secret hypocrisie whoredome prophannesse and with shame in thy face come before this God for pardon and mercy Admire and wonder at his patience that having seene thee hath not damned thee 8. Hee is a True God whereby he meanes to doe as he saith Let every Child of God therefore know to his comfort that those things which hee hath not under feelings but under a promise shall one day be all made good and let all wicked men know what ever threatning God hath denounced whatsoever Arrowes are in the bow-string will one day fly and hit and strike deepe and the longer the Lord is a drawing the deeper wound will Gods arrow that is Gods threatning make 9. Hee is an holy God Be not ashamed therefore of holinesse which if it ascend above the common straine of honesty the blind and mad world accounts it madnesse If the righteous that is those that bee most holy bee scarcely saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare 1 Peter 4. 18. Where Not before Saints and Angels for holinesse is their trade Not before the face of the man Christ Iesus for holinesse was his meate and drinke Not before the face of a blessed God for holinesse is his Nature Not in Heaven for no uncleane thing crawles there they shall never see God Christ Saints Angels or Heaven to their comfort that are not holy weare therefore that as thy crowne now which will be thy glory in Heaven and if this bee to be vile be more vile 10. He is a just and mercifull God just in himselfe and so will punish all sinne mercifull in the face of Christ and so will punish no sinne A just GOD against an hard-hearted sinner a mercifull God towards an humble sinner God is not all Mercy and no Justice nor all Justice and no Mercy Submit to him his mercy embraceth thee Resist him his justice pursues thee When a Child of God is humbled indeed commonly hee makes God a hard-hearted cruell God loth to helpe and saith can such a sinner bee pardoned a wicked man that was never humbled makes God a God of clouts one that howsoever he speaks heavie words yet he is a mercifull God and will not doe as he saith and hee findes it no difficult worke to beleeve the greatest sinne may be pardoned conceive therefore of him as you have heard Thirdly God is glorious in his Persons which are three Father begetting Sonne begotten and the Holy Ghost the third person proceeding Here the Father is called the Father of glory Eph. 1. Christ is called the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2. and the Spirit is called the Spirit of glory 1 Pet. 4. the Father is glorious in his great work of Election the Son is glorious in his worke of Redemption the Holy Ghost is glorious in his work of Application the Father is glorious in choosing the house the Son is glorious in buying the House the Spirit is glorious in dwelling in the House that is the heart of a poore lost sinner 4. He is glorious in his Works in his works of Creation and in his workes of providence and government wonder therefore that he should so vouchsafe to looke upon such wormes such dunghils such Lepers as we are to provide protect to slay his Sonne to call to strive to waite to give away himselfe and all that he is worth unto us O feare this God when you come before him People come before God in Prayer as before their fellowes or as before an Idoll People tremble not at his voyce in the Word A King or Monarch will bee served in state yet how rudely how slovenly do men goe about every holy duty Thus much of the first Principall Head that there is One most glorious God Now we are to proceede to the second viz. CHAP. II. THat this God made all mankind at first in a most glorious and happy estate like unto himselfe For the opening of which Assertion I have chosen this Text Eccles. 7. 29. God made man righteous which clearely demonstrates That GOD made all mankind at first in Adam in a most glorious happy and righteous estate Man when he came first out of Gods mint shined most glorious There 's a marvellous glory in all Creatures the servants and houshold stuffe of man therfore there was a greater glory in man himselfe the end of them God calleth a Parliament and gathers a Councell when man was to bee made and said Come let us make man in our owne Image as though all the Wisedome of the Trinity should be seene in the creation of man Wherein did the glory or blessednesse of man appeare In the impression of Gods Image upon him Gen. 1. 26. Can there be any greater glory for a Ioseph for a subject than to be like his Prince What was the Image of God The Schoolmen and Fathers have many curious yet some necessary though difficult questions about this I will omit all theirs and tell you only what is the APOSTLES judgement Colossians 3. 20. out of which this generall description of GOD s Image may bee thus gathered It is mans perfection of Holinesse resembling GODs admirable holinesse whereby onely man plâ—aseth God For all other inferiour Creatures did carry the workes and footsteps of GODs power wisedome goodnesse whereby all these Attributes were seene Now the most perfect Attributes of God that is his Holinesse that hee would have onely appeare in and be made manifest by man his best inferior creature as a Kings wisedome and bounty appeares in managing the affaires of all his Kingdome but his Royal Princely and most eminent perfections appeare in the face and disposition of his Sonne next under him But more particularly this Image of GOD appeared in these foure particulars 1. In mans understanding this was like unto Gods Now Gods Image here chiefly consisted in this particular viz. As God saw himselfe and beheld his owne infinite endlesse glory and excellency so man was privie to Gods excellency and saw God most gloriously as Moses though a sinfull man saw him face to face much more Adam a perfect man God loving man could doe no lesse than reveale himselfe to man 2. In his Affections the image of God chiefly appeared in two things First As God seeing himselfe loved himselfe So Adam seeing God loved this God more than the World more than himselfe as Iron put into the fire seemes to bee nothing but fire So Adam being beloved of God was turned into a lumpe of love to love GOD againe Secondly As God delighted in himselfe So did Adam delight in God tooke sweete repose in the boâ—ome of GOD. Mee thinkes I see Adam wrapt up in continuall extasies in having this God 3. In his Will the Image of God chiefely appeared in two things First As GOD onely willed Himselfe as his last end So did Adam will GOD as his last end not as man doth now Secondly As God willed nothing but
hell fire Oh Lord that 's a torment I cannot beare but if it must be so Lord let me come out againe quickly No depart thou cursed into everlasting fire Oh Lord if this be thy pleasure that here I must abide let mee have good company with me No Depart thou cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels This shall be thy sentence The hearing of which may make the rocks to rent so that goe on in thy sinne and prosper despise and scoffe at Gods Ministers and prosper abhorre the power and practise of Religion as a too precise course and prosper yet known there will a day come when thou shalt meet with a dreadfull Iudge a dolefull sentence Now is thy day of sinning but God will have shortly his day of condemning When the Iudgement day is done then the fearefull wrath of God shall be poured out and piled upon their bodies and soules and the breath of the Lord like a streame of brimstone shall kindle it and here thou shalt lye burning and none shall ever quench it This is the execution of a sinner after judgement Revel 21. 8. Now this wrath of God consists in these things 1. Thy soule shall be banished from the face and blessed sweet presence of God and Christ and thou shalt never see the face of God more It is said Acts 20. that they wept sore because they should see Pauls face no more Oh thou shalt never see the face of God Christ Saints and Angels more O heavie doome to famish and pine away for ever without one bit of bread to comfort thee one smile of God to refresh thee Men that have their sores running upon them must be shut up from the presence of men sound and whole Oh thy sinnes like plague-sores runne on thee therefore thou must be shut out like a dogge from the presence of God and all his people 2. Thes. 1. 9. 2. God shall set himselfe like a consuming infinite fire against thee and tread thee under his feet who hast by sinne trod him and his glory under foot all thy life A man may devise exquisite torments for another and great power may make a little sticke to lay on heavie strokes but great power stirred up to strike from great fury and wrath makes the stroke deadly I tell thee all the wisedome of God shall then be set against thee to devise torments for thee Mich. 1. 3. there was never such wrath felt or conceived as the Lord hath devised against thee that livest and dyest in thy naturall estate Hence it is called wrath to come 1 Thes. 1. ult The torment which wisedome shall devise the almighty power of God shall inflict upon thee so as there was never such power seene in making the world as in holding a poore creature under the wrath that holds up the soule in being with one hand and beats it with the other ever burning like fire against a creature and yet that creature never burnt up Rom. 9. 