goodnes of God in forgiving giving saving honouring us is one of the principall foundations of sincere obedience Then the Soule will thinke nothing too good for God that hath shewed himselfe so good unto it What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits saith the Prophet David Psal. 116.12 and a little after it followes O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the Son of thine Handmaide that is an Home-borne servant thine from my mothers wombe It is an allusion to those who were borne of Servants in the House of their Masters and so were in a condition of Servants Paâ—tus sequitur ventâ—em If the mother be an Handmaide the childe is a Servant too and so the Scripture calleth them filios domus children of the house Gen. 14. 14 15 3 17 12. Lev. 22 11. Ecclesi 2.7 His heart being enlarged in thankfulnesse presently minded him of the deep ingagements that did bind him unto Service even from the wombe True filiall and Evangelicall obedience ariseth from faith and love Faith shewes us Gods love to us and therby worketh in us a Reciprocal love unto him We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 This is the only thing wherein a Servant of God may answer him and may de simili mutuam rependere vicem as Bernaâ—d speakes returne back unto God what he gives unto him If he be angry with me I must not be angry again with him but feare and tremble and begge for pardon If he reprove me I must not reprove but justifie him If he judge me I must not judge but adore him But if he love me I must take the boldnes to love him againe for therefore he loves that he may be loved And this love of ours unto Christ makes us ready to do every thing which he requires of us because we know that he hath done much more for us then he requireth of us The love of Christ saith the Apostle constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead that is either dead in and with him in regard of the guilt and punishment of sin so as to be freed from the damnation of it or dead by way of conformity unto his death in dying unto sinne and crucifying the old man so as to shake off the power and strength of it And the fruite of all both his dying and our loving is this That we should not live unto our selves but unto him that dyed for us and rose again Thus love argues from the greater to the lesser from the greatnes of his work for us to the smalnes of ours unto him If he died to give us life then we must live to doe him Service Feare produceth onely servile unwilling performances as those fruites which grow in Winter or in cold Countries are sowre unsavoury and unconcocted but those which grow in Summer or in hotter Countries by the warmth and influence of the Sun are sweet and wholesome such is the difference between those fruits of obedience which feare and which love produceth The most formall principle of obedience is love and the first beginings of love in us unto God arise from his mercies unto us being thankfully remembred this teacheth the soule thus to argue God hath given deliverances unto me and should I breake his Commandements Ezra 13.14 Christ gave himselfe to redeeme me from all iniquity and to make me in a speciall manner his owne therefore I must be zealous of good workes Tit. 2.14 therefore I must shew forth the vertues of him that called me out of darkenes into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2.9 No more frequent more copious common place in all the Scriptures then this to call for obedience and to aggravate disobedience by the consideration of the great things that God hath done for us Deut. 13.20 21 11 7 8 29 32 6 7. Iosh. 24.2 14. 1 Sam. 12.24 Isay. 1 2. Ier. 2.5 6. Hos. 2.8 Mic. 6.3 5. In the Law a Ransomed man became the Servant of him that bought and delivered him and upon this argument the Apostle calls for obedience Ye are not your owne but you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits whâ—ch are Gods 1 Cor. 6.19 20. We have but the use of our selves the property is his and we may do nothing to violate that V. Ut instrumentum divinae gloriae As a meanes and instrument of publishing Gods praises There is an Emphasis in the word Lips Sometimes it is a diminutive word taking away from the duty performed as Matth. 15.8 This people honour me with their lips but their heart is far from me But here it is an Augmentative word that enlargeth the duty and makes it wider I will sacrifice unto thee saith Ionah with the voice of thanksgiving Jonah 2.9 God regardeth not the sacrifice if this be not the use that is made of it to publish and celebrate the glory of his name The outward ceremony is nothing without the thankfulnes of the heart and the thankfulnes of the heart is too little except it have a voice to proclaime it abroad that other may learn to glorifie and admire the works of the Lord too It is not enough to Sacrifice not enough to sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving except withal we declare his works with rejoycing psal 107.22 There is a private thankfulnes of the Soul within it self when meditating on the goodnesse of God it doth in secret returne the tribute of an humble and obedient heart back again unto him which is to praise God on the Bed and there is publick thanksgiving when men tell of the wondrous works of God in the great Congregation of his Saints Psal. 149.1.5 