CERTAINE SERMONS PREACHED AND PENNED BY RICHARD ROGERS Preacher of Weathersfield in Essex directly tending to these three ends First to bring any bad person that hath not committed the sinne that is vnpardonable to true conuersion Secondly to stablish and settle all such as are conuerted in faith and repentance Thirdly to leade them forward that are so setled in the Christian life to bring foorth the fruite of both WHEREVNTO ARE ANNEXED diuers godlie and learned Sermons of another reuerend and faithfull seruant of God M r. SAMVEL WRIGHT Bachelor of Diuinitie late President of Sidney Colledge in Camebridge deceased tending also to the same ends with diuers particular points in both profitable and fit for these times 1. IOHN 5.13 I write vnto you that beleeue in the name of that Sonne of God that yee may know that yee haue eternall life and that yee may beleeue in the name of that Sonne of God LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON for Thomas Man 1612. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE EDVVARD DENNY Lord Baron of Waltam c. IT is recorded in holie Scripture right Honourable that Iehoshaphat King of Iudah much renowned for his pietie did send out his Princes to teach in the Cities of Iudah By which act of his and the setting downe of it by the holie Ghost although I goe not about to confound their office and dutie with the Prophets and Leuites yet they are not on the other side to be taken and counted as nothing I meane both his act and the report of it by the holie storie For though they did not preach to the people in the cities whither they came hauing Leuites with them to doe that seruice yet their countenancing authorizing and backing of the Leuites who did teach the people indeed is not without cause said to be a preaching seeing it made way to the people receiuing of it with much more readinesse and cheerefulnesse then otherwise they would haue done yea they were much more incouraged to the zealous embracing and professing of it with fruits following and that by the aduancing and magnifying of it by such noble and worthy persons then might haue bin looked for at their hands otherwise For though the word of God and the pure doctrine taught out of it be of sufficient authoritie to draw and perswade the hearers to submit themselues to it yet considering the blindnes vntowardnes and rebelliousnes of mans heart against heauenly things a number would neuer haue set foote in the holie place to heare for all the report that might haue come to their eares of the price and benefit of the glad tidings preached if they had not been incouraged and brought on by such worthie examples Oh wee know what force there is in such meanes In so much as euen with vs howsoeuer there are of the Nobilitie many who haue the preaching of the Gospel in singular account yet the people that dwell farre off from them and be not seated neere to them they I say hearken not after them neither are any thing moued by them But where such are seene by the people that liue by them to haue the preachers of the word in high account for the message they bring and to bee subiect to the holie doctrine which they teach euen that is a strong cord to draw the inferiour sort to shew reuerence to the ordinance of God and to cause them to think that if such great persons so highly esteeme of their ministery and message that there is doubtlesse some great matter that moueth thē to it And though that be not all neither is of any power to conuert the heart for that is the proper worke of the holie Ghost yet many are at the first brought on to receiue the preaching of the Gospell who after feele the power of it also and enioy the benefit of it when yet their first beginnings therein are chiefly occasioned by the zeale and forwardnes of such good patternes And this is one cause Right Honourable why we Gods Ministers doe much wish and pray for the superiours and great persons and especially those who are noble and growing toward the highest places that they may be sincere and zealous for the truth because though they be no Preachers as neither Iehoshaphats Princes were yet wee know how greatly they may set forward preaching and honour God in going before the people in their holy course I say we pray that many of them may be such euen as wee highly praise God for those who are such alreadie And as wee are glad to see them fauourers and followers of that which we preach by the authoritie of God one father of vs all so we desire which is the next thereto that they would be patrons of our writings which we set foorth with the same mindes for the common edification of the Church of Christ that when it is seene that such as are in high place and zealous professors of the truth also do make account of them there may be farre greater hope that many others will doe the same And therefore I humbly craue of your Honour that I who haue presumed to dedicate these few Sermons to your Honour may be with your good liking allowed so to doe The which though they be things of small account as they are commonly reckoned to be yet I would not haue offered them if I had thought they might not promise that good to the Church which I know your Honour is willing to further Besides if there be any thing in them worthy your accepting and reading they are your due by good right and the testimonie of my thankfull heart and the best that I haue to present to your Lordship who though you neuer saw my face yet euen vpon report of me to your Honour did giue me cause to haue you in daily remembrance while I liue But a word is enough of this To lay out the matter of the Sermons I thinke it not meete to bee tedious to you about it and the rathe for that it is in the short Epistle to the Reader done sufficiently further then thus to signifie that the thing which is chiefly aimed at in them among many other to good purpose is to giue helpe to the Reader as need shall require to make his calling and consequently his election as the Apostle Peter willeth sure And thus not to bee further tedious to your Lordship I end praying God that as hee hath honoured you in a double manner so he would accompanie your earthlie honour with abundance of such blessings as are wont to goe with it and multiplie your best honour with the varietie and increase of his heauenly graces From Weathersfield this 20. of Aprill 1612. Your Honours in all humble dutie to commaund in Christ RICH. ROGERS TO ALL TRVE CHRISTIANS AND WELWILLERS TO to the Gospel or such as yet are further off from the power of it whom the Lord in time may call Richard Rogers wisheth al good that they want to
Reade the fourth Psalme vers 43. Why art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou disquieted in me Trust still in God c. His soule was so vexed cast downe and disquieted in him that he could not raise it vp to any ioy and comfort so it is with the best at sometime Further obserue whom hee heere exhorteth thus often to reioyce in the Lord and that is the faithfull that alreadie had this ioy begun in their hearts These men that alreadie do reioyce they must reioyce and againe reioyce in the Lord. It is not for a righteous man to beginne a good thing but he must labour to perfect and encrease it to the end of his life Marke a notable place to this purpose 1. Ioh. 5.13 These things haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God that yee may know that yee haue eternall life and that ye may beleeue in the sonne of God He writes to them that beleeue that they may beleeue And in the first chapter and fourth verse he writes these things to them that reioyced alreadie that their ioy which was begun might be full So thus our Apostle in this place writes to them that alreadie reioyced that they reioyce in the Lord to them that reioyce in part and in some measure that their ioy might be full Heere then we see first what is the dutie of the Minister and that is that he content not himselfe to haue laid a good foundation of saith in his people and of ioy and hope and such other good vertues But he is to build them vp that they may grow from faith to faith from hope to hope and from ioy to ioy euen so long as these or they may grow which is as long as men liue in this world it is the Ministers dutie to continue his exhortations vnto them It is not for him to say as many retchlesse and godlesse Ministers I haue taught them more then they haue learned alreadie when they haue learned that I will teach them more No thou must teach and exhort them the same duties againe and againe and neuer giue ouer exhortations till thou hast by the mercy of God euen filled them with ioy and faith and patience And with all we see the duty of the people It is not enough for them to say They beleeue already they need not more preaching to exhort them to beleeue and they reioyce in God already and therfore need not to be exhorted to this ioy But rather it is meere and necessary for them to haue with the father of the possessed child Mark 9.24 at least one eye vpon their infidelity as well as the other vpon their faith and to say I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe Beleeuest thou well yet thou hast remaining a great deale of vnbeleefe Doest thou reioyce yet remember thou hast need againe and often to be exhorted to this duty that thy small ioy may grow in the end to be full and compleate that euen thou maiest with peace resigne thy soule into the hands of God The text being thus vnfolded and the vse of it set downe yet two things I see of necessary vse to be added before I make an ende The first is the answering of some obiections rising from the former doctrine The next is that seeing the necessitie the profit and the difficultie of performing this duty is such as I haue in some sort shewed I thinke it not amisse to spend a little time in teaching how a man may both procure this ioy if yet he neuer had it and keepe and increase it if he haue it and recouer it if at any time he haue lost the sense and feeling of it Obiect 1 For the obiections these are