22. Thinke not this cruelty it 's justice what cares God for a vile wretch whom nothing can make good while it lives If wee have been long in hewing a block and we can make no meet vessell of it put it to no good use for our selves wee cast it into the fire God heweth thee by Sermons sicknesse losses and crosses sudden death mercies and miseries yet nothing makes thee better what should God doe with thee but cast thee hence Oh consider of this wrath before you feele it I had rather have all the world burning about mine eares than to have one blasting frowne from the blessed face of an infinite and dreadfull God Thou canst not indure the torment of a little kitchin fire on the tip of thy finger not one halfe houre together how wilt thou beare the fury of this infinite endlesse consuming fire in body and soule throughout all eternity 3. The never-dying worme of a guilty conscience shall torment thee as if thou hadst swallowed downe a living poysonfull snake which shall lie gnawing and biting thine heart for sin past day night And this worm shall tormēt by shewing the cause of thy misery that is that thou didst never care for him that should have saved thee By shewing thee also thy sins against the Law by shewing thee thy sloth whereby thy happinesse is lost Then shall thy conscience gnaw to thinke so many nights I went to bed without prayer and so many dayes and houres I spent in feasting and foolish sporting Oh if I had spent halfe that time now mis-spent in praying in mourning in meditation yonder in heaven had I beene By shewing thee also the means that thou once hadst to avoid this misery such a Minister I heard once that told me of my particular sinnes as if he had been told of me such a friend perswaded me once to turne over a new leafe I remember so many knocks God gave at this iron heart of mine so many mercies the Lord sent but oh no meanes could prevaile with me Lastly by shewing thee how easily thou mightest have avoided all these miseries Oh once I was almost perswaded to be a Christian but I suffered my heart to grow dead fell to loose company and so lost all The Lord Iesus came unto my doore and knocked and if I had done that for Christ which I did for the Devill many a time to open at his knocks I had beene saved A thousand such bites will this worme give at thine heart which shall make thee cry out O time time O sermons sermons O my hopes and my helpes are now lost that once I had to save my lost soule 4. Thou shalt take up thy lodging for ever with Devills and they shall be thy companions Him thou hast served here with him must thou dwell there It scares men out of their wits almost to see the Devill as they think when they be alone but what horrour shall fill thy soule when thou shalt be banished from Angels societie and come into the fellowship of Devills for ever 5. Thou shalt be filled with finall despaire If a man be grievously sicke it comforts him to thinke it will not last long But if the Physitian tell him he must live all his life time in this extremitie he thinkes the poorest begger in a better estate than himselfe Oh to thinke when thou hast been millions of yeares in thy sorrowes then thou art no neerer thy end of bearing thy misery then at the first comming in Oh I might once have had mercy and Christ but no hope now ever to have one glimpse of his face or one good looke from him any more 6. Thou shalt vomit out blaspemous oathes curses in the face of God the father for ever curse God that never elected thee and curse the Lord Iesus that never shed one drop of blood to redeeme thee and curse God the holy Ghost that passed by thee and never called thee
I will be a God of thee and of thy seed But here is a difference betweene a child of Gods application of them a wicked mans the first applieth them so to him as that he liveth upon them and nothing but them and to whom doth the dugge belong but to the childe that liveth upon it The other lives upon his lusts and creatures and yet catcheth hold on the promise By these foure meanes is begot a bastard false peace Thus much of the second cause of mans deceiving himselfe False peace in the Conscience Now followeth the third III. The corruptions and distempers of the Will which is the third cause why men deceive themselves Which are many I will onely name three First When the Will is resolved to goe on in a sinfull course and then sets the understanding a worke to defend it Whence it fareth with the soule as with a man that commeth to search for stollen goods who having received a bribe afore-hand searcheth every where but where it is and so the man is never found out to be what he is So a man having tasted the sweetnesse of a sinfull course which pleasure bribes him he is contented to search into every corner of his heart and to try himselfe as many doe except there where his daâ—ling lust lyes he sits upon that and covers it willingly from his owne eyes as Rachel did upon stolne gods and so never findes out himselfe 10. 3. 20. a man that hath a mind to sleepe quietly will cause the curtaines to be drawne and will let some light come in but shuts out all that or so much as may hinder him from sleeping So a man having a mind to sleepe in some particular sinfull course at his ease will search himselfe and let some light come into his minde And hence many prophane persons that know much their opinions are orthodox their discourse Savoury yet doe they know little of themselves and of those sinnes and lusts that haunt them which they must part with because this light troubleth them if hinders them from sleeping in their secure estate and therefore they draw the curtaine here Hence many men that live in those sinnes of the grossest usury finding the gaine and tasting the sweet of that sinne will reade all bookes goe to all those Ministers they suppose that hold it lawfull and so pick up and gather reason to defend the lawfulnesse of the sinne and so because they would not have it to be a sinne finde out reasons whereby they thinke it no sinne but the bottome is this their will hath got the bribe and now the understanding playes the lawyer and hence men live in the most crying sinnes and are sure to perish because they will not know they are in an errour Secondly when the will sets the understanding a worke to extenuate and lessen sinne for many when they see their sinne yet make it small by looking at the false end of their opticke glasse they thinke such small matters never make any breach betweene the Lord and their soules Hence they say the best man sinnes seven times a day and who can say my heart is cleane What is the reason that a child of God hath little peace many times after commission of small sinnes Oh! it is because they see the horrible nature of the least sinne small wrongs against so deare so great a friend as the Lord is it cuts their hearts yet a carnall heart is never troubled for great sinnes because they make a light matter of them Thirdly Wilfull ignorance of the horrible wrath of God Hence men rush on in sinne as the horse into the battell Hence men never feare their estates because they know not Gods wrath hanging over them Coldest Snakes when they are frozen with cold never sting nor hurt one may carry a neast of them in his bosome but bring them to the fire then they hisse and sting so sinne when it is brought neare Gods wrath that devouring fire it makes men cry out of themselves then I am undone oh I am a lost creature but being not thus heated sinne never makes a man cry out of himselfe These are the causes why men are ignorant of their wofull miserarable estate which Ignorance is the first Rocke or the first powder-plot that spoyles thousands Yet there are three more dangerous because more secret Now followeth the second reson of mens ruine By reason of mans carnall securitie whereby men cannot be affected with nor so much as have hearts to desire to come out of their misery when they know it for if a mans minde understand his misery yet if the heart be hard or sleepy and not affected loaden wounded humbled and made to groane under it he will never greatly care to come out of it Isa. 29. 9 10. Now this is the estate of many a soule he doth know his misery but by reason of the sleepy secure senseles spirit of slumber he never feeles it nor mournes under it and so comes out of it Now the Reasons of this security are these Because God powres not out the full measure of his wrath upon men because hee kindles not the pile of wrath that lyes upon men it s reserved and concealed not revealed from heaven and so long let God frowne Ministers threaten and smaller Judgements drop yet they will never seeke shelter in Jesus Christ but sleepe in their sinnes untill God raine downe flouds of horrour bloud fire untill Gods arrowes sticke in mens hearts they will never seeke out of themselves unto Jesus Christ Eccle. 8. 11. so long as Gods plagues were upon Pharaâ—h he giveth faire words and Moses must be sent to pray for him but when Gods hand is taken away now Pharaohs heart is hardened So long as Gods sword is in his scabberd men have such stout hearts that they will never yeeld God must wound and cut deep and stab and thrust to the very heart else men will never yeeld never awaken till Gods fists be about mens eares and he is dragging them to the stake men will never awake and cry for a pardon and deliverance of their woefull estate Secondly because if they doe in part feele and so feare Gods wrath they put away the evill day farre from them they hope they shall doe better hereafter and repent some other time and therefore they say soule eate drinke follow thy sports cups queanes thou hast a treasure of time which shall not be spent in many yeares Isay 22. 12 13. that looke as it is with the waxe let it be of never so pliable a disposition and the fire never so hot yet if it be not brought neare the fire and be held in the fire it never mâ—lts but still remaines hard so it is here Let a man or woman have never so gentle or pliable a nature and let Gods wrath be never so hot and dreadfull in their Judgements yet if they make not the day of
