thou art freed out of this miserable condition Ply Christ with thy prayers and take no nay at his hands till he set thee free hee hath the Keyes of Heaven and hell and if Revel 1 18 Ioh 8 30 he make thee free thou art free indeede Confesse thy selfe to bee a wretched creature and without his helpe undone powre forth thy soule in sence of thy misery before the Throne of grace and say Father I have sinned Luk. 15 18 against heaven and against thee and not worthy to be called thy sonne O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for my iniquities are increased over my head and my trespasse is growne up into the heavens Ezra 9. 6. crying for vengeance to fall downe upon me Lord I am a sinfull creature and thou art a God of infinite puritie and holinesse Sinne hath left me no good thing all is wounded all is poysoned how shall I appeare before thee whose glory the Angels cannot behold I was conceived in sinne borne in sinne and all my daies have lived in sinne My heart is a seed-plot of sinne and corruption my eyes the windowes of vanity my eares the eares of folly my mouth the mouth of deceipt my hands the hands of iniquity and every part of my body and faculty of my soule which thou hast created for thy service hath dishonoured thee My understanding apprehendeth nothing but sinne my will delighteth in nothing but wickednesse my memory retaines nothing but evill things which dishonours thee As for thy holy precepts and heavenly ordinances I have not observed but have prophaned thy Sabbaths contemned thy Sacraments and lived in contempt of thy providence all my dayes I have beene so farre from keeping any part of thy law that I have added transgression unto blindnesse malice to ignorance and rebellion to sinne And because thou hast spared mee and wayted for my repentance and hast suffered me with such patience to run on in my sinnes and because thou hast beene so mercifull unto me and multiplyed thy favours towards mee I have tooke liberty to my selfe to commit great sinnes against thee so that the same medicine which thou hast appointed to purge out my sinnes I have made a provocation unto sinne Yet Lord for thy names sake thy mercy sake thy truths sake take away all mine iniquities and magnifie thy mercy in the pardoning of my sinnes which I have committed against thee mine owne knowledge and many motions of thy Spirit and purposes of my heart I doe acknowledge I have beene dull and unprofitable in thy service I have not had care and zeale which I should have had to serve thee I have beene weary of well doing and have not taken to heart my misery as I should nor mourned for my transgressions against thee my God as becommeth such a notorious offender as I am but have hardned my heart against thy judgements and have walked stubbornly before thee in the light of thy countenance Psal 90. But though I am full of wickednesse yet thou art full of goodnesse Lord thou madest me at the first of nothing save mee now I pray thee which am worse than nothing It is thou O Lord which knowest my heart and it must bee thou which must renew and change it Take it therefore into thy owne hand and take from it the hardnesse deadnes and dulnesse which the custome of sinne hath brought upon it and frame it according to thy owne liking cast out of it all the cursed fruits of the flesh which fight against thy grace and my soule Enlarge my understanding and encrease my knowledge that being guided by thy wisedome and assisted by thy Spirit I may understand and perceive those things which may please thee and refraine those things which may dishonour thee that so being directed by thy grace and guided by thy Spirit I may clearely see what thou requirest of mee and what may make for my peace and future happinesse Lord this must bee thy worke for I confesse that my reason is blinde my will is froward my wit is crafty ready to deceive me my understanding is quite estranged from thee but Lord dispell these clowds of errour and ignorance and rectifie the perversnesse of my understanding and indue me with thy holy Spirit of grace and wisedome that my soule may be cleansed from the corruption of this sinfull world and the eyes of my understanding opened to embrace the mystery of redemption by Iesus Christ Make thy word unto me like the starre which led the wisemen to my Saviour in the time of his infancy make thy benefits and graces like the Pillar which conducted thy people to the land of promise Kindle thy love in my heart that in respect of thee and thy service I may despise whatsoever is against thee and thy truth Confirme my faith in thy promises that by thy Spirit I may be assured that thou hast forgiven my sinnes and that thou wilt not reject me a poore sinner that relyeth wholly upon thee Lord thou desirest not the