desert or only of Gods free Mercy and favour The first Grace being lost though lost it cannot be without their default that had it the second Grace in their Divinity may be merited de Congruo in congruity And this is A strange Tenet that seeing the First Grace cannot be merited by any works of ours either de Condigno or de Congruo that is either out of the true worth of our works or out of any Congruitie or proportion which is between them and Grace the second Grace should be at all merited when the Grace which is the Foundation of this merit is utterly lost this is all one as if they should say The fruit may be good or fair when the Root or Tree which bears it is dead or that the Roof may stand when the foundation is taken from it or that any Accident may remain without a substance Yet thus to hold they are inforced if they wil speak consequently to their other Tenets or Positions concerning the merit of works done out of Grace or charitie For many of their Arguments which they bring for confirmation of their merits in General do either conclude That the Second Grace may be merited or awarded by the course of Gods justice not of mercie only or that the Apostasie into which they should otherwise fall may be prevented by the vertue or efficacie of their former works of charity or else they conclude nothing at all for any merit 3. The Especial or as some think the Only place of Scripture which can with probability be alledged for the Revival of Merits after the Grace from which these merits did spring is utterly extinguished is that Heb. 6. 9 10. But beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation though we thus speak In the formet verses the Apostle had threatned them with the danger of that Irremissible sin which they call The sin against the Holy Ghost into which no man can fall but by forsaking the works of his First Love What then is the Reason that our Apostle doth hope so well of these back-sliding Hebrews He grounds his hopes as the Advocates for the Romish Church contend not so much upon Gods Free mercie or Favour by which only the First Grace was bestowed upon them as upon Gods Justice And if his hopes be grounded upon Gods Justice more then upon his Free Mereie or Favour Then the Recovery of their former estate or the prevention of that Apostasie into which they were falling was more from the merit of their former works then from Gods Free Mercie or Grace Now That the Apostle did ground his hopes of their Recovery upon Gods Justice they take it as proved from the tenth verse For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shewed towards his name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do minister These words seem to import That if God at this time should have cast them off He had not been just and right in his Judgements and if it had been any injustice in God at this time utterly to have forsaken them Then their perseverance in such Grace as was left them for the Recovery of such Grace as they had lost was out of merit or desert and perhaps meritorious of the Recoverie For every man doth deserve or properly merit that which without injustice or unrighteousness cannot be detained from him This is the most plausible argument which they bring for the Revival of Merits after Grace be lost or decayed and if merits may revive after Grace be lost then questionless Whiles Grace continues without interruption or intercision men may merit more degrees or increase of the same Grace and so Finally Everlasting Life which is here said to be the Grace of God I have been bold to put this Argument drawn from our Apostle Heb. 6. as far home as any Advocate for the Romish Church hath done or can do Because the true and punctual Answer unto it will easily reach all other Arguments which they can draw from the like Head or Topick as when it is said God shall reward us in righteousnesse or as a righteous Judge c. 4. To this Place I Answer That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek or Justitia in Latine doth sometimes import strict or legal Justice as it is opposed to mercie favour or loving kindness Sometimes again it imports universal Goodness or all the branches of Goodness So the heathen had observed that Justitia in sese virtutes continet omnes that Justice universally taken did comprehend all vertues in it And in this sense A loving or friendly man is said to be A Just or righteous man So the holy Ghost speaks of Joseph the betrothed Husband of the Blessed Virgin that being a Just man he was not willing to make her an example but was minded to put her away privily though he found her with child between the time of her Espousal and the time appointed for her marriage yet not with child by himself Now so long as he was ignorant that she had conceived by virtue of the Holy Ghost it had been no injustice but rather a branch of Legal Justice to have made her an example to have had her severely punished