some why Christians cannot alwayes reioyce to wit seeing many of them are vsually heauy and sad yea so farre that they cause other to be so and they make many to thinke that their religion alloweth no ioy which holdeth some backe from it and therefore such are farre from reioycing in the Lord alwaies Answ To this I answer that examples are not to be alleaged against rules for such as are sad of Gods children haue not yet learned to know their liberty that they may reioyce as I haue said but would most willingly and shall in time doe so but in the meane while are to be pitied and helped forward and therefore these hinder not the truth before mentioned that the righteous cannot reioyce Obiect 2 Againe it is obiected that some who did reioyce in the Lord haue left and giuen it ouer and take vp their ioy in other things as though either their heauenly ioy could not be held and as though they had done more then they could defend Answ To the which I say that either they had no good ground nor warrant to reioyce so at first or if they had they sinne in leauing it off and must returne to it againe Obiect 3 Other say they cannot reioyce as they did when they were first inlightned to beleeue To whom I say that either they labour not to preserue it so carefully nor their faith from which it commeth neither prize them both as they did when they first beleeued or if they doe then they may still reioyce as they did at the first if otherwise then what maruaile is it that they cannot reioyce as sometime they did let them repent their negligence and sinne and doe their former workes and God will restore their ioy to them yea and that rather more soundly which they were wont in him to finde Obiect 4 And where it is demanded how can they reioyce in tribulation Answ I say with the Apostle they may through hope For though no affliction be for the time present ioyous but greeuous yet the sense of heauenly ioy is onely abated for the time but shall returne againe and as S. Peter sayeth it is meet if need be that we be in heauines for a season that the triall of our faith being much more precious then gold that perisheth may be found to our honour And yet when God will he giueth ioy in heauines as to Paul and Silas who sung in the dungeon at midnight and more then that as Daniel was inabled to reioyce in the Lions denne the three children in the fierie fornace and the Martyrs in our remembrance did at the stake Obiect 5 As for such as aske at the hearing of this why may not any reioyce in the Lord as well as these before spoken of Answ I answere seeing they haue set their delight in other things transitory or euill For as the Prophet aduiseth the rich may not reioyce in their riches nor the wise in their wisdom but he that will reioyce let him reioyce in the Lord. For no one of those reioycings can stand with this Thus much for answere to the obiections the other thing is how this ioying in the Lord is to
be gotten kept and recouered being lost which that you may the better regard and diligently attend vnto Know this of a suerty that he that is not in some measure partaker of this ioy here shall neuer be partaker of the ioyes in heauen For as our spirituall life whereby we liue in Christ is not begun but in this life soe certaine and doubtlesse it is that this ioy which is a fruite of that life must either be begun here or we shall neuer passe into them ioyes in the kingdome of heauen Despise therefore this ioy and scorne it as many doe who count it but a fantasie and withall thou refusest the ioyes of heauen whereof this ioy is but the beginning On the contrary procure keepe and encrease this ioy and these are a certaine and sure pledge vnto thee of the ioyes of the life to come And the more thou canst fill and fraught thy selfe with this ioy the nearer doest thou come vnto the life of the Saints in heauen For this ioy here on earth and that in heauen is not differing in kinde But the ioy of the faithfull militant is the same with that of the faithful triumphant The same I say for the nature and kinde of the ioy though not for the degree and perfection of it So that as I said the more we grow on in this ioy the nearer we come to the blessed life of the Saints triumphant Let vs then see by what meanes this ioy of heauen may be here begun in vs on earth And first this is a cleane an euident trueth that we can neuer attaine to any true and sound ioy in the Lord vntil we be by faith in Christ recōciled vnto him For vntill then so far ar we from taking any ioy in him that we take the greatest pleasure in estranging and withdrawing our selues so far as can be from him As Adam before he was reconciled vnto God after his fall he could not endure the sight and presence of God but hid himselfe amongst the trees of the garden As well can the theife take pleasure in the presence of the iudge that is to condemne and pronounce sentence of death vpon him as we can reioice in God the Iudge and the auenger of all our sinnes committed against him Now then that we may know how this reconciliation is to be made with God without the which we cannot ioy in him we are in it to proceed by these three degrees First we are to come to the knowledge of our sin by the Law of God we are to bring the Law rightly taught and vnderstood of vs as a light into our hearts to see what heapes of filthie sins lie in euery darke corner of our hearts to see what are the duties required in euery seuerall precept and how we haue omitted them what sinnes are condemned in euery precept and how and in what degree we haue sinned in the commission of them Secondly we are to weigh the iudiciall sentence of the Law against vs. Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all things written in the Law to do them And then not to blesse our selues that yet all shall be well nor to make a league and couenant with hell and death which shall not be kept but in token we beleeue our hearts must be filled with sorrow and all our vaine reioycings are to bee turned to mourning till we melt and relent be abased and humbled thereby and brought to an vtter despaire of all helpe in our selues Thirdly being thus truly cast downe in our owne soules we are then to learne to know what meanes God hath appoined to free vs from the bitter curse of death and hell The meanes he appointed for the freeing vs were the death passion and y e obedience of Christ Iesus that he might vndergo the curse and wrath of God for such lost and forlorne ones as we are and that we might be freed from it and so make a full and perfect satisfaction for vs and fulfill the Law that his obedience might be imputed vnto vs. But yet this passion and obedience of Christ are not ours except they be applied to vs by faith in the promises of the Gospell These promises therefore are to be knowne and then by faith to be laid hold on the promises tending to this purpose are euery where very comfortable and plentifull in Scripture Ioh. 3.14 As the Serpent was lift vp in the wildernesse so must the Sonne of man be lift vp that whosoeuer beleeueth should not perish but haue eternall life For God so loued the world that he sent his onely begotten Sonne that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life Which being so how can it be that we being freed frō the sting affrighting and thundring threatnings of the Law and translated by this faith into y e glorious liberty of the sons and daughters of God but that wee should bee exceedingly rauished in ioy at this so vnspeakable loue and mercie of God vnto vs If onely we were freed from the curse of the Law which is eternall death and torment and had only this hatred of God turned from vs that he should no more hate vs this were cause enough one would thinke if we did duely consider it of great reioycing But truly to beleeue that God should further loue vs and loue vs as it were aboue his owne Sonne that he should wound him to spare vs and curse him to blesse vs that he should kill him to quicken vs that he should abandon and forsake him that he might againe take and receiue vs this I say to beleeue it cannot but cheare and reioyce the saddest heart and heauiest soule that euer was It is said in the Acts All that beleeued continued in the Apostles doctrine and ate their meat with gladnes and singlenes of heart This faith made them all though they were in a most dangerous estate in regard of the world and the enemies they had in it to reioyce and be merrie in the Lord notwithstanding all the snares and dangers that infested them on euerie side And the Apostle Peter writing to all the dispersed beleeuers of the Iewes in many countries in his 1. Epistle 1.8 saith Ye beleeuing in him that is in Christ though you see him not you reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious Though Christ were absent in bodie yet this faith of theirs in him made them all to reioyce with vnspeakable and glorious ioy as the people of Samaria did after they beleeued in Christ Thus then we see briefely what is the only way to attaine and come vnto this ioy heere in this exhortation of the Apostle commended vnto vs. But I haue both in a direction and in Sermons handled this at large and will say no more of it Let vs now see when we haue it how we may both keepe and encrease this ioy in our hearts And this is to be done by many meanes