death of a sinner but hast promised that if I repent thou wilt bee pleased thou onely canst raise me out of the grave of sinne for I am dead and buried in trespasses and sinnes quicken mee by thy grace that I may praise thy name Let mee not want any mercy whereby I may be fitted for thy service and so dispose and guide the remainder of my life in such manner as that thou mayest bee honoured and my soule comforted which grant unto me for the Lord Iesus Christs sake my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Amen Thus wee have proved the truth â—f the proposition that Sathans â—ower must give place unto Christ We have also confirmed it by Scripâ—ure proved it by reasons and have made use and application of it to our selves In the next place wee are to examine the measure of his going out Sathan is so expelled out of the godly as that hee shall never returne againe But he goeth out of hypocrites so as that he still remaineth For if hee were once reallie cast out as wee have heard he could never returne againe But this speech of going out is rather a forme of speaking than a reall action This phrase of speech is used with other of like signification as Heb. 10. 6. If wee sinne willingly after wee have received the knowledge of the truth there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinne Againe the same Author saith It is impossible for those which were once inlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gifts and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted Heb. 6. 4. the good word of God and of the power of the world to come if they fall away to renew them by repentance Then from hence I reason thus If a man may receive the truth and yet sinne willingly and then forsake the truth be inlightned and tast of the heavenly gift and be made partakers
in power a spirit and in nature and condition an uncleane spirit one that for his pride and rebellion was cast out of Heaven therefore woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth for hee will doe as much mischiefe as he can he knowes his time is but short and therefore he will loose no opportunitie but will labour by all meanes to make all mankinde as filthy as himselfe Thus he made Caine swell in envie Gen 4 8. to his brother and to bathe his hands with cruelty in his blood Achan with theft Gehazi and Annanias Iosu 7. 1. 2 King 5. 22. Act. 5. 1. and his wife with lying and dissembling Thus hee defiles all men with sin and pollutes the land Ezek 23. 18. with transgressions For every sinne as it dishonours God so it holds the sinner in perpetuall bondage For whosoever committeth Iohn 8. 34. sinne is the servant of sinne Then in this bondage and Captivitie all naturall and unregenerate men remaine bound under the curse of the Law untill the custome of sinne hath taken away the sence of sinne and then this Tyrant plunges them under the curse of God before they are aware As every sinne is uncleane in the Concreat so there is a sinne called uncleannesse in the Abstract as if it were in a speciall manner breathed out of the mouth of this uncleane spirit This uncleane and filthy sinne is the sinne of Adulterie and Fornication which though it seeme a Paradise to the desire yet it is a Purgatory to the purse and a hell to the soule and dishonours the noble name of a Christian And though the wanton minions of this age extenuate it and say it is but a tricke of youth yet let them know that it is a sinne hatefull in the sight of God who will not let them goe unpunished for whoremongers and Adulterers Heb. 13. 14. God will judge But of the filthinesse and fearefulnesse of this sinne I have spoken at large in a Treatise Intituled The Worldlings looking Glasse When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none In these words is contained Sathans departure and demeanour when he is gon In his departure observe these particulars 1. The manner of his going out 2. The measure of his going out First for the manner of his going out Sathan will not depart but by compulsion for he keepes possession like a strong armed man which will not be amooved till a stronger even the strength of Israel come against him he alone and none but he can Math. 17 19 master and subdue him The disciples were unable to doe it and by his owne good will he will never depart Math. 8 29 Mark 5. 