bondage to feare againe but yee have received the Spirit of adoption whereby wee cry Abba Father The Spirit of bondage casts downe the soule with horrour and feare but wee have the Spirit of God to assure us that wee have God for our Father reconciled in Christ and so by consequent that our sinnes are pardoned that death is overcome that Principalities and powers are spoyled and all things in the world though contrary in themselves yet they shall worke for our good So you see the ground of it a Christian hath no enemies some enemies are reconciled and others are trampled under foote that they cannot hurt him And wee receive this freedome by the Spirit of God that if wee would stirre it up and labour to walke as becommeth Christians we may make our lives very comfortable Briefly for Application First let us all take notice of the command that God gives to Abraham of this incouragement and make use of it to our selves and know that the power of grace and Religion must reflect upon a mans selfe He beloved shall be accounted the best Christian before God and in the sight of judicious men whose Religion is practicall and reflects upon himselfe Now there are many busie ones in the world that meddle with the conversations of others and are still talking and complayning of things without themselves but surely he is a happie man that reformes himselfe and that sets in tune his owne affections and passions as this in particular to labour to be without slavish and inordinate feare Alas wee may complaine of many that finde fault with many things but if they looke within there is a combustion of a great many unruly affections and passions and these are the things we never complaine of wee finde not fault with our selves as wee should wee should take notice of the Law of God that it is spirituall to set in order our hearts and mindes and soules as well as our tongues and hands The law of man reacheth but to the outward man if a man keepe himselfe in order in regard of these thought is free and the Law doth not take hold of a man for his affections but the Law God doth therefore you know that lusting after a woman in Gods account is reputed adultery the hating of a mans brother in his heart is accounted manslaughter he is accounted a murtherer that hates his brother so he that is angry unadvisedly you know what he is in danger of and that man is accounted guiltie before God that cannot order his affections in regard of those unruly passions that are within him This I observe by the way God in Scripture takes especial notice of it I am perswaded it is an infallible distinguishing character between an hypocrite a sincere child of God an hypocrite labours to wash the outside hee hath a demure countenance cleane hands smooth language c. these things are good but he goes no further he makes no conscience of secret contemplative wickednesse of the lusts of his heart and the thoughts of his minde these things he never enters into himselfe to mortifie But that man that is conscionable so walkes with God as that a wrie affection an inward lust after somewhat that is evill troubles him and humbles him before God the vanitie of his thoughts in secret cause him to mourne before God this is a signe of a man that walkes before God and accounts God a Spirit that searcheth the hearts and tryeth the reynes and therefore if ever wee will approve our selves to God let our Religion bee practicall and reflect upon our selves and among other things upon our inward man to set that in order Secondly by way of instruction we see what happy men and women we might be if we were not our owne foes If wee could attaine this pitch to live without feare that nothing should trouble us were it not a happy condition surely it is a thing feazeable some Saints have attained it in a great measure you know David when Ziglag was taken his wives gone all the spoyle taken and the people were ready to stone him what did poore David hee can incourage himselfe in the Lord his God notwithstanding this So it may be with a poore Christian his friends may forsake him perhaps the world is gone riches take to themselves wings it may bee his body is
And how can it be otherwise when all sâ—… is the transgression of the Law as Saint Iohn defines it and all transgression of the Law deserves and is worthie of the curse which is both the first and second death for Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the Law to doe them There is no sinne then but it is worthy of death therefore there is no such veniall sin as they dreame of We denie not but that some sins are veniall and some mortall in another sence not in respect of the nature of the sin but of the estate of the person in whom the sins are so we say all the sins of the Elect are veniall because they either are or shall be pardoned And all the sins of reprobate persons are mortall because they shall never be pardoned It is the mercy of God and not from the nature of the sins that makes them veniall for otherwise every sin in it selfe considered be it never so small is mortall for if it worke according to its owne nature it workes death of body and soule It is a foolish exception that they bring against it that thus we make all sins equall and that we bring in with the Stoicks a paritie of sin because we say all are mortall It is a foolish cavill for it is as if one should argue because the Mouse and the Elephant are both living creatures that therefore they are both of equall bignesse Though all sins be mortall they are not all equall some are greater and some are lesser according as they are extended and aggravated by time and place and person and sundrie other circumstances Suppose one should be drowned in the middest