such a purchase which will make it at the last but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sweet Bitter like Iohns Roll which was sweet in the mouth but bitter in the belly like Claudius his mushrome pleasant but poison that will blast all the pleasures of sin and turn all the wages of iniquity in Aurum tholosanum into such gold as ever brought destruction to the owners of it It is said of Cm Seius that he had a goodly horse which had all the perfections that could be named for stature feature colour strength limmes comelinesse belonging to a horse but withall this miserie ever went along with him that whosoever became owner of him was sure to die an unhappy death This is the misery that alwayes accompanies the bargain of sin How pleasant how profitable how advantageous soever it may seem to be unto flesh and blood it hath alwayes calamity in the end it ever expires in a miserable death Honey is very sweet but it turns into the bitterest choler The valley of Sodom was one of the most delightfull places in the world but is now become a dead and a standing lake Let the life of a wicked man run on never so fluently it hath a mare mortuum at the dead end of it O then when thou art making a Covenant with sin say to thy soul as Boaz said to his kinsman Ruth 4. â— 5. At what time thou buyest it thou must have Ruth the Moabitesse with it If thou wilt have the pleasureâ— the rewards the wages of iniquitie thou must also have the curse and damnation that is entaild upon it and let thy soul answer which he there doth No I may not do it I shall marre and spoil a better Inheritance II. This may serve for an Instruction unto us touching the duties of solemne Humiliation and Repentance which is the scope of the Prophets direction in this place We must not think we have done enough when we have made generall Acknowledgements and confessions of sin and begg'd pardon and grace from God but we must withall further binde our selves fast unto God by engagements of new obedience as holy men in the Scripture have done in their more solemne addresses unto God Nehem. 9.38 Psal. 51.12 13 14 15. for without amendment of life prayers are but howlings and abominations Hose 7.14 Prov. 28.9 Quantum a praeceptis tantum ab auribus Dei longe sumus No obedience no audience A beast will roar when he is beaten but men when God punisheth should not onely cry but covenant Unto the performance whereof that we may the better apply our selves let us a little consider the nature of a Religious Covenant A Covenant is a mutuall stipulation or a giving and receiving of faith between two parties whereby they do unanimously agree in one inviolable sentence or resolution Such a covenant there is between God and true beleevers He giving himself as a Reward unto them and they giving themselves as servants unto him He willing and requiring the service and they â—illing and consenting to the Reward He promising to be their God and they to be His people Heb. 8.10 A notable expression of with joynt and mutuall stipulation we have Deut. 26.17 18. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and to keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgements and to hearken unto his voice and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldest keep all his Commandments And to make thee high above all Nations which hee hath made in praise and in name and in honour and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as hee hath spoken Where wee have both the mutuall expressions of intimate relation one to another and the mutuall engagements unto universall obedience on the one side and unto high and precious benefits on the other growing out of that Relation For because God is mine I am bound to serve him and because I am his He hath bound himselfe to provide for me We are not now to consider that part of the Covenant which standeth in Gods promise to be our God which in generall importeth thus much Gods giving himself in Christ unto us and together with Christ All other goods things Benefits relative in justification from sin and Adoption unto sons Benefits Habituall A new nature by Regeneration A new heart and life by sanctification A quiet conscience by peace and comfort Benefits Temporall in the promises of this life Benefits eternall in the glory of the next Thus is Christ made of God unto us wisdom in our vocation converting us unto faith in him Righteousnes in our justification reconciling us unto his Father Sanctification in our conformity unto him in grace and Redemption from all evils or enemies which might hate us here and unto All Glory which may fill and everlastingly satisfie us hereafter 1 Cor. 1.30 But wee are now to consider of the other part of the Covenant which concerneth our engagement unto God wherein we promise both our selves and our abilities unto him to be His people and to do him service The materiall cause of this Covenant is whatsoever may be promised unto God and that is first our persons Secondly our service Our persons We are thine Isa. 63.19 Giving our own selves to the Lord. 2 Cor. 8.5 not esteeming our selves our own but his that boughâ— us 1 Cor. 6.19 and being willing that he which bought us should have the property in us and the possession of us and the dominion over us and the liberty to do what he pleaseth with us Being contented to be lost to our selves that wee may bee found in him Phil. 3.9 If sin or Satan call for our tongue or heart or hand or eye to answer these are not mine own Christ hath bought them the Lord hath set them apart for himselfe Psal. 4.3 They are vessels for the Masters use 2 Tim. 2.21 I am but the steward of my self and may not dispose of my Masters goods without much lesse against his own will and commands Our services which are matters of necessity matters of Expediencie and matters of praise All which may be made the materials of a Covenant 1 Matter of Dutie and necessitie As David by an oath bindes himselfe to keepe Gods righteous judgements Psal. 119.106 And the people in Nehemiah's time enter into a curse and an oath to walk in Gods Law and to observe and do all his commandments Nehem. 10.29 2 Matter of circumstantiall expediency which in Christian wisdome may be conducent unto the main end of a mans life or may fit him for any speciall condition which God calleth him unto So the Rechabites promised their Father Ionadab and held that promise obligatory in the sight of God not to drink wine nor to build houses c. Ier. 35.6 7. because by that
will nor doe any thing further then we receive from him both to will and to doe Pharoah made promise after promise and brake them as fast Exod. 8.8.28.9.28 Israel makes ptomises one while and quickly starts aside like a deceitfull bow as Ice which melts in the day and hardens againe in the night Psal. 78.34 38. Ier. 34.15.16 to day they will and to morrow they will not againe they repent to day and to morrow they repent of their repenting like the sluggard in his bed that puts out his arme to rise and then puls it in again So unstable and impotent is man in all his resolutions till God say Amen to what he purposeth and establisheth the heart by his own grace Heb. 13.9 When the waters stood as a wall on the right hand and on the left of Israel as they passed through the red Sea this was a work of Gods own power for water is unstable and cannot keep together by its own strength nor be contained within any bounds of its own So great a work is it to see the mutable wills and resolutions of men kept close to any pious and holy purposes The point wee learn from henâ— is this That our conversion and amendment of life is not sufficiently provided for by any band obligation or Covenant of our own whereby we solemnly promise and undertake it except God bee pleased by his free grace to establish and enable the heart unto the performance of it or thus A penitent mans conversion and Covenant of new obedience hath its firmnesse in the promise and free grace of God Israel here in the confidence of Gods mercy prayes for pardon and blessings and in the confidence of his grace maketh promise of Reformation and amendment of life but all this is but like a written instrument or indenture which is invalid and of no effect till the parties concerned have mutually sealed and set to their hands Till God be pleased to promise us that wee shall doe that which wee have promised unto him and doe as it were make our own Covenants for us all will prove too weak and vanishing to continue The grace of God unto the purposes of men is like graine to colours died or like oyle to colours in a Table or Picture which makes them hold fresh and not fade away There is a necessary and indissolvable dependence of all second causes upon the first without whose influence and concurrence they neither live nor move nor have or continue in their Being Acts 17.28 Heb. 1.3 He who is first of causes and last of ends doth use and direct the necessary voluntary contingent motions and activities of all second causes unto whatsoever ends hee himselfe is pleased to preordaine And this the naturall and necessary concatenation of things doth require that that which is the absolutest supremest first and most independent will wisdome and power of all others should govern order and direct all other wills powers and wisedomes that are subordinate to and inferiour under it unto whatsoever uses and purposes he who hath the absolute Dominion and Soveraignty over all is pleased to appoint It cannot be other then a marvellous diminution unto the greatnesse of God and a too low esteeme of the absolutenesse of that Majesty which belongs unto him to make any Counsels Decrees Purposes of his to receive their ultimate forme and stampe from the previous and intercurrent causalities or conditions of the creature This I have alwayes looked on as the principall cause of those dangerous errors concerning grace free-will and the decrees of God wherewith the Churches of Christ have been so miserably in the former ages and in this of ours exercised by the subtlety of Satan and by the pride of corrupt minded men namely the too low and narrow thoughts and conceptions which men have framed to themselves of God the not acquiescing in his Soveraign Dominion and absolute Power of disposing all things which hee made unto whatsoever uses himselfe pleaseth into which I am sure the holy Scripture doth resolve all Matth. 