7. He loves his dwelling so well that he accounts it no lesse than a Torment to be cast out And so envious hee is to mankinde that he will never leave him till hee have brought him to destruction because he is greeved that mankinde should enjoy that happinesse he himselfe hath lost Secondly In regard of the curse that was given him in Paradise that the seede of the woman should bruise Gen. 3 15. his head Therefore he pursues mankinde with deadly hatred and implacable malice that either he may frustrate the truth of Gods word or bring mankinde into perpetuall bondage Yet for all his power and malice there is a time when he must be gon and that is when the Lord by the powerfull working of his Spirit dispelleth the blindnesse of nature and the sinfull corruptions thereof out of the hearts of his children and doeth inlighten them with the saving knowledge of himselfe This he doeth when by the ministery of the Law he convinceth their consciences of sinne and sheweth them the heynousnesse and fearefulnesse thereof and then the grievous punishments due to them for the same which are Levit. 26. Deut. 28. not onely all the plagues and punishments denounced in the Law but also the eternall torments of Hell for ever and ever And that no mortall man is able to free them from this condition no not all the world is able to make satisfaction for one soule for The Earth is the Lords and all that is Psal 24 1 therein Nay if all the Angells in Heaven should offer themselves they were unable to deliver one soule because they are ingaged to God for their creation and they were created but a finit temporarie good are not able to make satisfaction for infinite sinnes committed against the majesty of a most holy and glorious God Thus when the Lord hath 1 King 19. 11 12. brought his children to the gates of Hell and by the strong winde of his wrath hath broken their hearts and by the Earthquake of his judgement awakened their soules and by the fire of his spirit ransackt their consciences and by the ministery of his word hath plowed up the fallow ground of their hearts and by the terrours of conscience made them to despaire of salvation in respect of themselves Then he makes them to heare the still voyce of his Spirit by which he revealeth to them his infinit mercy and free grace and his eternall love to â—hem in Christ Iesus with all his meâ—its then he worketh in their soules â—aith whereby they apprehend Christ â—nd rest upon him alone for their salvation and in their judgements a wonderfull esteeme of Gods mercies and Christs merits from whence and by whom they receive and obtaine remission of all their sinnes This assurance of Gods favour worketh in their soules a hungering and thirsting after Christ and his righteousnesse and in their wills a constant resolution to rest upon him alone for justification and salvation And in the whole course of their lives a detestation and hatred of all sinne whatsoever And stirres up in them a care and conscience to use all good meanes whereby they may be assured that they shall have their part in the mercies of God and in the merits of Christ Then God joyneth them unto him as the head unto the body and then as soone as Christ is joyned to them they are made members of his body who by his Spirit reneweth their will and affections and frameth in them a spirituall life that they may serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse Luk. 1. 74. all the dayes of their life Thus the Lord by these meanes casteth this uncleane spirit out of the hearts of his children so that he shall never totally regaine his former possession for it is a certaine Maxime in Philosophie that two contraries cannot stand together at one time in one and the same subject There can be no agreement betweene light and darkenesse God and Belial but when grace comes in vice must goe out When the holy Spirit taketh possession the uncleane spirit must packe away So then from the truth of the premisses wee may conclude That Sathans power must give place Doctr. to Christs This was
once the Prophet did to Ahab Get thee up eate and drinke for there is a sound of much raine So should we say to our sluggish natures up and be doing Get thee to thy study to preaching and praying loose no time for there is a sound of much trouble We may be deprived of the word before we are aware wee may be stopped in our courses and pious intendments suddenly wee may be deprived of our lives in a moment the night of sickenesse adversity death wil come and then we cannot worke Oh what a comfort will it be to our soules when death approacheth if then wee can say in sincerity of heart with godly Hezekiah Remember â—sa 38 3. O Lord I have walked before thee with an upright heart Therefore bee not weary of well doing remember it is a fearefull thing to begin in the spirit and to end in the flesh therefore let every one of us say to Sathan and his discouraging Instruments as once Nehemiah did to his crafty Counsellers What should such a one as I flie Nehem. 