with an everlasting former love not beginning at that instant discoverie thereof Vse 1 The Use heereof is first of all against those who measure Gods love and favour by their owne feeling because as God loved them before so hee loves them as well and as dearely still when he hideth his face from them as when hee suffered his loving kindnesse to shine most comfortably upon them Hee loved Christ as dearely when he hanged on the tree in torment of soule and body as hee did when he said This is my beloved sonne Mat. 3.17 in whom I am well pleased yea and when hee received him up into glory The Sunne shineth as cleerely in the darkest day as it doth in the brightest The difference is not in the Sunne but in some clouds which hinder the manifestation of the light thereof So God loveth us as well when he shineth not in the brightnesse of his countenance upon us as when he doth Iob 42.7 Iob was as much beloved of God in the middest of his miseries as he was afterwards when he came to enjoy the aboundance of his mercies I will love them freely c. The last Point which we gather from hence Observ as a speciall ground of comfort is this That this free love and favour of God is the cause of all other mercies and free favours whereby hee discovereth his love unto us 1. It is the cause of election Rom. 5.11 even so then as this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace So 2. For Vocation when the Apostle had shewed that the Ephesians were saved by Grace Ephe. 5.7 hee adds that in the ages to come hee might shew the exceeding riches of his grace In his kindnesse towards us through Christ Iesus hee afterwards sheweth when this grace began first to have being Ephe. 2.10 For wee are his workemanship created vnto good workes which God hath before ordained that wee should walke therein 3. Forgivenesse of sinnes In whom we have a redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sinns Ephe. 1.7 according to the riches of his grace So 4. For the grace of Love Wee love him 1 Joh. 4.19 because he loved us first 5. For Justification and Sanctification It is said that Christ hath loved us Rev. 1.5 why For he hath washed us from our sinnes in his owne blood and Saint Iohn saith He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father 1. Kings to fight against the world the flesh and the divell 2. Priests to teach instruct reprove and comfort our selves and others by the word of God and then to offer up the sacrifice of a broken heart in prayers and praises All comes from freedome of love 6. So every good Inclination comes hence For it is God which worketh in us Hos 5.14 Phil. 1.13 both to will and to doe of his good pleasure So 7. Every good Worke For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus unto good workes which he had before ordained that we should walke therein For by grace ye are saved saith he through faith Ephe. 2.8.10 So 8. For Eternall life the Apostle sheweth It is the gift of God Rom. 6.23 through Iesus Christ our Lord. This should teach us in the first place to bee humbled in that we are so miserable naughty servants doing so little worke nay nothing as we should yet should have so good wages 1 Cor. 4.7 Ephes 2.9 but God loves us freely c. It should rather humble us the more then puffe us up in pride in regard that there was nothing in us which might deserve any thing at Gods hand Vse 2 And hence also it followeth infallibly Ioh. 17.23 24. that if he loved us from everlasting with a free love in a sort as he loved Christ that therefore the effects of his love towards us shall never faile as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 11.29 The gifts and calling of God are without Repentance Faith and Repentance being fruits of his love wrought in us shall hold out therfore the weakenesse of these graces as they shall not hinder our salvation no more should they discourage us or hinder the comfort of our profession Because that Faith and Repentance which wee have is not any worke of ours but the worke of Gods free love in us therefore they shall bee continued and accepted For our Perseverance doth not stand in this that wee have strength in our selves to continue faithfull to God but because he out of his free love continueth faithfull to us and will never faile nor forsake them whom he hath once taken into his everlasting favour on whom hee hath set his everlasting free love as the Apostle speakes of Christ Who also shall confirme you unto the end 1 Cor. 1.8 9. that yee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ but upon what ground God is faithfull by whom wee were called unto the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. So that if any of the Elect should fall away God should be unfaithfull The case in Perseverance is not how faithfull wee are but how faithfull God is who guides us heere with his Counsell in all things Psal 73.24 and afterwards receiveth us into glory So in another place after the Apostle had prayed Now the very God of Peace Sanctifie you wholy 1 Thess 5.23 24. and I pray God your whole spirit and soule and body bee preserved blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ What maketh he the ground of this his Prayer Faithfull is hee that calleth you who also will doe it Vse 3 If then wee would have God to manifest his free love to us let us strive to be obedient to his Commandements and stirre up our hearts by all meanes to love him who hath so freely loved us Quest Now how should we manifest our love to God Answ How to manifest our love to God First in loving his Word as Psal 19. Psal 119. Secondly in loving his people 1 Ioh. 5.1 2. Thirdly in longing for and loving his second comming Revel 22.20 Now followeth the Reason of the discoverie of this free love shewed now in time to them For mine Anger is turned away from him Here is the third Branch of Gods answer to their Petition Mine Anger is turned away from him which is included and implied in the former I will heale their backsliding how could hee doe this if he were Angrie No he saith I will love them freely which argues that his anger was appeased God knoweth that variety of words and expressions are all little enough to raise up and comfort a doubting wounded galled soule which when it is touched with a sense of sinne and of his displeasure cannot heare words enough of comfort This God knowes well enough and therefore hee adds expression upon expression I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely for
good 1. To know Gods free grace First labour to know God and his free Grace in Jesus Christ 2 Pet 3.18 Grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ they goe both together the more we grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Grace of God in him the more grace and rootednesse wee shall have For that which the soule doth cleerely apprehend it fastens upon in that measure it apprehendeth it Cleerenesse in the understanding breeds earnestnesse in the affections and fastnesse too So the more wee grow in knowledg the more we roote our selves in that we know And therefore the Apostle prayes for the Ephesians that they might have the Spirit of Revelation c. That they might know the height breadth depth and length of Gods love that passeth knowledge Ephes 3.14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whom the whole family of Heaven and Earth is named that he would grant you according to the riches of his Glory to bee strengthened by his Spirit in the inner-man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love in the sense of Gods love to us and so of our love to him againe for we are not rooted in love to God till we be rooted in the sense of Gods love to us that you may bee able to comprehend with all Saints the height and breadth c. 1. Labour to know the Promises And withall labour to know the gratious Promises of Christ for we are knit to him by vertue of his word and Promises which like himselfe are Yea and Amen JEHOVAH yesterday to day the same for ever 2 Cor. 1.20 So al his Promises made in him they are Yea and Amen in themselves firme and firme to us in him They are Yea and Amen that is they are made and performed in Christ in whom they are sure to be performed and thereupon they are firme too God made them who is JEHOVAH and they are made in Christ that is JEHOVAH So God the Father JEHOVAH he promiseth and he makes them good in Christ JEHOVAH who is unchangeable But this is not enough 3. Our hearts must be stablished on that which is firme wee must labour to have our hearts stablished that they may rely firmely on that which is firme For if a thing be never so firme except we rely firmely on it there is no stability or strength from it Now when there is strength in the thing and strength in the soule that strength is impregnable and unconquerable strength In Christ they are Yea and Amen in whom he stablisheth us annoints us seales us and gives us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts How doth God stablish us upon the Promises How God doth stablish us The rest which followeth is an explication of this when he gives us the earnest of the Spirit and seales us to be his in token he meanes to make good the bargaine then we are established But we are never firmely established till we get the assurance of salvation Then as the Promises are Yea and Amen in themselves so we are stablished upon them when we are sealed and have the earnest of the Spirit Let us labour therefore to grow in the knowledge of Gods love in Christ to know the height breadth depth and length of it and to grow in all the gratious Promises which are made in Christ who is Amen himselfe as his Promises are and then when we are sealed and annointed by the Spirit we shall be so stablished that nothing shall moove us Therefore let us use all meanes for the establishing of growth in us the Word and Sacraments especially For as Baptisme admits us into the house of God so by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the blessed food of the soule wee are strengthened In the use of these meanes let us make suite unto God to make good his gratious Promise unto us that wee shall grow as Lillies and take roote as the Cedars in Lebanon Let us know that we ought every day to labour to be more and more rooted do we know what times may befall us We have need to grow every day to grow upward and in breadth and in depth If wee considered what times we may live to it should force us to grow every way especially in humility that roote and mother or graces to grow