Psal. 26.7.12 Now here the Church promiseth this publick thanksgiving it shal not be the thankfulnesse of the heart onely but of the lips too As it is noted of the thankfull Leper that with a loud voice he glorified God Luke 17.15 The living the living shall praise thee saith Hezekiah but how should they doe it The fathers to the children shall make known thy truth Isay 38.19 There are some affections and motions of the heart that do stop the mouth are of a cold stupefactive and constringent nature as the sap staies and hides it selfe in the root while it is winter Such is fear and extremity of griefe Come saith the Prophet Let us enter into our defenced cities and let us be silent there for the Lord our God hath put us to silence Jer. 8.14 Isai. 10.14 Other affections open the mouth are of an expansive dilating nature know not how to be straitned or suppressed and of all these joy and sense of Gods mercy can least contain it self in the compasse of our narrow breast but will spread and communicate it selfe to others A godly Heart is in this like unto those flowers which shut when the Sun sets
and planks and parts thereof so closely fastned into one another that no water might get in to drown it And in the Tabernacle all the Curtains thereof were to be coupled together into one another Exod. 26.3 Christ is all for unitie and joyning things into one Two natures united in one person two parties reconciled by one Mediatâ—r Two people concorporated into one Church one family one father one seed one head one faith one hope one love one worship one body one spirit one end and common salvation Christ is not loves not to be divided This is a fundamentall requisite unto the growth of the Body the preservation of its unity The building must be fitly framed together if you would have it grow into an holy Temple to the Lord Eph. 2.21 Col. 2.19 when there was most unity there was greatest increase in the Church when they were All of one accord of one heart and one soule then the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved Act. 2.46 47. They that cause divisions and dissentions doe not serve the Lord Iesus and therefore they cannot but hinder the progresse of his Gospel Rom. 16.17 18. As in the naturall so in the mysticall body solutio continui tendeth to the paining and grieving of that spirit by which the Body lives Eph. 4.30 31. and by consequence hinders the growth of it Our growth is by the Apostle distributed into growth in knowledge and growth in grace 2 Pet. 3.18 and divisions in the Church are of themselves great hinderances unto both these unto knowledge because the most usuall breaches in the Church arise out of diversities of opinion publickly asserted and insisted on by the authors and followers of them And though accidentally where truth is embraced it is held with more care and searched into with more accuratenesse because of the errors that oppose it as the fire is hottest in the coldest weather yet corrupt doctrine being of the nature of a weed or canker to spread and eat further and further it must needs consequently hinder the spreading and in that kinde the growth of knowledge Nor doth it lesse hinder the growth of grace for while the people of God are all of one heart and of one way then all their Communion runnes into this one designe of mutually edifying comforting supporting encouraging one another in their holy faith but when they are divided and broken into faction by different judgements if there be not a greater abundance of humility and spirituall wisedome the spirits of men runne out into heates and passions and into perverse disputes and meer notinall contentions which have ever beene diminutions unto the power of godlinesse 1 Cor. 3.3 4. When there are schismes in the body the members will not have care one of another 1 Cor. 12.25 Greatly therefore even for this one cause are the sad and dangerous divisions of these times to be lamented when men make use of civill troubles to disturbe yea to teare asunder the unity of the Church when they set up as in the times of the Donatists Altar against Altar and church against Church and make secessions from the common body and then one from another to the infinite content and advantage of the common Enemies of our Religion and hazard of it It were a blessed thing if wee were in a condition capable of the Apostles exhortation To speake all the same thing to be perfectly joyned in the same minde and in the samâ— judgement to be of one minde and to live in peace 1 Cor. 1.10 2 Cor. 13.11 But if that cannot be attained unto let us yet all learn the Apostles other lesson wherein wee are otherwise minded to depend upon God for revealing his will unto us and whereunio we have attained to walke by the same rule to minde the same thing to remember that every difference in opinion doth not ought not to dissipate or dissolve the unity of Gods church Even in Corinth where the people were divided into severall parties yet they continued one Church 1 Cor. 11.18 The body thus constituted and compacted for the increase thereof 1. Here are members severally distinct from one another some principall others ministeriall all concurring differently unto service of the whole If the heart should bee in the head or the liver in the shoulder if there should be any unnaturall dislocation of the vitall or nutritive parts the body could not grow but perish The way for the church to prosper florish is for every member to keep in his own rank and order to remember his own measure to act in his owne sphere to manage his particular condition and relations with spirituall wisedome and humility the eye to doe the work of an eye the hand of an hand Say not as Absolom If I were a Iudge I would doe Iustice 2 Sam. 15.4 But consider what state God hath set thee in and in that walke with God adorn the profession of the Gospel Rom. 12.3 1 Cor. 12.8.11.29 30. 