his glory If men did see him they would speak of him who speakes of God Nay men cannot speake to God but as beggers have learned to cant so many a man to pray Oh men see not God in prayer therefore they cannot speake to God by prayer Men sin and God frownes which makes the devils to quake yet mens hearts shake not because they see him not Vse 3. Oh make choice of this God as thy God What though there bee a God if it be not thy God what art thou the better Downe with all thy Idoll gods and set up this God If there be any creature that ever did thee any good that God fet not a work for thy good love that think on that as thy God If there be any thing that can give thee any succour on thy death-bed or when thou art departed from this world take that to be thy God Thou mightest have beene borne in Iâ—dea and never have heard of this true Goâ— but worshipped the Devill for thy God O therefore make choyce of him alone to be thy God give away thy selfe wholly and for ever to him and he will give away his whole selfe everlastingly unto thee Seeke him weeping and thou shalt find him Binde thy selfe by the Strongest oathes and bonds in covenant to be his and hee will enter into covenant with thee and so be thine Ier. 40. 5. The fourth use is an use of comfort to them that forsake all for this God thou hast not lost all for nought thou hast not cast away substance for shadowes but shadowes for somewhat Proverbs 8. 18. When all comfort is gone there is a GOD to comfort thee When thou hast no rest here there is a God to rest in when thou art dead hee can quicken thee when thou art weak he is strong and when friends are gone he will bee a sure one to thee Thus much of the first part of this Doctrine or Divine truth that there is a God Now it followeth to shew you that this God is a most glorious God and that in foure things hee is glorious 1. In his ESSENCE 2. In his ATTRIEUTES 3. In his PERSONS 4. In his WORKES 1. Hee is Glorious in his Essence Now what this Glory is no man or Angell hath doth or ever shall know their cockle-shell can never comprehend this sea he must have the wisedome of God and so bee a God that comprehendeth the Essence of God but though it cannot be comprehenâ—ed what it is yet it may be apprehended that it is incomprehensible and glorious which makes his glory to be the more admired as wee admire the lustre of the Sunne the more in that is is so great we cannot behold it 2. God is Glorious in his Attributes which are those Divine perfections wherby he makes himselfe knowne unto us Which Attributes are not qualities in God but natures Gods Wisedome is GOD Himselfe and GODs Power is GOD Himselfe c. Neither are they diverse things in God but they are divers onely in regard of our understanding and in regard of their different effects on different objects GOD punishing the wicked is the justice of GOD God compassionating the miserable is the mercy of God Now the Attributes of God omitting curious divisions are these 1. He is a Spirit or a spirituall God Iohn 4. 24. therefore abhorres all worship and all duties performed without the influence of the spirit as to confesse thy sins without shame or sorrow and to say the Lords Prayer without understanding to heare the word that thou mayest onely know more and not that thou mayest bee affected more oh these carkasses of holy duties are most odious sacrifices before God 2. He is a living God whereby he liveth of himselfe and gives life to all other things Away then with thy dead heart to this principle of life to quicken thee that his Almighty power may pluck thee out of thy Sepulchre unloose thy grave-lockes that so thou mayest live 3. Hee is an infinite God whereby he is without limits of being 2 Chron. 6. 18. Horrible then is the least sinne that strikes an infinite great God and lamentable is the estate of all those with whom this God is angry thou hast infinite goodnesse to forsake thee and infinite power and wrath to set against thee 4. Hee is an Eternall God without beginning or end of being Psal. 80. 1. Great therefore is the folly of those men that preferre a little short pleasure before this eternall God that like Esau sell away an everlasting inheritance for a little pottage for a base lust and the pleasure of it 5. He is an all-sufficient God Genesis 17. 1. what lacke you therefore you that would faine have this GOD and the love of this God but you are loath to take the paines to finde him or to bee at cost to purchase him with the losse of all Heerâ—s infinite Eternall present sweetnesse goodnesse grace glory and mercy to bee found in this GOD. Why post you from mountaine to hill why spend you your money your thoughts time endeavours on things that satisfie not Here is thy resting place Thy cloathes may warme thee but they cannot feede thee thy meate may feede thee but cannot heale thee thy Physicke may heale thee but cannot maintaine thee thy money may maintaine thee but cannot comfort thee when distresses of Conscience and anguish of heart come upon thee this GOD is joy in sadnesse light in darknesse life in death Heaven in Hell Here is all thine eye ever saw thine heart ever desired thy tongue ever asked thy minde ever conceived Here is all light in this Sunne and all Water in this Sea out of whom as out of a Christall fountaine thou shalt drinke downe all the refined sweetnesse of all Creatures in heaven and earth for ever and ever All the world is now seeking and tyring out themselves for rest here only it can be found 6. He is an omnipotent God whereby he can doe what ever he will yeeld therefore and stand not out in the sinfull or subtile close maintenance of any one sinne against this God so powerfull who can crush thee at his pleasure 7. Hee is an all-seeing God Hee knowes what possibly can bee or may bee knowne approve thy selfe therefore to this God only in all thy wayes It 's no matter what men say censure or thinke of thee It 's no matter what thy fellow Actors on this stage of the world imagine GOD is the great Spectator that beholds thee in every place God is thy spye and takes compleate notice of all the actions of thy life and they are in print in heaven which that great spectator and Judge will open at the great day and â—â—â—de alowed in the eares of all the World Feare to sinne therefore in secret unlesse thou canst find out some darke hole where the eye of God cannot discerne thee Mourne for thy secret neglect of holy duties mourn for thy
good So did Adam will nothing but good for Gods Will was his 4. In his life Gods Image did appeare thus that even as God if he had assumed mans Nature would have lived outwardly So did Adam for God would have lived according to his owne Will Law and Rule So did Adam Adams body was the Lanthorne through which Holinesse like a lampe burning in his heart shined this was Gods Image by means of which as it is said in the description hee plesed GOD similitude being the ground of love and hence God did most dearely love him and highly honour him to be Lord over all creatures hence no evill could hurt him here was no sorrow no sicknesse no teares no feares no death no hell nor ever should have beene if there hee had stood Objection How was this estate ours Answ. As Christs righteousnesse is a Beleevers by imputation though hee never performed it himselfe So Adams righteousnesse and image was imputed to us and accounted ours for Adam received our Stocke or Patrimony to keepe it for us and to convey it to us Hence hee proving Banquerupt wee lost it But we had it in his hands as an Orphant may have a great estate left him though he never receive one pennie of it from him that was his Guardian that should have kept it for him and conveyed it to him Here see the horrible nature of Sin that pluckes man downe by the eares from his Throne from his Perfection though never so great Adam might have pleaded for himselfe and have said Although I have sinned yet it is but one and the first fault Lord behold I am thy first borne Oh pitie my poore posterity who are for ever undone if thou forgivest not Yet see one sinne weighs him downe and all his posterity as wee shall heare into eternall ruine Hence learne how justly God may require perfect Obedience to all the Law of every man and curse him if he cannot performe it because man was at first made in such a glorious estate wherein hee had power given him to please God perfectly God may therfore require this debt of perfect obedience Now man is broke and in prison in Hell must he lie for ever if hee cannot pay justice every farthing because God trusted him with a stocke which if hee had well improved hee might have payd all See what cause every man hath to lament his miserable estate hee is now fallen into For beggars children to live Vagrants and poore is not so lamentable as for a great Princes children to become such One never in favour with the Prince grieves not as hee doth that was once in favour but now cast out Man is now rejected of God that was beloved of God he is now a runagate up and down the earth that was once a Prince and Lord of all the world This is one aggravation of the damneds sorrowes oh the hopes the meanes the mercies that once I had Can these doe these lament for the losse of their bare hopes and common mercies Lord what hearts then have men that cannot doe not that will not lament the losse of such speciall high favours now gone which once they had It is said that those that saw the glory of the first Temple wept when they saw the glory of the second and how inferior it was to the first You that either have the Temple of GOD begunne to bee repaired in you or not begun at all Oh thinke of the Temple burnt the glory of GOD now vanished and lost This speakes comfort to all Gods people If all Adams posterity were perfectly righteous in him then thou that art of the bloud Royall and in Christ art perfectly righteous in him much more in as much as the righteousnesse of the second Adam exceeds the first so art thou more happy more holy in the second Adam than ever the first in himselfe was he might lose all his Righteousnesse but the second Adam cannot hath not so that if Christ may be damned then thou mayest else not This likewise reproveth three sorts of people I. Such as are ashamed of holinesse LORD what times are wee fallen into now The Image of GOD which was once mens glory is now their shame and sinne which is mens shame is now their glory The world hath raised up many false reports of holy courses calling it folly and precisenesse pride hypocrisie and that whatsoever shews men may make they are as bad as the worst if their sinnes were writ in their foreheads Hence it commeth to passe that many a man who is almost perswaded to bee a new man and to turn over a new lease dares not will not for shame of the world enter upon religious courses What will they think of me then saith he men are ashamed to refuse to drinke healths hence maintain them lawful Our gallants are asham'd to stay a mile behind the fashion hence they will defend open and naked breasts and strang apparell as things comely O time-servers that have some conscience to desire to be honest and to be reputed so yet conforme themselves to all companies if they heare others sweare they are ashamed to reprove them they are ashamed to enter the lists of holy discourse in bad company and they will pretend discretion and wee must not cast pearles before swine but the bottome of the businesse is they are ashamed to bee holy O fearefull Is it a shame to bee like God O sinnefull wretâ—hes It 's a credit to be any thing but Religious and with many Religion is a shame I wonder with what face thou darest pray or with what looke thou wilt behold the Lord of glory at the last day who art ashamed of him now that will be admired of all men Angels and devils then Dost thou looke for wages from Christ that art ashamed to own Christ or to weare his livery 2. It reproves them that hate holinesse which is more than to bee ashamed of it 3. It reproves them that content themselves with a certaine measure of holinesse Perfect holinesse was ADAMS Image whereby he pleased God and shall a little holinesse content thee Now there are these three sorts of them 1. The Formalist who contents himselfe with some holinesse as much as will credit him The forme and name of Religion is honos honour sometimes but the power and practice of it is onus a burden hence men take up the first and shake off the second And indeed the greatest part take up this course if they have no goodnesse they should bee the shame scorne and table-talke of the times therefore every man will for his honours sake have his forme Now this forme is according to the mould wherein hee is cast if his acquaintance bee but civill hee will be like them if they be more exact as to pray reade conferre he will not stay one inch behinde them If to bee better than his companions to beare