for so the Law of God in this Case as he yet understood the Case did not only permit but seemed to require And to present a fact punishable by the Law of God is alwayes lawful and just Yet this was no part of that Justice or righteousness which the Holy Ghost commends in Joseph when he saith he was a just man To be Iust then in his Dialect in this Case was to be A loving a friendly and favourable man And if the Romish Church would take Righteousnesse in the same sense in those places wherein it is said that he shall reward the Saints as a righteous Iudge and crown them with Glory their Conceit of merit could find no supportance from those Testimonies of Scriptures which they most alledge for it But To the former place in the Epistle to the Hebrews it is further to be noted That our Apostle doth not say there though it be most true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The God you have to deal withall you cannot say is not just but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is not unjust As there is a great difference between not worthy and unworthy so is there betwixt not Iust and unjust When our Apostle denies God to be unjust this Negative is Infinite and doth include all other branches of Gods Goodness besides that Justice by which he renders to every man his due It specially importeth in our Apostles meaning his favour or loving kindnesse or his unwillingness to take the advantages of Law or strict Justice against these Hebrews or a willingness not so much to remember their present misdeeds or back-slidings in his Justice as to remember their former works which
over the souls and spirits of Kings and Monarchs over the blessed Angels under whose Guardianship the greatest Monarchs are then they have over their meanest Vassals So that His dominion extends beyond the definition given by Lawyers which comprehends only things corporal but meddles not with coelestial substances or spiritual as Angels which are not subject to the Iurisdiction of Princes nor can they be imprisoned in their coffers Men as they could not make themselves so neither can they by their valour wit or industrie gain or create a title to any thing which is not Gods and whereof he is not Absolute Lord before and after they come to be Lords and owners subordinate of it They cannot move their bodies nor imploy their minds but by his free donation nor can they enjoy his freest gifts but by his concurse or Co-operation He hath a Dominion of propertie over their souls yea an absolute dominion not of propertie only but of uncontrollable iurisdiction over their very thoughts as it is implyed Deut. 8. 17 18. He doth not only give us the substance which we are enabled to get but gives us the very power wit and strength to get or gather it Not this power only whereby we gather substance but our very Being which supports this power is his gift and unlesse our Being be supported and strengthned hy his power sustentative we cannot so much as think of gathering wealth or getting necessaries much less can we dispose of our own endeavours for accomplishing our hopes desires or thoughts To conclude then All we have even wee our selves are Gods by absolute Dominion as well of propertie as of Iurisdiction There is no Law in heaven or earth that can inhibit or restrayne his absolute Power to dispose of all things as he pleaseth for he works all things by the Counsel of his Will and He only is Absolute Lord. But absolute Lordship or Dominion how far soever extended though over Angels Powers and Principalites from this ground or universal Title of Creation is intirely jointly and indivisibly common to the Blessed Trinitie For so S. Athanasius teacheh us the Father is LORD the Son is LORD the Holie Ghost is LORD absolute Lord as well in respect of Dominion as of Jurisdiction and yet not three Lords but one Lord and if but One Lord then the Lordship or dominion is One and the same alike absolute either for intensive Perfection or Extension in the Son as in the Father in the Holy Ghost as in the Son Yet is it well observed by a judicious Commentator upon S. Pauls Epistles that to be LORD is the proper Title or Epitheton in S. Pauls Language of Christ the Son of God both God and Man and Emphatically ascribed to him even in those passages wherein he had occasion expressely to mention the distinction of Persons in the Trinitie As where he saith The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ the love of God he doth not say of God the Lord and the fellowship of the Holie Ghost without addition of this title of Lord be with you all And so in our Apostles Creed we professe to Believe in God the Father Almightie without addition of the title LORD and so in God the Holie Ghost not in the Lord the Holy Ghost but in Christ our Lord. Which leades to the Second Point proposed in the Entrance to this Second Section CHAP. VII In what respects or upon what grounds Christ is by