6 11. No I will not loose my labour and that crowne of life that is promised to all them that are faithfull to the Revel 2 10 death to please Sathan and his instruments 2. Seeing Sathan is so restlesse in his temptations and is so diligent a walker be exhorted to keep out of his walkes though he walke in all places yet hee frequents some places more than the rest and they are the Ale-houses the gaming houses and the whore house unto which hee hath other walkes and they are gardens of pleasure and solitary walkes in these places hee eyes us and many times finds them fit places to set his temptations on worke in these places he prevailed over Eve Lot David c. These places like him well and into such places he drave those which hee possessed Luk. 8. 29. and there usually shewes himselfe to witches Solitarie places be his walkes and in these he delights because hee is the Prince of darkenesse and hates the light because his workes are evill he knowes how ready man is to sin when he is alone and when mans eye is not over him to hinder him he knowes that many dare doe that in the darke in the presence of God which they would blush and bee ashamed to doe in the presence of a mortall man Therefore the godly must bee carefull to shunne and avoyd idlenesse which is Sathans pillow by which hee takes many tripping and lulls them asleepe to their eternall destruction Therefore when we are alone let us alwayes be speaking to God by our prayers or â—rayses or meditating of his goodâ—esse hereby we shall bee fitted for â—ur callings and made more watchâ—ull over our wayes thus if wee be â—mployed though Sathan be alwayes walking and in continuall action let him walke whither he will for we are â—n our calling walking with God And if at any time hee set upon us in our solitary walkes let us take the benefit of companie as soone as we can but herein learne wisedome Let your company be good and such as feare God else wicked and prophane company are worse than solitarinesse For wee heare of many who when they are troubled by Sathan runne to sinfull company and spend their time in Carding dycing drinking and so thinke to cast out the divell by Beelzebub the Prince of divells but therein they deceive themselves and harden their hearts against the meanes of their salvation 3. Seeing Sathan goes about to tempt and to doe what mischiefe hee can let Gods children take the quite contrary course and endevour to doe as much good as they can by provoking one another to good workes and shewing themselves patternes of all goodnesse For shall our enemy watch for our destruction and shall not we watch for our preservation Sathan is a Fox and therefore subtill he layes siege to the Castle of our soules and labours mightily eyther to scale the walls of our faith or to batter the Bulwarke of our patience or to undermine the Turrets of our zeale and fortitude or one way or other to drive us from our hould and then by some Stratageme or other to surprize us before wee are aware Wee had neede therefore to looke about us and say to our soules as Dallilah did to her husband Vp Sampson the Philistims be upon thee So O my soule stand upon thy guard and looke to thy selfe What hath thy purse enemies on the highway and â—hy goods enemies about thy house â—nd hast thou no enemies for thy â—oule Sathan is malicious therefore â—e will spare none strong therefore â—e will feare none up therefore and â—and upon thy guard Sathan is walkâ—ng to doe thee a mischiefe thereâ—ore bee thou watching and praying â—o resist and withstand all his temptaâ—ions For Sathan is vigilant and watchfull ready and cunning to abuse â—ll outward objects to our hurt Hee â—abours by all meanes to dishonour God and to crosse him in his proviâ—ence and to deprive all mankinde â—f happinesse Therefore he labours â—o draw such to sinne which have most â—eanes to withstand it and have had â—ore mercies to encourage them to â—oe forward in Gods service and if â—ee can overcome them by his tempâ—ations he knowes how to dishonour God in a high degree If hee can get â—dam to sinne in Paradise he knowes how to fill the world with sinners quickly If hee can tempt David â— man after Gods owne heart to commit adultery and murther he is suâ— hee can make The name of God to bâ— 2 Sam. 12 24. blasphemed 2 Sam. 12. 24. If hee caâ— make Iudas one of the twelve to betray his Master hee thinks hee hatâ— shaken Christs kingdome and if heâ— can make Peter that great Champion to deny and forsweare him then hâ— doubts not but to lay his honour iâ— the dust So at this day if hee caâ— make the professers of the Gospâ— carelesse and prophane he thinks hâ— hath notably dishonoured God iâ— making his ordinance unfruitfull aâ— unprofitable Seeing therefore heâ— is so malicious and so diligent let â— labour to resist him stedfastly and coâ—stantly Iam. 4 7. and then he will flye from â— And thus much for his labour aâ— diligence hee walketh through dâ— places seeking rest Come wee now to the issue anâ— event he findeth none Hee walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none Hence then we may learne That though Sathan seeke the godlies Doctr. overthrow yet hee shall be prevented hee shall be disappointed of his expectation Though Sathan bee strong and mighty whose power no mortall man is able to resist yet the victorious Lyon of the Tribe of Iudah is stronger and will rescue his servants and make him know that his chosen are kept by the power of God 1 Pet. 1. 5. through faith unto salvation And though the godly bee as sheepe appointed to destruction by the malice of Sathan yet they are not so in the