the bell before them will credit him hee will be so what ever it cost him but yet he never will be so exact in his course as to bee hated for it unlesse hee perceives the hatred hee contracts from some men shall be recompenced with the more love and credit by other men He disguiseth himselfe according to the places or company hee comes into King Ioash was a good man so long as Iehoiada the Priest lived If a little Religion will serve to credit men that shall serve for that time if more in another place you shal then have them commending good men good sermons good bookes and drop forth 2. or 3. good sentences what will they think of him then They cover themselves over with these Fig-leaves of common honesty to cover their nakednesse they baite all their courses over with honesty that they may catch for they fish only for credit One may trap these people thus Follow them in their private houses there is worldlinesse passion loosenes and to their private chambers there they ordinarily neglect or shuffle over duties to their private vaine thoughts In this Tyring house you shall then see these stage players their shop-windowes are shut here no honesty is to be seene scarce because their gaine their respect comes not in at this door where none beholds them Let either Minister or any faithfull friend search try discover accuse and condemne these men as rotten though gilded posts as unsound hollow-hearted wretches their hearts will swell like toads and hisse like snakes and bark like dogs against theÌ„ that thus censure them because they rob them of their God they served their gaine is gone 2. The guilty selfe condemned sinner that goes further than the Formalist and contents himselfe with so much holinesse as will quit him and hence all the Heathen have had some Religion because they had some Conscience to trouble themâ— This man if he hath lived in foule sinnes and beginnes to be wrackt and troubled for them he will then confesse and forsake those roaring sinnes but how as a dogge doth his meate not because he hates his carrion but because he feares the cudgell he performes holy duties not because he will use them but because hee must use them there is no quiet else If Conscience be still he omits duties if Conscience cry and stirre he falls to duties and so hath his good moode as conscience hath his sits They boast and crow over hypocrites because the holinesse they have is not a bare shew No but it is to stop thy conscience and only to quiet the clamors of that Thou dost bribe and so quiet the Bailiffe thy conscience by thy praying hearing and sorrowing but GOD thy Judge hath heavie things to lay to thy charge before whom thou shalt shortly with dread appeare 3. The pinching devont hypocrite that being pursued with the feare of Hell goes further and labours for just so much holinesse as will save him onely and carry him to heaven at last Hence the young man in the Gospell came with that great question to Christ which many unsound hearts come with to Ministers now what he should doe to inherit eternall life These people set up such a man in their thoughts to bee a very honest man and one doubtlesse that shall be saved and hence they will take him to bee their Copy and Sampler and labour to doe as he doth and to live just as hee lives and to hold opinions as he holds and so hope to be saved They will aske very inquisitively what is the least measure of grace and the least graine of faith and the best Sermons are not such as humble them most but such as slatter them best wherein they may heare how well good desires are accepted of by God which if they heare to be of that vertue to save them God shall bee served only with good desires and the Devill in deed all their life time Thus they pinch God they labour not after so much holinesse as will honour Christ but after just so much as will beare their charges to heaven and save themselves For this is one of the greatest differences betwixt a child of God and an Hypocrite In their obedience the one takes up duties out of love to Christ to have him and hence he mournes daily because Christ is no greater gainer by him the other o it of love to himselfe meerely to save his owne soule and hence he mournes for his sins because they may damne him Remember that place therefore 1 Cor. 15. ult Lastly labour to get this Image of GOD renâ—wed againe Honest men will labour to pay their debts this is Gods debt How doe men labour to be in the fashion better to bee out of the world then out of the fashion To be like God is heavens fashion Angels fashion and it will bee in fashion one day when the Lord Iesus shall appeare Then if thou hast the superscription and Image of the devill and not the Image of GOD upon thee GOD and Christ will never own thee at that day Labour therefore to have Gods image restored againe and Satans washt out seeke not as many do to purchase such and such a grace first but. 1. Labour to mortifie and subdue that sinne which is opposite in thine heart to that grace First put off the old man and then put on the new Eph. 4. 2. Labour for a melting tender heart for the least sin Gold is then only fit to receive the impression when it is tender and is melted when thine heart is heated therefore at a Sermon cry out Lord now strike now imprint thine Image upon me 3. Labour to see the Lord Iesus in his glory For as wicked men looking upon the evill example of great ones in the world that will beare them out grow like them in villany so the very beholding the glorious grace in Christ this great Lord of glory transformeth men into his Image 2 Cor. 3. 17 18. As the Glasse set full against the sunne receives not onely the beames as all other darke bodies doe but the image of the sunne So the understanding with open face beholding Christ is turned into the Image and likenesse of Christ. Men now adayes looke only to the best mens lives and see how they walk and rest here ô looke higher to this blessed face of God in Christ as thine owne As the application of the seale to the waxe imprints the Image so to view the grace of Christ as all thine imprints the same image strongly on the soule I come now to the third Principall Head in order which I shall insist upon out of Rom. 3. 23. All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God Whence observe CHAP. III. THat all mankind is fallen by sin from that glorious estate he was made in into a most wofull and miserable condition The Devill abusing the Serpent and man abusing his owne free-will overthrew Adam and in
Sermon shall ever doe them good hee robs them of all they get in Gods ordinances within three houres after the market the Sermon is ended 4. He is a strong enemy Luk. 11. 21. So that if all the devills in hell are able to keepe men from comming out of their sinnes he will so strong an enemy that he keepes men from so much as sighing or groaning under their burthens and bondage Luke 11. 21. When the strong man keepes the palace his goods are in peace Fiftly He is cast into utter darknesse as cruell Jaylors put their prisoners into the worst dungeons so Sathan doth naturall men 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. they see no God no Christ they see not the happinesse of the Saints in light they see not these dreadfull torments that should now in this day of grace awaken them and humble them Oh those by paths which thousands wander from God in they have no lamp to their feet to shew them where they erre Thou that art in thy naturall estate art borne blind and the Devill hath blinded thine eyes more by sin and God in justice hath blinded them worse for sinne so that thou art in a corner of hell because thou art in utter darknesse where thou hast not a glimpse of any saving Truth Sixtly They are bound hand and foote in this estate and cannot come out Rom. 5 6. 1 Cor. 2. 14. for all kind of sinnes like chaines have bound every part and faculty of man so that he is sure for stirring and those are very strong in him they being as deare as his members nay his life Col. 3. 7. so that when a man begins to forsake his vile courses and purposeth to become a new man Devils fetch him back world enticeth him and locketh him up and flesh saith oh it is too strict a course and then farewell merry dayes and good fellowship Oh thou mayest wish and desire to come out sometime but canst not put strength to thy desire nor indure to doe it Thou mayest hang downe thy head like a bulrush for sin but thou canst not repent of sinne thou mayst presume but thou canst not beleeve thou mayest come halfe way and forsake some sinnes not all sinnes thou mayest come and knocke at heaven gate as the foolish virgins did but not enter in and passe through the gate thou mayest see the land of Canaan and take much paines to goe into Canaan and thou mayst taste of the bunches of grapes of that good land but never enter into Canaan into heaven but thou lyest bound hand and foot in this woefull estate and here thou must lye rot like a dead carkasse in his grave untill the Lord come and rowle away the stone and bid thee come out and live Lastly They are ready every moment to drop into hell God is a consuming fire against thee and there is but one paper wall of thy body betweene thy soule and eternall flames How soone may God stop thy breath there is nothing but that betweene thee and hell if that were gone then farewell all Thou art condemned and the mufflter is before thine eyes God knowes how soone the ladder may be turned thou hangest but by one rotten◠twined thread of thy life over the flames of hell every houre Thus much of mans present miseries Now followeth his future miseries which are to come upon him hereafter They must die either by a suddaine sullen or desperate death Psal. 89. 