11. 25.26 Rom. 9.18.21.11.33 36. Eph. 1.5.9.11 Psal. 135.6 Even in the sinfull actions of men Gods influence and providence hath a particular hand As actions his influence as sinfull his providence His influence to the naturall motion and substance of the action though not to the wickednesse of it for this standeth not in Being or perfection else the fountaine of Being and perfection must needs be the first cause of it but in defect and privation of perfection As when a hand draweth a line by a crooked rule the line is from the hand but the crookednesse of it is from the rule or as when a man goeth lamely the motion as motion is from the naturall faculty but the lamenesse of the motion is from the defect and vitiousnesse of the faculty A swearer could not speak an oath nor a murtherer reach out his hand to strike a blow but by the force of those naturall faculties which in and from God have all their Being and working But that these naturall motions are by profanesse or malice directed unto ends morally wicked this proceedeth from the vitiosity and defect which is in the second cause making use of Gods gifts unto his owne dishonour 2. The Providence of God hath a notable hand in the guiding ordering and disposing of these actions as sinfull unto the ends of his own glory in the declaration of his Power Wisedome and Iustice unto which the sinnes of wicked men are perforce carried on contrary to those ends which they themselves in sinning did propose unto themselves As an Artificer useth the force of naturall causes unto artificiall effects as an Huntsman useth the naturall enmity of the Dogge against the Fox or Wolfe unto the preservation of the Lambs which otherwise would bee destroyed though the dogge himselfe by nature is as great an enemy to the Lamb as the Fox As the Pharisees were as great enemies to Religion as the Sadduces yet Paul wisely made use of their emnity amongst themselves for his own preservation and deliverance from them both Nothing more usuall then for God to mannage and direct the sinnes of men to the bringing about of his own purposes and Counsels Gen. 50.20 1 Sam. 2.25 1 King 2.26.27 2 Sam. 12.11 compared with 2 Sam. 16.22 Esay 10.5.6 7. Act. 4.28 Psal. 76.10 But now unto gracious actions which belong not at all unto nature as nature but onely as inspired and actuated with spirituall and heavenly principles a more singular and notable influence of God is required not onely to the substance of the action but more especially to the rectitude and goodnesse of it for wee have no sufficiency of our selves not so much as unto the first offers and beginnings of good in our thoughts 2 Cor. 3.5 when we are bid to work out our own salvation with feare and trembling it must be in dependence on the power and in confidence of
ISRAELS PRAYER In time of TROUBLE WITH Gods gracious Answer thereunto OR An Explication of the 14th Chapter of the Prophet HOSEA In seven Sermons preached upon so many days of solemn Humiliation By EDWARD REYNOLDS Minister of the Word of God at Braunston in Northamptonshire and a Member of the Assembly of Divines Published by Authority LONDON Printed by Thomas Newcomb for Robert Bostock dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the Sign of the Kings-head 1645. THE FIRST SERMON UPON HOSEA CHAP. 14. VERS 1 2. Preached in Margarets Church at Westminster before the honorable House of Commons now assembled in Parliament At the late Publique and Solemn FAST Iuly 27. Anno Domini 1642. By EDWARD REYNOLDS Minister of the Word of God at Braunston in Northamptonshire and a Member of the Assembly of Divines Published by Order of the said House The second Edition Enlarged LONDON Printed by Thomas Newcomb for Robert Bostock dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the Sign of the Kings-head 1649. TO THE HONOURABLE House of COMMONS assembled in PARLIAMENT IN obedience to your Commands I here humble present to your view what you were pleased with patience and readiness of affection lately to attend unto I considered that though the Choiceness of the Auditory might require the exactest preparation yet both the condition of the Times and the nature of the Duty did call upon us to lay aside our Ornaments And therefore I speake with such plainness as might commend the matter delivered rather to the Conscience of a Penitent then to the fancy of a delicate hearer The King of Nineveh was a King as well in his Sackcloth as in his Robes And the truth of God is indeed fuller of Majesty when it is naked then when adorned with the dresse of any humane contribution which many times takes from it but never addes any value unto it I looked upon you in your double Relation both Common as Christians and Speciall as men intrusted with the managing of those arduous and most pressing difficulties under which this distempered Kingdom is now groaning And for the quickning of those endevours which belong to you in both those Relations I presented you both with the bottome of a Nations unhappiness which is sin and with the top of their felicity which is Gods free grace and favour That by your serious cares to purge out the one and to procure the other you might by Gods blessing on your Consultations dispell that black tempest which hangs over this Kingdom and reduce the face of things unto calmness and serenity again When the Children strugled together in the womb of Rebekah she was thereupon inquisitive If it be Why am I thus and she addressed her self to God for a resolution Surely this Nation is become like the womb of Rebekah the children thereof strugling in their mothers belly together and when God hath mercifully freed us from forain Enemies Brethren are become enemies to brethren and by their enmities likely to tear and torment the bowels of their mother and to ruine themselves And what have we now to do but to inquire the Cause of these sad cōmotions Why are we thus And surely the Cause is chiefly where the Disease is within our selves We have been like the womb of Rebekah a barren Nation not bringing forth fruits of so many mercies as God hath filled us withall So that now it is no wonder if God cause us to be in pain within our own Bowels and to feel the throwes and struglings of a Travelling woman ready to bring forth her own Confusion a Benoni or an Ichabod a son of Sorrow and of Shame to this hitherto so peaceable and flourishing a Kingdom All that we can comfort our selves with in these pangs and qualms of distemper is that there are some Iacobs amongst us who insteed of supplanting their brethren will wrestle and have power with God The people have often Petitioned sometimes his sacred Majesty sometimes this Honourable House which are his great Councel many overtures endeavor of Accommodation have been tendred yet we cry out in our pangs have as it were brought forth wind neither have we wrought any deliverance in the earth I have here therefore presented a new Petition dictated drawn up to our hands by Gods own Spirit unto which both King and Parliament Peers and Prophets and People must al subscribe and offer it with prostrate penitent hearts unto him who stands in the congregation of the mighty judgeth amongst the gods that he would take away all our iniquity and receive us into favour again and accept of a Covenant of new obedience And this Petition God is pleased to anticipate with an answer of grace in the consequent parts of the chapter whence the Text is taken and that particularly to every branch of the Petition He will take away iniquity His Anger shall not punish His Love shal heal our backslidings the greatness of our sins shall not hinder the freeness of his Grace He will do us good and give us life by the dew of his grace reviving us and Glory clothing us like the Lilly of the field with the beauty of holiness and stability fixing us by his grace as the Cedars of Lebanon are fastned upon their Roots and growth or enlargement as the branches spread forth themselves and continual vigor plenty as the Olive tree which is always green and fruitful and glorious comforts by the sweet savor of the knowledg of God which like the spice trees of Lebanon shall diffuse a spiritual perfume upon the names and into the consciences of penitent converts He will prevent us with the blessings of Safety as well as of Sanctity and Comfort we shall under his shadow finde shelter and protection from all our fears Though like Corn we be harrowed under the Clods though like a lopped vine we seem naked and reduced to lowness though like crushed grapes we lie under heavy pressures yet he will receive and enlarge and comfort us again and when we are in our own eyes as fatherless children He will set his eyes upon us as a Tutor and Guardian He will hear and observe and answer and pity us enabling us to make good our Covenant by his grace and causing the fruits of his loving kindness to be found upon us Thus God is pleased to borrow the various perfection of other things to adumbrate the united and calumniated mercies which he promiseth unto a converting and petitioning people You have the Petition sent you from God and his Answer preventing you in all the members of it with the blessings of goodness I have nothing else to do but to beg of you and of all this great people whom you represent the Subscription of your hearts and lives unto this Petition and to beg of God that he would graciously incline the hearts of this whole Kingdom rather to wrastle with him for a blessing then to struggle and conflict amongst