peculiar Title called The Lord. And First of the Title it self Secondly Of the Real grounds unto this Title 1. COncerning the name of Lord there is no verbal difference in the Greek or Latin whether this name or Title be attributed to God the Father as oft it is or to God the Holy Ghost unto the Blessed Trinitie or unto Christ God and Man Yet in the Hebrew there is a difference in the very Names or words The Name Jehovah which is usually rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominus or Lord is alike common to every Person in the Holie Trinitie as expressing the Nature of the God-head he that is being it self Howbeit even this Name is sometimes in peculiar sort attributed unto Christ But that Christ or the Son of God is in those places personally meant this must be gathered from the Subject or special Circumstances of the matter not from the Name or Title it self But the name Adonai which properly signifies Lord or King as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek doth implying as much as the Pillar or Foundation of the people is the peculiar Title of the Son of God or of God incarnate And for attributing this Title unto Christ as his peculiar the Apostle St. Paul had a good warrant out of the Prophetical Writings especially the Psalms which he questionlesse understood a great deal better then many great Divines and accurate Linguists have done his writings or the harmonie betwixt the Psalmists and his Evangelical Comments on them This Title of Lord Adonai is used most frequently in those Psalmes which contain the most pregnant Prophecies of Christ or the Messias his exaltation Psal 2. 2 4. The Kings of the earth band themselves and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ But he that dwelleth in the heavens doubtlesse he means the same Jehovah shall laugh Yet he doth not say Jehovah but Adonai the Lord shall have them in derision The Reality of Dominion answering to this Title of Lord whereunto the Messias against whom they conspired was exalted is more fully expressed in the same Psalm v. 8 9 10. Ask of me and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession Thou shalt crush them with a Scepter of Iron and break them in pieces like a Potters vessel Be wise now therefore ye Kings be learned ye Judges of the earth serve the Lord in fear and rejoyce in trembling Kisse the Son the Son doubtlesse of Jehovah lest he be angry and ye perish in the way when his wrath shall suddenly burn Blessed are all they that trust in him And so again Psal 45. which is as it were the Epithalamium or marriage song of Christ and his Church The Prophet exhorts the Spouse to do as Christ willed his Disciples to do and as Abraham had done at Gods Command Forget thine own people and thy Fathers house so shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty for he is the Lord reverence or worship him v. 10 11. And again Psal 110. wherein Christs everlasting Priesthood is confirmed by Oath it is said Jehovah said to my Lord Adonai sit thou at my Right hand until I make thine enemies thy foot-stool But may not the Jew thus Object that seeing our Christ or their expected Messias is enstyled Adonai not Jehovah in these very places wherein his Exaltation or supreme Dominion is foretold That therefore he is not truly God as Jehovah is To this Objection our Saviours Reply
entertained with battel invade the borders of any Nation In such a Case t is held a point of politick husbandry to waste the Country round about them least it might maintain their Armies But heretofore I have had and elsewhere shall have occasion to decypher all the symptoms of a dying State either set down by the Word of God or observed by the expert Anatomists of former dead bodies politick 14. My message unto you my Brethren the Sons of Levi is briefly this Add not Gods anger to our Countries Curse which at this day whether just or no is bitter and rife against us as if we were all or most of us like the companions of Jesus the son of Josedech persons Prodigious but in a worse sense then they were Persons that had procured her much and did yet portend her greater sorrow partly by our Dastardly silence in good causes but especially by our prophesying for Rewards and humoring the great Dispensers of those dignities on which our unsatiable desires are now unseasonably set It was a saying amongst the Ancient Romans Qui Beneficium accipit libertatem vendit It is thus far improved in true modern English He that will purchase preferments Ecclesiastick especially must adventure to lay his soul to pawn What remedie Only this to make a virtue of necessitie For so must every one do that means to live as a Christian ought Let us not look so much upon the sinister intentions of corrupt minds as upon the purpose of our God even in mens most wicked projects And who knowes whether The Lord by acquainting us with mens bad dealings in dispensing Ecclesiastical honour do