downeward in that to grow in knowledge and faith untill wee be filled with the fullnesse of God Object A poore Christian ofttimes makes this Objection O I doe not grow therefore I feare my state I am oft shaken therefore this Promise is not fulfilled to me Answ To this I answer Christians may be deceived for they doe grow ofttimes in firmenesse strength and stability though they doe not spread out they may grow in refinednesse that that which comes from them may bee more pure and lesse mixed with naturall corruption Pride Selfe-love and the like This is a temptation that old men are subject too especially in whom the heate of nature decayes who thinke withall that grace decayes But it is not so for ofttimes when grace is carried with the heate of nature it makes a greater shew being helpt by nature The demonstration but not the truth of grace is thus helpt Therfore this clause of the Promise is made good in old Christians they are every day more and more rooted firme stable and judicious and more able in those graces which belong to their place and condition Therefore they should not be discouraged though they be not carried with the streame and tide of nature help'd with that vigour that sometime was in them They grow in judiciousnesse mortifiednesse in heavenly-mindednesse and in ability to give good counsell to others This is well for we grow not in grace one way but divers waies not onely when wee grow in outward demonstration and in many fruits and actions but when wee grow in refinednesse and judiciousnesse as was said then wee are said to grow likewise Yet notwithstanding it should be the indeavour of all to grow what they can in grace when if they grow not so fast as others let them know that there are severall ages in Christ A young Christian cannot be so planted and so deepely rooted as another that is of a greater standing This should not discourage any seeing there are babes in Christ as well as strong men Therefore where there is truth of heart with indeavour to grow better and better and to use all meanes let no man be discouraged Remember alway this for a truth that we may grow and we ought to grow and the children of God ordinarily have growne more and more both in fruitfullnesse and stedfastnesse every way but not with a like growth in measure or time Therefore labour to make use of these Promises and not to favour our selves in an ungrowing
Lebanon IT was a good speech of S. Austin those that are to petition great persons they will obtaine some who are skilfull to frame their Petitions least by their unskillfullnesse they provoke Anger insteed of carrying away the benefit desired So it is here with Gods people being to deale with the great God and not being able to frame their owne petitions God as we heard before doth it for them and answers them gratiously with the same mercies which he had suggested them to aske his answer being exact to their petitions I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely c. wherein God exceeds all Physitians in the world whatsoever for they have nature to helpe them Physicke is the mid-wife of Nature helping it to doe that which it cannot doe of it selfe Physick can doe nothing to a dead man but God is so great a Physitian that hee first gives life and after that spirituall Life is in some degrees begun by little and little he heales more and more I will heale their backslidings We have an error crept in amongst some of the meaner ignorant sort of people who thinke that God sees no sinne when he hath once pardoned men in Justification who falsely smooth themselves in this wicked sensuall conceit thinke they can commit no sinne offensive to God as though God should frame such a Justification for men to blindfold him and cast dust as it were in his eyes or justifie men to make them loose and idle No it is false as appeareth by this place for how can God heale that he sees not He sees it not to be revenged on them for it but hee sees sinne to correct it and to heale it He sees it not after a revengefull wrathfull justice to cast us into Hell and damne us for it but he sees it after a sort to make us smart and lament for it and to have many times a bitter sense of his wrath and forsaking as men undone without a new supply of comfort and peace from Heaven Let a man neglect Sanctification daily sorrow and confession of sinne and now and then even craving new pardon for sinnes past casting all upon a fantasticke conceit of faith in their justification what followes but Pride Hardnesse of heart Contempt of others and neglect of better then themselves and pronenesse out of Gods judgement to fall from ill to worse from one error to another In this case the heart is false and deceitfull for whilst it pretends a glorious faith to looke back to Christ to live by faith and lay all on him by justification it windes it selfe out of all taskes of Religion sets the heart at liberty neglects Sanctification and Mortification of lusts and beautifying the image of God in them giving too much way to the flesh Therefore away with this false and selfe-conceited opinion which drawes poyson out of that which God speakes to confirme and stablish us That hee sees no iniquity in Iaakob c. Whence from these Hyperbolicall speeches they thinke that God seeth not that which we our selves see But hee heales our backslidings therefore hee sees them for how can he heale a wound if he see it not He sees it but not to their destruction who are freely justified by his grace But we will leave this point it being too much honour to them to spend time in confutation of it and will rather say unto it as Isay speakes of a menstruous cloth get thee hence Isa 30.22 Now as God is a most gratious God never weary of well doing and comforting his people because it is his nature to be mercifull So hee hath suteable expressions of it hee goes on with mercy upon mercy loving kindnesse upon loving kindnesse Hee had promised before I will heale their Backeslidings take in summe all their Apostacie all shall bee healed But this is not all hee answers all the accusations and doubts of Satan who is still objecting against us our unworthinesse miserie wretchednesse to have such favours conferred on such filthy creatures Therefore hee takes of all with this which followeth as they had prayed Receive us gratiously So the answer is full and suitable to their request I will love them freely Put case they out of conscience of their own guilt should see no worth in themselves or cause why they should bee respected yet I see reason in mine owne love I will love them freely Quest But may some say How can God love freely Answ Aske thy selfe doth not a father and a mother love their child freely what doth the child deserve of the father and mother a great while Nothing but the mother hath many a weary night and foule hand with it Hath God planted an affection in us to love our children freely and shall not God much more who gives this love and plants it in us bee admitted to love freely But indeed there is absurdity and infidelity in distrust For it is against reason to deny the mighty God that which wee have in our selves If hee did not love freely how could hee love at all what could hee fore-see in us to love us for before hand the very manhood of Christ deserved not the grace of union it was freely given I will love them freely That which first of al we observe hence is this much Observ That God loves his people freely So Rom. 5.8 9. Saith the Apostle God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more being justified by his blood wee shall bee saved from wrath through him The like wee have in Ezekiell saith God Ezek. 36.22 Therefore say unto the house of Israell thus saith the Lord God I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israell but for mine holy Names sake which ye have profaned among the heathen whether ye went Adam when hee had sinned that maine great sinne what did hee fly from God run away Gen. 3.12 13. and when God called to him and debated the matter with him he accused God and excused himselfe Yet for all this God pittied him and cloathed him and made him that promise of the blessed seed What desert was there here in Adam nay rather the quite contary yet God loved him freely The same may bee said of Saint Paul for the time past a persecuter what deserving was therein him none at all yet hee found Gods free love in his conversion Act. 9.15 for saith God to Ananias Hee is a chosen vessell unto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles Heere was no deserving in Saint Paul Act. 9.5 but Gods free election which in time tooke place and so wee may say of the Prodigall having spent all Luk. 15.20 his Father pardoned all and loved him freely Reason 1 The Reason hereof is 1. Because it is his name and nature to bee gratious Exo. 34.6 and to loue freely and whatsoever is Gods nature that hath a freedome in the working
Reason 2 2. Because no creature can deserve any thing at Gods hands 1. Because by nature wee are all Gods enemies and therefore what can enemies deserve nothing but wrath and vengeance 2. If we have any graces they are the gift of God and therefore wee deserve nothing by them they being of his owne gift So saint Iames speakes Iam. 1.