purpose of God Though Sathan stand like a bloudy Midwife ready to devoâ—â—e the Child the woman brings forth Revel 12. 4 yet the Lord prospered her in her travell and when earth could not secure the man-child she brought forth God tooke up the Revel 1â— 5. child unto his throne Though Sathan laboured by all meanes to overthrow Iobs faith yet the Lord stood by him gave him deliverance Though Herod that crafty Fox pretended to adore Christ in his infancy when he intended to murther him hee may travell in his mischiefe but hee shall not effect it for the watchfull eye of God shall warne Ioseph to flye for the Babes safety Though the Devill Act. 23 31. If they had kept their vow they had fasted to death 1 King 17 5. make the Iewes to binde themselves with a curse that they will not eate nor drinke till they have killed Paul yet they were disappointed the Lord delivered him out of their hands Though Iezabel vowed the death of the Prophet Elijah and send hue and cry after him yet rather than shee shall doe his Prophet any hurt he will hide himselfe in a Cave at Horeâ— the mount of God Though Hamaâ— plot the ruine of Gods people and maliciously accuse them as seditious and Traitors yet he that never slumbers nor sleepes will laugh him to scorne and hang him upon the Gallowes Ester 7 10. which hee had prepared for Mordecai the kings friend Though Saul persecute David and labour by subtiltie to take away his life because he thinkes hee would be an hinderance to his sonnes preferment to the Crowne yet see how the Lord disappoints him of his hope Saul layes violent hands on himselfe and so prepares way for David to come to the Crowne And thus you have this truth confirmed that though Sathan and his instruments doe seeke the godlies overthrow yet they shall bee prevented And reasons proove the same 1. Because Gods care and providence Reason is over his Children and his eyes runne to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himselfe strong 2 Cron. 16 9 in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfect towards him And though the Lord do not presently free them from the exercise of troubles yet he leaveth them not till he hath delivered them 2. Hee that is with us is stronger than hee that is against us And for â—uk 11 22. â—phâ— 1 19. â—ol 1 11 this end the Sonne of God undertook our nature and temptations Heb 2. 8. And for this very end hee sanctified himselfe Ioh. 17. 19. therefore he hath provided an invincible armour for his children and exhorts them to stand Ephe. 6 10 11. fast And therefore hee sayes unto them Feare not Lam. 3. 57. for hee is with them Esay 43. 1. 2. For if one peece of this armour namely faith be able to quench all his fiery darts what will the whole doe 3. Gods promise is that he wil not suffer his to be tempted above that they are ble to beare therefore at length he wil deliver them and make them see the salvation of the Lord that because they are precious in his sight and he Zaâ—h 2 8 Deut. 32 10. that toucheth them toucheth the apple of his eye And therefore lest the wicked should thinke that hee is an idoll hee shewes himselfe strong in the defence of his Children Againe he would have his Children know that though Sathan assaults them furiously by himselfe and by his instruments yet their power is limited there is an houre appointed for the power of darkenesse to worke in and till that houre come and no longer than it last shall they molest and vex the godly God in his providence hath limited Sathan and his instruments their time sometime longer as Israel in Egypt 400. yeares sometime shorter as in the Babilonish Captivitie 70. yeares sometime shorter than so Yee shall suffer persecution 10. dayes and then though heavinesse may endure for a night yet joy shall come in the morning Tyrants which are Sathans Instruments shall not live ever Where is proud Pharaoh railing Rabshekah Where is cruell Nero bloudy Bonner Are they not gone and their honour laid in the dust God hath spoken to them in his wrath and vexed them in his sore â—d 2. displeasure And though the Churches enemies are malicious yet God hath a hooke in their nostrills to pull them backe and will not suffer them