make them trulie happie for euer CHristian and gentle Reader I offer to thy view in this little booke certaine Sermons tending to the good of all that can finde time and willingnes to reade and regard them And more particularlie at this they aime some of them that they may helpe forward and perswade ignorant profane bad persons and hypocrites to distast and waxe wearie of their euill and dangerous course For out of all these kinds of wicked persons doth the Lord daily call home some effectually where the Gospell is soundly plainly and powerfully preached And I would they should know as much as I say to the end they may not harden their hearts against God as they may possibly and easily doe while they see many safely and happily guided in their liues and themselues nothing so but may heare his voice willingly by repairing to such wholesome Sermons wherein the Lord sheweth himselfe willing to be reconciled vnto them and wherein he thus speaketh O nation not worthie to be beloued yet for all this if thou wilt returne from thine iniquitie I will receiue thee graciously And what should make them like glad as the hearing of this as the Gentiles were when they heard first that God had granted vnto them as well as to the Iewes the glad tidings of saluation Euen this sort of people may haue no small incouragement by reading these Sermons and especially those among the rest which shew how they that wander out of the right way may returne and come home vnto it againe Some of these Sermons doe aime at this to keepe such as are drawne out of their sinfull course alreadie to the certaintie of saluation and to keepe such stedfast in their faith hope and repentance and that they may not fall from them And other some of them serue to helpe forward all such so stablished that they may grow in knowledge and grace and so bring foorth fruits beseeming the Gospell And I would they might finde no lesse fauour and acceptation with the readers then I am sure they found with them who heard them preached I haue shewed what the matter is that is handled in these Sermons now I will shew my reasons why I haue gathered not one but sundrie of the same argument together and set them foorth so And after I will declare to thee in what order I place them in this treatise and why The first reason why I set downe many in one booke of the same argument and not of diuers is this for that this matter and doctrine of the conuersion of a sinner is very hard to be perceiued and discerned of many hearers and especially so as they may cleerely see how to trace the way and goe in it Therefore that which could not so easily be perceiued in one sermon I haue thought good to lay foorth in many and out of diuers texts of Scriptures which tending all to this end to wit to set downe the conuersion of a sinner to God doe giue more light in this matter and offer occasion of more things about it then one alone can doe These therefore being read with consideration may through Gods blessing make this point cleere who how and when a man is conuerted and make him able to trie whither he himselfe be so or no. And if one be well grounded in the doctrine that teacheth this and haue the vse of this he shall much the easilier attaine to further knowledge and consequently to the vse thereof both which are meanly and of few attained to seeing so few are well setled in the other The next reason of this my thus doing is because this doctrine of the conuersion of a sinner is but little and too seldome taught I meane al the parts of it are seldome set downe together especially at one time and in one sermon All which were meete to be done and oft the weake capacitie slipperie memorie and many other defects in the most hearers requiring it and that they might see both how farre they are from conuersion while they are in their first condition of ignorance and vnbeliefe and how they are to be brought to it and also how contrarie their hearts and liues should be to that they were before when they be conuerted These parts of it are seldome handled altogether in preaching though one sometime another of them another time be taught and deliuered But it is a long time though the word be diligently preached as in few places it is before the most part of the hearers are able to lay one part and point of it with the other and to make the whole worke of conuersion of them all And to adde the third reason seeing all that the people know and practise without conuersion is nothing I meane either pleasing to God or profitable to saluation vnto themselues They may I denie not know many points and learne sundrie instructions as concerning the letter but to know so as they beleeue without which faith it is impossible for them to please God they cannot without conuersion and to practise so in their liues as that they may be said to repent and liue holily without which they shall perish and neuer see the Lord that is impossible without the same conuersion For these causes and some other of which this is not the least that by experience I haue seene great fruit come of this doctrine diligently and much taught and little fruite where it hath not been much in vse for such causes I say I haue of purpose set out many sermons of this argument desiring that the people may be made better acquainted with it and that such Preachers as thinke me worthie to be heard in this request would frame themselues to teach it in their owne or in other places where they come As for them that feare they shall glut the people with beating thus vpon the same things as though they could preach no other I answere if wee preach to the end the people may practise that which we teach and if the people also make vse of that which they learne about this matter it shall be found so hard and precious to know themselues conuerted that they shall themselues desire that doctrine concerning it to be taught againe and againe and namely of faith and repentance rather then to be wearie of it for they shall see that when the same thing shall be taught out of new texts euen the old matter shall be in manner new to them Now it followeth to shew why these texts are set downe in the order in which they are placed in the treatise The first texts are Acts 16.24 and Matth. 24.12.13 and the sermons on both tend directly to shew how a sinner is conuerted except the beginning of the Sermon in the 16. of the Acts which yet maketh a way to the doctrine of conuersion in the storie of the Iailer And in those two Sermons the reader may see the three parts of conuersion And diuers of
who are pinched with seeing their necessitie and want of Gods fauour and yet are perswaded that without it they cannot bee saued nor haue any peace they beside going out to heare will also question further about their estate and in the heauinesse of their hearts will say to the Lords Merchants who are furnished with all store fit for them Sirs what shall we doe to be saued that so we may attaine thereto But this is further to bee marked that as the Iaylor heere sought out for himselfe and moued question about his saluation was perswaded that they were both able to tell him that which hee asked them and was resolued as wee see by that which followeth to rest vpon and embrace their answere as from God so there must bee in those who are pricked in their consciences so much wisedome as to repaire to those men and brethren who can and will resolue their doubts and they must bee also readie to receiue the same from their mouthes as from the messengers of God when it shall in the euidence of the spirit and the perswasion of their consciences bee deliuered vnto them For the word of God being rightly applied will work kindly vpon them and quiet them whereas other comforts will not fasten on them nor satisfie them But vntill men doe begin to question about their estate they are in no forwardnes toward their saluation Quest If it bee asked whether all must of necessitie moue questions about it Answ I answere yea vnlesse such doubts as arise about the same be cleerely answered by publike preaching And yet herein they who propound them must be wise and prepared as I haue said to be directed by the answere which shall be giuen them from God euen as Cornelius said vnto Peter when he came to his house to tell him what he should doe of himselfe his kinsmen and especiall friends Wee are now here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of him And thus much of the Iaylors question one of the neerer meanes of his conuersion Now followeth another of them and that is the Apostles answere namely that hee should beleeue in the Lord Iesus and he should be saued This therfore is well to be considered For this was the thing which he stood in need of and that without the which he could not be saued For hee being alreadie throughly troubled in his conscience needed not to bee vrged to sorrow and prick of heart fearing damnation alreadie for his horrible sinnes but had need of comfort rather through the forgiuenes thereof which hee could no otherwise obtaine but by faith And therefore they required this of him namely that he should beleeue in the Lord Iesus for the remission of his sinnes rather then any other thing because hauing this the loue of Christ which hee should see thereby towards him would constraine him sooner then any thing else to set vpon and endeuour after the doing of his will which is repentance Neither let any here gather by this that it was in his power to beleeue faith being the free gift of God but it was necessarie that hee should know so much namely that hee must beleeue to the end he might both be the better prepared to aske and learne of them how hee should come to obtaine it and also esteeme more highly and preciously of it which is the next way to come by it This point is the more to be marked because that which I haue said of the Apostles words to him must without any further labour be receiued and applied to all that are in the same estate that he was in For to make this former exposition of their words to serue also for doctrine what is needfull for any which are as the Iaylor was terrified and troubled with the feare of hell and stricken with the wound of conscience for their sinnes I say what is needfull to such in any sort like vnto this that they should know they are all washed away by the blood of Christ which is all one as to beleeue in him that he hath pardoned them For to such as so feele themselues lost is the promise made so that they beleeue not before the time but haue good leaue and libertie from God so to do neither therefore ought they to neglect or refuse so to doe while they feele what need and desire they haue of it And this be said of the Apostles answere which was the second meane of the Iailers