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from the Father of lights with whom is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning And Saint Paul saith That of him and through him and to him are all things Rom. 11.36 what should follow heereupon To whom be glory for ever Vse 1 This in the first place serves for reproofe of our adversaries of the Romish Church who say that God loves us for something foreseene in us which is good or for somewhat which in time wee would doe to deserve favour at his hands but both are false the cause of love is free from himselfe for when wee have done our best Luk. 17.10 yet saith the Holy Ghost wee are unprofitable servants Vse 2 Secondly It is for reproofe of Gods owne deare children who because they finde no deserving in themselves are therefore discouraged at the sight of their owne unworthinesse whereas quite contrary the sight of our owne unworthinesse should make us the more fit subjects for Christs free love which hath nothing to doe with them that stand upon deserving Many of Gods deare children are troubled with temptations doubts and feares of Gods love and favour towards them because they expect to finde it in the fruits of Grace and not in free Grace it selfe If wee would have any sound peace let us look for it in free Grace Therefore the blessed Apostle in the entrance of his salutations in his Epistles still joyneth Grace and then Peace to shew us that if wee looke for sound Peace wee can no where finde it but in Grace Wee would finde Peace in the Grace that is in us but it is labour in vaine for wee shall never finde it but in free Grace Vse 3 Hence wee may also bee comforted in the certainety of our salvation for that grace and love and favour whereby wee are saved is in God not in us Now whatsoever is in him is immutable and sure So saith the Apostle Neverthelesse the foundation of God standeth sure 2 Tim 2.19 having this seale the Lord knoweth them that are his and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Where speaking of election which comes from the free love of God hee makes that a sure foundation to build on if there bee a reformation to depart from iniquity wee may be comfortably assured of our salvation And as it is with Election so is it with all the other fruits of God love Vocation Rom. 3.24 Joh. 13.1 Adoption Iustification and Perseverance the foundation of God fastly sealed in the way of holinesse stands good and sure in all Vse 4 This further teacheth us Thankfulnesse unto God who hath so freely loved us for if there were deserving on our part what place were left for thankfulnesse We know one who deserves nothing and hath small matters bestowed upon him at least will be thankfull for such favours But when one is so farre from deserving any thing that by the contrary hee deserveth all plagues and punishments hath yet many and aboundant mercies bestowed freely upon him this doth exceedingly provoke especially a generous spirit to a suitable thankfulnesse as much as may be Vse 5 And let it likewise breed Confidence in us to God in all our miseries both for pardon of sinne helpe in distresse and comfort in sorrowes because he loves us freely and did love us whilst we were enemies make therefore upon all occasions the Apostles use of it For if when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God Rom. 5.10 by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled wee shall be saved by his life I will love them freely In the next place from hence we observe another point which necessarily followeth upon the former Observ That God did not then begin to love them when he said I will love them freely but to discover that love unto them which hee carried unto them from all eternity For instance hereof Saint Paul was beloved of God ere God manifested his love unto him as hee testifieth of himselfe that the discoverie of this free love was Gal. 1.15.16 when it pleased God who seperated me from my mothers wombe and called mee by his Grace to reveale his sonne in mee c. So Ephes 1.3 4. The Apostle blesseth God in his salutation unto them who had blessed them with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ But whence fetcheth hee the ground hereof According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and unblameable before him in love Ephe. 1.4 Wee need not multiply places more to prove it our adversaries would faine seeme to cleere God onely in all and so shrowd their arguments under such needlesse pretences shift of all places name wee never so many with their strong heads distinctions and sophismes But God will one day give them no thankes for their labour the will of God how unequall soever in our eyes who cannot with our shallow conceits sound the depth of such misteries being ground enough to justifie all his actions whatsoever Wee will therefore come to some Reasons of the point Reason 1 Because Whatsoever is in God manifested in time is eternall and everlasting in him without beginning and ending for wh tsoever is in God is God 1 Joh. 4.8 Joh. 14.6 God is not loving but Love and he is not onely true but Truth it selfe hee is not wise onely but Wisdome it selfe And therefore his love discovered in time must needs bee from all eternity Reason 2 Secondly Jf God did then first begin to love us when he manifested his love unto us then there should be a change in God because hee should love them now that hee did not formerly love As wee see those who loved Paul after his Conversion loved him not before there was then a change in the Church in which case if God should so love hee should bee changeable and so be like unto man Reason 3 And then againe Christs Prayer Iohn 17. makes it cleere that the love of God beginneth not with the manifestation thereof for Christ there knowing all the Fathers secrets as comming out of the bosome of the Father intimates the contrary where he makes one end of his prayer for them to be Ioh. 17.23 That the world may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me Now how he loved Christ is also shewed a little after For thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world Joh. 17.24 Therefore the Saints and Children of God are loved
God Doe good to us spirituall that needs no limitation because wee cannot more honour God then to depend upon him for all spirituall good things Thou art wiser and knowest what is good for us better then we our selves beggars ought to be no choosers therefore Doe good to us for the particulars wee leave them to thy wisedome O Beloved it is a happy and blessed priviledge to be under the conduct of so wise and All-sufficient a God who is good and as hee is good knowes best what is good for us We would have riches liberty and health I but it may bee it is not good for us Doe good to us Thou Lord knowest what is best doe in thine owne wisedome what is best Vse Which should teach us not to limit the Holy one of Israel in our desires of any outward thing whatsoever Especially desire forgivenesse and spirituall good things leaving the rest to his wise disposing Yet notwithstanding out of the sense of paine and griefe wee may pray either for the mitigation or remooving of a crosse if God bee so pleased because hee hath put in us self-selfe-love not sinnefull but love of preserving our nature therefore he permits us if it may stand with his good pleasure to desire the good of our outward man as Lord give us bodily health for we cannot else bee instruments of serving thee With reservation of Gods good pleasure wee may desire such and such things conditionally that when we see God will have it otherwise we rest contented sit downe quietly knowing that whatsoever health sicknesse or crosses hee sends it comes from his goodnesse and love and shall turne to our good at length if wee love God all shall worke for good Take away our iniquity and doe us good wee should make this petition for the Church and our selves pardon our sinnes and doe good to us to our persons to the state to the times wherein we live to the Church at home and abroad doe good to all How to know when blessings enjoyed come from Gods love Anâ— we may observe this from the order and know what good wee have it comes from God in love when it comes after forgivenesse of sinnes How then may wee take comfort of all the good things we have enjoyed having seene many good daies enjoyed many good blessings in health wealth good Magistracie Ministery Peace plenty and the like If all this goodnesse of God leade us to God and draw us neerer unto him after forgivenesse of sinnes grounded on the former evidences I spake of then they come in love But never let us thinke to have true comfort with a blessing or any good thing we enjoy till wee have assurance of Gods love and mercy in the forgivenesse of sinnes least God strip us naked of all the good things wee have and make us as naked as Dives in Hell who had not any thing that was good to refresh his body or soule So that all good things wee enjoy here without this will onely aggravate our condemnation Let us observe therefore how all our good things are joyned with spirituall good whether wee our selves are made better by them or not having our sinnes pardoned I beseech you let us renew our requests for forgivenesse of sinnes every day making our accounts even with God desiring grace to set our soules in a holy and sanctified frame with God that our selves may bee good our conversation good and that then he would doe good to us all other waies and sanctifie all other things This is the Method of Gods Spirit in setting us right onwards in our heavenly journey first to have forgivenesse of sins then sanctification to be better our selves and then to looke for peaceable and comfortable daies in this world if God see it good What can bee more Take away all iniquity and doe us good all manner of good Therefore since all good comes from God the first and chiefe good let us labour to have communion with him by all sanctified meanes that so hee may take away our ill and doe us every way good to our soules bodies conditions O what a blessed thing is it for a Christian to keepe a strict and neere communion with the fountaine of goodnesse who can doe more for us then all the world besides When we are sick on our death beds or when conscience is throughly awaked then to speake peace comfortably to us in this great extremitie is more worth then all this world Therefore let us labour to keepe communion with God that he may speake peace to our soules when nothing else can I beseech you therefore let us take heed how we breake or walke loosely with God seeing wee can have no further comfort of any good thing we enjoy then wee are carefull to keepe and maintaine our peace and communion with him at all times and when we run into arrerages with God then bee sure we lie not in sinne but say Take away all iniquity and doe good to us labouring to bee in such an estate as God may give us his holy Spirit both to make us good and sanctifie unto us all other good There bee good things which are are good of themselves and which make all other things good Thus by communion with God we our selves are made good and all other things likewise are made good to us all his waies being mercy and truth unto those who feare him Therefore resigne we our selves and all that we have unto his wisedome and disposing because oftimes there is good where wee imagine the worst of evills to be as it is sometimes good to have a veine opened Simile to be purged the Physitian thinkes so when yet the Patient impatient of Reasons issue thinkes not so But as the Physitian is wiser then the Patient to know what is best for him so God is wiser then man to know what is good for him who intends us no hurt when he purgeth us by affliction All our care therefore should be to annihilate our selves to come with empty poore soules to God Doe good to us In which case it is no matter what our ill bee if hee doe us good who hath both pardon and rich grace to remoove the evill of sinne and convey all grace unto us out of his rich Treasurie So will we render the calves of our lips Here is the Restipulation or promise they Returne backe againe to God for there is no friendship maintained without rendring when God hath entred into Covenant with us then there is a kinde of friendship knit up betwixt him and us he becomming our friend We must not therefore be like graves to swallow up all and returne nothing for then the inter-course betwixt God and us is cut off Therefore the same Spirit which teaches them to pray and to Take to them words teacheth them likewise to take unto them words of Praise that there may bee a Rendring according to Receiving without which we are worse then