of the Sea and another in a shallow pond in respect of death all were one both are drowned but yet there is great difference in respect of the place for depth and danger So there is great difference in this though the least sin in its owne nature be mortall as the Apostle saith here the wages of it is death Thirdly seeing the wages of sinne is death it should teach us what Use to make of death being presented before our eyes at such times as this hereby wee should call to remembrance the grievousnesse of sin that brought it into the world by the wofull wages wee should bee put in mind of the unhappie service Had there not beene sin there would have beene no death upon the death of the soule came in the death of the body first the soule died in forsaking God and then the body died being forsaken of the soule the soule forsooke God willingly therefore it was compelled unwillingly to forsake the body This is the manner how death came into the world by sin therefore death must put out sin That housholder when he saw tares grow among his wheate hee said to his servants the envious man hath done this So whensoever thou seest Death seize upon any say to thy selfe sinne hath done this this is the wages of sinne and if man had never sinned we should have seene no such thing Fourthly this must deterre us from sin since it gives such wages Indeed the manner of sin is for the most part if not alwayes to promise better but it is deceitfull and this is the wages it payes thee The wages of sinne is death The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated wages some take it quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the evening because wages are paid in the evening So the morning of sin may be faire but the evening will be foule when the wages come At the first sin may be pleasing but remember the end the end of it is death Like to a fresh River that runs into the salt Sea the streame is sweet but it ends in brackishnesse and bitternesse Or like to Nebuchadnezzars Image the head was gold but the feet were of clay Or sin may be compared to that Feast that Absalom made for Amnon there was great cheare and jollitie and mirth for a while but all closed in Death in bloudshed and murther It deales with men as Laban dealt with Iacob hee entertaines him at the first with great complements but used him hardly at the last Or as the Governour of the feast said Ioh. 2. All men in the beginning set forth good wine and then that which is worse so sinne gives the best at the first but the worst it reserves for the last This should keepe us from every sin though it seemes never so pleasing and never so sweet to us remembring that the worst is still to come Wee reade that when the people saw that Saul forbad them to eate though they were exceeding hungrie yet not one of them durst touch the honey for the curse though they saw it so the pleasures of sin may drop as honey before our eyes but we must not adventure to taste of them because they are cursed fruit and because of the wages that will follow Never take sinne by the head by the beginnings as the greatest part doe but take it as Iacob tooke Esau by the heele looke to the extreame part of it Consider thy end and thou shalt not doe amisse Iezabell might have allured a man when having painted her face shee looked out of the window but to looke upon her after shee was cast out eaten of dogges and nothing remaining but her extreame parts her scull and the palmes of her hands and her feet it could not be but with horrour so sinne may allure a man looking only on the painted face in the beginning but if a man cast his eye upon the extreame parts it would then affright and deterre him for the wages the end of it is death What a world of people runne blindly and desperatly on they turne to the race of sinne as the horse to the battell without feare as if the Psalmists Tremble and sinne not were rather sinne and tremble not Whereas we have great cause every one to tremble at the least motion of sinne in our selves to which so dreadfull and wofull wages is due Lastly for this point so many of us as have repented and have already left the service of sin we must hence learne as to be humbled in our selves considering what danger and miserie we have escaped so to be more thankful to Christ that hath freed us from so wretched wages due to our sins and that by taking the whole punishment upon himselfe For we must know beloved that the best of us by nature are children of wrath as well as others the stypend that we have earned is eternall death and surely it hath been payed to us nothing could have kept it from us but only the satisfaction of Christ comming betweene Gods justice and us Thinke we then if we can what miserie it is that wee have escaped as many of us I meane as be in the state of grace we have escaped
concurrence betweene the action and the affection with conformitie to the Rule First there must be actions It is not speaking good nor meaning good only but it is doing good Saith the Apostle If a brother be naked or hungrie or cold and you say to him goe in peace warme thee but you give him no fire and goe and cloath thee but you give him no apparell and goe and feed thee but you give him no meate Here are good words now but the deedes are not answerable here are no good deedes at all Solomon compares such complementall charitie that is only verball and in outward expression to Cloudes and windes without raine Not much unlike the boxes of Apothecaries that are adorned with glorious tytles without but open them and examine the insides you shall finde nothing but emptinesse Well that is the first thing there must bee good actions Againe secondly these must have a good rise they