conuersion more neare The third followeth which was their preaching of the word of God vnto him whereby he was brought to beleeue and so to be conuerted Heere for the clearing of this point because it is not particularly expressed what doctrine they preached but only in generall the word of God it need not trouble any what the things were which they taught for seeing it is said afterward that he beleeued it is manifest that they preached of such points to him as might worke and beget faith in him And seeing he was alreadie terrified and full of anguish for that he saw himselfe in the estate of damnation it is certaine that they told him that he was in the way to receiue mercie And it is also out of doubt that they preached this that Iesus Christ came into the world to saue such as in the case in which he was were void of all other hope And that they taught him to applie wisely and kindly his merits as the only remedie and medicine fit to heale his deadly and running sore and that they heartened and encouraged him in Christs name to lay hold of the same and to beleeue and to be perswaded that he was giuen and sent into the world of his Father to saue and deliuer from endlesse thraldome and woe such miserable sinners and also that they answered his obiections namely that he doubted he came not to saue such great sinners as he was and such like For this is the doctrine that he had need to be throughly instructed in and furnished with and all to this end that he might be bold to beleeue it Thus they preaching vnto him and confirming in him that which he had namely the desire he had in that heauie estate of his to be saued and helping him to that which he had not that is the promise of eternall life God so wrought in him thereby that he embraced it and rested vpon it by faith so that he euen he appeared then to be one of them for whom Christ died and whom he came to saue according to that which is said by the Apostle faith commeth by hearing of the word of God preached and againe with the heart man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse and consequently to saluation To that doctrine they I meane Paul and Silas added also this that he which beleeueth and hath the hope that maketh not ashamed purgeth himselfe also from the sinne that he findeth in
afterward see some great good effect to come thereof as heere is to be seene in him Heere now the Iailer begins to stay himselfe but yet betwixt hope and feare he cals for a light to see if it were as Paul said and leaping in and trembling yet with feare and finding all things to his desire he falles downe before Paul and Silas The shaking of the earth and the setting open the doores amazed him but when he saw that none of the prisoners were fled this was yet more admirable vnto him And this strucke into his conscience an accusation of himselfe for his hard vsage of these men whom he saw so kind to him and carefull of his good perceiuing indeed that the miracle was wrought for their sakes Whereby God sheweth how necessarie it is for men to be cast downe and abased before they be raised vp as we see in him in Manasses and in Paul at the gates of Damascus and many other for great is the pride and strong is the stoutnesse of mans heart Then because the place where they were was loathsome and vnfit for speech to be had in it he bringeth them out not fearing what the Magistrate should say vnto him Which cleerely sheweth that many which shew crueltie against Gods innocent and faithfull seruants if they did a little better know and consider who they are in what account with God and also if they would bethinke themselues how vile they themselues haue been would become more calme and kind vnto them and be wounded for their owne great sinne against them But he proceeds further and desires to be instructed of them and that in the most waightie matters of all As if he should haue said Sirs I see now it is true which I beleeued not that ye are the seruants of the most high God and this ye haue made apparent to me For I like a most vile beast put you in the dungeon but I see he regards you and shakes the earth and workes wonders for your sakes You haue saued my life for I was but a dead man Now ye haue shewed such care of my life shew me I pray you the way to eternall life What shall I do c. He thus sheweth himselfe willing to heare and learne of them and he acknowledgeth them able to satisfie him therein And indeed then are men in good way to true conuersion when they are thus teachable and when they are perswaded that such as they repaire vnto for direction and comfort are meete to resolue them And they who are the elect of God do consult and take counsell what to do of them whom God hath sent with the word of reconciliation These are guides sent of him to bring men into the right way and to guide them in it O the wonderfull worke of God! would the Iailer thus haue attended to learne of them if God had not drawne him would hee that had so cruelly vsed them haue come to bee taught of them nay would he not haue vsed them worse The Lord therefore meekeneth him and maketh him a vessell fit for grace to be powred into And although many that God humbleth with his terrors become not humble indeed yet it was otherwise with him Obserue heere what a change God can make hee that ouernight would not haue heard them though they had fallen downe at his feet to entreate him now he fals at their feet desiring them to teach him Euen as the Lord promised to the Church of Philadelphia that he would make them that were of the synagogue of Satan to come and worship at their feet This among many other ministreth comfort to all faithfull Ministers of God for hereby he teacheth them that hee can meeken the proudest when he seeth good and therefore they ought to rest contented in the carefull discharge of their duties But if he do not yet it shall be little to their reioycing in the end who after all meanes remaine hardened Paul readie to teach in season and out of season taketh the opportunitie seeing him as the hot iron fit to be wrought vpon euen as he did to Agrippa and as godly Ministers ought to do And in bidding him beleeue they preached not the Law as I haue said before because they saw him humbled but powred oyle into his wounds A full answere to such for Christ hauing life in him it followeth that he that hath him that is by faith layeth hold on him hath life also And faith alone saues as Paul teacheth in all his epistles and therefore is the popish doctrine false and diuellish teaching that we are saued by workes as causes For then is Christ no perfect Sauiour if we helpe him in the satisfying for sin and in meriting heauen And as for the obiection out of Iames that we are said there to be iustified by workes his meaning is that we are iustified thereby before men to be faithfull as Paul teacheth and no otherwise and therefore this is a maine ground to ouerthrow Purgatorie merits Masse c. And Paul labouring to make as plentiful an haruest to the Lord as he could puts him in mind that not himselfe only but his houshold also might be saued See wherein he is couetous euen to winne soules thus putting the Iailer in mind of his dutie that is to haue his familie instructed in the way to saluation For masters of housholds are not only to seeke the way to heauen themselues but they must haue care of all that be vnder their roofe Command 4. Thou and thy son and thy man seruant and maid shall keepe holy the Sabbath and not suffered to run and roaue at their pleasure no more then to toile And so the Ministers of God are in like manner to labour with and draw them on as well as the other The Iailer by and by brought them to heare that they might beleeue be saued yea though it might haue seemed to haue been out of season being after midnight which is to the iust reproofe both of masters that will not bring their seruants and of seruants that will not be brought from their gaming and worldly dealings on the Sabbath day to be instructed Also in Paul is set out an excellent example of paine in teaching It was midnight they had not slept they were sore and hungrie yet their calling makes them forget all as our Sauiour in the fourth of Iohn being wearie hungrie and thirstie yet hauing opportunitie to commune with the woman of Samaria forgets them all And so ought Gods Ministers to do when he offereth opportunitie the paine and labour to seeke the saluation of men ought to seeme none to them but pleasure And as he taught him that he must beleeue in Christ so he preached him out of the word of the Lord. For How shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard as the Apostle saith therefore