leaven that defile our Passeovers and urge God to passe away and depart from us these the obstructions between his sacred Majesty and you and between both and the happinesse of the Kingdome Think seriously what wayes may be most effectual to purge out this leaven out of the Land The principall sacrificing knife which kils and mortifies sin is the Word of God and the knowledge of it It would have been a great unhappinesse to the Common-wealth of Learning if Caliguâ—a 〈◊〉 as he endevoured deprived the world of the writings of Homer Virgil and Livy But O! what an Aegyptian calamity is it to have in this Sun-shine of the Gospel thousands of persons and families as I doubt not but upon inquirie it would appear without the writings of the Prophets and Apostles A Christian souldier without his sword a Christian builder without his rule and square a Christian calling without the instruments and ballances of the Sanctuary belonging to it O therefore that every Parish had an indowment â—it for a learned laborious and worthy Pastor and Pastors worthy of such endowments that provision were made that every family might have a Bible in it and if by Law it might possibly be procured the exercises of Religion therewithall this would be the surest Magazine to secure the happinesse of a Kingdome that all reproachfull titles which the devill useth as scarcrows and whiâ—lers to keep back company from pressing in upon Christs Kingdome were by Law proscribed That scandalous sins were by the awfulnesse and severity of Discipline more blasted and brought to shame That the Lords house were more frequented and his day more sanctified and his Ordinances more reverenced and his Ministers which teach the good knowledge of the Lord more encouraged then ever heretofore In one word that all the severall fountains of the Common-wealth were settled in a sound and flourishing constitution That in every place we might see Piety the Elme to every other Vine the supporter to every other profession Learning adorned with Piety and Law administred with Piety and Counsels managed with Piety and Trade regulated with Pietie and the Plow followed with Pietie That when Ministers fight against sin with the sword of Gods Word you who are the Nobles and Gentry of the Land would second them and frown upon it too a frown of yours may sometimes do as much service to Christ as a Sermon of ours And he cannot but take it very unkindly from you if you will not bestow your countenance on him who bestowed his blood on you That you would let the strictnesse of your lives and the pietie of your examples put wickednes out of countenance and make it appear as indeed it is a base and a sordid thing If we would thus sadly set our selves against the sins of the Land no power no malice no policies should stand between us and Gods mercies Religion would flourish and peace would settle and trade would revive and the hearts of men would be re-united and the Church be as a City compacted and this Nation would continue to be as it hath been like the Garden of Eden a mirrour of prosperity and happinesse to other people and God would prevent us in the second part of our Petition with the blessing of goodnesse as soon as ever iniquity were removed he would do us good which is the second thing here directed to pray for Receive us graciously In the originall it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Take good to wit to bestow upon us so Taking is sometimes used for Giving He received gifts for men so in the Psalm he gave gifts to men so in the Apostle and it is not improbable that the Prophet here secretly leadeth us to Christ the Mediatour who first receiveth gifts from his Father and then poureth them forth upon his Church Act. 2.23 The meaning then is Lord when thou hast pardoned weakned mortified sin go on with thy mercy and being in Christ graciously reconciled unto us give further evidence of thy Fatherly affection by bestowing portions upon us They shall not be cast away upon unthankfull persons we will render the Calves of our lips they shal not be bestowed upon those that need them not or that know where else to provide themselves It is true we have gone to the Assyrian we have taken our horses instead of our prayers and gone about to finde out good we have been so foolish as to think that the Idols which have been beholden to our hands for any shape that is in them could be instead of hands and of God unto us to help us in our need but now we know that men of high degree are but a lie that horses are but a vanity that an Idol is nothing and therefore can give nothing That power belongeth unto thee none else can do it That mercy belongeth unto thee none else will do it therefore since in thee only the fatherlesse find mercy be thou pleased to do us good We will consider the words first absolutely as a single prayer by themselves Secondly relatively in their connexion and with respect to the scope of the place From the former consideration we observe That all the good we have is from God he only must be sought unto for it we have none in our selves I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good Rom. 7.18 we can neither think nor speak nor do it And missing it in our selves it is all in vaine to seek for it in things below our selves They can provide for our back and belly and yet not that neither without God the root out of which the fruits of the earth do grow is above in heaven the Genealogy of Corn and Wine is resolved into God Hose 2.22 But if you go to your Lands or Houses or Teasuries for physick for a sick soul or a guilty conscience they will all return an Ignoramus to that enquiry salvation doth not grow in the furrows of the field neither are there in the earth to be found any Mines or harvests of Grace or Comfort In God alone is the fountain of life he that only is good he only doth good when we have wearied our selvs with having recourse to second causes here at last like the wandering Dove we must arrive for rest Many will say who will shew us any good Do thou lift up the light of thy countenance upon us Psal. 4.6 From him alone comes every go O gift Iam. 1.17 whether Temporall it is his blessing that maketh the creature able to comfort us The woman touched the hem of Christs garment but the vertue went not out of the garment but out of Christ Luk. 8.44 or whether Spirituall sanctified faculties sanctified habits sanctified motions glorious relations in Predestination Adoption and Christian Liberty excellent gifts heavenly comforts all and onely from him And that without change and alteration he doth not do
good one while and evill another but goodnesse is his proper and native operation he is not the author of sin that entred by the devil he is not the author of death that entred by sin but our destruction is of our selves And therefore though the Prophet say Is there any evil in the City which the Lord hath not done Yet he doth it not but onely as it is bonum justitiae good in order to his glory For it is just with God that they who run from the order of his Commands should fall under the order of his Providence and doing willingly what hee forbids should unwillingly suffer what he threatneth In one word God is the Author of All good by his grace working it the Permitter of all evill by his patience enduring it the Orderer and disposer of both by his mercy rewarding the one by his justice revenging the other and by his wisedome directing both to the ends of his eternal glory This serveth to discover the free and â—â—le working of Grace in our first conversion and the continued working of grace in our further sanctification whatsoever is good in us habitually as Grace inhering or actually as Grace working is from him alone as the Author of it For though it be certain that when we will and do our selves are agents yet it is still under and from him Certum est nos facere cum faciamus sed ille facit ut faciamus as the great champion of Grace speaketh by Grace we are that we are we do what we do in Gods service Vessels have no wine bags have no money in them but what the Merchant putteth in the bowls of the Candlesticks had no oyl but that which dropped from the Olive branches Other things which seek no higher perfection then is to be found within the compasse of their own nature may by the guidance and activity of the same nature attain thereunto but man aspiring to a divine happinesse can never attain thereunto but by a divine strength impossible it is for any man to enjoy God without God The truth of this point sheweth it in five gradations 1. By Grace our mindes are enlightened to know and beleeve him for Spirituall things are spiritually discerned 2. By Grace our hearts are inclined to love and obey him for spirituall things are spiritually approved He onely by his Almighty and ineffable operation worketh in us Et veras Revelationes et bonas voluntates 3. By Grace our lives are enabled to work what our hearts do love without which though we should will yet we cannot perform no more then the knife which hath a good edge is able actually to cut till moved by the hand 4. By Grace our good works are carried on unto perfection Adam wanting the Grace of perseverance fell from innocency it self It is not sufficient for us that he prevent and excite us to will that he co-operate assist us to work except he continually follow and supply us with a residue of spirit to perfect and finish what we set about All our works are begun continued and ended in him Lastly By Grace our perseverance is crowned for our best works could