to execute their malice upon his Children Though the King of Babilon cast the three Children into the fiery Oven yet he cannot command the abilon fire to burne them And though hee cast Daniel into the Lyons den yet hee cannot compell the hungrie Lyons to devoure him The worst that Tyrants can doe is to send us to heaven in a Chariot of bloud they can doe no more than God pleases hee knowes how to deliver his Israel out of all their troubles This doctrine is usefull and that Vse for consolation to the people of God though they have a vigilant enemy which pursues them with a deadly hatred as Laban did Iacob yet the Lord will step in and commaund him not to hurt them though the godly live among wicked men who like ravenous Woolves thirst after their blood yet the Lord will not give his children as a prey to their teeth Though every wicked man in whom Sathan ruleth be like a Canaanite to the Israel of God yet hee will not let their furious floods carry them away Though the godly lie open to the snares of Sathan and they like silly birds are ready to be carried away yet for all this when Sathan and his instruments seeme to have made most sure of them then his snares are suddenly broken and they escaped by the providence of God When Herod had maliciously cast Act. 12 3. Peter into Prison and that for no offence but to please the Iewes while he was sleeping betweene two Souldiers bound in chaines the Lord delivers him miraculously out of his hands Seeing God is a present helpe in the time of neede and able and ready to deliver his children from the malice of wicked men The consideration hereof should make them goe on cheerefully in the workes of their callings and not to feare what man can doe to them Therefore as they must looke up to God for helpe and deliverance in the time of their troubles so also they must have an eye to Sathans malice to expect it and to be resolved not to shrinke for all his temptations and cunning Stratagems Shall the Israelits returne backe to Egypt because Pharaoh pursues them No no but let them make the more haste to the land of Canaan So let every one of us resolve with our selves not to give over any good action because the world hates us and reproaches us for it No no let us not neglect any good duty which God and a good conscience requires at our hands to please the world or to
house is you have partly heard how that a little counterfeit repentance will not serve the turne to get out the dirt and filth which is baked and seated in nature A house that is made foule and filthy by much resort of people will not bee made cleane by a little sweeping there must be paring and scraping with a paring Iron else the filth will hang on and will not be remooved Even so these temples of our bodies these earthly houses will not bee clensed and purged from the corruption of sinne with the beasome of counterfeit repentance but the sharpe knife of the law must be set on worke there must be a searching of the heart a plowing up of the fallow ground there must bee a mortifying of the fruits of the flesh there must be a de 〈…〉 of our selves in our profits plea 〈…〉 s and delights a little crying of God mercy will not serve the turne 〈◊〉 there must bee an aggravation of 〈…〉 e by circumstances sinne must be â—mâ—lified in regard of the meanes that we had to resist it if we had had grace to use them aright therefore when we have failed in using our spirituall weapons then we must condemne our selves and take a holy revenge upon our nature which did inâ—ice us to such and such sinnes Wee Luk 1â— must doe as Mary Magdalen did shee had abused her eyes to wantonnesse and her haire to pride therefore upon her repentance shee tooke revenge of her selfe she made her eyes a fountaine of teares to wash her Saviours feete and her haire a towell to wipe them so must we if wee have offended by gluttony or drunkennesse wee must bring under our bodies by fasting and humiliation Thus did David when he had sinned against his neighbour in giving way to sinfull lusts and uncleannesse so when he had desired to drinke of the waters of Bethleem 1 Chro. 11 18. and after hee did see it was brought with the jeopardie of the lives of his three Worthies then he tooke a holy revenge of himselfe hee would not drinke of it but powred it out as a sacrifice before the Lord. Thus the cunning men being converted by the preaching of the word and brought to repentance burned their Bookes Act. 19 19 that were deere unto them for a revenge upon themselves for their sinne by which they shewed both an indignation in their affections and a just revenge in their actions thus if men would judge themselves they should 1 Cor. 11 37. not be judged of the Lord. Man is made miserable quickely but hee is not so soone made happie againe Esau