he teacheth him to know Christ For a cleare and distinct knowledge of him is necessarie before we can beleeue And not only he preached Christ but also more generally the word of God that is euen other things to assure them of Christ And that must be the matter of our preaching we must not build our faith on the word of man but of God and great reason For faith vpholds a great waight euen our saluation lieth vpon it Faith in Christ therefore needs a strong foundation and such an one is Gods word that which is built on it is built on a sure rocke mans word is sandie not able to beare vp any thing And thus hauing briefly noted as I promised other things in the text I will returne to the points following in the diuision of the text Therefore now follow the effects of his faith which also are the fruits of it These as they are set downe heere and such as for that time he had opportunitie to shew by which also we may certainly gather that other fruits of faith were in him these I say may be referred to three The first was his baptisme the next his reioycing for his owne and his housholds beleeuing the third containe certaine duties of mercie and loue as his bringing them out of prison into his house his washing their stripes and refreshing of their hungrie bodies with meate Where first note this generally that good workes follow faith as the heate doth the fire So soone as the theefe beleeued he confesseth Christ sheweth other fruits of his faith such as in that time he could So this man doth the same by his loue to Gods seruants And he doth it immediately euen the same houre of the night as they were readie to teach euen so was he to minister to their necessities But this doctrine is manifest looke we into the particulars Of the which I will begin with that which most neerely concerneth this matter and that is the sealing and confirming of his faith and the making of it sure vnto him that he beleeued indeed I meane that he was baptised For what would a man in his case desire more then to haue proofe and testimony that he beleeued when thereby he was partaker of Christ and of eternall life And Baptisme was an open badge of Christ and of his righteousnesse receiued by faith euen as Circumcision was vnto the Fathers in the old Testament Obiect But what haste ye will perhaps say could not that be deferred till day at least for it is said he was baptised in the same houre of the night after they had preached to him and his houshold which was a little after midnight Answ I answere it is not to be maruelled at that he desired speed in that so waightie a matter For they that haue faith thinke long till they may haue it sealed and ratified And is there not good reason thereof If a man had the writing of a great inheritance passed ouer to him would he not thinke it long till he had the seale And great matters were that night passed ouer by the Lord to him euen heauen life saluation and happinesse These therfore he desireth to haue Gods seale set vnto And so as he may haue this he cares not for his sleepe or his ease neither feares he any trouble that might ensue vpō it And this teacheth al such as God endueth with faith whē they haue sought it earnestly to seek by al means speedily to haue it confirmed vnto them and to get all possible testimonies thereof For as nothing in the world is so precious as it is and therefore not with like care to bee sought so neither is any thing with like regard to be preserued and witnessed to them that haue it Which I speake as well for the ignorants sake who know not that there may many euidences be gathered of their saluation as to stirre vp those who haue better vnderstanding who though they know it yet find many wayes to hinder themselues from this benefit For it may iustly be complained of that it is too slightly looked after of the most part But to set downe any of them heere I forbeare because I haue done it in many other places and some follow immediately to be mentioned The next fruit of faith which also to make good my last speech is an infallible token of eternal life to them that haue it is ioy for that he beleeued in God Which being rightly vnderstood is no lesse For although many heare and receiue the word with ioy because they heare most precious and strange things brought to light by the preaching of it yet this is not the ioy I speake of but to haue inward peace and ioy through beleeuing that al sinne is put away which sometime weighed vs downe for the feare of hell deserued and sore disquieted our hearts this ioy I say is a fruit of faith and a token of saluation as Saint Paul saith we haue peace with God which cannot deceiue vs if we be once by faith iustified For when we who were without hope sometime yea in great feare that we should neuer see God in his glorie shall come to haue our hearts eased and find rest to our soules Is it not a sure argument that God hath put away all our iniquitie and receiued vs graciously no more to turne his displeasure and angrie countenance toward vs what is able to make vs ioyfull but that perswasion and yet if that can do it it followeth also that by such ioy we haue that which causeth it Obiect And because many boast of false ioy from which none can disswade an Hypocrite therefore who can be secured from feare of it but he may ye will say be deceiued Answ I answere as the painted fire may be discerned from that which burneth indeed so may the beleeuers ioy be discerned from the other euen as true sorrow which is sorrow indeed may be from that which is counterfeit For as Salomon saith the heart knoweth her owne heauinesse and the stranger shall not be partaker of her ioy so thereby we may gather that as heauinesse is felt so is ioy also which no other but he that hath it can haue any part in For the other trieth it not in the true weights of Gods word which is proofe enough that it is frothie deceiueable and not sound whereas the true beleeuer thinketh he can neuer bestow too much labour to know that his comfort is wrought by God and shed into his hart by the holy Ghost because it is his crowne and glorie and that wherein his happinesse consisteth as the Queenes chiefe chamberlaine the people of Samaria when they were conuerted by Philip and the other churches of Iudea and Galile did well testifie Neither let this trouble any that the godly do oft want this ioy yea and haue it many times drowned with deepe sorrowes
that is first such an heart as they might feare him for therefore their answere was disliked although their words were good because they proceeded not from such an heart But this speech of the Lord in this manner vttered raiseth a doubt in the hearer what hee should meane by wishing such an heart as though the feare of God could not grow in any heart and likewise come from it and if it bee so what heart is that hee wisheth vnto them To the which may be answered that the feare of God and obedience to his commaundements doe not come from euery heart neither doth such fruite grow in euery garden Note and it must be such an heart indeede as cannot be matched neither hath any fellow or companion But what manner of heart is that you will say you doe not vnderstand what hee meaneth I answere therefore further that by such an heart he meaneth in one word an heart conuerted to God more particularly an heart broken with sorrow for sinne and the feare of damnation yet quieted againe and eased by beleeuing the remission of sinne and sanctified also to newnes of life Euen such an heart is fit to breed the feare of God and in such an heart it can dwell and in no other And that is called by our Sauiour a good heart which onely and no other can bring forth good things For so he saith a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and contrariwise so that if the heart be good that is truely turned to God then it is fitted for that which God here wished to his people that is to feare him and keepe his commandements and not else Now for proofe that it must be thus the scripture is cleare and plentifull As first that the heart must bee wounded for sinne and broken with sorrow and feare till it bee sicke againe is prooued by the words of our Sauiour where hee saith The whole haue no neede of the Physitian but the sicke And they in the Acts were pricked in conscience for their wofull estate before they came to Peter to aske how they might bee healed but then they came to him and the other Apostles though they had railed on them before and said Men and brethren what shall we doe As if they should haue said in this our distresse and dispayring in our selues what helpe can ye minister vnto vs or ease vnto our soules This contrition and sorrow is one of the three things which helpe to make the euill heart good And yet this without the other two is nothing to this purpose but fit onely to raise vp flashes and feares of hell to the tormenting of the conscience and the holding of it in slauerie and bondage for which cause it is called of the Apostle the spirit of bondage But this being rightly vsed maketh a most direct way to the renuing and changing of the heart that it may be good To proceede therefore the second thing required to make the heart good is faith vnfained that the afflicted minde may see and beleeue the sinnes of it to bee pardoned to the easing and quieting of it which then standeth in need of it and most earnestly desireth it and the Lord hath giuen a free grant of it vnto such as are thus prepared for it by earnest desiring it euen as in the forementioned place the Lord saith I am a physitian for the sicke and in another place I will giue the water of life vnto such as thirst which the sicke and troubled conscience hearing counteth it the happiest and welcomest tidings that could be brought vnto it and so by due and aduised considering it laieth holde of it though weakely and by little and little the Lord inabling the partie and so beleeueth that it is as effectuallie offered to him as to any of Gods children that haue already imbraced it And this mightily worketh both to ease and quiet and also to quicken him who was before so cast downe and troubled And thus to passe to the third thing requisite to the reforming and rectifying of the heart that the true feare of God may proceede from thence the partie being thus perswaded of the loue of God and the free remission of sinne and what vnlooked for contentment he hath thereby breaketh forth into the praise of God with admiring his kindnes and saith what thankes shall I giue vnto the Lord for his vnspeakeable mercy vnto me What shall I offer vnto the Lord for this his great goodnesse And so hee being constrained by the loue of God so shed into his heart is perswaded and inabled in good sort to goe about the dutie which God requireth indeuoring and purposing to walke before him in vprightnes and innocencie for euer after And this desire of his not being frothie and rash stirred vp of more and painefull feare as in many wicked ones it is but proceeding from faith which worketh by loue and from the certaintie of the fauour of God assured to him by the holy Ghost is not a suddaine passion in him which is hot and feruent for the present onely but comming from so good a foundation and ground sanctifieth him effectually by working a dislike of euill because it is euil and an heartie and vnfained loue of al goodnesse which grace being thus wrought in him is the third thing required to the changing of the heart and turning of it vnto God And this must go with faith as we are taught in the Epistle to the Corinthians where he saith Seeing we haue these promises let vs clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and grow vp to full holines in the feare of God With this agreeth that of Saint Iohn that if we haue the hope which is the daughter of faith we purge our selues from sinne as it commeth to our sight Thus I haue shewed what graces of God must necessarily be planted in the heart that it may bring foorth this fruit I mean the feare of God that so it may become such an hart as God heere wisheth the people when he saith oh that there were such an heart in them Now that the Christian Reader may not be deceiued in iudging whether he hath such an heart or not I will adde some caueats about these three properties which make the heart good that he examining and obseruing them may see whether he haue them or no. And to begin let him know that about the first of them which is pricke or wound of conscience and feare of Gods displeasure for the same I giue these two caueats or watch-words The one is this that if God presse our consciences with the powerfull preaching of his word Note and accuse and arrest them thereby that we in no wise resist that worke of grace but submit our selues thereto seeing he vseth to do so to them whom he will saue The other that being