2 Cor. 10.13 14. Eph. 4.7 Remember Vzzah it was a good work he did but because he did it out of order having no call God smote him for his error 2 Sam. 6.6 7. There are excellent works which being done without the call of God doe not edifie but disturbe the body Rom. 10.15 Heb. 5.4 every man must walk in the church as God hath distributed and called and every man must in the calling wherein he was called abide with God 1 Cor. 7.17 20 24. 2. Here are joynts and ligaments so fastning these members together that each one may be serviceable to the increase of the whole 1 Col. 2.19 There are bands which joyne the body to the head without which it can neither grow nor live namely the Spirit of Christ and faith in him 1 Cor. 6.17 Rom. 8.9 Eph 3.17 and there are Bands which joyne the parts of the Body unto one another as namely the same holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 which Spirit of grace stirreth up every member to seek the growth and benefit of the whole 1 Cor. 12.25 26. The same sincere love and truth which each member beareth unto all the rest this is called a bond of perfectnesse Col. 3.14 and the bond of peace Eph. 4.3 Now love is a most communicative grace it will plant and water and feed and spend it selfe for the good of the whole it will deny it selfe to serve the body as Christ did Gal. 5.13 3. Here is a measure belonging unto every part some are in one office others in another some have one gift others another and all this for the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4.11 12. 1 Cor. 12.4 11. one is able to Teach another to Comfort a third to Convince a fourth to Exhort a fifth to Counsell and every one of these are to be directed unto the edification and growth of the wâ—ole Rom. 12.3 8. Eph. 4.7 The Apostle saith that we are fellow Citizens
a most free and bountifull love having no motive or foundation but within it self and his free love and grace is the ground of all his other mercies to his people hee sheweth mercy on whom and because hee will shew mercy From the beginning to the end of our salvation nothing is primarily active but free grace Freely loved Deut. 7.7 8. Freely chosen Ephes. 1. ver 5 6. Christ the gift of free love John 3.16 His obedience freely ascepted for us and bestowed upon us Rom. 5.15 18. Iustification free Rom. 3.24 Adoption free Ephes. 1.5 Faith and repentance free Phil. 1.29 2 Tim. 2.25 Good works free Ephes. 2.10 Salvation free Titus 3.5 Acts 15.1 Thus the Foundation of all mercies is free love We do not first give to God that he may render to us again We turn we pray we covenant we repent we are holy we are healed onely because he loves us and he loves us not because he sees any thing lovely or amiable in us but because he will shew the absoluteness of his own will and the unsearchableness of his own Counsell towards us We are not originally denominated Good by any thing which floweth from us or is done by us but by that which is bestowed upon us Our goodness is not the motive of his love but his love the Fountain of our goodness None indeed are healed and saved but those that repent and return but repentance is only a condtion and that freely given by God disposing the subject for salvation not a Cause moving or procuring God to save us It is necessary as the means to the end not as the cause to the effect That which looks least free of any other act of God His rewarding of obedience is all and only mercy When we sow in righteousness we must reap in mercy Hos. 10.12 When he rendreth according to our works it is because of his mercy Psal. 62.12 This is the solid bottome and foundation of all Christian comforts that God loves freely Were his love to us to be measured by our fruitfulness or carriages towards him each hour and moment might stagger our hope but he is therefore pleased to have it all of Grace that the promise might be sure Rom. 4.16 This comforts us against the guilt of the greatest sins for love and free grace can pardon what it will This comforts us against the accusations of Satan drawn from our own unworthiness 'T is true I am unworthy and Satan cannot shew me unto my self more vile then without his accusations I will acknowledg my self to be but that love that gave Christ freely doth give in him more worthiness then there is or can be unworthiness in me This comforts us in the assured hope of Glory because when he loves he loves to the end and nothing can seperate from his love This comforts us in all afflictions that the free love of God who hath predestinated us thereunto wil wisely order it all unto the good of his servants Rom. 8.29 Hebr. 12.6 Our duty therefore it is First to labour for assurance of this free love It wil assist us in all duties it wil arme us against all Temptations It wil Answer all Objections that can be made against