not lay the same restraint upon us his children which he did upon Baruch Without all question he absolutely forbids us to seek afer great matters in this age in that he hath cut off all hopes of attaining them by means lawfull and honest And all this he doth for our good that using Baruchs freedom or Jeremies Resolution in our ambassage we may be partakers of their Priviledge in the Great day of visitation wherein such as in the mean time crush and keep us under by their greatness will be ready to give their wealth for our poverty and change their honor for our disgrace upon condition they might but enjoy life with such libertie and contentments as we do Or in Case they shorten our dayes by vexation or oppression yet faithfully discharging our duties whether we live or die we are the Lords And though they out live us an hundred years yet shall they be willing to give a thousand yea ten thousand lives if so many they had so they might be but like us for one hour in the day of death We need not search forain Chronicles nor look far back into ancient Annales The registers of our own memories and our fathers relations may afford examples of some sons of Levi men if we rightly value their admirable worth of place and fortunes mean in respect of our selves which after their death hastned perhaps by hard usage have fild both this and forrain Lands with their good name as with a perfume sweet and precious in the nostrils of God and man whilst those great lights of state so they seemed whilst parasitical breath did blaze their fame which had condemned them to privacie and obscuritie were suddenly put out but with an everlasting Stinch God grant their successors better successe that a precious well deserved fame may long survive them For our selves Beloved as we all consort in earnest desires and hearty prayers that the Lord would renew his Covenant made with Levi his Covenant of life and peace so let us joyn hearts in this meditation The only way to derive this blessing from this our father unto us his sons must be by arraying our selves with Phineas our eldest brothers integritie by putting on his zeal and courage to walk with the Lord our God in peace and equitie and to turn many away from iniquitie And now remember them O my God that defile their Priesthood and break the Covenant of the Priesthood and of Levi Smite them through their loyns that make a prey of his possessions and grinde their heads as thou didst Abimelechs with broken milstones from the wals or with the reliques from the ruinated houses yea grinde all their heads O Lord to powder that grinde the faces of his poor and needy children But peace be upon all such as walk according to this Rule here set to Baruch and upon all those that Love God To this God The Father The Son and the holy Ghost be ascribed all honour and glory now and ever Amen Imprimatur Ric. Baylie Vicecan Oxon. The Publisher To the Readers of these two last Sermons WHo may see That this great Author was not affraid Most aculâ—atly to reprove the sins of his own Time nor is The Advertiser ashamed to set his seal to the justnesse of them by a full and true Publishing his Reproofes Let the Lord be glorified though with our shame and justified when he speaketh Judgement And to Gods glory be it spoken This word hath prospered in the thing where unto God sent it in some of the Gentrie and Clergie Yet can it not be denied but there is still too great store of matter of Reproof in the same kinde Many whose estates are sore diminished have minds still set upon Great Things what ever they have lost they find pleasure Had The Author lived to this day I am perswaded he would have gone on with The Holy Bishops complaints Perdidere tot calamitatum utilitates Pacem et divitias priorum Temporum non habent Omnia aut ablata aut imminuta sunt sola tantum vitia creverunt nihil de Prosperitate pristina reliquum nisi peccata quae prosperitatem non esse fecerunt c. These are wracks indeed To Misse the Good which may be got by suffering evil is the worst of evils To lose that gain which should be gotten by losses is of losses the greatest But to grow worse with suffering evil is perdition it self Now if any one of Prosperous condition when he reads this shall triumph and bless himself in his heart saying We have not sinned in devouring these men I beg his Pardon and beseech him to read on if he saw our faults in the last he may perhaps see his own in the next And humbly desire leave to say 1. A man may punish sin and yet inter puniendum Commit a sin greater then that be punisheth 2. In these times and among the persons promising Reformation there hath been Greater seeking after great things and that with greater Inordination too then was in former Times Our Author complained that the Baruchs of his Time sought great things by the Art of Philip of Macedon Would God my Clergy Brethren so I do esteem such and none but such as were begotten to our mother by the R. R. Fathers of the Church had not used