suddenly lost his birth-right but hee could not gaine the blessing with many teares A swept house will not serve the turne it must bee a sorrowfull and contrite heart that God delights to dwell in Let us then set uppon our sinnes and up with them by the rootes downe with pride covetousnesse and all manner of sinne that offends God and grieves our neighbour else we are but deceiptfull hypocrites and garnished and swept houses for Sathan If swept houses will not serve the Vse turne then how may we bewaile our times wherein so many slovens delight themselves in all manner of sin and prophanenesse How many are there to bee found in our dayes that thinke it an easie matter to be saved But brethren deceive not your selves these filthy soules which have beene defiled with so many sinnes will not be so easily cleansed We have many wayes defiled our selves with vaine and unsanctified thoughts many foule and unsavory words have proceeded out of our mouthes and doth not this shew that wee have filthy soules Againe how many lewde and sinfull acts have wee committed and doe commit from time to time and will a small repentance make amends for all these transgressions No no there must be striving and preassing to enter in at the straight gate The Luk. 13 24. kingdome of heaven suffers violence and the violent take in by force But alasse how many of us sit still sporting our selves in our pleasures and delights If eating and drinking swearing and swilling would send us to heaven there are a great many would come thither There are many also to be found that when they are rebuked for their sinnes and perswaded to amend their lives they will give good words and wish that they could doe as they should but how few of many are willing to plucke up their sinnes by the rootes Many will use the broome of repentance in sweeping the house of their soule lightly and superficially but they will leave still behind their evill customes and wicked habit of sinne which cleaveth fast to them and is as deare as their right eye Wee see by experience that many griping Vsurers will hate adultery make conscience of swearing and forswearing c. these cobwebbes they will sweepe away but for the filthy habit and wicked trade of Vsury because it is a gainefull sinne and brings them an easie life the broome shall not come so farre So againe many Adulterers though well monied hate Vsury because it is unlawfull and condemned by God Psal 15. Ezek. 18 but for adultery their beloved sinne this dirte this filth must remaine unswept The like may bee said of all other sinnes Thus hypocrites will indent with God as if he kept a court of Faculties to dispence with their darling their beloved sinnes which they are loath to forgoe But brethren marke I pray you the policy of Sathan If he can keepe but one corner in this spirituall temple it shall suffice him he knowes how to keepe possession well enough but brethren deceive not your selves if the divell have any part in your heart God will have none he will not admit of a Corrivall he will be aut Caesar aut nihil he will have the whole or else let the divell take all therefore learne wee to use violence against our beloved sinnes and let the divell have no crevisses to looke into our hearts lest he circumvent and surprise us before we are aware as he hath and doth many deceiving them daily with outward shewes and the leaves of religion without substance and through-reformation of the heart but if we will be a swept house for the Lord wee must cast away all our sinnes outward shewes will not delight him he cannot endure a divell in Samuels Mantle It is garnished The house swept and garnished is a similitude borrowed from the use and custome of men who delight to have all things handsome cleane and comely when they are to entertaine their friends But the divell hee delights in no such matter this uncleane spirit hee delights in all manner of filthinesse and all manner of ungodlinesse nothing pleaseth him better The beastly drunkard the abominable swearer the lustfull talker the filthy liver these men are garnished houses for him These men are as a princely pallace for him to domineere in When men have bidden farewell to God and all