not endure the triall of justice if God should enter into judgement with us Grace enableth us to work and Grace rewardeth us for working Grace beginneth and Grace finisheth both our faith and salvation The work of holinesse is nothing but Grace and the reward of holinesse is nothing but Grace for Grace Secondly this teacheth us how to know Good from Evil in our selves what we look on as good we must see how we have derived it from God the more recourse we have had unto God by prayer and faith and study of his will in the procurement of it the more goodnesse we shall find in it A thing done may be good in the substance of the work and yet evill in the manner of doing it as the substance of a vessell may be silver but the use sordid Iehu his â—eal was rewarded as an act of Iustice quoad substantiam operis and it was punished too as an act of policy quoad mâ—dum for the perverse end A thing which I see in the night may shine and that shining proceed from nothing but rottennesse We must not measure our selves by the matter of things done for there may be Malum opus in bona materia Doeg prayes and Herod hears and Hypocrites fast and Pharisees preach but when wee would know the goodness of our works look to the fountain whether they proceed from the Father of lights by the spirit of love the grace of Christ from humble penitent filiall heavenly dispositions nothing will carry the soul unto God but that which cometh from him Our Communion with the Father and the Sonne is the triall and foundation of all our goodnesse Thirdly Thiâ— should exceedingly abase us in our own eyes and stain all the pride and cast down all the Plumes of flesh and blood when we seriously consider that in us as now degenerated from our originall there is no good to be found our wine become water our Silver dresse as our Saviour saith of the devil when he lies he speaks de suo of his own so when we do evil we work de nostro of our own and secundum hominem as the Apostle speaks According unto man 1 Cor. 3.3 Lusts are g our own our very members to that body of sin which the Apostle calleth the old man with which it is as impossible to do any good as for a Toad to spit Cordiâ—ls Men are apt to glory of their good hearts and intentions only because they cannot search them Ier. 17.11 And being carnal themselves to entertain none but carnal notions of Gods service But if they knew the purity and jealousie of God their own impotency to answer so holy a wil they would lay their hands upon their mouthes and with Iob abhor themselves and with Isaiah bewail the uncleannesse of their lips and with Moses fear and quake as not being able to endure the things that are commanded and with Ioshua acknowledge that they cannot serve God because he is holy they would then remember that the Law of God is a Law of fire Deut. 33.2 and the Tribunall of God a Tribunall of fire Ezek. 1.27 that the pleading of God with sinners are in flames of fire Isa. 66.15 16. that the triall of all our works shall be by fire 1 Cor. 3.13 that the God before whom we must appear is a consuming fire Hebr. 12.29 Goe now and bring thy straw and stubble thy drowsie and sluggish devotion thy fickle and flattering repentance thy formall and demure services into the fire to the Law to measure them to the Iudge to censure them nay now carry them to thine own conscience and tell me whether that wil not passe the
of calamitie upon us all wisedome and learning and piety prudence are healing things Remember and O that God would put into the hearts of this whole Kingdome from the Throne to the Plow to remember the fate of a divided Kingdome from the mouth of truth it selfe O that we would all remember that misunderstandings and jealousies and divisions of heart are an high evidence of Gods displeasure and that through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts a Land is darkned and as it were infatuated when Manasse is against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasse and every man eateth the flesh of his owne Arme. Isa. 7.9.21 O let us all remember what it cost Shechem and Abimelech what it cost Benjamin and the other Tribes even the losse of threescore and five thousand men remember Priamus and his children will laugh Babylon will clap their hands and wag their head no such time for Shishak the Aegyptian to trouble Jerusalem as when Israel is divided 2 Chron. 12.2 Let it never be said of Gods owne people that they are fallen into the curse of Midianites and Ammorites and Edomites and Philistines to help forward the destruction of one another O that God would give this whole Nation hearts to consider these things that he would put a spirit of peace and resolved unity into the minds of this whole people to be true to their owne happinesse and by how much the greater are the subtilties of men to divide them to be so much the more firmly united in prayers to God and in concord between themselves that they may not expose their persons estates posterities and which is dearest of all their Religion to the craftie and bloodie advantages of the enemies of the Protestant Churches who in humane view could have no way to overthrow them but by their own dissentions I have done with this point and shall conclude all with a very few words of the next which is drawn from the scope and connexion of the prayer suggested to the judgement threatned It is this When temporall judgements are felt or feared Gods people should pray for spirituall mercies Humane sorrows cannot overcome where the joy of the Lord is our strength Thus the Lord seems to have taught his Apostle he was under some pressing discomfort the messenger of Satan sent to buffet him he prayes for particular deliverance and God answers him non ad voluntatem sed ad utilitatem implying a direction unto all such prayers My grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 When thou feelest a thorn in thy flesh pray for grace in thy heart the buffets of Satan cannot hurt where the grace of God doth suffice so he directeth in time of plague and famine to pray and to seek his face 2 Chron. 7.14 to look more after his favour than our owne ease to be more solicitous for the recovering of his Love than for the removing of his Rod. This is a true character of a filiall disposition In the way of thy judgements even in that way wherein wicked men fling thee off and give thee over and quarrell with thee and repine against thee even in the way of â—hy judgements do we wait for thee and the desire of our soul is more to thy Name than to our own deliverance Isa. 26.8 true Diciples follow Christ more for his Doctrine than his loaves and are willing to choose rather affliction than iniquity The grace and favour of God is life Psal. 30.5 better than life Psal. 63.3 and therefore must needs be the most soveraigne Antidote to preserve and to bear up the soul above all other discomforts whereas if he be angry no other helps are able to relieve us Brasse and Iron can fence me against a Bullet or a Sword but if I were to be cast into a furnace of fire it would help to torment me if into a pit of water it would help to sinke me Now our God is a consuming fire and his breath a streame of brimstone Humane plaisters can never cure the wounds which God makes where he is the Smiter he must be the Healer too Hos. 6.1 All the Candles in a Countrey are not able to make day there till the Sunne come and all the contents of the world are not able to make comfort to the soule till the Sun of Righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings In a Mine if a damp come it is in vaine to trust to your lights they will burn blew and dimme and at last vanish you must make haste to be drawne upward if you will be safe When God sharpneth an affliction with his displeasure it is vaine to trust to worldly succours your desires and affections must be on things above if you will be relieved There is no remedie no refuge from Gods anger but to Gods grace Bloud letting is a cure of bleeding and a burn a cure against a burne and running into Goâ— is the way to escape him as to close and get in 〈◊〉 him that would strike you doth avoid the blow In a tempest at Sea it is very dangerous to strike to the shore the safest way is to have Sea-roome and to keep in the Main still there is no landing against any tempest of Gods judgements at any shore of worldly or carnall policies but the way is to keep with him still if he be with us in the Ship the winds and the Sea will at last be rebuked This then should serve to humble us for our carnall prayers in times of judgement such as the hungry Raven or the dry and gaping earth makes when we assemble our selves for Corne and Wine for peace and safety and be in the meane time carelesse whether God receive us graciously or no. God much complains of it when he slew Israel the raâ—k made him rore the rod made him flatter but all was to be rid of affliction It was the prayer of nature for ease not of the Spirit for grace for their heart was not right Psal. 78.34 37. The like he complains of after the Captivity they fasted and prayed in the fifth moneth wherein the City and Temple had bin burned and in the seventh moneth wherein Gedeliah had bin slain and the remnant carried captive but they did it not out of sinceritie toward God but out of policie for themselves and this he proves by their behaviour after their return If you had indeed sought me you would have remembred the words of the Prophets when Ierusalem was inhabited before and being returned would now have put them to practise But Jerusalem inhabited after the Captivitie is just like Jerusalem inhabited before the captivitie so that from hence it appears that all their weeping and separating was not for pious but politique reasons Zach. 7.5 6. And there is nothing under heaven more hatefull or more reproachfull unto God than to make Religion serve turns to have piety lacquey and dance attendance and be a drudge and groom to