the souls peace It wil sustaine us in all conditions which the saddest of times can bring us unto If God be for us who can be against us Though thousands be against us to hate us yet none shall be against us to hurt us Secondly if God love us freely we should love him thankfully 1 Ioh. 4.19 and let love be the salt to season all our sacrifices For as no benefit is saving unto us which doth not proceed from love in him so no duty is pleasing unto him which doth not proceed from love in us 1 Joh. 5.3 Thirdly plead this free love and grace in prayer when we begge pardon nothing is too great for love to forgive When we begge grace and holiness nothing is too good for love to grant There is not any one thing which faith can manage unto more spiritual advantages then the free grace and love of God in Christ. Fourthly yet we must so magnifie the love of God as that we turne not free grace into wantonnesse There is a corrupt generation of men who under pretence of exalting grace do put disgrace upon the Law of God by taking away the mandatory power thereof from those that are under grace a doctrine most extremely contrary to the nature of this love For Gods love to us workes love in us to him and our love to him is this that we keep his Commandements and to keepe a Commandement is to confirme and to subject my conscience with willingnesse and delight unto the rule and preceptive power of that commandement Take away the obligation of the Law upon conscience as a rule of life and you take away from our love to God the very matter about which the obedience thereof should be conversant It is no diminution to love that a man is bound to obedience nay it cannot be called obedience if I be not bound unto it but herein the excellency of our love to God is commended that whereas other men are so bound by the Law that they fret at it and swell against it and would be glad to be exempted from it they who love God and know his love to them delight to be thus bound and finde infinitely more sweetnesse in the strict rule of Gods holy Law then any wicked man can do in that presumptuous liberty wherein he allowes himselfe to shake off and breake the cords of it Now lastly when we returne with sound repentance unto God then God is pleased to give more then ordinary tastes of the sweetnesse of his love by removing judgements which are the fruits of his Anger from us This point falls in with what was handled before on the second vers Therefore I shall conclude with these two notes First that in all judgements God will have us looke on them as fruits of his anger and take more notice in them of his displeasure than our owne sufferings When wrath is gone out the sword drawne thousands and ten thousands slaine in our Coasts Israel given to the spoile and Iacob unto robbers a land set on fire with civill flames and none able to quench them A Kingdome divided within it selfe A Church which was sometimes the Asylum for other exild and afflicted Christians to fly for shelter unto miserably torne by the foolish and unnaturall divisions of brethren and dangerously threatned by the policy and power of the common enemy who studies how to improve these divisions to the ruine of those that foment them our worke is to make this conclusion Our God is angry a God that loves freely that is infinite in mercy and pitty who doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men This should be our greatest Affliction and the removall of this anger by an universall Reformation and
prayers of his people as he did the seed of Isaac Gen. 26.12 with an hundred fold encrease As Gods word never returns empty unto him so the prayers of his servants never return empty unto them and usually the câ—op of prayer is greater then the seed out of which it grew as the putting in of a little water into a Pumpe makes way to the drawing out of a great deale more Isaac and Rebecca had lived twentie yeares together without any children and he grew now in yeares for he was forty yeares old before hee married hereupon he solemnly prayes to God in behalfe of his Wife because shee was barren and God gave him more then it is probable hee expected for hee gave him two Sonnes at a birth Gen. 25.21 22. As the cloud which riseth out of the earth many times in thinne and insensible vapours falleth downe in great and abundant showres so our prayers which ascend weak and narrow returne with a full and enlarged answer God deales in this point with his children as Ioseph did with his brethren in Egypt he did not only put corne into their Sacks but returned the money which they brought to purchase it Gen. 42.25 So he dealt with Solomon he did not onely give him wisdome and gifts of government which he asked but further gave him both riches and honour which he asked not 1 King 3.13 The people of Israel when they were distressed by the Ammonites besought the Lord for help he turnes backe their prayers and sends them to their Idols to help them they humble themselves and put away their Idols and pray againe and the highest pitch that their petitions mounted unto was Lord Wee have sinned doe unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee onely deliver us we pray thee this day Iudg. 10.15 and God did answer this prayer beyond the câ—â—tents of it hee did not onely deliver them from the Enemy and so save them but subdued the