and pleasant So that we have here to consider 1. The favour and blessing that he promiseth to be as the dew to Israell 2. The excellency of it in divers particulars 3. The order wherein it is promised Before we come to the wordes themselves if we remember and read over the former part of the prophecie we shall find it full of terrible curses all opposite unto that here promised to shew Observ Wee can never be in so disconsolate a state but God can alter all That God hath a salve for all sores He hath a right hand as well as a left Blessings as well as Curses Mercie as well as Iustice which is more proper to his nature then that Therefore let Christian soules never be discouraged with their condition and state whatsoever it is Reason Eccles 7.14 For as there are many maladies so there are many remedies opposite to them as Salomon saith This is set over against that c. Jf there be a thousand kinds of ills there are many thousand kindes of remedies For Zach. 1 19 20 21. God is larger in his helpes then we can be in our diseases and distresses whatsoever they are therefore it is good to make this use of it Vse To be so conceited of God as may draw us neerer unto him upon all occasions Againe We see here how large the Spirit of God is in expressions of the particulars I will be as the dew unto Israell and hee shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his rootes as Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty be large c. Whereunto tends all this largenesse of expression God doth it in mercy unto us who especially need it being in a distressed disconsolate estate Therefore they are not words wastfully spent we may marvaile sometimes in Isaiah and so in some other Prophets to see the same things in substance so often repeated though with variety of lively expressions as it is for the most part the manner of every Prophet Surely because it is usefull and profitable the people of God need it There is nor never was any man in a drouping sinking condition but he desires line upon line word upon word promise upon promise expression upon expression Object One would thinke is not a word of God sufficient Answ Yes for him but not for us we have doubting and drouping hearts and therefore God adds Sacraments and Seales not onely one Sacrament but two and in the Sacrament not onely Bread but Wine also to shew that Christ is all in all What large expressions are here thinks a prophane heart what needs this As if God knew us not better then we know our selves Whensoever thou art touched in conscience with the sence of thy sinnes and knowest how great how powerfull how Holy a God thou hast to deale with who can indure no impure thing thou wilt never find fault with his large expressions in his Word and Sacraments and with the variety of his promises when hee translates out of the booke of nature into his owne booke all expressions of excellent things to spread forth his mercy and love Is this needlesse No we need all he that made us redeemed us preserves us knowes us better then we our selves he who is infinite in wisedome and love takes this course And marke againe in the next place how the Holy Ghost fetcheth here this comfort from things that are most excellent in their kinde They shall grow as the Lillie that growes fairely and speedily And they shall take roote as Lebanon to shew that a Christian should be the excellentest in his kinde he compares him in his right temper and state to the most excellent things in nature To the Sunne to Lions Trees of Lebanon Cedars and Olive Trees for fruitfullnesse and all to shew that a Christian should not be an ordinary man All the excellencies of nature are little enough to set out the excellency of a Christian he must be an extraordinary singular man Saith Christ What singular thing doe yee He must not be a common man Therefore when God would raise his people he tells them they should not be common men but grow as Lillies be rooted as Trees fruitfull as Olives and pleasant beautifull as the goodly sweet-smelling trees of Libanus How gratiously doth God condescend unto us to teach us by outward things how to helpe our soules by our senses that when we see the growth fruitfulnesse and sweetnesse of other things we should call to mind what we should be and what God hath promised we shall be if we take this course and order formerly prescribed Indeed a wise Christian indowed with the Spirit of God extracts a quintessence out of every thing especially from those that God singles out to teach him his duty by when he lookes upon any plant fruite or tree that is pleasant delightfull and fruitfull it should put him in minde of his duty I will be as the dew te Israell c. These sweet promises in their order follow immediately upon this that God would freely love them and cease to be angry with them then he adds the fruits of his love to their soules and the effects of those fruits in many particulars whence first of all we observe Observ Gods love is a fruitfull love Wheresoever he loves he makes the things lovely we see things lovely and then we love them but God so loves us that in loving us he makes us lovely So saith God by the Prophet I have seene his wayes and will heale him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners Ezek 16.2 3. Isa 5 7 18. And from this experience of the fruitfulnesse of Gods love the Church is brought in rejoycing Jsa 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soule shall be joyfull in my God for hee hath cloathed mee with the garments of salvation hee hath covered mee with the robe of righteousnesse as a bridegroome decketh himselfe with ornaments and as a bride adorneth her selfe with her jewels Thus he makes us such as may be aimeable objects of his love that he may delight in Reason For his love is the love as of a gratious so of a powerfull God that can alter all things to us and us to all things he can bring us good out of every thing and doe us good at all times according to the Churches Prayer Doe good unto us Vse Wherefore seeing God can doe us good and since his love is not only a pardoning love to take away his anger but also so compleat and fruitfull a love so full of spirituall favours I will be as the dew unto Israell and hee shall grow up as the Lillie c. Let us stand more upon Gods love then we have formerly done and strive to have our hearts inflamed with love towards God againe As the Prophet David doth Psa 116 1. I love the Lord because hee hath heard my voice and
my supplications It may be for outward condition that even where God loves they may goe backewards so and so but for their best part their soules God will be as the Dew to them and they shall grow as Lebanon God will bee good to them in the best things And a Christian when he begins to know what the best things are concerning a better life he then learneth to valew spirituall blessings and favours above all other whatsoever Therfore God suits his promises to the desires of his children that he would water their drie soules that he would be as the dew unto them Gods love is a fruitfull love and fruitfull in the best things As we know what David saith There be many who say who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us Thou hast put gladnesse in my heart Psa 4.6 7. more then in the time that their corne and their wine increased So God fits his gratious promise answerable to the desires of a gratious heart I will be as the Dew to Israell To come to the words in particular 2. The excellencies of Dew in divers particulars Quest Answ for this is the ground of all that followes I will be as the Dew unto Israell How will God be as the Dew to Israell This is especially meant of and performed to the Church under the New Testament especially next unto Christs time Why the Grace of God is compared to Dew when the Dew of grace fell in greatest aboundance upon the Church The Comfortable Sanctifying Fruitfull Grace of God is compared to Dew in many respects 1. Because it comes freely from God First The Dew doth come from above God sends it it drops from above and cannot bee commanded by the creature So all other gifts and especially this perfect gift the Grace of God comes from above from the Father of lights there is no principle of grace naturally within a man It is as childish to think that Grace comes from any principle within us as to thinke that the dew which fals upon a stone is the sweat of the stone as children think that the stone sweats when it is the dew that 's fallen upon it Certainely our hearts in regard of themselves are barren and dry wherfore Gods Grace in regard of the Originall is compared to Dew which should teach us to go to God as the Church doth here and pray him to deale gratiously with us to do good to us for this cause laying open our soules unto him to shed his Grace into them Grace comes insensibly and invisibly Thirdly The Dew doth fall Insensibly and Invisibly So the Grace of God wee feele the comfort sweetnesse and operation of it but it fals insensibly without observation Jnferiour things heere feele the sweet and comfortable influence of the Heavens but who sees the active influence upon them which how it is derived from superiour bodies to the inferiour is not observable as our Saviour speakes of the beginnings of grace and workings of it Ioh. 3.1 The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth or whether it goeth so is every one that is borne of the Spirit Jt workes we know not how we feele the worke but the manner of working is unknowne to us Grace therefore is wrought undiscernably No man can see the conversion