private ends to make it a cloake to policy a varnish to rotten wood silver drosse to a broken Potsheard O then when we weep and seperate our selves let us not think to mock God with empty ceremonies of Repentance let us not assemble our selves only to flatter away the rod from our back and to get peace and security to our owne persons and then let the favour of God the power of his Grace the comforts of his Spirit be as unregarded as before as if we fasted and prayed onely for our backs and bellies not for our Consciences or conversations for be we well assured he who doth not aske the things which he ought shall not obtain the things which he asks such a prayer begs nothing but a deniall We have now many fasts together prayed for making up our breaches for reparing our ruines for composing our distractions for reducing this Kingdom unto an happy constitution for a right understanding between the King and his great Councell These prayers we have not found yet return like Noahs Dove with an Olive branch a gracious answer unto us again What 's the reason Where 's the obstruction Is not he a God that heareth prayers Is it not his Title Doth he not glory in it Certainly mercies stop not at God but at us We are not straitned in him but in our own bowels If there come but a little light into a room the defect is not in the Sun but in the narrowness of the window if a vessell fill but slowly the fault is not any emptiness in the Fountain but the smallness of the pipe If mercies ripen slowly or stop at any time in the way it is not because they are unwilling to come to us but because we are unfit to enjoy them Our prayers doubtless in many of us have not been words taken from him but from our own carnal dictates We would fain have things well in our Country but have we hitherto looked after our consciences The destractions without us have they driven us to consider the distempers within or to desire the things above The unsetledness of peace in the Kingdom hath it awakened us to secure our peace with God We would fain have better times but have we yet laboured for better hearts we would fain have a right understanding between the King and his great Councel but have we yet sadly set about it to have a more clear and sweet Communion between us and our God we long to see more good laws but are we yet come to the care of good lives Every one cries out Who will shew us any good but how few think on the light of Gods countenance Hence hence Beloved is the miscarriage of all our Prayers If we would seek gods Kingdom we are promised other things by way of overplus and Accession as he that buyeth a Treasury of Jewels hath the Cabinet into the Bargain But when we place our Kingdom in outward comforts and let our daily bread shut out all the other five petitions out of our prayers no wonder if the promises of this life which are annexed unto Godliness do not answer those prayers wherein godliness is neglected It were preposterous to begin the building of an house at the Roof and not at the Foundation Piety is the foundation of prosperity If you would have your cheldrin like plants like polished stones your Garners ful your Cattel plenteous no complaining in your streets If you would have the King happy and the Church happy and the State happy and peace and prosperity flourish again Let our chief prayer be Lord make us a happy people by being our God Give us thy self thy grace thy favour give us renewed hearts and reformed lives let not our sins confute and outcry and belie our prayers and pray them back again without an Answer And when we seek thee and thy Christ above all we know that with him thou wilt freely give us all other things The spiritual good things which we beg wil either remove or shelter and defend us from the outward evil things which we suffer Secondly this serveth for an instruction unto us touching a sanctified use of Gods judgments or threatnings when we learn obedience as Christ did by the things which we suffer Hebr. 5.8 when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we are chastened and taught together Psal. 94.12 when sufferings do quicken spiritual desires and the more troubles we find in our way the more love we have to our Country when we can say all this is come upon us and yet we have not forgotten thee Psal. 44.17 18. when we can serve God as wel in plowing and breaking the clods as in treading out the Corn Hos. 10.11 When with Ionah we can delight in him even in the Whales belly and suffer not our love of him to be quenched with all the waters of the Sea When we can truly say to him Lord love me and then do what thou wilt unto me let me feel thy râ—d rather then forfeit thine affection when we can look through the Anger of his chastisements unto the Beauty of his Commands and to the sweetness of his loving countenance as by a Rain bow we see the beautiful Image of the Suns-light in the middst of a dark and waterish Cloud when by how much the Flesh is the fuller of pain by so much prayers are fuller of spirit by how much the heavier are our earthly sufferings by so much the stronger are our heavenly desires when God threatneth punishments and we pray for grace this is a sanctified use of Gods judgments And this we should all be exhorted unto in the times of distraction to make it the principal argument of our prayers and study of our lives to obtain spiritual good things and the less comfort we find in the world to be the more importunate for the comforts of God that by them we may incourage our selves as David did in his calamity at Ziglag 1 Sam. 30.6 when the City Shechem was beaten down to the ground then the men and women fled to the strong Tower and shut that upon them Iudg. 9.51 The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous fly to it and are safe Prov. 18.18 Herein we shall more honour God when we set him up in our hearts as our fear and treasure and mourne more towards him then for the miseries we feel and suspire more after him then all the outward contentment which we want Herein we shall more exercise Repentance for it is worldly sorrow which droopeth under the pain of the flesh but godly sorrow is most of all affected with the Anger of God Herein we shall more prevail with God the more heavenly the matters of our prayer are the more prevalent they must needs be with an Heavenly Father we have five spiritual petitions unto one for bread the more sutable our prayers are to Gods wil the more easie access
healed all the diseases of his soul and redeemed his life from destruction or from hel as the Chaldee rendreth it and crowned him with loving kindnesse and tender mercies turning away his anger and revealing those mercies which are from everlasting in election unto everlasting in salvation removing his sins from him as far as the East is from the West then a man will call upon his soule over and over againe and summon every faculty within him invite every creature without him to blesse the Lord and to ingeminate praises unto his holy name Psal. 103.1.4.20.22 And as David there begins the Psalme with Blesse the Lord O my soul and ends it with blesse the Lord O my soul so the Apostle making mention of the like mercy of God unto him and of the exceeding abundant grace of Christ in setting forth him who was a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious as a patterne unto all that should beleeve on him unto eternall life begins this meditation with praises I thank Christ Iesus our Lord and ends it with praises unto the King eternall immortall invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Tim. 1.12.17 It is impossible that soule should be truly thankfull unto God which hath no apprehensions of him but as an enemie ready to call in or at the least to curse all those outward benefits which in that little interim and respite of time between the curse pronounced in the Law and executed in death he vouchsafeth to bestow And impenitent sinners can have no true notion of God but such And therefore all the verball thanks which such men seem to render unto God for blessings are but like the musick at a Funerall or the Trumpet before a Judge which gives no comfortable sound to the mourning wife or to the guilty prisoner III. Vt medium Impetrandi As an Argument and motive to prevail with God in prayer For the Church here Praies for pardon for grace for healing not onely with an eye to its own benefit but unto Gods honour Lord when thou hast heard and answered us then we shall glorifie thee Psa. 50.15 I shall praise thee saith David for then hast heard me and art become my salvation Psal. 118.21 It is true if God condemne us he will therein shew forth his owne glory 2 Thes. 1.9 as he did upon Pharaoh Rom 9.17 In which sence the strong and terrible ones are said to glorifie him Isay. 25.3 Because his power in their destruction is made the more conspicuous But we should not therein concurre unto the glorifying of him The grave cannot praise him they that goe downe into the pit cannot celebrate his name Ps. 30.9 88 10 11. The living the living they shall praise thee Isa. 38.19 This is a frequent argument with David whereby to prevail for mercy because else God would lose the praise which by this meanes he should render to his name Psal. 6.4.5.118.17 c. God indeede is All-sufficient to himself and no goodnes of ours can extend unto him Iob 22.2 35 7. Yet as Parents delight to use the labour of their children in things which are no way beneficiall unto themselves so God is pleased to use us as instruments for setting forth his glory though his glory stand in no neede of us though we cannot adde one Cubit thereunto He hath made all men in usuâ— profundarum cogitationum suarum