that wee may stand fast make use of these or the like directions 1. Be carefull to avoyde the least sinne least it usher in a greater for sinne and Sathan as you have heard winde themselves in by some small temptations till at the last like the sores of the body which at first are vicious humors then swelling tumors and after that impostumate and so become uncurable so the sores of sins waxe greater and greater till they breed bring eternal death therefore when thou art fallen thinke of our Saviours counsell remember whence Revel 2 thou art fallen repent and amend confesse your sinnes daily and crave pardon for them Let a man turne by Redcat hâ—â—o â—er quotidianâ—â—â—menta unde corruit per vanâ— dâ—lecta mentâ— Aug. de temp Ser. 182. daily lamentations to that from which he is fallen by vaine delectation Take heede of lukewarmnesse in religion and of backsliding If Christ have washed thee in his blood bathed thee in his wounds and cured thee with his stripes and tooke off this burthen from thy shoulders take heede of lading thy selfe againe by new transgressions but if thou be made whole sinne no more least a worse thing happen Ioh 5 14 unto thee 2. Take heed of sinne in generall so in a speciall manner take heed of vilifying the worke of grace that shines in Gods servants and is made evident to your consciences by the word or worke of God This was the fearefull sinne of the Iewes that daily saw the divine power of Christ shining in their consciences yet they did oppose themselves against him and charged him that hee borrowed helpe of the divell and that hee cast out divels by Beelzebub the Prince of Divells 3. Take heede of in constancy in religion and of time-serving Some thinke that if they bee young Saints they may proove old divells therefore they slacke their zeale in youth to conforme themselves to the time and resolve to bee more religious in their old age but wee see such flutter with Noahs Raven and hardly recover themselves againe but if wee finde our affections running with an irregular motion let us stay our selves and make a league with religion as Ruth did with Naomi resolve never to part 4. What vertue soever you finde in the Saints endevour to imitate and what God reveales unto you be carefull to practise God lookes that his talents should be imployed to his glory therefore let not your knowledge swimme idlie in your braines for vaine speculation but let it be fruitfull in your lives for others imitation 5. Labour for the Spirit of prayer and suplication for this is an invincible bulwarke against Sathans darts Crave daily the Lords assistance and commit your soules unto him daily in well doing and daily examine your heart by the rule of Gods word by which try whether you have faith to beleeve Gods promises if you have it will make you carefull to obey his Commandements thus he that keeps the forte of faith towards God and a cleare conscience towards the world Sathan may assault him but shall never Oppugnat diaboluineâ—â—â—â—ugnal subdue him for whosoever can practise these directions shall be sure to stand fast and firme The application doth now follow Even so shall it be to this wicked generation Wee have at large shewed you Gods mercy to the Iewes and their ingratitude to him againe and that God hath paid them home and made them spectacles of his wrath for all ages to looke upon therefore we will leave them unto Gâ—ds mercy and in his good time to open their eyes that they may behold their crucified Saviour and see what may make for their everlasting good and apply this doctrine to our owne soules If I should begin to number the mercies the Lord hath continued unto the Land in generall I might spend much time and yet not report the one halfe of an infinite number take a few We were all possessed with the spirit of blindnesse as other nations were and were tempted to as much uncleanenesse as ever the Pagans were but yet it pleased the Lord to expell the darkenesse of Popery and to send the light of the Gospell amongst us which we have enjoyed in peace and purity this threescore and thirteene yeares so that we have had peace within our walls and prosperity within our pallaces and no complayning in our streets And by the powerfull preaching of the Gospell Sathan this uncleane spirit hath beene cast out of us now let us take heede least hee creepe into us againe by hypocrisie and unthankefulnesse for the Lords mercies and so make us thinke that our religion stands in shewes and consists in outward formality least wee abusing the Lords mercies and grow leane and ill favoured after wee have devoured so many yeares of store and plenty under the powerfull preaching of the word wee arme our enemie against us who regaining entrance brings seaven spirits worse than he did before and so fortifie his habitation with hypocrysie and other foule sinnes for our unthankefulnesse for the Lords mercies and then there shall bee more prophanenesse than there was before But that this fearefull judgement may not overtake us let us speedily amend our lives and turne to the Lord with all our hearts and then our latter end shall be better â—han our beginning Walafridus Strabo lib. de rebus Ecclesiasticis Siquid in hoc Lector placet assignare memento â—d Domino quicquid displicet hocce mihi What here is good to God ascribed bee What is infirme belongs of right to mee FINIS