Enemy under them and delivered him into their hands he did not only give them the relief they desired but a glorious victory beyond their desires Iudg. 11.22 God deales with his servants ar the Prophet did with the woman of Shunem when he bid her ask what she needed and tell him what she would have him doe for the kindnesse she had done to him and she found not any thing to request at his hands he sends for her again and makes her a free promise of that which shee most wanted and desired and tells her that God would give her a sonne 2 Kings 4.16 So many times God is pleased to give his servants such things as they forget to ask or gives them the things which they aske in a fuller measure then their owne desires durst to propose them David in his troubles asked life of God and would have esteemed it a great mercy onely to have beene delivered from the feare of his Enemies and God doth not onely answer him according to the desire of his heart in that particular and above it too for he gave him length of dayes for ever and ever but further setled the Crowne upon his head and added honour and majesty unto his life Psal. 21.2 3 4 5. And the Reasons hereof are principally two 1 We beg of God according to the sense and knowledge which we have of our owne wants and according to the measure of that Love which we beare unto our selves The greater our love is to our selves the more active and importunate will our petitions be for such good things as we need But God answers prayers according to his knowledge of us and according to the Love which hee beareth unto us Now God knowes what things we want much better then we doe our selves and he loves our souls much better then we love them our selves and therefore he gives us more and better things then our own prayers know how to ask of him A little childe will beg none but trifles and meane things of his father because he hath not understanding to looke higher or to value things that are more excellent but his father knowing better what is good for him bestowes on him education traines him unto learning and vertue that he may be fit to manage and enjoy that inheritance which he provides for him so wee know not what to aske as we ought Rem 8.26 and when we do know our spirits are much straitned we have but a finite narrow love unto our selves But Gods knowledge is infinite and his love is infinite and according unto these are the distributions of his mercy Even the Apostle himselfe when he was in affliction and buffetted by the messenger of Satan and vexed with a thorn in his flesh besought the Lord for nothing but that it might depart from him but God had a farre better answer in store to the Apostles prayer and purposed to do more for him then he desired namely to give him a sufficiency of grace to support him and to magnify his strength in the infirmitie of his servant 2 Cor. 12.9 When the Prophet had encouraged men to seek the Lord and to turne unto him and that upon this assurance that he will not only heare petitions for mercy and forgivenesse but will multiply to pardon that is will pardon more sinnes then we can confesse for with him there is not only mercy but Plenteous redemption Psal. 130.7 he further strengthneth our faith and encourageth our obedience unto this duty by the consideration of the thoughts of God to wit his thoughts of love mercy and peace towards us My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are wâ— wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Esa. 55.7.8.9 He can pardon beyond our petitions because his thoughts of mercy towards us are beyond our apprehensions See the like place Ier. 29.10 11 12. 2 God answers prayers not alwayes with respect to the narrow compasse of our weak desires but with respect to his owne honour and to the declaration of his own greatnesse for he promiseth to beare us that wee may glorifie him Psalme 50.15 Therefore he is pleased to exceed our petitions and to do for us abundantly above what we ask or think that our hearts may be more abundantly enlarged and our mouthes wide opened in rendring honour unto him When Perillus a favorite of Alexander begged of him a portion for his daughters the King appointed that fifty Talents should be given unto him he answered that ten would be sufficient the King replied that tenne were enough for Perillus to ask but not enough for Alexander to grant So God is pleased many times to give more then we ask that we may look upon it not only as an Act of mercy but as an act of honour and to teach us in all our prayers to move God as well by his glory as by his mercy So Moses