the Son of God more then other men are some in our dayes have taught That Christ did not only suffer all for them but as for them in particular all others being not such as they deemed themselves to be that is not truly Elect being excluded from the Benefit of his sufferings This is the best Use and most Charitable construction that can be made of so unuseful and uncharitable a Doctrine Though to gather any good Use from it is as impossible as to reap Figgs of Thistles Howbeit as well as they who hold That Christ died for the Elect only as they which teach That he dyed for all must beware lest they mis-apply That Rule of Seneca's touching ordinarie benefits or Common courtesies unto that Extraordinarie loving kindnesse of Christs sufferings Quod debeo cum multis solvam cum multis That which I owe amongst others I will not pay alone His meaning is That for Common benefits he is only bound to pay his share or portion Far be it from any one that nameth the Name of the Lord Jesus to reason thus in his heart or secret thoughts Christ died for the many hundreds of thousands now living and for the more hundreds of ten thousands late or long since dead as well as for me therefore I owe him love and thankfulnesse but pro ratà suppose the exact number was certainly known I am but to acknowledge such a part of his sufferings to have been undertaken for me as I am of that great multitude Every humane soul is indebted to Christ for the whole not every single man for his part of mans Redemption That which St. Bernard speaks in a Case not altogether the same is most true of the Benefits of Christs sufferings Nec in multitudinem divisa sunt nec ad paucitatem restricta If Gods love to mankind be infinite and if the value of Christs blood or sufferings be truly infinite as they truly be they cannot be divided amongst many much lesse can they be restrained to some few both these being against the nature of Infinitie And if the value of Christs sufferings cannot be divided into parts Everie one must acknowledge that He paid an infinite price for his Redemption in particular A price lesse then infinite could not have Redeemed any one of us and a price more then infinite could not be given for all If Christ became a second Adam to die and suffer for redeeming man he dyed and suffered for all men for every man albeit the number of men which proceed from the first Adam could be infinite Had it been the Will or Purpose of the Son of God to have taken upon him the Form of a Servant immediately upon the First Woman's sin of Disobedience his sufferings for her could not have sufficed unlesse they had been of value infinite And being of value infinite for her they had been of the same value for everie living Soul that issued from her to the Worlds end If then the price he laid down for thee were infinite that is without measure or Bounds thy Love and thankfulnesse to Him must be without Stint or limit Though He died for others as well as thee yet art thou bound to love Him no lesse then if he had died for thee alone Thus must Thou think of Christ's Death and Passion if thou remember it aright And as often as thou Readest Hearest or makest Confession with thy Lips That Christ's Blood was shed for thee make this Comment or Paraphrase in thine heart He shed his whole Blood for me every drop that fell from Him either in the Garden or on the Crosse or elsewhere was poured out for my sake for me in particular Yea every one which hears of Christ is bound to believe that he dyed for him and as for him that the benefit of his Passion redounds et mihi et tanquam mihi and charitie if it spring from Faith will teach us to exclude none from Title to the benefits of Christs Death and sufferings 14. This Doctrine of Christ's Dying for All of His purpose to dissolve the works of Satan in all I am bold to professe in every place where Christ's Name is called upon in every place where I have or may have oportunitie to make Christ known The bolder because it sets forth not only the Love and Mercie but the Justice of God a great deal more then the contrarie Doctrine can do It makes mans sinfulnesse and unthankfulnesse appear much greater then by the contrarie Doctrine can be apprehended or acknowledged Besides it makes our Ministrie of preaching more useful then otherwise it could be For if we grant That Christ dyed only for the Elect we might acquit our selves with safetie of Conscience from the burden of preaching or Catechizing save only in those Congregations which we know to be of the number of the Elect or men alreadie regenerate Howbeit even in respect of Them our preaching could not be so useful as it would be harmful to others We could but testifie that to the Elect which they already know that is that they shall be saved But if once we teach that the Elect only or some few perhaps one of a Thousand not one of five hundred