48. which though it is to a childe of God a sweet sleepe yet to the wicked it is a fearefull curse proceeding from Gods wrath whence like a Lyon he teares body and soule asunder death commeth hissing upon them like a fiery Dragon with the sting of vengeance in the mouth of it it puts a period to all their worldly contentments which then they must forsake and carry nothing away with them but a rotten winding sheet It 's the beginning of all their woe it 's the captaine that first strikes the stroke and then armies of endlesse woes follow after Revel 6. 2. Oh thou hadst better be a toade or a dogge then a man for ther 's an end of their troubles when they are dead and gone they fall now as men from a sleepe they know not where they shall goe now Repentance is too late especially if thou hast lived under meanes before it 's either a cold Repentance when the body is weake and the heart sicke or an hypocriticall repentance onely for feare of Hell and therefore thou sayest Lord Jesus receive my soule Nay commonly then mens hearts are most hard and therefore men dye like Lambes and cry not out Then it 's hard plucking thy soule from the Devils hands to whom thou hast given it all thy life by sinne and if thou dost get it back dost thou thinke that God will take the devils leavings Now thy day is past and darknesse begins to over-spread thy soule now flocks of Devils come into thy chamber waiting for thy soul to flye upon it as a Mastive Dog when the doore is opened And this is the reason why most men dye quietly that lived wickedly because Satan then hath them as his own prey like Pirats that let a Ship passe by that is empty of goods they shout cōmonly at them that are richly loaden The Christians in some parts of the Primitive Church tooke the Sacrament every day because they did looke to die every day But these times where in we live are so poysoned and glutted with their ease that it is a rare thing to see the man that lookes death stedfastly in the face one houre together but Death will lay a bitter stroake on these one day II. After death they appeare before the Lord to judgement Heb. 9. 27. their bodies indeed rot in their graves but their soules returne before the Lord to judgement Eccles. 12. 7. The generall judgement is at the end of the world when both body and soule appeares before God and all the world to an account But there is a particular judgement that every man meets with after this life immediately at the end of his life where the soule is condemned onely before the Lord. You may perceive what this particular judgement is thus by these 4. conclusions 1. That every man should dye the first day he was borne is cleare for the wages of sinne is death in justice therefore it should be paid a sinfull creature as soone as he is borne 2. That it should be thus with wicked men but that Christ begs their lives for a season 1 Tim. 4. He is the Saviour of all men that is not a Saviour of eternall preservation out of hell but a Saviour of temporall reservation from dropping into Hell 3. That this space of time thus begged by Christ is that season wherein onely a man can make his peace with a displeased God 2 Cor. 6. 2. 4. That if men doe not thus within this cut of time when Death hath
Gods justice calls for it this world is the stage where Gods patience and bountie act their parts and hence every man wil professe and conceive because he feeles it that God is mercifull But Gods justice is questioned men thinke God to be all mercy and no justice all honey and no sting now the wicked prosper in all their waies are never punished but live and die in peace whereas the godly are daily afficted and reviled Therefore because this Attribute suffers a totall eclipse almost now there must come a day wherin it must shine out before all the world in the glory of it Rom. 2. 5. The second reason is from the glory of Christ he was accused arraigned condemned by men therefore he shall be the Iudge of men Iohn 5. 27. for this is an ordinary piece of Gods providence towards his people the same evill he casts them into now he exâ—lts them into the contrary good in his time As the Lord hath a purpose to make Ioseph Ruler over all Egypt but first he maketh him a slave God had a meaning to make Christ Iudge of men therefore first he suffers him to be judged of men Quest. But when shall this Iudgement day be Answ. Though we cannot tell the day and houre particularly yet this we are sure of that when all the Elect are called for whose sake the world stands Isa. 1. 9. when these pillars are taken away then woe to the world as when Lot was taken out of Sodome then Sodome was burnt Now it is not probable that this time will come as yet for first Antichrist must be consumed and not onely the scattered visible Jewes but the whole body of the Israelites must first be called and have a glorious Church here upon earth Ezech. 37. This glorious Church Scripture and reason will inforce which when it is called shall not be expired as soone as 't is borne but shall continue many a yeare Quest. But how shall this Iudgement be Answer The Apostle describes it 1 Thes. 4. 16 17. 1. Christ shall breake out of the third heaven and be seene in the aire before any dead arise and this shall be with an admirable shout as when a King commeth to triumph over his subjects and enemies 2. Then shall the voyce of the Archangell be heard now this Arch-angell is Iesus Christ himselfe as the Scripture expounds being in the Clouds of heaven hee shall with an audible Heaven-shaking shout say Rise you dead and come to Iudgement even as he called to Lazarus Lazarus arise 3. Then the Trump shall blow and even as at the giving of the Law Exod. 19. it 's said the trumpet sounded much more lowder shall it now sound when he comes to judge men that have broken the Law 4. Then shall the dead arise 1. The bodies of them that have dyed in the Lord shall rise first then the others that live shall like Enoch be translated and changed 1 Cor. 15. 5. When thus the Iudge and Iustices are upon their Bâ—nch at Christs right hand on their thronâ—s then shall the guilty prâ—soners be brought forth and come out of their graves like filthy toades against this terrible storme Then shall all the wicked that ever were or ever shall be stand quaking before this glorious Iudge with the same bodyes feete hands to receive their doome Oh consider of this day thou that livest in thy sinnes now and yet art safe there is a day comming wherein thou mayest and shalt be judged 1. Consider who shall be thy Iudge why mercy pitty goodnesse it selfe even Iesus Chrâ—st that many times held out his bowers of compassion towards thee A child of God may say yonder is my brother friend husband But thou mayest say yonder is mine enemy He may say at that day yonder is he that shed his blood to save me thou mayest say yonder heâ— comes whose heart I have pierced with my sinnes whose blood I have despised They may say O come Lord Iesus and cover me under thy wings But thou shalt then cry out O Rockes fall upon mee and hide mee from the face of the Lambe 2. Consider the manner of his comming 2. Thesâ— 1. 7. He shall come in flaming fire the heavens shall be on a flame the â—lements shall melt like â—â—alding lead upon thee when a house is on fire at midnight in a Towne what a fearefull cry is there made When all the world shall cry fire fire run up and down for shelter to hide themselves but cannot finde it but say O now the gloomy day of blood and fire is come here 's for my pride here is for my oathes and the wages for my drunkennesse security and neglect of duties 3. In regard of the heavie accusations that shall come against thee at that day There 's never a wicked man almost in the world as faire a face as he carries but he hath at some time or other committed some such secret villany that he would be ready to hang himselfe for shame if others did know of it as secret whoredome selfe pollution speculative wantonnesse men with men women with women as the Apostle speakes Rom. 1. Why at this day all the world shall see and heare these privie prankes then the books shall be opened Men will not take up a foule businesse nor end it in private therefore there shâ—ll be a day of publique hearing things shall not be suddenly shuffled up as carnall thoughts imagine viâ— That at this day first Christ shall raise the dead and then the separation shall be made and then the sentence past and then suddenly the Iudgement day is done No no it must take up some large quantitie of time that all the world may see the secret sinnes of wicked men in the world and therefore it may be made evident from all Scripture and Reason that this day of Christs Kingly office in Iudging the world shall last happily longer than his private administration now wherein he is lesse glorious in governing the world Tremble thou time server tremble thou Hypocrite tremble thou that livest in any secret sinne under the all-seeing eye of this Iudge thine owne conscience indeed shall be a sufficient witnesse against thee to discover all thy sinnes at thy particular judgement but all the world shall openly see thine hidden close courses of darknesse to thine ever Insting shâ—me at this day 4. In regard of the fearfull sentence that then shall be passed upon thee Depart thou cursed creature into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels Thou shalt then cry ouâ— O mercy Lord O a little mercy No will the Lord Iesus say I did indeed once offer it you but you refused therefore Depart Then thou shalt plead againe Lord If I must depart yet blesse me before I goe No no Depart thou cursed Oh but Lord if I must depart cursed let me goe to some good place no Depart thou cursed into