of another nay no man allmost can discerne his owne conversion at first Therefore this Question should not much trouble you shew us the first houre the first time of your conversion and entrance into the state of grace Grace to many falls like the dew by little and little drop and drop line upon line it falls sweetly and undiscernably upon them at the first Therefore it is hard to set downe the first time seeing as our blessed Saviour speakes grace at the first is wondrous little likened to a graine of Mustard-seed But though it be small at first Mark 4.31 32. yet nothing is more glorious and beautifull afterwards for from a small seed it growes to over-spread and be great shooting out branches And as the roote of Iesse was a despised stock and in shew a dead roote yet thence Christ rose a branch as high as Heaven So the beginning of a Christian is despised and little like a dead stocke as it were Pro. 4.18 but they grow upward and upward still till they come to Heaven it selfe Thus we see there is nothing in the world more undiscernable in the beginning then the worke of grace which must make us not over-curious to examine exactly the first beginnings thereof because it is as the falling of the Dew or the blowing of the winde Againe as it fals undiscernably and invisibly Grace workes sweetly and mildly upon the soule so very sweetly and mildly not violating the nature or course of any thing but rather helping and cherishing the same or if it make any chang in any thing it doth it mildly and gently So usually unlesse it be in some extraordinary case God workes upon the soule by his grace mildly and sweetly Grace works sweetly upon the soule preserving its freedome so as man when he begins to be good shall be freely good from inward principles wrought in him His judgment shall like the course hee takes and be cleane opposite to others that are contrary from an inward principle as free now in altering his course as formerly he was in following the other There is no violence but in regard of corruption God works strongly and mildly strongly for he changeth a stone into a fleshie heart and yet sweetly he breakes not any power of nature but advanceth it for grace doth not take away or imprison nature but lift it up and set it at liberty for it makes the will stronger and freer the judgment sounder the understanding cleerer the affections more orderly it makes all things better so that no violence is offered to nature Againe Grace is compared to Dew In regard of the Operations of Dew For what effects hath Dew upon the earth first it cooles the ayre when it fals and then with coolenesse it hath a fructifying vertue for falling especially on tender hearbs and plants it soakes into the roote of them and makes them fruitfull So it is with the Grace of Gods Spirit it cooles the soule scorched with the sense of Gods Anger as indeed all our soules will be when we have to deale with God who is a consuming fire till we take that course to looke upon him in Christ for the pardon of sinne Heb 12.29 after which his Grace and the sense of it cooleth asswageth and speakes peace to an uncomfortable disconsolate heart This voice Sonne be of good comfort 1. Grace like dew is a cooler thy sins are forgiven thee O! this hath a cooling in it and this also This day shalt thou be with me in Parradice O!
particular Christian and it is very necessary it should be so for without growth neither can we give God his due Honour nor he receive the smell of a sweet Sacrifice from us as is fit Nor can we without it with-stand our enemies or beare our crosses that God may call us too Againe without growth and strength we cannot performe those great duties that God requires at our hands of Thankfulnesse nor doe things so cheerefully and sweetly as may be comfortable to us In summe without growth wee can doe nothing acceptably either to God or his people the more Grace the more acceptance Which is spoken that wee may value the Promises this especially that we shall grow up in Grace and Knowledge as the Lillie and cast forth our rootes as Lebanon But how shall wee come to grow Answ Goe to God that we may continually have from him the sanctifying dew of his grace goe first for pardon of sinne 1. We must goe to God claiming the promises in a right order then for a heart to reforme our wayes to enter in a new covenant for the time to come that wee will not trust in Ashur but will renounce our particular personall sinnes after which we shall find sanctifying grace so as the dew of Gods Spirit will make us grow therefore take this order to improove the promises Goe to God for his love in Christ for the pardoning of sinne and accepting of us in him that we may find a sence of his love in accepting of our persons in the pardoning of our sinne which is the ground of love for then this sence of his love will kindle our love towards him againe feeling that we are in the state of grace Then goe to God for his promise in this order Lord thou hast promised that thou wilt be as the dew and that we shall grow as Lillies make good thy promise then that I may finde the effectuall power of it transforming my soule into the blessed Image of thy deare Sonne And know 2. We must use all meanes of growth that we must use all the meanes of growth together with the promise for in the things of this life if a man were assured that the next yeare would be a very plentifull yeare would men therefore because they were thus forewarned hang up their plowes and not prepare their ground no but they would the rather be encouraged to take paines because they know that howsoever God be pleased to vouchsafe plenty yet he will doe it in the use of meanes observing and depending on his Providence So when he hath made gratious promises of the Dew of his Grace and of growth as Lillies c. This implyeth a subordinate serving of his gratious Providence therefore it is a way to stirre us up unto the use of all meanes rather and not to take us off from them Gen. 17.8 Even as God when hee told the Israelites I will give you the Land ef Canaan did onely promise it leaving the remainder to their conquest in the use of meanes Should this have made them cast away their swords No but it was that they might fight and fight the more couragiously So when God hath promised growth in Grace should this make us carelesse O no it should make us more diligent and carefull and comforts us in the use of meanes knowing that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. 1 Cor. 15.58 Now Lord I know I shall not loose my labour in hearing in receiving of the Sacrament in the communion of Saints and use of sanctified Meanes for thou hast made a gratious promise that I shall grew as the Lillie and that thou wilt be as the Dew unto me therefore make thy good worke begun effectuall unto my poore soule that it may flourish and bee refreshed as a watred garden But there are severall sorts of growth formerly touched either 1. A growing upward or 2. A growing in the roote or 3. A Spreading and growing in the Fruit and Sweetnesse Therefore Christians must not alwayes looke to have their growth in one and the same place but must wisely consider of Gods prudent dealing with his children in this kinde as will bee further seene hereafter in the particulars Hee shall cast forth his rootes as Lebanon That is He shall cast and spread and so put forth his rootes as Lebanon he shall grow upward and downeward in regard of firmenesse he shall be more rooted Jn what proportion Trees grow upwards in that proportion they take roote downewards because otherwise they may be top heavy and overturne a blast of winde taking advantage of their talnesse and weakenesse to roote them out the sooner therefore proportionable to their spreading above there must be a rooting in the ground As the prophet speakes to Hezekiah of Gods people 2 King 19.30 And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Iudah shall yet againe take roote downeward and beare fruit upward There must be firmenesse in the roote as well as growth in the branches for which cause God here promiseth to the Church and every Christian stability and fixednesse that as he groweth upward like the Lillie so he should grow downward firme and strong Quest Now whence comes this rootednesse and firme stabilitie of Gods Children Answ The cause of the Saints stability Ioh 1.16 Especially from this that they are now in the Covenant of grace rooted in Christ who is God-man in whom they are firmely rooted In Adam we had a roote of our owne but now our roote is in Christ All grace is first powred into Christs blessed Nature and then at a second hand Out of his fulnesse we all receive grace for grace Being rooted in Christ we become firme for there is in him an everlasting marriage and union Rom. 11.18 The Roote beareth us wee beare not the Roote Christ beareth us wee beare not him So now in the covenant of grace all the firmenesse is out of us Even as salvation it selfe was wrought out of us by a Mediatour so it is kept by a Mediatour out of us all goodnesse grace and favour of God to us is not in us but in Christ but it is so out of us as Christ and we are one But now we onely speake of the cause of our firmenesse and stability that because we are in the state of grace we have an everlasting firmenesse as we are in Christ Jesus God now making a second covenant he will not have it disanulled as the first was Lev. 18.5 for his second workes are better then his first His first Covenant was Doe this and live but his second is Rom. 10.9 Beleeve this and live So as howsoever our state in grace be but little yet it is of a blessed growing spreading firme nature so sure as what is begun in grace will end in glory where God gives the first fruits he will give tenths yea the full harvest and all Because by