have any interest in Christs sufferings every man which is not as yet regenerate nor in the state of Election would forthwith conclude that it is a thousand to One more then five hundred to One that he can receive no benefit from Christs sufferings having no interest in the everlasting inheritance purchased by them And were it not much better to be silenced then by our preaching to put such stumbling-blocks in their wayes whom we are sent to call unto Christ For we are not sent to call the righteous or men alreadie regenerate but sinners to repentance to the state of regeneration How true soever in the Event it may prove That but a Few shall be saved in respect of them that perish though the most part of men do die in their sins yet their blood shall be required at their hands who have taught that they could not be saved that Christ did not die did not suffer for them But if we teach as God in his Word hath taught us That Christ Dyed and suffered for all men no man can doubt whether Christ dyed for him or no and not doubting that Christ dyed for him he need not Dispair of Salvation by him we leave him without excuse for not repenting and seeking Christ Again This same Doctrine sets forth the Glorie of God much more then the other can For albeit Gods mercies unto One man be truly infinite or rather infinite in themselves yet if according to this infinitie they be extended unto all they are extensively much greater If God had created only these inferior Elements and man their creation would necessarily infer the infinitie of his power for without infinite power nothing could have been made of Nothing but yet his praise or glorie would
not have appear'd so great in the creation of Earth and Water as it doth in the creation not of them only but of the whole heavens with all their Hosts and furniture The more Gods creatures be the greater be his praises for this Tribute he ought to receive from all of them for their verie Being In like manner though the Redemption of one or some few men do truly argue the value of his sufferings to be truly infinite yet the more they be for whom he dyed the more is his glorie the greater is his praise For all are bound joyntly and severally to laud and magnifie his Name for the infinite price of their Redemption 15. Lastly This Doctrine is so necessarie for manifesting the just measure of their unthankfulnesse which perish that without This we cannot take so much as a true Surface of it not so much as the least Dimension of Sin Some there be which tell us that we had power in Adam to Glorifie God but that finning in Adam our sin is infinite because against an infinite Majestie For so it is that the greater the Partie is whom we offend the greater always the offence is And thus by degrees they gather that everie sin against the infinite Majestie of God deserveth infinitie of Punishment But albeit the degrees of Sin which accrue from the degrees of Dignitie in the person whom we offend be successively infinite yet because these Degrees are indeterminate every man which hath any skill at all in Arguments of Proportion must needs know that it is impossible for the wit or art of man to find out the true Product of such Calculatorie Inductions or to conjecture unto what set measure of ingratitude these infinite degrees will amount It is not the ten-hundreth-thousandth part of any Sin that can be truly notifyed unto us by inferences of this kind How then shall we take the true measure of our Sinnes or the full Dimension of our unthankfulnesse From the Great Goodnesse of God in our Creation and the unmeasurable Love of Christ in our Redemption If God in our Creation as the Psalmist saies did make us but litle lower then the Glorious Angels that the might afterward crown us with Glorie everlasting if when through the First mans follie we had lost that Honour he made his Onely Son for a litle while for 33. yeares space lower then the Angels that he might exalt Him above all Principalitie and Power and in Him recrown us with Honour and Glorie aequal to the Angels Their Sin is truly infinite their unthankfulnesse is unexpressible and justly deserveth punishment everlasting who voluntarily and continually despise so great Salvation which by Christ was purchased for them No Torment can be too great no anguish too Durable because no Happiness could be in any degree comparable much lesse equal to that which they refused though treasured up for them in that inexhaustible fountain of happinesse Christ Jesus our Lord our God and our Redeemer To conclude this meditation It is a thing most seriously to be considered That though Gods mercies in Christ can never be magnified too much yet may they be apprehended amisse And that as it is most Dangerous to sink in Deep waters wherein it is the easiest to Swim so the more infinite Gods mercies towards us are the more deadly sin it is to Dallie with them or to take incouragement by the Contemplation of them to continue in Sin The contemplation of their infinitie is then most seasonable when we are touched with a feeling of the infinitenesse of our sins In that case we can not look upon them but we shall be desirous to be partakers of them and that upon such Termes as God offers them the forsaking of all our sinnes Pro. 28. 