unto the uses of his unsearchable Councells He hath made all things for himselfe yea even the wicked for the day of evill Prov. 16.4 Yet he is pleased to esteeme some men meete for uses which others are not 2 Tim. 2.21 and to set apart some for himselfe and for those uses Psal. 4.3 Isay. 43.21 God by his wisedome ordereth and draweth the blind and brute motions of the worst creatures unto his own honour as the huntsman doth the rage of the dog to his pleasure or the Marriner the blowing of the winde unto his voyage or the Artist the heate of the fire unto his worke or the Phisician the bloudthirstinesse of the Leech unto a cure But godly men are fitted to bring actually glory unto him to glorify him doingly 1 Cor. 10 3â— 31. Ephe. 1.11 12. And this is that which God chiefly takes pleasure in Our Saviour bids his disciples cast their net into the Sea and when they had drawn their net he bids them bring of the fish which they had then caught and yet we finde that there was a fire of coales and fish laid thereon and bread provided on the land before Iohn 21.6 9 10. Thereby teaching us that he did not use their industrie for any neede that he had of it but because he would honour them so far as to let them honour him with their obedience And therefore even then when God tells his people that he needed not their services yet he calls upon them for thanksgiving Psal. 50.9 14. This then is a strong argument to be used in praier for pardon for grace for any spirituall mercie Lord if I perish I shall not praise thee I shall not be meete for my Masters uses Thy glory will onely be forced out of me with blowes like fire out of a flint or water out of a rock But thou delightest to see thy poore Servants operate towards thy glory to see them not forced by power but by love to shew forth thy praises And this we shall never doe till sinne be pardoned God can bring light out of light as the light of the Starres out of the light of the Sun and he can bring light out of darkenes as he did at first but in the one case there is a meetnes for such an use in the other not Now we are not meete Subjects for God to reap honor from till sinne be pardoned till grace be conferred Then we shall give him the praise of his mercy in pittying such grievous sinners and the praise of his power and wisedome in healing such mortall diseases and the praise of his glorious and free grace in sending Salvation to those that did not inquire after it and the praise of his patience in forbearing us so long and waiting that he might be gracious and the praise of his wonderfull providence in causing all things to worke together for our good and the praise of his justice by taking part with him against our own sinnes and joyning with his grace to revenge the bloud of Christ upon them A potsheard is good enough to hold fire but nothing but a sound and pure vessell is meete to put wine or any rich depositumn into IV. Vt principium operandi As a principle of Emendation of life and of new Obedience Lord take away iniquity and receive us into favour then will we be thankfull unto thee and that shall produce amendment of life Ashur shall not save us neither will we ride upon horses c. A thankefull apprehension of the
for it selfe into the whole man minde thoughts affections words actions fitting them all unto the holy seed that is put into them as the earth being softned and mingled with the dew is the more easily drawn up into those varieties of herbs and fruites that are fed by it Sixthly It is of a vegerating and quickning nature it causeth things to grow and revive againe therefore the Prophet cals it the dew of herbs Esay 26.19 which are thereby refreshed and recover life and beauty even so the word and spirit of grace distilling upon the soule as small raine upon tender herbs and as showres on the grasse cause it to live the life of God and to bring forth the fruits of holinesse and obedience Esay 55.10 11. Those parts of the world which are under either perpetuall frosts or perpetuall scortchings are barren and fruitlesse the earth being closed up and the sap thereof dried away by such distempers Such is the condition of a soule under wrath that hath no apprehensions of God but in frost or fire for who can stand before his cold Psal. 147.17 Who can dwell with everlasting burnings Esay 33.14 Feare contracteth and bindeth up the powers of the soule it is the greatest indisposer of all other unto regular action But when the soule can apprehend God as love finde healing in his wings and reviving in his ordnances this love is of an opening and expansive quality calling forth the heart unto duty love within as it were hastening to meet and close with love without the love of obedience in us with the love of favour and grace in God I shut and barre my doore against an Enemy whom I feare and look upon as armed to hurt me but I open wide my doores my bosome unto a friend whom I love and look upon as furnished with counsell and comfort benefits to revive me There is a kind of mutuall love between dew and the earth dew loves the earth with a love of beneficeâ—ce doing it good and earth loves dew with a love of concupiscence earnestly desiring it and opening unto it Such is the love between Christ and the soule when hee appeares as dew unto it He visites the soule with a love of mercy reviving it and the soule puts forth it selfe towards him in a love of duty earnestly coveting as well to serve as to enjoy him Lastly it is of a refreshing and comforting nature tempering the heat of those hotter Countries and so causing the face of things to flourish with beauty and delight So God promiseth to be unto his people in their troubles as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest Esay 18.4 The spirituall joy and heavenly comfort which the peace and grace of God ministreth to the consciences of believers Rom. 15.13 5.1 Phil. 4.4 1 Pet. 1.8 is said to make the bones flourrish like an herb Esay 66.14 As on the other side a broken spirit is said to dry up the bones Prov. 17. â—2 Their soule saith the Prophet shall be as a watered garden they shall sorrow no more I will turne their mourning into joy and will comfort them Ier. 31·12 13. By all which we should learne first as to bee sensible of our owne personall and spirituall drinesse barrennesse emptinesse of fruit and peace hard hearts withered consciences guilty spirits under our own particular sinnes So in regard of the whole land to take notice of that tempest of wrath which like an East winde out of the wildernesse dryeth up our springs and spoileth our treasures as the Prophet complaines Hos. 13.15.16 and to be humbled into penitent resolutions as the Church here is If God who was wont to be as dew to our Nation who made it heretofore like a Paradise and a watered garden be now as a Tempest as a consuming fire unto it turning things upside down burning up the Inhabitants of the Earth causing our land to mourn and our joy to wither as the Prophet speaks Ioel 1.12 this is an evident sign that the Earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof Isa. 24.4 5. Therefore as our sinnes have turned our dew into blood so our repentance must turn our blood into dew againe If ever we look to have a happy peace we must make it with God Men can give peace onely to our bodies our fields our houses our purses nor that neither without his over-ruling power and providence who alone mannageth all the counsels and resolutions of men but hee alone can give peace to our consciences by the assurance of his love which is better then life And if there should be peace in a Nation made up onely by humane prudence and correspondencies without publike repentance and through Reformation in Church in State in Families in Persons in judgement in manners it would be but like those short interims between the Egyptian plagues Exod. 8.15.9.34 A respiting only not a removing of our affliction like the shining of the Sunne on Sodom before the fire and brimstone fell upon it Gen. 19.23 24. Wee all cry and call for Peace and while any thing is left would gladly pay dear very dear to recover it againe But there is no sure and lasting purchase of it but by unfained Repentance and turning unto God this is able to give peace in the midst of warre In the midst of storme and tempest Christ is sufficient security to the tossed ship Matth. 8.24 27. This man is the peace even when the Assyrian is in the Land Mic. 5.5 Whereas impenitency even when we have recovered an outward peace leaves us still in the midst of most potent Enemies God Christ Angels Scripture Creatures Conscience Sinnes Curses all our Enemies The Apostle tels us that Lusts warre against the soule 1 Pet. 8.11 There is a strong emphasis in the word soule which is more worth then all the world nothing to bee taken in exchange for it Matth. 16.26 So long as we have our lusts unconquered we are under the wofullest warre in the world which doth not spoyle us of our blood our money our corne our cattell our houses our children but of the salvation of Immortall soules Time will repaire the ruines of other warres but eternity it self will not deliver that poor soule which is lost and fallen in the Warres of lust Therefore if you would have peace as a mercy get it from God let it be a dew from Heaven upon your conversion unto him A Kings favour is said to be as dew on the grasse Prov. 9.12 and as a cloud of the latter raine Prov. 16.15 And it would with all joyfulnesse be so apprehended if by that meanes the blessing of peace were bestowed upon these distressed Kingdomes How much more comfortable would it be to have it as a gift from God unto a repenting Nation For God can give peace in anger as well as he doth warre A ship at Sea may be distressed by a calme as well as broken by a tempest The cattell which we meane