or backeward for affections are planted in the soule answerable to things aimed at by it For as in the nature of things there be good and bad delightfull and hatefull hurting or pleasing so answerably God hath framed the soule to the nature of things That the soule hath affections suitable to the things it aimeth at For good things God hath planted affections in us to joyne claspe imbrace them and welcome them as Love Joy Delight and such like And for evill things he hath planted affections to avoid them That Religion is especially in the affections as indignation hatred and the like Indeed Religion is mainely in the affections whereof there is excellent use take away them and take away all Religion whatsoever A man were it not for his affections is like Mare mortuum the dead sea that never stirreth Therefore it is but a doting idle conceit of these rigid men that take away affections much like the follie of them who because they have beene drunke with wine doe therefore cut up all the vines But the way were to moderate the excesse not to cut up the vines So for the affections wee must not roote them up or cut them downe but order them aright For what doth the first Commandent require Thou shalt have no other gods but mee But a right ordering of all the affections of the soule Ioy delight trust and feare and the whole frame of them to be carried to God For the inward worship of God is nothing else but the excellent working of these affections sutably to the Law with the detestation of the contrary It is not knowledge that makes a man a good man but the affections the Divell and wicked spirits know much but they have no love joy or delight in them Therefore we must value our selves and things as we are in our will and affections for so God valueth us and we should value others thereby This well done would bring us a wondrous deale of comfort and stop our too much and rigid judging and censuring of others Ephraim shall say what have I any more to doe with Idols Now in particular we see here that Ephraim not onely leaveth Idols but there is planted in him a sound indignation against them whence we may learne Observ That it is not enough to leave sinne but we must loath sinne also A notable place to this purpose we have in the Prophecie of Isaiah what they should doe after their conversion in the case of hatred to Idolatry Isa 30.22 Yee shall defile also the covering of thy graven Images of silver and the ornament of thy molten Images of gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it get thee hence There is a hatred and a strong loathing indignttion against sinne when it is discovered in the pollution and vilenesse thereof which affection of hatred God hath planted to draw the soule away from any thing that is truely hurtfull to it It is not enough to leave sin for some by ends as feare of punishment shame and the like but we must loath it also The Prophet David when he professeth his love to the law Psal 119.163 how prooveth he it I hate and abhorre lying Psal 13â— 21 And so againe Doe not I hate them O Lord that hate thee and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with perfect hatred I account them mine enemies Here is hatred and perfect hatred with abhomination Reason 1 The Reason is because God is a Spirit and lookes to the bent of our spirits seeing what we love and what we hate Iohn 4.24 therfore the strength of this consideration draweth the soule to hate and love with God as hee hates and loves and as much as may be to hate sinne as he doth Reason 2 And then againe he requireth our heart especially My sonne give me thy heart Give me thy love in that which is good and hate that which is ill What ill we leave we must hate first and what good we doe we must first love or else we shall never doe either of them acceptably to purpose What the heart doth not is not done in Religion if it hath no hand in the avoiding of ill it is not avoided if it have no hand in the doing of good it is not done before God Therefore in true conversion there must be a loathing of sinne Reason 3 Thirdly Because in all true conversion there is a new nature put in us now the New Creature which partaketh of the Divine Nature whereby we resemble God it hath an Antipathy to the greatest ill which is sinne the cause of all other evils whatsoever which maketh us opposite to God defileth the soule and hindereth our sweet communion with him A new Creature we know hath a new disposition and is opposite to the works of the flesh they are contrary to one another so that we see it cleere that we must not onely leave but loath sinne Quest. But how may we know discerne and trie this true hatred of sinne Answ Our hatred of sinne is 1. when it is universall First true hatred is universall he who hates ill truely hates it universally in the whole kinde As we see in wicked men and divels who hate God and all goodnesse so on the contrary those that are good hate all ill whatsoever whether it pleasure or displeasure them they stand not upon it they hate the very nature of all ill Those whose obedience and affections are partiall they hate some evills but not others which is not true hatred wrought by the Spirit of God for that is universall to the whole kinde 2. Implacable Then also wheresoever true hatred is it is unplacable and unappeasable there 's no true end of sound hatred but by the abolishing altogether of that thing it hates as we see the hatred of Satan to the Church and people of God is unappeasable and unquenchable nothing in the world can stay Satans hatred nor the hatred of his instruments who hate the remembrance of Gods people Therefore the very name of Calvin and Luther must be put out of their bookes to satisfie their hatred Not onely when they are dead burne their bones but abolish their memory if they can So there is the like disposition in Gods people to that which is ill A godly disposition it hateth sinne even to the death and is not quiet untill all sinne be abolished Whereupon it is never quiet in this life but desires Heaven not enduring patiently the least reliques and rags of sinne desiring that that which it so hateth might have no being at all Those who mince and cull things who are so gentle and tender towards their sinnes and corruptions in themselves and others is this that hatred which is unappeasable and never rests till it see either a through Reformation or abolishing of what it so hateth Wherin it is a
I am a man of uncleane lips c. for mine eyes have seene the King the Lord of Hostes Thus when once he had communion with God he began to loath himselfe So if we would hate evill let us labour more and more to be holy and to increase in that divine affection of love For in what measure wee love that which is good in that measure we hate the evill As it is Psal 97.10 Yee that love the Lord hate evill Insinuating that all that love the Lord hate evill All those that are neere unto God they hate all sin the more they grow into communion with God the more they grow in the hatred of all that is contrary Let us therfore never talk of love to God and of Piety and such like for if there be any grace or communion with God we hate all sin in that measure as God hateth he who hath no zeale to reforme that which God hateth he hath no love at all 2. Wee must set before us what sinne is in itselfe Againe the way to stir us up to hate sin in our selves and others out of that hatred to reforme it is to set before us what it is in it selfe that it is the loathsomest thing in the world worse then the Divel himself for it is sin which makes him a Divell That Corruption Pride Worldlines and Profanesse which we cherish is worse then the Divell himself because this made him a Divell Let us make sin therfore as loathsome as we can and then we shall hate it And let us present it to our soules as the most dangerous thing of all the ill of ills which bringeth all other evills upon us This may appeare more ugly in our sight in that the foulenesse thereof could not bee expiated but by the death of the Sonne of God And consider what great torments he hath prepared for that which we so cherish this proud sinfull and carnall disposition of ours so opposite to all goodnesse God hath appointed to punish it with eternall seperation from his presence It maketh God hate his owne creatures Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire Mat. 25.41 prepared for the Divell and his Angels 3. Wee must consider the dangerous condition of unrepenting sinners And to stir us up to reforme sin in all that belong unto us we must consider the dangerous condition that they live and die in in whom this not reformed Eternall torments and seperation is from God These things may help to work in our hearts a hatred of sin and from this hatred a Reformation of it with zeale and indignation Therefore let us labour more and more for this temper of soule that we may be like God and carry the Characters of the Children of God in us There is no affection will distinguish us from Hypocrits more then hatred which commeth of love which is the first borne and breeding affection of all others For why doe we hate any thing but because it is opposite to that we love why doe we hate ill but because it is opposite to God and to Christ whom we love amongst others take we along this consideration with us that it is the Speare which wounded our blessed Saviour and that it is that he hates most which we love most Consider the Holinesse of God that he would punish it in his owne sonne ere it should not be punished 4. Wee must consider it is the bane of all our comforts And consider that it is the bane of all our comfort this which we so cherish and that it imbitters all things to us We cannot rejoyce no not in the good blessings of God whilst we are guilty of sinne Psal 66.18 neither can we pray comfortably whilst our hearts regard it In this case that which should rejoyce the heart communion with God Psal 50.16 is terrible to us What have I to doe to take his name in my mouth when I embrace such sinnes The day of judgement is terrible also for how can a man thinke comfortably thereof if therewith hee expect a heavie doome for his sinnes he liveth in So we may say of the day of death none of these can be thought upon without terror when therewithall it commeth to ones minde the cutting off from their sinnes 2 Cor. 5.11 and the terror of the Lord against all sinne whatsoever It should be the joy of our hearts to thinke of these happy times therefore there must needs be a great deale of sinne and Atheisme in our hearts when we cannot thinke comfortably of them For either wee believe not these things and so are plaine Atheists or else if we beleeve them wee are exceeding foolish to loose future joyes for the poore pleasures of sinne for a season 5. We must grow in the love of grace and goodnesse Let us labour to grow in grace more more for the more we grow in the love of God and of of good things the more we shall hate sin for whatsoever may be said for the growth of love cherishing of it to good things the same may be said for the hatred of ill in a contrary sense The last helpe shall be to place and drive our affections a contrary way 6. Change the object to its right opposite to translate and place them on a contrary object when they are stirred up to evill attempts As when Hatred is stirred up direct it to its proper object sinne when Love is irregular thinke with our selves that God hath not planted this affection for this object but to carry me another way J must love God above all and all that hee loveth for his sake Hath God put Love and Hatred into my heart to hate my brother whom I should love and to love the Divell and hate God O no! I should love God above all and my brother as my selfe and hate the Divell and all his workes whom J have renounced in my Baptisme therefore in distempers of the affections make a diversion and turne them the right way As Physitians use to doe when the distempered blood runs dangerously one way If they cannot stop that they open a veine to drive the course of the blood another way So it is Christian pollicie when the affections run dangerously one way then to reflect thus upon our selves I but is this the end why God hath placed this affection in me Certainely no he hath planted this affection in me for another purpose Therefore I will hate that which I should hate sinne in generall and my owne sinne most of all which makes me hate my brother This should be our daily taske and study to take off the affections where they should not be placed and to fix them where they should be placed and there to let them goe amaine the faster the better restraining them where they should not runne out Thus we ought to temper our selves and to worke in our selves as much as may be a sound