13. 16. But is this all that thou art to remember when thou art by Spirituall eating and drinking Christs flesh and blood a preparing thy self for Sacramental and Spiritual receiving him together in The Lords Supper is it enough to acknowledge that he payd as great a Ransom for thee as he did for all Mankind in general No! This is but the first part of thy Redemption and this first part of thy redemption was intirely and alsufficiently and most effectually wrought for thee before any part of thy bodie was framed before thy Soul was created it was then wrought for thee without any endeavour or wish of thine No more was required at thy hands for this work then was required of thee for thy creation But there is A second part of thy Redemption of which that saying of A Father is true Qui fecit te sine te non salvabit te sine te He that made thee without any work or endeavour of thine will not save wil not Redeem thee without some endeavour at least on thy part What then is the second part of the Redemption which wee expect that Christ should yet work in us and for us or what is the endeavour on our parts required that he should work it in us and for us The second part of our Redemption which is yet in most of us to be accomplished is The Mortification of our Bodies the diminishing the Reign of sin in them in a word our Sanctification or Ratification of our Election These are wholly Christ's workes the sole works of God for it is He that works in us both the will and the Deed and yet are we commanded to work out our own Salvation to make our Election sure But how shall we do this which is wholly Gods work or what are we to do that these works may be wrought in us Besides the renewing of the Astipulation or answer of a Pure Conscience and Resumption of our BAPTISMAL VOW heretofore mentioned we are to humble our selves mightily before the Lord by a meek acknowledgement of our vilenesse and sincere confession of our sinnes And if we so humble our selves Hee that giveth Grace to the humble will lift us up if we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse not only to remit and cover our iniquities but to purifie our hearts and renew our spirits and mindes that they shall bring forth fruits unto holinesse We are to call upon God by the prayer of faith and perseverance Turn thou us Good Lord and so shall we be turned Speak but Thou the word and Thy Servants shall be whole 17. Thus we may esteem of Christs love to us and yet not examin or judge our selves as wee ought before we eat This Bread and Drink this Cup. To examin and judge our selves aright requires these Two meditations or Two parts of one and the same meditation First How farre wee are guilty of Christ's Death by our Sinnes But this falles under the former Meditation That Christ Dyed for us all not onely all joyntly considered but for everie one in particular or as alone considered and if
as it respects this Point that is if we will not suffer our selves to be saved the same delight or pleasure is set upon our punishment and fulfilled upon us and if we would but enter into our own hearts we might see the Image of Gods Will hitherto manifested by his Word distinctly written in them and that the Rule which his infinite Justice observes in punishing the wicked and reprobate is to measure out their plagues and punishments according to the measure of their neglecting his Will or contradicting his delight in their salvation that as the riches of his Goodness leading them to repentance hath been more plentiful so they by their impenitencie still treasure up greater store of wrath against the day of wrath To this purpose doth the Lord threaten the obstinate people before mentioned Isai 65. 5. These are as a smoke in my nose a fire that burneth all the day Behold it is written before me I will not keep silence but will recompense even recompense into their bosom your iniquities and the iniquities of your Fathers together saith the Lord which have burnt Incense upon the mountains and blasphemed me upon the Hils therefore wil I measure their former work into their bosom Both these parts of Gods delight are fully expressed by Solomon Prov. 1. 