for it selfe into the whole man minde thoughts affections words actions fitting them all unto the holy seed that is put into them as the earth being softned and mingled with the dew is the more easily drawn up into those varieties of herbs and fruites that are fed by it Sixthly It is of a vegerating and quickning nature it causeth things to grow and revive againe therefore the Prophet cals it the dew of herbs Esay 26.19 which are thereby refreshed and recover life and beauty even so the word and spirit of grace distilling upon the soule as small raine upon tender herbs and as showres on the grasse cause it to live the life of God and to bring forth the fruits of holinesse and obedience Esay 55.10 11. Those parts of the world which are under either perpetuall frosts or perpetuall scortchings are barren and fruitlesse the earth being closed up and the sap thereof dried away by such distempers Such is the condition of a soule under wrath that hath no apprehensions of God but in frost or fire for who can stand before his cold Psal. 147.17 Who can dwell with everlasting burnings Esay 33.14 Feare contracteth and bindeth up the powers of the soule it is the greatest indisposer of all other unto regular action But when the soule can apprehend God as love finde healing in his wings and reviving in his ordnances this love is of an opening and expansive quality calling forth the heart unto duty love within as it were hastening to meet and close with love without the love of obedience in us with the love of favour and grace in God I shut and barre my doore against an Enemy whom I feare and look upon as armed to hurt me but I open wide my doores my bosome unto a friend whom I love and look upon as furnished with counsell and comfort benefits to revive me There is a kind of mutuall love between dew and the earth dew loves the earth with a love of beneficeâ—ce doing it good and earth loves dew with a love of concupiscence earnestly desiring it and opening unto it Such is the love between Christ and the soule when hee appeares as dew unto it He visites the soule with a love of mercy reviving it and the soule puts forth it selfe towards him in a love of duty earnestly coveting as well to serve as to enjoy him Lastly it is of a refreshing and comforting nature tempering the heat of those hotter Countries and so causing the face of things to flourish with beauty and delight So God promiseth to be unto his people in their troubles as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest Esay 18.4 The spirituall joy and heavenly comfort which the peace and grace of God ministreth to the consciences of believers Rom. 15.13 5.1 Phil. 4.4 1 Pet. 1.8 is said to make the bones flourrish like an herb Esay 66.14 As on the other side a broken spirit is said to dry up the bones Prov. 17. â—2 Their soule saith the Prophet shall be as a watered garden they shall sorrow no more I will turne their mourning into joy and will comfort them Ier. 31·12 13. By all which we should learne first as to bee sensible of our owne personall and spirituall drinesse barrennesse emptinesse of fruit and peace hard hearts withered consciences guilty spirits under our own particular sinnes So in regard of the whole land to take notice of that tempest of wrath which like an East winde out of the wildernesse dryeth up our springs and spoileth our treasures as the Prophet complaines Hos. 13.15.16 and to be humbled into penitent resolutions as the Church here is If God who was wont to be as dew to our Nation who made it heretofore like a Paradise and a watered garden be now as a Tempest as a consuming fire unto it turning things upside down burning up the Inhabitants of the Earth causing our land to mourn and our joy to wither as the Prophet speaks Ioel 1.12 this is an evident sign that the Earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof Isa. 24.4 5. Therefore as our sinnes have turned our dew into blood so our repentance must turn our blood into dew againe If ever we look to have a happy peace we must make it with God Men can give peace onely to our bodies our fields our houses our purses nor that neither without his over-ruling power and providence who alone mannageth all the counsels and resolutions of men but hee alone can give peace to our consciences by the assurance of his love which is better then life And if there should be peace in a Nation made up onely by humane prudence and correspondencies without publike repentance and through Reformation in Church in State in Families in Persons in judgement in manners it would be but like those short interims between the Egyptian plagues Exod. 8.15.9.34 A respiting only not a removing of our affliction like the shining of the Sunne on Sodom before the fire and brimstone fell upon it Gen. 19.23 24. Wee all cry and call for Peace and while any thing is left would gladly pay dear very dear to recover it againe But there is no sure and lasting purchase of it but by unfained Repentance and turning unto God this is able to give peace in the midst of warre In the midst of storme and tempest Christ is sufficient security to the tossed ship Matth. 8.24 27. This man is the peace even when the Assyrian is in the Land Mic. 5.5 Whereas impenitency even when we have recovered an outward peace leaves us still in the midst of most potent Enemies God Christ Angels Scripture Creatures Conscience Sinnes Curses all our Enemies The Apostle tels us that Lusts warre against the soule 1 Pet. 8.11 There is a strong emphasis in the word soule which is more worth then all the world nothing to bee taken in exchange for it Matth. 16.26 So long as we have our lusts unconquered we are under the wofullest warre in the world which doth not spoyle us of our blood our money our corne our cattell our houses our children but of the salvation of Immortall soules Time will repaire the ruines of other warres but eternity it self will not deliver that poor soule which is lost and fallen in the Warres of lust Therefore if you would have peace as a mercy get it from God let it be a dew from Heaven upon your conversion unto him A Kings favour is said to be as dew on the grasse Prov. 9.12 and as a cloud of the latter raine Prov. 16.15 And it would with all joyfulnesse be so apprehended if by that meanes the blessing of peace were bestowed upon these distressed Kingdomes How much more comfortable would it be to have it as a gift from God unto a repenting Nation For God can give peace in anger as well as he doth warre A ship at Sea may be distressed by a calme as well as broken by a tempest The cattell which we meane