that thou doest doubt of it It may be thou wilt plead Oh I am so ignorant of my selfe God Christ or his will that surely the Lord offers no Christ to me Yes but he doth though thou lyest in utter darknesse Our blessed Saviour glorified his Father for revealing the mystery of the Gospel to simple men neglecting those that carried the chiefe reputation of wisdome in the world The parts of none are so low as that they are beneath the gracious regard of Christ. God bestoweth the best fruits of his love upon meane and weak persons here that he might confound the pride of flesh the more Where it pleaseth him to make his choice and to exalt his mercy he passeth by no degree of wit though never so uncapable But thou wilt say I am an enemy to God and have a heart so stubborne and loath to yeeld I have vexed him to the very heart by my transgressions Yet he beseecheth thee to be reconciled Put case thou hast been a sinner and rebellious against God yet so long as thou art not found amongst malicious opposers and underminers of his truth never give way to despayring thoughts thou hast a mercifull Saviour But I have despised the meanes of Reconciliation and rejected mercy Yet God calls thee to returne Thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet turne againe to me sayth the Lord Jer. 3. 1. Cast thy selfe into the armes of Christ and if thou perishest perish there if thou doest not thou art sure to perish If mercy be to be had any where it is by seeking to Christ not by running from him Herein appeares Christs love to thee that he hath given thee a heart in some degree sensible hee might have given thee up to hardnesse securitie and prophanenesse of all spirituall judgements the greatest But he that dyed for his enemies will in no wise refuse those the desire of whose soule is towards him When the Prodigall set himselfe to returne to his Father his Father stayes not for him but meets him in the way If our sinnes displease us they shall never hurt us but wee shall be esteemed of God to be that which wee desire and labour to be Psal. 145. 19. But can the Lord offer Christ to mee so poore that have no strength no faith no grace nor sense of my povertie Yes even to thee why should wee except our selves when Christ doth not except us Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavy laden Wee are therefore poore because we know not our riches We can never be in such a condition wherein there will be just cause of utter despayre He that sits in darknesse and seeth no light no light of comfort no light of Gods countenance yet let him trust in the Name of the Lord. Weaknesses doe not debarre us from mercy nay they incline God the more The Husband is bound to beare with the wife as being the weaker vessell and shall we think God will exempt himselfe from his owne Rule and not beare with his weak Spouse But is this offer made to me that cannot love prize nor desire the Lord Jesus Yes to thee Christ knows how to pitty us in this case We are weak but we are his A Father lookes not so much at the blemishes of his childe as at his owne nature in him So Christ finds matter of love from any thing of his owne in us A Christians carriage towards Christ may in many things be very offensive cause much strangenesse yet so long as he resolves not upon any knowne evill Christ will owne him and he Christ. Oh! but I have fallen from God oft since he hath inlightned me And doth he tender Christ to mee Thou must know that Christ hath married every beleeving Soule to himselâ—e and that where the worke of grace is begun sin looses strength by every new fall If there be a spring of sinne in thee there is a spring oâ— mercy in God and a fountaine dialy opened to wash thy uncleanenesse in Adam indeed lost all by once sinning but we are under a better Covenant a Covenant of Mercy and are incouraged by the Sonne to goe to the Father every day for the sinnes of that day If I was willing to receive Christ I might have Christ offered to me But will the Lord offer him to such a one as desires not to have Christ Yes sayth our Saviour I would have gathered you as the henne gathereth her chickens under her wings and you would not Wee must know a creating power cannot onely bring something out of nothing but contrary out of contrary of unwilling God can make us a willing people There is a promise of powring cleane water upon us and Christ hath taken upon him to purge his Spouse and make her fit for himselfe What hast thou now to plead against this strange kindnesse of the Lord in offering Christ to thee Thou wilt say it may be O! I feare time is past Oh time is past I might once have had Christ but now mine heart is sealed downe with hardnesse blindnesse unbeliefe oh time is now gone No not so see Isai. 65. 1 2 3. All the day long God holdeth out his hands to a back-â—lâ—ding and rebellious people Thy day of grace thy day of meanes thy day of life thy day of Gods striving with thee and stirring of thee still lasts But if God be so willing to save and so prodigall of his Christ why doth he not give me Christ or draw me to Christ I answer What command dost thou looke for to draw thee to Christ but this word Come Oh come thou poore forlorne lost blind cursed nothing I will save thee I will enrich thee I will forgive thee I will enlighten thee I will blesse thee I will be all things unto thee doe all things for thee May not this winne and melt the heart of a Devill II. Upon what conditions may Christ be had Make an exchange of what thou art or hast with Christ for what Christ is or hath and so taking him like the wise Merchant the Pearle thou shalt have Salvation with him Now this Exchange lyeth in these foure things chiefly First give away thy selfe to him head heart tongue body soule and he will give away himselfe unto thee Cant. 6. 3. yea he will stand in thy roome in Heaven that thou maist triumph and say I am already in Heaven glorified in him I see Gods blessed face in Christ I have conquered Death Hell and the Devill in him Secondly Give away all thy sinnes to Christ confesse them leave them cast them upon the Lord Jesus so as to receive power from him to forsake them And he will be made sinne for thee to take them away from thee 1 Ioh. 1. 9. Thirdly give away thine honour pleasure profit life for him he will give away his Crowne
and flames of hell for a heart as stiffe as a stake to bow as hard as stone to bleed for the least prick not to mourne for one sin but all sinnes and not for a sit but all a mans life time Oh it is hard for a man to suffâ—r himselfe to be loaden with sin and prest to death for sinne so as never to love sinne mâ—re but to spit in the face of that which he once loved as dearely as his life It is easie to drop a teare or two and be sermon sick but to have a heart rent for sinne and from sinne 〈◊〉 is is true humiliation and this is hard 2. The straight gate of Faith Eph. 1. 19. its an easie matter to presume but hard to beleeve in Christ. It is easie for a man that was never humbled to beleeve and say 't is but beleeving but it is an hard matter for a man humbled when he seeth all his sinnes in order before him the devill and conscience roaring upon him and crying out against him and God â—rowning upon him now to call God Fathâ—r is an hard worke Iudas had rather be hanged than bâ—leeve It is hard to see a Christ as a rocke to stand upon when wee are overwhelmed with sorrow of heart for sin It is hard to prize Christ above ten thousand worlds of pearle 't is hard to desire Christ and nothing but Christ hard to follow Christ all the day long and never to be quiet till he is got in thine armes and then with Simeon to say Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace 3. The straight gate of Repentance It is an easie matter for a man to confesse a mans selfe to be a sinner and to cry God forgivenesse untill next time but to have a bitter sorrow and so to turne from all sinne and to returne to God and all the wayes of God which is true repentance indeed this is hard 4. The straight gate of opposition of Devills the world and a mans owne selfe who knock a man downe when he begins to looke towards Christ and Heaven Hence learne that every easie way to Heaven is a false way although Ministers should preâ—ch it out of their Pulpits and Angels should publish it out of Heaven Now there are nine easie waies to Heave as men thinke all which leade to Hell 1. The common broad way wherein a whole parish may all goe a breadth in it tell these people they shall bee damned their answer is then woe to many more besides me 2. The way of civill education whereby many wilde natures are by little and little tamed and like wolves are chained up easily while they are young 3. Balams way of good wishes whereby many people will confesse their ignorance forgetfulnesse and that they cannot make such shews as others doe but they thanke God their hearts are as good and God for his part accepts they say the will for the deed And My sonne give me thine heart the heart is all in all and so long they hope to doe well enough Poore deluded creatures thus thinke to breake through armies of sinnes devils temptations and to breake open the very gates of Heaven with a few good wishes they think to come to their journeys end without legs because their hearts are good to God 4. The way of formalitie whereby men rest in the performance of most or of all externall duties without inward life Mark 1. 14. Every man must have some Religion some fig-leaves to hide their nakednesse Now this Religion must be either true Religion or the false one if the true he must either take up the power of it but that hee will not because it is burdensome or the forme of it and this being easie men embrace it as their God and will rather lose their lives than their Religion thus taken up This forme of Religion is the easiest Religion in the world partly because it easeth men of trouble of conscience quieting that Thou hast sinned saith conscience and God is offended take a book and pray keepe thy conscience better and bring thy Bible with thee Now conscience is silent being charmed downe with the forme of Religion as the devill is driven away as they say with holy water partly also because the forme of Religion credits a man partly because it is easie in it selfe it 's of a light carriage being but the shadow and picture of the substance of Religion as now what an easie matter is it to come to Church They heare at least out wardly very attentively an houre and more and then to turne to a proofe and to turne downe a leafe here 's the forme But now to spend saturday at night and all the whole Sabbath day morning in trimming the Lampe and in getting oyle in the heart to meete the bridegroome the next day and so meete him in the word and there to tremble at the voice of God and suck the brest while it is open and when the word is done to goe aside privately and there to chew upon the word there to lament with teares all the vaine thoughts in duties deadnesse in hearing this is hard because this is the power of godlinesse and this men will not take up so for private prayer what an easie matter it is for a man to say over a few prayers out of some devout booke or to repeate some old prayer got by heart since a childe or to have two or three short-winded wishes for GODS mercy in the morning and at night this forme is easie but now to prepare the heart by serious meditation of God and mans selfe before he prayes then to come to God with a bleeding hunger-starved heart not only with a desire but with a warrant I must hâ—ve such or such a mercy and thereto wrastle with God although it be an houre or two together for a blessing this is too hard men thinke none doe thus and therefore they will not Fifthly the way of presumption whereby men having seene their sins catch hold easily upon Gods mercy and snatch comforts before they are reached out unto them There is no word of comfort in the Booke of God intended for such as regard iniquitie in their hearts though they doe not act it in their lives Their onely comfort is that the sentence of damnation is not yet executed upon them Sixthly the way of sloth whereby men lye still and say God must doe all If the Lord would set up a Pulpit at the Ale-house doore it may be they would heare oftner If God will alwaies thunder they will alwaies pray if strike them now and then with sicknesse God shall be payed with good words and promises enow that they will be better if they live but as long as peace lasts they will run to Hell as fast as they can and if God will not catch them they care not they will not returne Seventhly The way of carelesnesse when men feeling many difficulties passe