works the fruit of grace and comfort in us and afterwards rewards and crownes his owne fruite but we add imperfections and inventions of our owne and so marre or staine all but we deale with a gratious God in covenant who pitties us as a Father doth his children accepts and rewards what is his and pardons what is our owne Therefore let this much be effectuall for the guiding of our lives and comforting of us in a good course If we take ill courses we must looke for no fruit from God but fruits of his displeasure if we eate of the forbidden tree we shall eate and reape the fruits of our own waies bitter fruits for in this case Jesus Christ who is a sweet Saviour will be a Judge to us and he who is the Lambe of God will be angry so as we shall reape the fruit of his indignation In the Revelation Reve. 6.16 divers are brought in desiring the hils and mountaines to fall upon them to cover them from the presence of the Lamb. Let us not therefore turne a sweet Saviour to a rigorous Judge by adventuring upon courses wherein we cannot looke for fruit but let us commend our soules in well-doing unto him as unto a faithfull Creator and Redeemer 1 Pet. 4.19 And as it is Proverbs 3. Let us acknowledge him in all our wayes for it is good to acknowledge and looke to him that is looke to him for strength quickning successe grace and light to direct us acknowledge him in all our wayes and treasure up this comfort that all fruit is found from God If wee take good courses wee shall ever be fruitfull and have fruit from him out of his fulnesse for saith hee From mee is thy fruite found The end of the thirteenth Sermon THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON HOS 14.10 Who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them for the wayes of the Lord are equall the just shall walke in them but the transgressors shall fall therein THese wordes seale up the whole Prophecy for the Prophet immediately before prophecying of the captivity discovers to them at length their sinnes as we heard their Idolatry adding new Idols to their former Idols Baall to the Calves the Princes remooved the bounds old orders and lawes the Prophets they were fooles and did not see the judgements of God hanging over their heads and none of them all could see their gray-haires that is the signes of their owne ruine After which out of a Christian love care and conscience of his duty by direction of the Spirit of God hee prescribes an excellent way how they should carry themselves by returning to the Lord take words unto your selves renounce all false confidence in Ashur and all domesticke helps at home horses and the like and flye to God as your best Sanctuarie Then hee shewes what God will doe to them answer all the desires he had put into their hearts I will heale their Backeslidings and love them freely c. Now because these were great matters of great consequence to make them either happy in the observing them or miserable in neglecting them you see how he shuts up all in a most weighty close Who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them for the wayes of the Lord are equall c. Wherein the scope of the Prophet is to stirre up a holy regard of what hath beene spoken he would not have all lost for want of attention or application and therefore he here stirs them up to a holy use of all which stirring up is excellently and figuratively cloathed with an Epiphonemy or acclamation who is wise and he shall understand these things c. He doth not say let men understand these things but who is wise and who is prudent Let them consider of these things and then the Exhortation is back't with many Reasons 1. Jt is wisdome and prudence to regard these things that J have spoken who is wise and who is prudent 2. And then againe they are the wayes of God that are spoken off and they are straight and equall in themselves 3. And they leade to happinesse directly without winding and turning a man is sure to attaine his journeys end in them and if they will take example of those who onely are exemplary to them he tels them the Iust shall walke in them they shall not walke alone they shall have the company of a cloud of witnesses who prosper and walke on cheerefully in this way and attaine happinesse in the end 4. Then the last argument is taken from the contrary end of all them who cavill and snarle at Gods wayes and truth that thinke themselves witty to picke quarrels with somewhat in Gods booke as it is a common fashion now a dayes to have a divinity of mens owne Transgressors such as are opposite to Gods wayes they shall fall in these wayes that is they take offence at these wayes and so fall into sinne and by falling into sinne fall into misery till at last they fall into Hell which is the end of all quarrellers with divine truth they fall and dash themselves upon them and so eternally perish Now these are strong and forcible reasons to inforce care and attention of what hath been spoken it is Wisdome and Prudence and the wayes of the Lord here are streight and then all godly people walke in them and those that stumble at them are sure to perish and doe perish in them not that they are a cause of their perishing but by reason of the malice of men finding fault and picking quarrels with them they fall first into sinne and then into misery thus we have the scope of the words Who is wise and he shall understand these things First of all we must know that the Prophet here in this figurative speech makes a kinde of Exclamation who is wise he doth as it were secretly mourne at the Apostacy and fewnesse of those that be truely wise as if he had said I have given you many directions and shewed you what sinnes lead to destruction I have shewed what course yee are to take and the bountie of God to those that Returne but Who is Wise and Prudent to regard these things Jn the words therefore in regard of the speaker the Prophet we may observe this ere we come particularly to them the character of a holy mercifull gratious and wiseman that when he hath spoken things to excellent purpose he would not have those things lost but out of mercy and compassion mingled with a great deale of heavenly wisdome would have the best fruit of all he hath spoken Which was the custome of the men of God in the Scriptures the Spirit of God leading them to strike the naile home when they taught truths to lay the word close upon the conscience as much as they could What is the whole book of Deutrenomie as the word signifieth but a repeating of the former
the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes Vse 1 Since then the wayes of God are so Right Just Pure and Perfect this is first for Reproofe of them that adde hereunto as our Romish adversaries who doe heerein by their traditions and additions condemne God either of want of Wisedome Love and Goodnesse or of all So as all defects charged upon the Word are charged upon God himselfe who did not better provide and fore-see for his Church what was good for it But the Wise man condemneth this their audacious boldnesse where he saith Adde thou not unto his words Pro 30.6 least he reproove thee and thou be found a lyar They barre reading of the Scriptures or to reade them in english especially least the people become Heriticks They thinke it safe to reade their owne bookes and idle dreames but reject the Word of God and then as Ieremy speakes What wisedome is in them Jer. 8. â— Surely none at all for the onely wisdome is to be governed by Gods most holy word Vse 2 Againe it is for Instruction unto us to rest and rely upon this so holy right pure and perfect word Since it is so sure and firme we are to rest upon the Promises and tremble at the threatnings though we see not present performance of them because not one of them shall faile Mat. 5.28 For saith Christ Heaven and Earth shall passe away but one jot and title of the Law shall not faile What maketh so many judgements to overtake men but their unbeliefe what made their carcases to fall in the wildernesse so as they could not enter into the land of Canaan but their unbeliefe for saith the text of them They could not enter because of unbeliefe Heb. 3. â—9 Infidelity and not beleeving God is the roote and cause of all our woe It beganne with our first Parents and it cleaveth too close unto us even unto this day This commeth from our Atheisme and selfe-love that if a mortall man promise or sweare unto us we beleeve him and rest upon his word but all that the great God can doe unto us by Promises Commandements Threatnings Allurements and gratious Examples will not make us give credit to his word but rather believe Satan and our owne false and deceitfull hearts As for instance Isa 1.18 Isa 50.10 Heb. 13.5 God hath promised that If our sinnes were as red as scarlet yet he will make them whiter then the snow though they be never so strong for us yet he hath promised to subdue them If our wants be never so great yet if we will trust in God