Gospell become Immanuels Land and he is King of all the Earth Psal. 47.7 King of Kings and Lord of Lords Rev. 19.16 Gentiles come in to the light of his Church and Kings to the brightnesse of her rising and the Nation and Kingdome that will not serve her shall perish c. Esay 60.3.12 Now every Countrey is Canaan and every Christian Church the Israel of God and every regenerate person borne in Sion and every spirituall worshipper the Circumcision now Christ is crucified in Galaâ—ia and a Passeover eaten in Corinth and Mâ—nna fed on in Pergamus and an Altar set up in Egypt and Gentiles Sacrificed and stones made children unto Abraham and Temples unto God See Ioh. 4.21 Mal. 1.11 Zeph. 2.11 Gal. 6.16 Esay 44.5 Esay 14.1 Zach. 8.23 Rom. 2.29 Psal. 87.4 5. Phil. 3.3 Col. 2.11 Gal. 3.1 1 Cor. 5.7 8. Revel 2.17 Esay 19.19 21.23 Rom. 15.16 Luk. 3.8 Eph 2.11 In Christs former dispensation the Church was only Nationall amongst the Iewes but in his latter dispensation it is Oecumenicall and universall over all the world a spreading tree under the shadow of the branches whereof shall dwell the foule of every wing Ezek. 17.23 4. The Graces of the holy spirit wherewith the Church is annoynted are from him He is the Olive tree which emptieth the golden oyle out of himselfe Zach. 4. â—2 Of his fulnesse we all receive grace for grace Ioh. 1.16 with the same spirit are we anoynted animated by the same life regenerated to the same nature renewed unto the same image reserved unto the same inheritance dignified in some respect with the same Offices made Priests to offer spirituall Sacrifices and Kings to subdue spirituall enemies and Prophets to receive teaching from God and to have a duplicate of his law written in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.21 Ioh. 14.19 1 Cor. 15.48 49. Rom. 8.17 1 Pet. 2 5. Revâ—l 1.6 Ioh. 6.45 Ier. 31.33 5. The sweet perfume and scent or smell of Lebanon which ariseth out of holy duties the grace which droppeth from the lips of his people the spirituall incense which ariseth out of their prayers the sweet savour of the Gospell which spreadeth it selfe abroad in the ministry of his word and in the lives of his servants they have all their original in him and from his heavenly dew Of our selves without him as we are altogether stinking and unclean Psal. 14 3. Prov. 13.5 so we defile every holy thing which we meddle with Hag. 2 13 14. Prov. 28.9 Esay 1.11.15 insomuch that God is said as it were to stop his nose that he may not smell them Amos 5.21 they are all of them as they come from us gall and wormwood and bitter clusters Deut. 29.18.32 32. But when the spirit of Christ bloweth upon us and his grace is poured into our hearts and lips then the spices flow out Cant. 4.16 Then prayer goes up like incense and sweet odours Revel 5.8 then instead of corrupt rotten contagious communication our discourses tend to edifying and minister grace to the hearers Eph. 4.29 then the Savour of the knowledge of Christ manifested it selfe in the mouthes and lives of his servants in every place where they come 2 Cor. 12.4 6. The shadow and refreshment the refuge and shelter of the Church against storme and tempest against raine and heat against all trouble and persecution is from him alone He is the onely defence and covering that is over the Assemblies and glory of Sion Esay 4.5 The name of the Lord is a strong Tower unto which the righteous flye and are safe Prov. 18.10 So the Lord promiseth when his people should be exiles from his Temple and scattered out of their own land that hee would himselfe bee a little Sanctuary unto them in the Countreys where they should come Ezek. 11.16 He is a dwelling place unto his Church in all conditions Psal. 90.1.91.1 2 a strength to the needy a refuge from the storme a shaddow from the heat an hiding place from the winde a covert from the Tempest a Chamber wherein to retire when indignation is kindled Esay 25.4.26.20.32.2 Every History of Gods power every Promise of his love every Observation and experience of his providence every comfort in his word the knowledge which we have of his name by faith and the knowledge which we have of it by experience are so many arguments to trust in him and so many hiding places to flie unto him against any trouble VVhat time I am affraid I will trust in thee Psa. 56.3 VVhy art thou cast down O my soule still trust in God Psal. 42.5 11. He hath delivered he doth deliver he will deliver 2 Cor. 1.10 Many times the children of God are reduced to such extremities that they have nothing to encourage themselves withall but their interest in him nothing to flye unto for hope but his Great name made known unto them by faith in his promises and by experience of his goodnesse power and providence This was Davids case at Ziklag 1 Sam. 30.6 and Israels at the red Sea Exod. 14.10 13. and Ionahs in the belly of the fish Ion. 2.4 7. and Pauls in the shipwrack Acts 27.20 25. God is never so much glorified by the faith of his servants as when they can hold up their trust in him against sight and sence and when reason saith thou art undone for all help sailes thee can answer in faith I am not undone for he said I will never faile thee nor forsake thee 7. The power which the Church hath to rise up above her pressures to outgrow her troubles to revive after lopping and harrowing to make use of affliction as a meanes to flourish againe all this is from him That in trouble we are not overwhelmed but can say with the Apostle As dying and behold we live as chastened and not killed as sorrowfull yet alwayes rejoycing as poore yet making many rich as having nothing and yet possessing all things like the corne wich dies and is quickned againe like the vine that is lopped and spreads againe all this is from him who is the Resurrection and the life Ioh. 11.25 who was that grain of wheat which dying and being cast into the ground did bring forth much fruit Ioh. 12.24 the branch which grew out of the rootes of Iesse when that goodly family was sunk so low as from David the King unto Ioseph the Carpenter Lastly as God is the Author of all these blessings unto his people so when he bestowes them he doth it in perfection the fruits which this dew produceth are the fruits of Lebanon the choycest and most excellent of any another If hee plant a Vineyard it shall be in a very fruitfull hill and with the choycest plants Esay 5.1 2. a noble Vine a right seed Ier. 2.21 When in any kinde of straights wee haue recourse to the Creature for supply either wee find it like our Saviours figg-tree without fruit or like our Prophets vine
they be not quenched 2 Tim. 1.6 So to rejoyce in the Lord as withall to work out our salvation with fear and trâ—mbling Psal 2.11 Phil. 2.12 13. never to let the grace of God puffe us up or make us forgetfull of our own weaknesse but as the Apostle sâ—ith of himself in regard of Gods grace When I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12.10 so to say of our selves in regard of our own naturall corruption when I am strong then I am weak Secondly This must not so humble us as to deject and dismay us or make us give over the hope of holding out to the end when our nature is so weak our enemies so strong our temptations so many but we must withall be quickned by these considerations with prayer to implore and with faith to rely on and draw strength from the word and grace of God to have alwayes the window of the soule open towards the Sunne of righteousnesse whereby the supplies of his grace to prevent exciâ—e assist follow establish us and carry on every good thing which he hath begun for us may be continually admitted This is one of the most necessary duties for a Christian to hold constant and fixed purposes in godlinesse the Scripture frequently calls upon us for them that with purpose of heart wee would cleave unto God Act. 11.23 That we would continue in the grace of God Act. 13.43 that we would bee rooted and grounded in love Ephes. 3.17 that we would hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering Hebr. 10.23 thâ—t we would be stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 that we would look to our selves that wee may not lose the things which wee have wrought 2 Ioh. ver 8. that we would hold fast and keep the works of Christ unto the end Revel 2.25 26. and it is that which godly men are most earnestly solicitous about and do strive unto with greatest importunity I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgresse Psal. 17.3 Vnite my heart to feare thy name Psal. 86.11 My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Psal. â—7 7 Therefore in this case it is necessarie for us to draw nigh unto God who onely can ratifie all our pious resolutions who giveth power to the faint and to them that have no power encreaseth strength Isa. 40.29 who onely câ—n settle and stablish the â—earts of men 1 Pet. 5.10 The conscience of our duty the sense of our frailtie the power malice and cunning of our Enemies the obligation of our Covenant should direct the souâ—e perpetually unto God for the supply of his grace that that may in all our weaknesses be sufficient for us and hold us up that we may be safe as the Psalmist speaks Psal. 119.117 and may never through infirmitie or unstablenesse of spirit violate our own resolutions Thirdly This is matter of great comfort unto the godly that in the midst of so many temptations snares impediments amongst which we walk not onely the sâ—fetie of our souls and securitie of our eternall salvation but even our present condition in this life our conversion our obedience all our pious purposes of heart all the progresse we make in an holy conversation do not depend upon the weaknesse and uncertainty of an humane will but upon the infallible truth the constant pâ—omise the immutable purpose the invincible