must proceed from a good affection too or else they lose the name of good actions Make the tree good and the fruit shall bee of the same condition the actions are not good if the affections bee naught and therefore the same God that requires beneficence hee commands benevolence also and would have men become tender-hearted and put on the bowels of compassion that they should Sympathize with others and be like affectioned to them to mourne with those that mourne and to be with those that are bound as being bound with them This is that which our Saviour calls being mercifull Bee mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull Hee saith not only doe workes of mercie but be mercifull doe them from a mercifull heart from bowels of compassion that yearne towards those that are in necessitie That is the second thing But then thirdly these actions and these affections whence they rise they must hold conformitie with the Law There is no good but what is conformable to the rule of goodnesse that is the written word of God and therefore all those will-worships and idle ceremonies made according to the inventions of man as a thousand devices in Poperie wherein they intimate a show of great Liberalitie they are not good deedes because they want that good rule that should uphold and make them so So much shall serve for the opening of it Good deedes then are such actions as rise from a sanctified affection and receive ground and warrant from Gods will revealed in his Word to men Againe there is a third terme yet Doe good to all men What doth the Apostle meane that every man should receive the fruits of our Beneficence There are some men notoriously wicked and rather to be punished than relieved The Apostle meanes not such for hee gives you a Caution If any man worke not let him not eate Relieve him not that hath abilitie to get and will live idlie and unprofitably But doe good to all men that is to all men so farre as you see them in extreme want unable to helpe themselves if their lawfull necessities call upon your charitie in this respect all men must be looked unto but especially To the houshold of Faith By houshold of faith here he meanes the multitude of beleevers and not only those that dwell neere us and about us but those that are dispersed throughout the whole earth the Churches of God The dispersion spoken of through all the parts of the world are this houshold of faith all the Saints of God in what difference or distance soever one from another yet they are of the same houshold together of the same Church of God So the Church of God is called the house of God and sometime it is understood of the Church militant and sometime of the Church triumphant Of the Church triumphant In my Father 〈◊〉 many mansions There it is heaven the place of the blessed Then for the Church militant Moses was faithfull in all his house saith the Text. And Paul exhorts Timothie how hee should carry himselfe in the house of God that is in the Church militant As for those that live above us they need not our good workes and actions therefore it is intended of those that are here in the Church militant that is called Gods houshold because there is such a communion amongst beleevers as amongst those that live in the same house that abide under the same roofe that live under the same government that eat at the same Table c. So then you have the meaning of all which is no more but this Take those advantages of times which you can obtaine or elâ—… many will slip unprofitablie to bee conversant in such actions of mercie which tend to the reliefe of thoâ—… that want them If there be extreme necessitie doe good to all but if you may make choyce of persons to whom you may doe good choose the houshold of faith Thus you have the substance and the meaning of the words In them you may observe briefly these three parts The first is a determination or limitation of time to which the Saints are tyed in the performance of the duties that are injoyned them as you have opportunitie and while you have time Secondly there is a declaration of dutie doe good Thirdly there is a description of the persons to whom this good must be done first more generally Doe good to all and then more particularly and with an especiall note Especially to those of the houshold of Faith Of these in order First for the determination of time to take the words as they lie while you have time therefore or as you have opportunitie the words themselves doe render the maine point It is the dutie of Christians to take their advantages of times to take the best opportunities of their life to doe good I will speake somewhat by way of Explication of the point and something by way of Application and so proceed to what followes First for the Explication what is intended or meant in it when we incite you to embrace times and opportunities Briefly these two things are meant in it First that you should bee sure not to lose the time of life And Secondly that you should not forgoe the advantages and opportunities of estates You shall not alwayes have life to doe good and it may bee if you have life you â—…all not alwayes enjoy meanes and abilitie to doe good Whâ—…â—…ou have life therefore and time doe good or while you enjoy meanes and so power to doe good embrace these opportunities That is the meaning of the Apostle in this place First then there must be a doing good while you have life let your good workes goe before you doe things while you live and deferre not the performance of them till your death Make you friends of the unrighteous Mammon that when you want they may receive you into everlasting habitations Hee calls that unrighteous Mammon not that it is unrighteously gotten only though