they vsed all diligence and armed themselues now while God gaue them this little breathing from persecution that so by their confidence pure heart good conscience loue and patience and other grace they might be fit to leade a godly life in the world with ease and strengthen themselues against falles and the baits of sin on euery side And it is manifest to all of vs who can iudge that by such meanes and a sound ministerie watching praying and the like the Church of God can grow in grace and no otherwise And that they did thus it is apparent by that which we reade in the second of the Acts where it is said that they were daily in the temple and continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayer And this vse should all true particular Churches and people of God make of their libertie of peace and of liuing free from persecution From the which God hath a long time freed many of his good seruants in this age howsoeuer some are much and oft vnder the crosse yea and that right heauie and sharpe such therefore should glorifie God by bringing forth fruit not in a common sort yea al possible good should be done of them and not omitted For as for priuate lets and those which are vsuall may more easily be ouercome either inward corruptions or outward ill examples or other discouragements as long as the word of God may haue free passage to be sincerely preached But if outward peace alone be counted so great a benefit and such holy and fruitfull vse made of it Note then how much more should we thinke so when that one is accompanied with abundance of other good things when health wealth friends and fauour of the godly shall go herewith and meet altogether in one person what manner of people ought such to be in all godlinesse And how God looketh for it that it should be so that place of Deuteronomie doth liuely shew Where Moses saith that we must serue the Lord with all ioyfulnesse and a good heart for the abundance of all good things The meditations of such mens harts should be acceptable to God and to follow the metaphor of building vsed heere a little the people that is so blessed of God should do as builders are wont that is to pull downe the ruinous corners set vp new frames in their roomes so should Gods seruants plucke downe the old ruines and breaches of their corrupt hearts as anger wrath impatience bitternesse and such like vncleane lusts and set vp mercie tenderheartednesse loue zeale faith and such like Yea and more particularly according to the diuers ages of Gods children they should exercise themselues that is to say the tender consciences and yong beginners should haue their thoughts and meditations about the fauour of God desiring aboue all things to be assured of it the middle aged Christians and such as are somewhat stayed in faith and the feare of God should chiefely be occupied in striuing against their lusts and fighting with them the ancient and experienced who haue done both these should much be taken vp in calling to mind what they haue heard of Gods manner of dealing in guiding his Church and the fruit thereof and in declaring to other and what they haue seene and found themselues worth the reporting to be in the seruing of God that thereby they may be encouraged to walke fruitfully and circumspectly still as they did long before and not to be led away from their stedfastnes in their Christian course by the error of the wicked as hauing found that course by long proofe to haue been the most gainfull of all other vnto them These vses and the like all sorts and ages of Gods people ought to make of Gods blessings towards them and of freedome from trouble But do the people of this age thus for that were a kind vse of peace and his other benefits and would well become them No for in this land these fiftie yeeres now fully passed what knowledge might haue been so that one might haue been able to teach another and there might haue been that grace of the spirit which might haue seasoned Christians hearts no lesse sensiblie then the dew doth moisten the mountaines So that our Church might haue been a paterne to others as the Thessalonians were examples to all that beleeued in Macedonia and Achaia and it might now haue been verified if euer in any age since the Apostles time that out of the bellies of beleeuers might haue flowed riuers of waters of life whereas except some persons heere and there there is great ignorance vnfaithfulnesse hollownesse securitie vncharitablenesse maliciousnesse and what not of that kind I speake not of the disorders of life for they are more fitly to be reprooued in the next vse which the Churches made of their peace but of the grosse distemperatures of the heart for although these times of prosperitie and peace haue been the fittest seasons for men to encrease in goodnes and grace euen as the haruest is to gather in the corne yet whether we enquire into particular Churches or persons we shall find nothing more true then this that peace and plentie haue poisoned for the most part the enioyers of them But if the people of God whom I teach now to make this vse of his blessings were not wound in by the diuels cunning sleights among the rest of the world it were the lesse maruel but euen they cannot be sholed out from them but haue their teeth set on edge with their courses by liuing among them and beholding how they runne headlong into all excesse by meanes of their prosperitie so that euen they forget their couenant made with God that is that they should endeuour to vse soberly in this present world all their lawfull liberties till with shame and sorrow afterward they are faine to returne againe to repentance And thus many euen of them not holding gouernment ouer their hearts breake out into offensiue life and become eye-sores to their brethren who will not be pent in to keepe the bounds of vnoffensiue walking till experience constraine them to wish they had been wiser and before their straying out so far to haue kept themselues well while they were well And this teacheth vs that Moses saw good cause to giue this warning to Gods people when they were to go to the land flowing in abundance of Gods blessings out of the barren wildernesse saying When the Lord hath brought you into that land with great and goodly cities which ye builded not and houses full of all manner of goods which ye filled not and welles digged which ye digged not and vineyards and oliue trees which ye planted not and when ye haue eaten and are full beware lest you forget the Lord which brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Now to make vse of this in
Lord and he will giue thee thine heartes desire As though he would shew that of our selues we hasted not after it but held backe from it Also Saint Paul to the Philippians thus writeth so that men be willing to reioyce in the Lord and so to imbrace the true ioy they may hold it as long as they will euen alwayes without loosing The which two Scriptures if they be duely considered doe shew that although the people of this world preferre the vaine pleasures of this life before the best things yet of Gods seruants this spirituall and holy reioycing is principally to be regarded and cared for And that doth so much the more commend the examples and practise of these Churches for y t in the time of their peace they so laboured this point namely to seeke for the ioy which the holie Ghost worketh insomuch that their commendation is set downe vnto all posterity And to say the truth what should more be regarded of vs then to follow their example and to prouide whiles we may liue in outward peace in the world that we may be comforted in God and make our dayes which otherwise are euill to be pleasant and sweet by abiding in his loue which maketh all things sauoury and sweet which we goe about or take in hand And if we neglected so weighty commandements as this is that we should reioyce in the Lord If I say we neglected this for greater and weightier causes it were another matter but what is of like weight vnto it or what is to be so much desired as that we may liue in sound comfort from day to day whereas yet we who lose our part therein which with Gods good allowance and liking we might inioy wee cast it away and reiect it for moone shine in the water as they say euen for nothing nay for lesse then nothing euen for the pleasing of our selues in that which is not a shadow of pleasure to him that can iudge and thereby make our selues as ridiculous as Esau who for his belly lost the greatest benefit and for a messe of pottage the kingdome of heauen For if we duely consider it what is it that men preferre before this