power the free love the absâ—lute grate the omnipotent wisdome and working of God who doth whatsoever he pleaseth both in heaven and earth and worketh all things by the counsell of his own will I the Lord change not therefore you sonnes of Jacob are not consumed Mal. 3.6 We poore and weak men change with every winde strong to day and weak to morrow fixed and resolute to day shâ—ken and staggering to morrow running forward to day and revolting as fast to morrow no hold to be taken of our promises no trust to bee given to our Covenants Like Peter on the water we walk one step and we sink another All our comfort is this our strength and standing is not founded in our selves but in the rock whereon we are built and in the power of God by which we are kept through faith unto salvation out of whose hands none are able to pluck us our verie actions are wrought in us and carried on unto their end by the power of Christ who hath mercy wisedome and strength enough to rescue us as from the power of hell and death so from the danger of our own fickle and froward hearts To see a man when hee is halfe a mile from his enemie draw a sword to encounter him or take up a stone to hit him would be but a ridiculous spectacle for what could he do with such weapons by his own strength at such a distance But if he mount a canon and point that levell against the enemie this we do not wonder at though the distance be so great because though the action be originally his yet the effect of it proceedeth from the force of the materials and instruments which he useth to wit the powder the bullet the fire the canon It seemed absurd in the eye of the enemy for little David with a Shepheards bagge and a sling to go against Goliah an armed Gyant and it produced in his proud heart much disdaine and insultation 1 Sam. 17.41 42 43. But when we heare David mention the name of God in the strength and confidence whereof he came against so proud an enemy this makes us conclude weake David strong enough to encounter with great Goliah It is not our own strength but the love of God which is the foundation of our triumph over all enemies Rom. 8.38 39. But some will then say then we may be secure If Gods grace and power be our alone strength then let us commit our selves and our salvation unto him and in the meane time give over all thoughts and care of it our selves and live as wee list no act of ours can frustrate the counsell or the love of God To this we answer with the Apostle God forbid Though the enemies of Free Grace do thus argue yet they who indeed have the grace of God in their hearts have better learned Christ For it is against the formall nature of the grace and Spirit of Christ to suffer those in whom it dwelleth to give over themselves unto securitie and neglect of God for grace is a vitall and active principle and doth so work in us as that it doth withall dispose and direct us unto working to The propertie of grace is to fight against and to kill sinne as being most extremely contrary unto it and therefore it is a most irrationall wâ—y of arguing to argue from the being of grace to the life of sinne How shall wee that are dead to sinne live any longer therein Rom. 6.2 If we be dead to sinne this is argument
belong principally to the Ministers of the Word yet God hath given unto all Belevers a Iudgement of discretion to try the spirits and to search the Scriptures whether the things which they heare be so or no 1 Ioh. 4.1 Act. 17.11 1 Thess. 5.21 for no man is to pinne his own soule and salvation by a blinde obedience upon the words of a man who may mislead him nay not upon the words of an Angel if it were possible for an Angel to deceive Gal. 1.8 1 Kings 13.18 21. but onely and immediately upon the Scripture except when the blind lead the blind the leader only should fall into the ditch and the other goe to heaven for his blind obedience in following his guides towards hell whereas our Saviour tels us both shall fall though but one be the leader Matth. 15.14 Matth. 23.15 Secondly Having proved all things to hold fast that which is good with all readinesse to receive the righteous ways of God and submit unto them how meane soever the Instrument be in our eyes how contrary soever his message be to our wills and lusts When God doth manifest his Spirit and Word in the mouths of his Ministers we are not to consider the vessell but the Treasure and to receive it as from Christ who to the end of the world in the dispensation of his Ordinances speaketh from heaven unto the Church 1 Thess. 2.13 â— Cor. 5.20 Heb. 12.25 Matth. 28.20 Fourthly In that it is said That the Iust wâ—ll walk in them we may observe Two things 1. That Obedience and walking in the right wayes of the Lord is the end of the ministry That the Saints might be perfected that the body of Christ might bee edified that men might grow up into Christ in all things Eph. 4.11.15 that their eyes might be opened and they turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26.16 17 18. The Prophet concludeth that he hath laboured in vaine if Israel be not gathered Esay 49.4 5. Without this the Law is vaine the pen of the Scribe in vaine Ier. 8.8 better not know the way of Righteousnesse then having known it to turne from the holy Commandement which was delivered unto us 2. Pet. 2.21 We should esteeme it a great misery to be without Preaching without Ordinances and so indeed it is of all famine that of the Word of the Lord is the most dreadfull better be with Gods presence in a wildernesse then in Canaan without him Exod. 33.15 better bread of affliction and water of affliction then a famine of hearing the word to have our teachers removed Amos 8.11 Esay 30.20 this is mischiefe upon mischiefe when the Law perisheth from the Priest and there is no Vision Ezek. 7.26 and yet it is much better bee in this case without a Teaching Priest and without the Law then to enjoy them and not to walk answerably unto them where the Word is not a savour of life it is a savour of death unto death exceedingly multiplying the damnation of those that doe despise it 2 Cor. 2.15 Matt. 11.22 24. First it doth ripen those sinnes that it findes making them much more sinfull then in other men because committed against greater light and more mercy One and the same sinne in an Heathen is not so hainous and hatefull as in a Christian. Those trees on which the Sun constantly shines have their fruit grow riper and greater then those which grow in a shady and cold place The raine will hasten the growth as weell of weeds as of corne and make them ranker then in a dry and barren ground Ioh. 9.41 Ioh. 15.22.24 Secondly it doth superadde many more and greater for the greatest sinnes of all are those which are commited against light and grace Sinnes against the Law and Prophets greater then those which are committed against the glimmerings of nature Ezek. 2.5.3.6 7. and sinnes against Christ and the Gospel greater then those against the Law Heb. 2.2.10.28 29. Such are unbeliefe Impenitency Apostacy despising of salvation preferring death and sinne before Christ and mercy judging our selves unworthy of eternall life c. Thirdly it doth by these meanes both hasten and multiply judgments The sinnes of the Church are much sooner ripe for the fickle then the sinnes of Amorites they are neare unto cursing Heb. 6.8 Summer fruits sooner shaken off then others Amos. 8.1 Ier. 1.11 12. Christ comes quickly to remove his Candlestick from the abusers of it Rev. 2.5 The Word is a rich mercy in it selfe but nothing makes it effectually and in the event a mercy unto us but our walking in it 2. We learne from hence That we never make the Scriptures our Rule to live and walke according unto them till we be first justified and made righteous Our obedience to the Rule of the Law written in the Scriptures proceedeth from those suteable impressions of holinesse wrought in the soule by the Spirit of Regeneration which is called the writing of the Law in our hearts Ier. 31.33 2 Cor. 3.3 or the casting of the soule into the mould of the Word as the phrase of the Apostle seemeth to import Rom. 6.7 we are never fit to receive Gods Truth in the love and obedience of it till we repent and be renewed If God saith the Apostle will give repentance for the acknowledging of the truth 2 Tim. 25. The wise in heart that is those that are truly godly for none but such are the Scriptures wise men these will receive Commandements but a prating foole will fall Prov. 10.8 where by prating I understand cavilling contradicting taking exceptions making objections against the Commandement and so falling and stumbling at it according to that of the Apostle Iam. 1.19 20 21. Let every man bee swift to heare that is ready to learn the will of God and to receive the Commandement but slow to speak slow to wrath that is carefull that he suffer no pride and passion to rise up and speak against the things which are taught according as Iob sayes Teach me and I will hold my peace Iob 6.24 for the only reason why men fret and swell and speak against the truth of God is this because they will not work righteousnesse The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God therefore men are contentious because they love not to obey the truth Rom. 2.8 disobedience is the mother of gainsaying Rom. 10.21 when we once resolve to lay apart all filthinesse then wee will receive the Word with meeknesse and not before none heare Gods Words but they who are of God Ioh. 8.47 none hear the voyce of Christ but the sheep of Christ Ioh. 10.4 5. Christ preached is the power of God and the wisedome of God but it is onely to them that are called to others a stumbling block and foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.24 We speak wisedome saith the Apostle but it is amongst them that are perfect 1 Cor. 2.6 He that is