Faith Spirits Hopes are all obligations to Fidelity Sermon III. Sect. 1. SAcrifices Propitiatory and Eucharistical 2. Praises the matter of a Covenant a Staple commodity for commerce with Heaven 3. Praises the fruits of Repentance 4. An Argument in prayer God forceth his glory out of wicked men but is glorified actively by the godly 5. A principle of obedience difference between the obedience of fear and of love 6. An Instrument of glory to God Praises of the heart and of the lips Communion of Sinners Communion of Saints 7. Converts report Gods mercies to others No true praises without Piety Sins against mercy soonest ripe 8. The more greedy the less thankeful Gods greatness matter of praise Things strongest when neerest their original Other creatures guided by an external Reasonable by an internal knowledg 9. Gods goodness matter of praise Knowledg of God notional and experimental Praise the language of Heaven Sacrifices were Gods own Love of Communion above self-love 10. We are wide to receive narrow to acknowledg The benefit of praises is our own 11. Wherein the duties of praising God stand 12. Repentance careful of obedience 13. This care wrought by godly sorrow Present sense Holy jealousie Love to Christ. Sons by adoption and regeneration 14. Repentance sets it self most against a mans special sin 15. By this sin God most dishonored By this repentance sincerity most evidenced Sermon IV. Sect. 1. REpentance removes carnal confidence Naturally we affect an absoluteness within our selves 2. This failing we trust in other creatures 3. When all fail we go to God in ways of our own inventing Repentance the cure of all this 4. Confederacies with Gods enemies dangerous Take heed of competition between our own interest and Gods 5. The creature not to be trusted in it wants strength and wisdom 6. Idols not to be trusted in they are lyes Grounds of confidence all wanting in Idols 7. God onely to be trusted absolutely in the way of his commands and providence 8. The way to mercy is to be fatherless weakness in our selves makes us seek help above our selves 9. Sin healed by pardon purging deliverance comfort Why back-sliding pardoned by name 10. Our conversion grounded on free-grace No guilt too great for love to pardon Gods anger will consist with his love 11. Conversion and healing go together Sin a sickness and a wound 12. The proper passions of sickness agree to sin viz. pain weakness consumption deformity 13. Sin a wound the impotent wilful and desperate case of this patient 14. The mercy of the Physitian 15. Guilt cannot look on Majesty Apprehensions of mercy the grounds of prayer 16. Sense of misery works estimation of mercy 17. Back-sliding formally opposite to faith and repentance Apostacy two-fold What it is to speak against the Son of man and against the Spirit How a sin is said not to be forgiven in this world nor in the world to come Free love respects not persons nor free pardon sins 18. From beginning to end of salvation all is free grace 19. In judgments Gods anger more to be noted then our sufferings Sermon V. Sect. 1. BLessings as large to the penitent as curses to the impenitent and answer all our wants 2. God answereth prayers beyond the petitions of the people 3. We pray according to the knowledg and love we have of our selves God answers according to his knowledg and love 4. God answers prayer not only with respect to our wants but his own honor Gods ultimate end in working our strongest argument in praying 5. Encouragement to prayer Gods shekel double to ours 6. Prayer may be ambitious and beg great things 7. Free love puts forth it self in various blessings 8. Grâ—ce as dew of a celestial original fruit of a serene heaven 9. Abundant insensible insinuating and searching vegetating and quickning Refreshing and comforting 10. Peace no blessing except it come as dew from Heaven 11. All wants must be supplied from Heaven Christ all beauties to his Church The root and stability of the Church foundation doctrinall personall Righteousnesse of Redemption stronger then of Creation 12. Growth of the Church under the Law Nationall under the Gospell Universall Christ the Olive-tree originall of grace to his Church 13. Our refuge and shelter Our power above afflictions 14. All Christs graces fruits of Lebanon the best of all others Creature-helps liers either by falsenesse or impotency 15. Promises should beget duties God promiseth Beauty to his Church wee should labour to adorn it 16. He promiseth stability we should be rooted in truth and grace all our gifts should serve the Temple 17. He promiseth growth we should grow our selves and endeavour the growth of others Christ both the end and the beinging of the Churches growth 18. Compacture and unity in the Church necessary to the growth of it Divisions hinder it 19. In the body compacted there are severall distinct members each