precious iewell of sound ioy but the pleasures of sinne which yet last but for a season as whorishnes deceiuing and oppressing enuy reuenge c. which are properly so called the dreaming of the painted felicity of this world and drowning themselues in it till they be meerely besides themselues by it though I say not for all this that dealings in the world be in their owne nature euill A man would thinke that except people were bewitched they meeting with so many calamities as make their liues euen wearisome to thē and bring thēselues to their wits end should seeke out if there were not some way to abate their sorrowes and vexations and if they know how and can finde any then to ease themselues speedily without any stay Also whē they see that they walke among many poysoned allurements which they cannot but be snared and deceiued with and yet sting as the serpent and Cockatrice when they haue their fill of them who would thinke but when by experience they had found it so that they would be wise after and beware of being in like manner carried to their accustomed baits being their bane but being stung a man would thinke they would seeke to be healed especially knowing that there is such a soueraigne medicine as this heauēly comfort is that I speake of to heale al anoyance whatsoeuer yea and is it selfe able to giue them contentment aboue all other delights But when they shall not haue wisdome to helpe themselues against these two so sore anoyances namely calamities to moderate and asswage them and vaine pleasures to renounce them as this one reioycing in God will do both what wilfulnes or rather madnes may it be accounted And yet if it were the case of professed euill men only to do thus it might be the lesse marueiled at but when better then they yea euen such as desire to be reckoned among the best shall thus be besotted and thus disguise themselues to thinke that because they liue among thē that do so they must needs be like vnto them how can this be sufficiently bewailed Now if we haue not this care and wisdom to prouide wel for our selues when we may and to seeke to serue God with ioy and gladnes without the which our life is not so much as a shadow of a life but the best that can be inioyed is but a dainty misery how are we like to care for others our owne especially to the which yet we are streightly bound by the commandement of God But of this vse of their peace namely that they atteined thereby to a sweet and comfortable life and how we by their example should make the like vse of ours thus much The next point to be considered as in the entring into this third vse was mentioned is how and by what meanes they made this vse of it For all haue not this sound comfort in their liues who are free from persecution and haue outward peace in the world And how this came to passe is shewed in the text namely that they builded vp themselues in grace and walked in the feare of the Lord and hereby were comforted by the holy Ghost which to set it downe more plainly is thus much They liued godly and therefore they liued sweetly and comfortably This point though it be most cleare in it selfe yet the blinde multitude are of a contrary iudgement yea they fight with tooth and naile as they say against it vpholding among them that the pleasant life hath no greater enemie then godlines and therefore this must be well proued To this purpose read that saying of Dauid to Salomon his sonne a little before his death His wordes are these I goe the way of al the world be strong therfore and take heed to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his wayes and keep his statutes commandements and iudgements and his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maiest prosper in all that thou doest and in euery thing whereunto thou turnest thee what doth he here teach to be the direct way to prosper but the looking to the charge which God giueth that is to liue godly And what differs his speech from the Lords owne word in Deuetronomie For thus he saith this people hath saied well all that they haue saied But oh that there were such an heart in them that they did feare me and keepe all my commandements alwayes that it might go well with them and their children for euer Loe what is mens prospering ioy or well liking in their liues but that which riseth from hence that they resolue to liue godly Agreeing with that which Paul speaketh This is our reioycing euen the testimonie of
man to consider first throughly with himselfe how fearefull a thing it were to fall into the hands of the liuing God And how terrible a thing the wrath of God is which shall be reuealed vpon the wicked and disobedient euen this shall giue him great cause to reioyce that by the pardon of his sins he hath escaped the wrath that is to come And secondly let him consider how great is the glorie prouided for all them that feare the Lord in which they shal be like the heauenly Angels alwayes beholding the face of God in heauen Yea their bodies shall become like the glorious bodie of our Sauiour Christ and wherein no part of miserie shall remaine but all teares shall bee wiped from their eyes and no part of blessednesse shall be wanting vnto them Thirdly let him consider how sweete the loue of God must needs be euen heere vnto the faithfull soule when he hauing loued him euen when he was his enemie and not yet reconciled to him and that he gaue his only begotten Sonne to the death for him that he might not perish but haue eternall life and that he hath now adopted him and giuen him the title and priuiledge to be called his sonne and to be the heire of God and coheire with Iesus Christ that he hath giuen vnto him and put into his heart his Spirit the seale and earnest of his adoption Fourthly let him also consider what a couenant and league of friendship he is now entred into with the Lord that he can but call and aske of God and God is readie to lend his eare to him and grant his suit that he can but knock and God stands at the doore as it were readie to open and to welcome him that he cannot seeke any good thing at the Lords hands but he is readie to minister vnto him Nay that God not only is readie night and day in season and out of season to heare his mone and to fulfill his desires but his eyes are euer vpon him to do him good euen then when he thinkes not vpon it and that which we neuer minded to craue at his hands yea that the Lord will vouchsafe to come to him to abide with him to sup and to dine and to conuerse with him as he promiseth Ioh. 14.23 and Reuel 3.20 Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voice and open the doore I will come vnto him to carrie him as it were into my heauenly closet and impart to him of my dainties But heere I stay for this time THE SECOND SERMON VPON THE SAME TEXT I Will proceed where I left The priuiledges of the faithfull set downe before as the peace of a good conscience cleared and clensed by the blood of Christ the hope of so great glorie to come and the so blessed communion with God that they may talke as it were friendly and familiarly and conuerse with him and he with them howsoeuer the men of the world imagine them all to be but dreames and conceits yet can they not but make the righteous man that hath the true and liuely sense and feeling of them leape and shout for ioy of heart I will not stand by further reasons which are many to enlarge the proofe of this point that the righteous as they haue need to be stirred vp to ioy so they haue iust cause notwithstanding all that may seeme to make to the contrarie to be merrie and glad in heart It is not thus with the wicked for though they haue peace with Satan and peace with the corruption of their owne hearts yet want they the pardon of their sin and therefore are at warre and enmitie with God though they labour to forget the same and all that fearefull wrath to come hangeth ouer their heads and may fall they know not how soone vpon them Secondly they want that imputation of Christs righteousnesse to couer their shame before God so that they cannot assure themselues that they haue any part or portion in the glorie of the sonnes of God that is to be reuealed They cannot behold God as a louing Father as their redeemer in Christ Iesus They are wholly possessed with the spirit of feare and bondage that they cannot with boldnesse call vpon God They haue no promise nor assurance that God will heare them nay his eares are stopped that he will not heare them his eyes are turned from them that he will not regard and pitie their miserie He will haue no communion no societie companie nor fellowship with them I cease to speake of those hellish terrors of an accusing conscience that cannot but expell all ioy and comfort foorth so oft as their sleepie conscience is awakened and omit many other things which might be added to this purpose By this little which hath bin said the truth of this point is cleere that the righteous and they alone haue both need and iust cause wherefore to reioyce we will now come brieflie to some few vses of this point and passe to the next in order Vse 1 First therefore if the righteous only and the faithfull haue need of this ioy as we haue shewed It is not for the Ministers of God to comfort and cheere vp any but these For we know the Minister is a Physition of the soule to cure the diseases and a Chirurgion to cure the wounds of the soule Now it is not for a Physition to prescribe to the whole but to the sicke nor for the Chirurgion to plaister that which is sound but that which is hurt and wounded The wicked are whole they are not sicke or wounded with sorrow No need therefore haue they of the Chirurgeon to bind vp that which is broken neither of the Physition to restore health when none is lost but the righteous man and he that truly feareth God he is cast downe with sorrow and hath need therefore to be raised vp when he is sicke of sorrow and hath need of heauenly chearing to restore him he is wounded in soule euery day and therefore hath need to haue the oyle of gladnesse to be powred into his wounds Vse 2 Againe haue the faithfull and they only iust cause to be merrie let the bad learne then to magnifie the life of the faithfull as the most happie and blessed life For this is certaine he is most happie and most blessed who hath in deed and in truth greatest cause of ioy and to reuerence their gifts that they may haue a part in them Vse 3 Thirdly haue the godly alone need of comfort and chearing because they are sicke and wounded alreadie with sorrow Then marke the Tyger-like crueltie of the wicked that are so farre from comforting and releeuing them as they ought that they adde sorrow to their sorrow and affliction to affliction what they can This is besides all bounds of common humanitie as we know and sauoureth of a diuellish nature to rend and