to all the truthes delivered in a Sermon and commend it too but goe a way and shake off all truthes that serve to convince them And hence many men when they examine themselves in generall whether they have grace or no whether they love Christ or no they think yes that they doe withall their hearts yet they neither have this grace or any other what ever they thinke because they want a reflecting light to judge of generalls by their owne particular courses For tell these men that he that loves another truely will often thinke of him speake of him rejoyce in his company will not wrong him willingly in the least thing Now aske them if they love Christ thus If they have any reflecting of light they will see where they have one thought of Christ they have 1000. on other things Rejoyce nay they are weary of his company in word in prayer And that they doe not onely wrong him but make a light matter of it when it is done all are sinners and no man can live without sin Like a sleepy man fire burning in his bed-straw he cryes not out when others haply lament his estate that see a farre off but cannot helpe him Isay 42. 25. A man that is to be hanged the next day may dreame overnight hee shall be a King why because hee is asleepe hee reflects not on himselfe Thou mayest goe to the Devill and be damned and yet ever thinke and dreame that all is well with thee Thou hast no reflecting light to judge of thy selfe Pray pray therefore that the Lord would turne your eyes inward and doe not let the Devill and delusion shut you out of your owne house from seeing what Court is kept there every day Fiftly the understandings impiety whereby it lessens and vilifies the glorious grace of God in another whence it comes to passe that this deluded soule seeing none much better then himselfe concludes if any be saved â— shall no doubt be one Isay 26. 10 11. Men will not behold the Majesty of God in the lives of his people many a man being too light yet desirous to goe and passe for current weighs himselfe with the best people and thinkes what have they that J have not what doe they that J doe not and if he see they goe beyond him he then turnes his owne ballance with his finger and makes them too light that so he himselfe may passe for weight And this vilifying of them and their grace judging them to be of no other mettall then other men appeares in three particulars First they raise up false reports of Gods people and nourish a kennell of evill suspitions of them if they know any sin committed by them they will conclude they be all such if they see no offensive sinne in any of them they are then reputed a pack of Hypocrites If they are not so uncharitable having no grounds they prophesy they will hereafter be as bad as others though they carry a faire flourish now Secondly if they judge well of them then they compare themselves to them by taking a scantling onely by their outside and by what they see in them and so like children seeing stars a great way off think them no bigger nor brighter then winking candles They stand a far off from seeing the inside of a child of God they see not the glory of God filling that temple they see not the sweet influence they receive from heaven and that fellowship they have with their God and hence they judge but meanly of them because the out side of a Christian is the worst part of him and his glory shines chiefly within Thirdly if they see Gods people doe excell them that they have better lives and better hearts better knowledge yet they will not conclude that they have no grace because it hath not that stamp that honest mens money hath But this prank they play they think such and such good men have a greater measure and a higher degree of grace then themselves yet they dare be bold to thinke and say their hearts are as upright though they be not so perfect as others are And so vilifie the grace that shines in the best men by making this gold to differ from their owne copper not essentially but gradually and hence they deceive themselves miserably not but that one starre or sincere Christian differs from another in glory I speake of those men onely that never were fixt in so high a sphere as true honesty dwells yet falsely father this bad conclusion that they are upright for their measure that they have not the like measure of grace received as others have Sixthly the understandings idolatry whereby the mind sets up and bowes down to a false image of grace that is the minde being ignorant of the height and excellence of true grace takes a false scantling of it and so imagins and fancies within it selfe such a measure of common grace to be true grace which the soule easily having attained unto conceives it is in the state of grace and so deceives it selfe miserably Rom. 10. 3. And the minde comes to set up her image thus First the minde is haunted and pursued with troublesome feares of Hell Conscience tells him hee hath sinned and the Law tells him he shall die and Death appeares and tells him he must shortly meere with him And if he be taken away in his sinnes then comes a black day of reckoning for all his privie prankes a day of bloud horrour judgement and fire where no creature can comfort him Hence saith hee Lord keepe my soule from these miseries hee hopeth it shall not prove so evill with him but feares it will Secondly Hereupon hee desireth peace and ease and some assurance of freedome from these evils For it is an Hell above ground ever to be on the wrack of tormenting feares Thirdly That he may have ease he will not swagger his trouble away nor drowne it in the bottome of the cup nor throw it away with his Dice nor play it away at Cards but desires some grace and commonly it 's the least measure of it too Hereupon he desires to heare such Sermons and read such Bookes as may best satisfie him concerning the least measure of grace for sinne onely troubling him grace onely can comfort him soundly And so Grace which is meate and drinke to an holy heart is but Physicke to this kinde of men to ease them of their feares and troubles Hereupon being ignorant of the height of true grace he fancieth to himselfe such a measure of common grace to be true grace As if he feeles himselfe ignorant of that which troubles him so much knowledge will I then get saith he â—f some foule sinnes in his practise trouble him these he will cast away and so reformes If omission of good duties molests him he will heare better and buy some good Prayer-booke and pray oftner And if he be perswaded such a man is a very
sinne is onely againe sin because it is a troubling or a damning sinne The striving of the spirit against the flesh is from a deadly hatred of sinne Rom. 7. 15. But thy striving of conscience against sinne is onely from a feare of the danger of sinne for Balaam had a mind to curse the Israelites for his monies sake but if he might have had an house full of silver and gold which is a goodly thing in a covetous eye it is said hee durst not curse them Thirdly In judging of the sincerity of the heart by some good affection in the heart Hence many a deluded soule reasons the case out thus with himselfe Either J must be a prophane man or an Hypocrite or an upright man Not profane I thanke God for I am not given to whoring drinking oppression swearing Nor Hypocrite for I hate these shewes I cannot indure to appeare better without then I am within therefore I am upright Why Oh because mine heart is good mine affections desires within are better then my life without and what ever others judge of me I know mine own heart the heart is all that God desires And thus they foole themselves Prov. 28. 