he hath promised to relieve us and hath said that he will not faile us nor forsake us if wee cast our care upon him So for the Threatnings we must beleeve that there is never a one of them but they shall come to passe as sure as the promises shall bee made good If these thoughts were firmely fetled in us that the wayes of the Lord are right and therefore must be all accomplished in their time it would make us restlesse to flie from sinne and the punishments threatned which all lye at the doore Gen. 4.7 and will quickly be upon us if they be not avoyded by sound and hearty Repentance Vse 3 Lastly if every commandement be right sure and just then when God commandeth doe it though the apparent danger be never so great and though it be never so contrary to flesh and blood pleasure profit or preferment yet know it is firme and sure and that our happinesse stands in doing it our misery in disobeying it As we know it was with Adam what a suddaine change did his disobedience worke in himself all the world since being leavened with that miserable contagious fal of his And for the whole word this is a generall we never want any good but for want of love and obedience unto it Psal 119.165 Great Prosperity shall they have saith David who love thy law and no evill shall come unto them And we never had nor shall have any hurt but from our unbeliefe and disobedience to the holy pure and perfect word of God which is attended with comfort and prosperity heere and â—â—dlesse Glory heereafter The wayes of the Lord are right In the next place If the wayes of the Lord be right and streight so streight that they leade directly to the right end then it is cleere Observ That the best way to come to a good and right end is to take Gods wayes For it is a right way and the right way is alwayes the shortest way Therefore when men take not Gods wayes prescriptions and courses they goe wide about and seldome or never come to their intended end Gods way is the right way and therefore brings a man to his right end Sometimes men will have their turnings their diverticula and vagaries but they find by experience that Gods wayes they are the right wayes so as they never attaine to comfort and peace untill they come againe into those wayes God untill then suffereth them to be snared and hampered and to eate the fruit of their owne wayes and then they see the difference of Gods wayes and theirs and that Gods wayes are the best and the streightest wayes unto true happinesse Indeed God suffers sometimes men that will have their owne wayes to come quickly to them as some men hasten to be rich and God suffers them to bee rich hastily yet they are none of Gods wayes which they take but climbe up by fraud and deceit I but that is only a particular end which God suffereth them to attaine by bie wayes but what will be the up-shot Where will all these wayes end at length surely in Hell For when a man goes out of the right and streight and direct way to be great in the world he is like a man vvho goes out of his way vvhich is further about who yet when he is in that vvay goes on through thicke and thinne because he will gaine some way He goes on through thickets and hedges faire and foule where he gets many scratches brushes and knocks Do any thinke in the world to attaine his particular ends vvithout the direct vvayes of God God may suffer him to attaine his particular end but vvith many flawes knocks and brushes upon his conscience vvhich many times he carrieth vvith him unto his grave and findes it a great deale better both to attaine unto his particular ends by Gods wayes and to have no more of any thing in the world then he can have vvith a good conscience For though they be good men oft-times God suffers such men to have bruses in their conscience all their dayes that they and others may know that the best way is the streight and right way which at last will bring us best to our end Having thus made it good That the wayes of the Lord are right now for conclusion of all
the Prophet begins to shew the divers effects these right wayes of God have in two sorts of people the godly and wicked 1. That the just shall walke in them 2. That the Transgressors shall fall therein Who be just men The just shall walke in them who be the just men here spoken off Such are just men who give to every one their due that gives God his due in the first place and man in the second place whereby it is framed The just shall walk in them that is they shall proceed and goe on in them till they be come to the end of their race the Salvation of their soules And more particularly They respect all Gods Commandements Just men first are such who have a respect unto al Gods commandements Psa 119.6 Though in their disposition they find some more hard to them then others yet they doe not allow themselves to breake any but strive so much the more earnestly and constantly to observe them as they finde their natures opposite to them Now Hypocrites howsoever they doe many things in shew yet like Herod and Iudas their hearts run in a wrong channell they allow themselves to live in and like of some sinne The young man in the Gospell had not a respect unto all Gods Commandements Mat. 19. though Christ loved his aimiable parts to this purpose Iames saith Iam. 2.10 Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet off end in one point he is guilty of all That is hee who alloweth himselfe in any one sinne he is guilty of all Aske Iudas is murder good he would have said no but he was covetous and allowed himselfe in it and so drew upon him the guilt of all the rest God is he who forbids sinning against them all he who forbids one forbids all and being rightly turned to God the same authority makes us leave all it is not sinne but the allowance of it that makes an Hypocrite Againe they doe things to a good end They doe things to a good end the Glory of God and the good of man For want heereof the almes prayers and fasting of the Scribes and Pharisees because they did nothing out of love to God or man but for vaine glory and carnall respects are condemned of Christ So some are brought in at the last day saying Lord Lord have we not in thy name prophecied Mat. 7.22 and in thy name cast out Divels and in thy name done many wonderfull works and yet Christ professeth not to know them but calleth them workers of iniquity They had Gifts and Calling and delivered true doctrine c. But heere was their failing They prophecied in his name but not for his Name Their actions were good in themselves and for others but the end of them was naught and therefore both they and their workes are condemned Yet this is not so to be understood but that Gods children have some thoughts of vaine glory which accompanieth and creepeth into their best actions but they doe acknowledge this for a sin confesse it and desire the Lord to pardon and subdue it and then it shall never be laid to their charge Because having of infirmities is not contrary to sincerity but allowing of them and living in them in which case the Lord is more pleased with our Humiliation for our sinne then the motions to vaine-glory did offend him Thirdly a desire to grow in grace and to become better and better is a signe of uprightnes A desire to grow in Grace Christian Righteousnes as it sees still need so it still desires more grace and lesse sin because hee who hath a true heart seeth both the want and worth of grace and feeleth his want A man feeles not the want of Faith Humility and Love till he have it in some sort as it is said Philip. 3.15 As many as are perfect are thus minded to wit so many as are upright all is one By love of the Brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 Lastly this just uprightnesse is knowne by love of the Brethren By this we know we are translated from death to life because we love the Brethren Contrary to which is that disposition which envieth at all things which suites not with their humours Jam. 2.2 as Iames speaketh of those who preferre men and have their persons in admiration in regard of outward things despising inferiours Vse 1 If therefore we will ever be counted righteous persons let us keepe these rules set downe here have a respect to all Gods commandements doe all things to the glory of God desire to grow in grace and love the Brethren Vse 2 And so it is also for Consolation unto such who are thus qualified for unto them belongeth all the promises of this life and of that to come They are in a blessed estate 1 Cor. 3.22 for all things are theirs because they are Christs therefore it is their bounden duty having an upright heart to rejoyce in God as the Prophet speakes Rejoyce in the Lord yee righteous Psal 33.1 Psal 52. ult for praise is comely for the upright None have cause to rejoyce but upright men 1. Because they of all others have title and right to joy 2. Because they have command to doe it seeing Heaven is theirs all the promises are theirs and they are heires of all things it is a comely service and the worke of Heaven Object Against this some object O but I find many sinnes passions and infirmities in my selfe how then can I joy in God Answ To this we answer briefly that the passions and infirmities of Gods servants are not contrary to Christian uprightnesse and righteousnesse for Saint Iames saith Jam. 5.17 that Elias was a man subject to like passions and infirmities as we are yet he was a righteous man though a man subject to the like passions as we are Therefore the passions of Christians are not contrary to Christian but to legall Righteousnesse But we are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6.15 The first Covenant of works bids us have no sinne The other Covenant bids us allow no sinne this much is for that Question what is meant by just men It remaines now that we should further enquire into that mysterie how it is that just men walke in the wayes of God and prosper therein when yet wicked men called Transgressors fall therein But this being a mistery by your patience wee will take time to unfold what we have to speake heereof the next time if God bee so pleased The end of the fifteenth Sermon THE SIXTEENTH SERMON HOS 14.10 The wayes of the Lord are right the just shall walke in them but the transgressors shall fall therein GODS children have their times of deadnesse and disertion and againe their times of quickning and rejoycing weeping doth not allwayes remaine unto them for their portion Psal 30.5 but joy commeth in the morning in the worst times the Saints have alwayes