by the kingdome of heauen Mat. 8.11 Mark 1.14 Math. 21. Why the Gospell is called the kingdome of heauen 1. Rom. 1.16 What maner of kingdome this is Matth. 20.21 Luk. 17.20 Reuel 2.23 Rom. 14.17 Rom. 5.5 The fruitfull hearer of the Gospell is like vnto a marchant man in three respects All men seeke after pearles such as in their opinion may make them happie But are neuer satisfied The voluptuous man The couetous man The ambitious man Example of Salomon Eccles 1 14· Vse The second propertie wherein the hearer resembleth the merchant man Two things here to be considered First the thing that be is said to find The Gospell in diuers respects compared diuersly In this place it is compared to a pearle Prou. 3.14 Iob. 28.15 Wherein this excellencie of it consisteth Ephes 2. Philip. 2. Iohn 4.10 The secoÌ„d point what it is to find the pearle Vse 1. Cor. 2.14 Matth. 11.25 Pray vnto God that we may see the excellency of the pearle If we see it in part pray that we may see it yet more clearly Colos 3. Tim. 1.16 1. King 3.7 Act. 26. 1. King 10.7 Mat. 13.19 3. Obseruation The third thing wherein the hearer is compared to a merchant man The pearle being found must be bought without delay Prou. 1.20 Heb. 3.15 Matth. 25.34 Luk. 14.15 By selling all and buying he meaneth not as the Papists teach Luk. 17.10 Rom. 6.23 Who may truly be said to sell al and buy the pearle Luk. 14.26 Mat. 20.37 The Gospell is not so easily come by as men suppose As men price the Gospell so will their zeale be to the hearing and practising of it Psalme 84.1 How a man maketh the pearle his owne Deut. 28.46 The summe and scope of these words The opening of the text Verse 1. Verse 2. The parts two First Gods large offer wherein three things are to be considered 1. To whom it is made namely to the thirsty Luk. 18.13 Ioh. 7.37 Luk. 5.31 Mat. 9.13 Foure things to be knowne about thirsting 1. The properties of it which are two Iudg. 15.18 Examples out of Scripture Psal 42.1.2 Psal 84.1 Experience A howrely and flitting desire no true thirsting Secondly the causes why God requireth this thirsting Luk. 1.53 Pro. 27.7 Thirdly how long we must thirst Fourthly how we should come to thirst 1. Pet. 2.2 Psal 111.2 The second branch what God offereth to them that thirst Iohn 7.37 Matth. 11.28 Act. 2.37 Rom. 5.6 He that thirsteth truely for saluation abhors sinne The third branch what God requireth of them whose thirst he will quench namely that they beleeue Iohn 9. â—â— Rom. 8.33 Why God will haue them beleeue 3. Pet. 1. â— How a man may prooue that he hath faith Gods people are euer thirsting in this life Hosea 14.6.7 Luke 6.28 Verse 2. The second part of the text containing a reproofe and an exhortation The reproofe Romish teachers reproued heere Esay 1.12 Mat. 15.9 Carnall Gospellers Mat. 15.8 Mat. 7 2â— Rom. 8.7 Rom. 9.31.32 The Exhortation The word of God onely directeth to true happinesse How and when it doth it Prou. 2.3 Amos 3.3 The opening of the text The parts two 1. The curse pronounced vpon these cities 2. The reason of it Three points in the first part 1. The end of all miracles and preaching is the conuersion of the people Iohn 14.12 Matth. 17.11 Act. 8.6 c. This end should be aimed at in bearing The power of the word Act. 2.37 Hebr. 4.12 Rom. 8.8 Iames 4.4 Prou. 2.10 Psalme 84.10 Matth. 19.29 De Orat. lib. 1. 2. Thess 2.9.10.11.12 The sound plaine and powerfull preaching of the Gospell amost blessed gift of God The causes why preaching is in so little account Heb. 4.12 Ioh. 21.15 1. Cor. 1.21 The second point of the first part Few regard or looke after the right end of preaching Luk. 19 42. Esay 22.1 Ier. Ier. 9.1 Mat. 5.20 Mat. 3.7 Mat. 23.37 Luk. 19.42 Luk. 17.26.28 Act. 26.28 Ioh. 10.32 Micha 6.6 Mat. 13.21 Apoc. 3.1 Esay 55.1 Act. 26.29 Luke 13.3 The third point They that neglect the meanes of saluation shall pay dearely for it Matth. 3.7 Matth. 23.27 Iohn Hebr. 12.14 Luke 1. Sam. 15.32 Numb 16.32 and 25.8 Act. 12.23 Iames 4.8 A simile Rom. 2.4 Esay 53.1 Ephes 5.6 Few see or beleeue the danger they are in Psalme 50.22 Iames 2.19 Lament 3.40 Rom. 2.8.9 Iohn 3.18 Reasons to draw men to repentance Reuelat. 6.16 Luke 16.24 Matth. 22.13 2. Pet. 1.10 The first point in the second part Matth. 21.31 Act. 2.37 Act. 8.8 Luke 15.1 Matth. 9.36 Verse 38. The Gospell with due reuerence preached returnes not in vaine The â—â—rmer doctrine exemplified 〈◊〉 experience How a Minister should deale with a people to do them good Such as are leaud and farre gone may be reclaimed Luk. 8.2 1. Tim. 1.15 This giues no incouragement to the bad and wilfull The second point in the second part Repentance not to be deferred 2. Cor. 5.1 Psal 119.54 2. Tim. 4.2 Three causes why we should hasten our repentance Mat. 20.5.6 2. Tim. 3.13 Eccles 12.1 Psal 84.11 Luk. 15.7 Psal 51.14 Dan. 12.3 Cant. 1.4 Three causes why the repentant estate is in so meane accouÌ„t Micah 7.8 Prou. 14.10 Reuelat. 14.3 Iohn 4.10 Hebr. 11.25 The last point in the second part Repentance must be sound not hypocriticall The opening of the text The parts of it two Iude 19. First the state of the Churches 1. Vnder the crosse Reuelat. 3.19 Hebr. 12.5 1. Pet. 1.6 Rom. 8 2â— Iohn 6.33 Iob. Luk. 9.23 Iam. 1.2 Secondly in prosperitie Hos 6.2 Psal 30.5 Psal 125.3 1. King 4.25 The benefit of prosperitie and peace Math. 13.45 Iudg. 17.6 Iudg. 5.7 Lam. 1.1.4 Psal 42.4 The second part What vse the godly made of their peace 1. They were edified Acts 2 43. Deut. 28.47 Psalme 19.14 How all sorts should be occupied in the time of their peace 2. Pet. 3.17 The right vse of peace little looked after 1. Thess 1.7 Iohn 7.38 Euen Gods children are ouer taken with this sinne Deut. 6.10 Ministers faultie herein 2. King 4.10 1. Tim. 4.13 2. Tim. 4.10 Luke 8.18 People also iustly reproued Psalme Iob 1.9 The second vse of their peace They walked in the feare of God Rom. 8.15 Prou. 28.13 Prou. 15. Deut. 5.29 To walke in the feare of God what 2. Cor. 12.6 Matth. 5.16 Act. 23.1 Gen. 39 9. Gen. 50.19 Rom. 2.28 Ios 24.15 2. Sam. 7.2 Rom. 12.1 Num. 24.9 1 Tim. 4.12 1. Pet. 4.4 The third vse The comfort they found as a fruit of the two former Two things to be obserued here The first that they liued a comfortable life Psal 37.4 Phil. 4.4 Ioh. 15.10.12 Men neglect the sweet liberty that God offereth for that which is worse then nothing Gen. 25.33.34 Heb. 12.16 Heb. 11.24 What need we haue of spirituall comfort The second â—how and by what meanes they atteined to such a comfortable life The godly life is the onely sweetlife 2. King 2.2 Deut. 5.28.29 2. Cor. 1.12 Iohn 16.22 Reuelat. 14.3 Prou. 14.10 The vse that the bad made of peace They were conuerted to God and ioyned to his people Encouragement to the bad to returne and seeke after God 2. Cor. 5.19.20 How they should do it Prou. 8.33 Act. 17.11 Act. 9.27 The diuision of the text The first point the person that maketh this exhortation Doct. Pro. 26.9 Psal 50.16 Rom. 2. 2. Cor. 4.13 2. Cor. 1. â— Luk. 22.32 Psa 51.15 A teacher must so alwaies begin with himselfe The second point the persons exhorted Psal 32.11 Psal 33.1 Luk. 10.20 Iam. 5.1 Iam. 4.9 Why this exhortation is limited to the faithfull Psal 34.19 Iob. â— 12 The wicked haue no neede to be exhorted to reioyce Ioh. 15.19 Iob. 22. Math. 5.2.12 To be hated of the world a signe of blessednes and therefore a cause of reioycing Iam. 1. â— Acts. 5.41 2. Cor. 12.10 Iames 4.7 Ephes 6.16 Rom. 7. the end 1. Iohn Psalme Psalme Causes of ioy Hebr. 10.31 2. Cor. 15. Iohn 1.12 Rom. 8. Iohn 4.10 Iohn 14.23 Reuelat. 3.20 The wicked haue no part in this ioy Iohn 9. Ministers duty He is the happiest man that hath greatest cause of ioy Ester 1. King 8.64 The limitation of this ioy it must in the Lord. Ioh. 17.3 Hereby it is distinguished from many other sorts of ioyes Vse Try our mirth by these notes 2. Cor. 5.1 Phil. 1. 1. Cor. 15.31 Thes 5.16 To reioyce in the word c. hinders not our reioycing in the Lord. Psa 1 6. The enlargement of this ioy Prou. 14.13 The righteous may reioyce at all times And in al things he goeth about Deut. 28.47 Ephes 6.6 Psalme 19.11 Eccles 7.2 Reuel 14.14 Hebr. 13. Genesis Philip. 4.4 2. Cor. 2.3 Acts 16. Reasons why this precept is redoubled Psalme 4.43 1. Iohn 5.13 1. Iohn 1.3 The Ministers dutie The dutie of the people Answere Rom. 15.13 Rom. 5.5 Pet. 1.7 He that is not partaker of this ioy here shall neuer partake the ioyes of heauen How this ioy may be begun here in this life we must first be reconciled to God Reconciliation to be proceeded in by three degrees Iohn 3.14 Act. 2.42 How to keepe and encrease this ioy The first meane The second The third Mens excuses answered Acts. 4.11 A fourth meane The fifth meane Practise Eccles 2. Psal 32.10 The sixt meane Prayer The seuenth Thanksgiuing The eighth Not to quench the spirit Quench euill motions Our ioy in the best things must be predominant How this may be attained Intermission of good duties dangerous The last meane To submit our selues to the Lord in our troubles Of the recouery of ioy The first meane to recouer our ioy being lost The second meane The third meane If our ioy be lost neuer rest til we finde it againe Let none take thy crowne from thee Motiues to ioy in God Psal 84.13.14 A note of an Hypocrite not to ioy in God Matth. 24.51 Galath 5.22