26. This is one of the greatest causes and grounds of mistake amongst men that thinke best of themselves they are not able to put a difference betweene the good desires and strong affections that arise from the love of Jesus Christ. Selfe-love will make a man seeke his own good and safety hence it will pull a man out of his bed betimes in the morning and call him up to pray it will take him and cary him into his chamber towards evening and there privately make him seeke and pray and tug hard for pardon for Christ for mercy Lord evermore give us of this bread But the love of Christ makes a man desire Christ and his honour for himselfe all other things for Christ. It is true the desires of Sonnes in Christ by faith are accepted ever but the desire of servants men that worke onely for their wages out of Christ are not Fourthly In judging of Gods love to them by aiming sometimes at the glory of God Is this possible that a man should aime at Gods glory and yet perish Yes and ordinary too A man may be liberall to the poore maintaine the Ministery be forward and stand for good things whence he may not doubt but that God loves him But here is the difference though a wicked man may make Gods glory in some particular things his end yet he never makes it in his generall course his utmost and last end A subtle Apprentice may doe all his Masters work but he may take the gaine to himselfe or divide it betwixt his Master and himselfe and so may be but a Knave as observant as he seemes to be So a subtle heart yet a vile villanous heart may forsake all the world as Iudas did may binde himselfe Apprentice to all the duties God requireth outwardly at his hands and so doe good works but what 's his last end It 's that hee might gaine respect or place or that Christ may have some part of the glory and he another Simon Magus would give any money sometimes that he could pray so well know so much and doe as others doe and yet his last end is for himselfe but how can you beleeve if you seeke not that glory that comes from God sayes Christ there 's many seeke the honour of Christ but doe you seeke his honour onely Is it your last end where you rest and seeke no more but that If thou wouldest know whether thou makest Christs glory thy last end observe this Rule If thou art more grieved for the eclipse of thine owne honour and for thine owne losses then for the losse of Gods honour it is an evident signe thou lovest it not desirest it not as thy chiefest good as the last end for thy summum bonum and therefore doest not seeke Gods honour in the prime and chiefest place Sinne troubled Paul more than all the plagues and miseries of the world Indeed if thy name be dashed with disgrace and thy will be crossed thy heart is grieved and disquieted but the Lord may lose his honour daily by thine owne sinnes and those that be round about thee but not a teare not a sigh not a groane to behold such a spectacle As sure as the Lord lives thou seekest not the Lords name or honour as thy greatest good Fifthly In judging the power of sinne to be but infirmitie for if any thing trouble an unregenerate man and makes him call his estate into question it is sinne either in the being or power of it Now sinne in the being ought noâ— must not make a man question his estate because the best have that left in them that will humble them and make them live by faith therefore the power of sinne onely can trouble a man Now if a man doe judge of this to be onely but infirmitie which the best are compassed about withall hee cannot but lie downe securely and thinke himselfe well And if this errour be setled in one that lives in no one knowne sinne it is very difficult to remove for let the Minister cast the sparkes of hell in their faces and denounce the terrour of God against them they are never stirred why because they thinke here 's for you that live in sinne but as for themselves although they have sinnes yet they strive against them and so cannot leave them for we must have sinne as long as we live here they say Now marke it there 's no surer signe of a man under the bloudy raigne and dominion of his lusts and sinnes than this that is to give way to sinne though never so little and common nor to be greatly troubled for sinne for they may be a little troubled because they cannot overcome sinne I deny not but the best doe sinne daily yet this is the disposition of Paul and every child of God he mourneth not the lesse but the more for sinne though he cannot quite subdue them cast them out and overcome them As a prisoner mournes the more that he is bound with such fetters he cannot breake so doth eyery one truely sensible of his woefull captivitie by sinne This is the great difference between a raging sinne a man will part with all and a sinne of infirmity a man cannot part withall a sinne of infirmitie is such a sinne as a man would but cannot part with it and hence he mournes the more for it A raging sinne is such a sinne as a man happily by vertue of his lashing conscience would sometimes part withall but cannot and hence mournes the lesse for it and gives way unto it Now for the Lords sake take heede of this deceit for I tell you those sinnes you cannot part withall if you groane not day and night under them saying O Lord helpe me for I am weary of my selfe
and my life will certainly undoe you You say you cannot but speake idely and thinke vainely and doeill as all doe sometimes I tell you those sinnes shall be everlasting chaines to hold you fast in the power of the devill untill the Judgement of the great day And thus much of the understandings corruption whereby men are commonly deluded Now followeth the second Secondly in regard of the false bastard peace begot in the conscience Why should the Campe tremble when Scouts are asleepe or give a false report when the enemies are neare them Most men thinke they are in a safe estate because they were never in a troubled estate or if they have beene troubled because they have got some peace and comfort after it Now this false peace is begot in the heart by these foure meanes 1. By Sathan 2. By false teachers 3. By a false spirit 4. By a false application of true promises 1. By Sathan whose kingdome shall fall if it should be divided and be alwayes in a combustion hence he laboureth for peace Luke 11. 21. When the strong man keepeth the palace his goods be in peace that is when Sathan armed with abundance of shifts and carnall reasonings possesseth mens soules they are at peace Now looke as Masters give their servants peace even so the devill 1. By removing all things that may trouble them and 2. By giving unto them all things that may quiet and comfort them as meat drinke rest lodging c. so doth Sathan deale with his slaves and servants First by removing those sins which trouble the conscience for a man may live in a sinne and yet never be troubled for that sinne for sinne against the light of conscience onely troubles the conscience as children that are tumbling and playing in the dust they are not troubled with all the dust nay they take pleasure to wallow in it but onely with that whether it be small or great that lights in their eyes And hence that young man came boasting to Christ that hee had kept all the commandements from his youth but went away sorrowfull because that dust that sinne he lived in with delight before fell into his eyes and therefore was troubled Now marke the plot of the Devill when he can make a man live and wallow and delight in his sinnes and so serve him and yet will not suffer him to live in any sinne against conscience whereby he should be troubled and so seeke to come out of his woefull estate he is sure this man is his owne and now a poore deluded man himselfe goes up and downe not doubting but he shall be saved why because their conscience they thanke God is cleare and they know of no one sinne they live in they know nothing by themselves that may make them so much as suspect their estate is bad Matth. 9. 13. I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance that is such an one as in his owne opinion is fish whole every sinne being a child of Gods sicknesse he is never without some kinde of sorrow but some sins onely being a naturall mans sicknesse they being removed he recovers out of his former sorrow and growes well againe and thinkes himselfe sound but the Lord Jesus never came to save such therefore Satankeepes possession of them For the Lords sake looke to this subtilty many thinke themselves in a good estate because they know not the particular sinne they live in whereas Satan may have stronger possession of such as are bound with his invisible fetters and chaines when those that have their pinching bolts on them may sooner escape Secondly By giving the soule liberty to recreate it selfe in any sinfull course wherein the eye of conscience may not be pricked and wounded Servants when they are put alwayes to worke and never can goe abroad are weary both of work and Master that Master pleaseth them that giveth them most liberty To be pent up all the day long in doing Gods worke watching praying fighting against every sinne this is a burden this is too strict and because that they cannot endure it they thinke the Lord lookes not for it at their hands Now Satan gives men libertie in their sinfull courses and this libertie begets peace and this peace makes them thinke well of themselves 2 Pet. 2. 19. There 's many rotten professors in these dayes that indeed will not open their mouthes against the sincere hearted people of God yet they walke loosely and take too much liberty in their speeches liberty in their thoughts liberty in their desires and delights liberty in their company in their pastimes and that sometimes under a pretence of Christian liberty and never trouble themselves with these needlesse controversies to what end or in what manner doe I use these things whereas the righteous man feareth alway considering there is a snare for him in every lawfull liberty May not I sinne in my mirth in my speaking in my sleeping Oh! this liberty that the Devill gives and the world takes besots most men with a foolish opinion that all is well with them Thirdly by giving the soule good dyet meate and drinke enough what dish he likes best Let a Master give liberty yet his servant is not pleased unlesse he hath meate and drinke and food so there 's no wicked man under Heaven but as he takes too much liberty in the use of lawfull things so he feedeth his heart with some unlawfull secret lust though all the time they live in it it may be it is unknown to them Luk. 16. Dives had his dish his good things and so sang himselfe a sleepe and bad his soule take his ease and rest yea observe this dyet is poysoned in it selfe but ever commended to the soule as wholsome good and lawfull They christen sinne with a new name as Popes are at their election if he be bad they call him sometimes Pius if a coward Leo c. So covetousnesse is good husbandry company keeping good neighbourhood lying to save their credit from cracking but a handsome excuse and hence the soule goes peaceably on and beleeves he is in a good estate Fourthly by giving the soule rest and sleepe that is cessation sometimes from the act of sinne hence they are hardly perswaded that they live in sin because they cease sometimes from the act of sinne as no man doth alwayes sweare nor is he alwayes drunk nor alwayes angry They think onely their falls in these or the like sinnes are slips and falls which the best man may have sometimes and yet be a deare child of God Oh! Satan will not alwayes set men at his worke for if men should alwayes have their cups in their hands and their queanes in their armes if a covetous man should alwayes root in the earth and never pray never have good thoughts never keepe any Sabbath if a man should alwayes speake idely and never good word drop from him a mans conscience would never be