21. VVisdom crieth without she hath uttered her voice in the streets she crieth in the chief place of the Concourse in the opening of the gates in the Citie she uttereth her words saying How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and the scorners delight in their scorning and fools hate knowledg Turn you at my reproof Behold I wil pour out my spirit upon you I wil make knowne my words unto you These passages infallibly argue an unfeigned delight in their repentance and such a desire of their salvation as the Wisdome of God hath expressed in my Text. But what followes Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded But ye have set at naught all my counsel and would none of my reproof I also wil laugh at your calamity I wil mock when your fear cometh Thus his delight remaines the same but is set upon another Object To the same purpose Isai 65. 12. Therefore I wil number you to the sword and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not hear but did evil before mine eyes and did chuse that wherein I delighted not So then whether by the destruction of the wicked or the salvation of his Chosen Gods name is still alike glorified His Justice exacts what should have been but was not payed unto his Mercie He can be no loser by mans unthankfulness or ungratiousnesse The Case is all one as if we should take that from a thief with the left hand which he had picked out of our right hand Thus much of the two Points proposed 13. I do desire no more then that the Tree may be judged by the Fruit. And questionless the Use of these Resolutions whether for convincing our selves of sin or quelling despere or for encouraging the careless and impenitent unto repentance by giving them right hold of the means of life is much greater then can be conceived without admittance of their truth First Seeing the end of our preaching is not so much to instruct the Elect as to call sinners to repentance not so much to confirm their faith that are already certain of salvation as to give Hope to the Unregenerate that they may be saved How shall we accomplish either intendment By magnifying Gods Love towards the Elect who these are God and themselves know How shal he which lives yet in sin perswade himself there is any probabilitie he may be saved Because God hath infallibly decreed to save some few Rather seeing by the contrary Doctrine the most part of mankind must necessarily perish he hath more reason to fear least he be one of those many then to hope that he is one of those few The bare possibility of his salvation cannot be inferred but from indefinite Premisses from which no certain Conclusion can possibly follow And without certain apprehension or conceit of Possibilitie there can be no sure Ground of Hope But if we admit the former Extent of Gods unspeakable love to all and his desire of their eternal safetie which desperately perish every man may nay must undoubtedly thus Conclude Ergo Gods Love extends to me It is his good will and pleasure to have me saved amongst the rest as well as any other and whatsoever he unfeignedly wills his power is able effectually to bring to passe The danger of sin and terrour of that dreadful day being first made known unto our Auditors the pressing of these Points as effectually as they might be were this Doctrine held for current would kindle the Love of God in our hearts and inflame them with desires answerable to Gods ardent Will of our Salvation and these once kindled would breed sure hope and in a manner inforce us to imbrace the infallible means thereto ordained 14. Without admission of the Former Doctrine it is impossible for any man rightly to measure the heinousnesse of his own or others sins Such as gather the infinitie of sins demerit from the infinite Majestie against which it is committed give us the surface of sin infinite in length and breadth but not in soliditie The will or pleasure of a Prince in matters meanly affected by him or in respect of which he is little more then indifferent may be neglected without greater offence then meaner persons may justly take for foul indignities or grievous wrongs But if a Princes Soveraign Command in a matter which he desired as much as his own life should be contemned a Loyal Subject conscious of such contempt though happening through Riot or perswasions of ill company would in his sober thoughts be ready to take revenge upon himself specially if he knew his Soveraigns Love or liking of him to be more then ordinary Consider then that as the Majestie and Goodnesse of our God so his Love and Mercie towards us is truly infinite That he desires our repentance as earnestly as we can desire meat or drink in the extremity of thirst or hunger as we can do life it self while we are beset with death That this our God manifested in our flesh did not desire his own life so much as our redemption We must therefore measure the heinousness of our sins by the abundance of Gods Love by the heighth and depth of our Saviours Humiliation Thus they will appear infinite not only because committed against an infinite Majestie but because with this dimension they further include a wilful neglect of infinite mercie and Incomprehensible desires of our Salvation We are by nature the seed of Rebels which had lift their hands against the infinite Goodness of their Creator in taking the forbidden