to act in his owne place and joynts fastning members to the head and to one another A different measure of vertue for severall offices A mutuall supply and helpfulnesse on unto another An eternall faculty in each part to form and concoct the matter subministred unto it 20. He promiseth the fruitfulnesse of the Olive which wee should shew forth in workes of grace and peace 21. He promiseth the smell of Lebanon the oyntment of the Gospell the graces of which we should expresse 22. He promiseth protection and conversion we should make him our shelâ—er and from his protection learn our duty of conversion 23. He promiseth reviving out of afflictions profiting by them We should not be discouraged by temptations but amended they have many times mercy in them 24. The vertues of Heathen grapes of Sodom the graces of Christ â—rapes of Lebanon What ever we present unto God must grow in Immanuels land Sermon VI Sect. 1. GOds promise enabling is our confidence to engage Idols sorrows Gods observing us a note of care counsell honour hearing prayers 2. Summe division 3. Mans seal to Gods promise only a confession Gods seal to mans covenant a confirmation 4. Mans covenant of obedience hath its firmnesse in Gods promise of grace Indissolvable dependance of all second causes on the first 5. In sins of men God hath an influence into them as actions a providence over them as sinnes In gracious actions Gods influence necessary both to the substance and goodnesse of them 6. Of the concord between Gods grace and mans will Freewill naturall theologicall Innate praviâ—y and corrupt force which resisteth grace the remainders whereof in the regenerate 7. The will of Gods precept and of his purpose 8. They who are called externally only resist and perish they who eternally are made willing and obedient 9. By an act of spirituall teaching 10. By an act of effectuall enclining and determining the will preventing assisting subsequent grace 11. We may not trust in our owne strength but be ever jealous of our originall impotency unto good our naturall antipathy against
private ends to make it a cloake to policy a varnish to rotten wood silver drosse to a broken Potsheard O then when we weep and seperate our selves let us not think to mock God with empty ceremonies of Repentance let us not assemble our selves only to flatter away the rod from our back and to get peace and security to our owne persons and then let the favour of God the power of his Grace the comforts of his Spirit be as unregarded as before as if we fasted and prayed onely for our backs and bellies not for our Consciences or conversations for be we well assured he who doth not aske the things which he ought shall not obtain the things which he asks such a prayer begs nothing but a deniall We have now many fasts together prayed for making up our breaches for reparing our ruines for composing our distractions for reducing this Kingdom unto an happy constitution for a right understanding between the King and his great Councell These prayers we have not found yet return like Noahs Dove with an Olive branch a gracious answer unto us again What 's the reason Where 's the obstruction Is not he a God that heareth prayers Is it not his Title Doth he not glory in it Certainly mercies stop not at God but at us We are not straitned in him but in our own bowels If there come but a little light into a room the defect is not in the Sun but in the narrowness of the window if a vessell fill but slowly the fault is not any emptiness in the Fountain but the smallness of the pipe If mercies ripen slowly or stop at any time in the way it is not because they are unwilling to come to us but because we are unfit to enjoy them Our prayers doubtless in many of us have not been words taken from him but from our own carnal dictates We would fain have things well in our Country but have we hitherto looked after our consciences The destractions without us have they driven us to consider the distempers within or to desire the things above The unsetledness of peace in the Kingdom hath it awakened us to secure our peace with God We would fain have better times but have we yet laboured for better hearts we would fain have a right understanding between the King and his great Councel but have we yet sadly set about it to have a more clear and sweet Communion between us and our God we long to see more good laws but are we yet come to the care of good lives Every one cries out Who will shew us any good but how few think on the light of Gods countenance Hence hence Beloved is the miscarriage of all our Prayers If we would seek gods Kingdom we are promised other things by way of overplus and Accession as he that buyeth a Treasury of Jewels hath the Cabinet into the Bargain But when we place our Kingdom in outward comforts and let our daily bread shut out all the other five petitions out of our prayers no wonder if the promises of this life which are annexed unto Godliness do not answer those prayers wherein godliness is neglected It were preposterous to begin the building of an house at the Roof and not at the Foundation Piety is the foundation of prosperity If you would have your cheldrin like plants like polished stones your Garners ful your Cattel plenteous no complaining in your streets If you would have the King happy and the Church happy and the State happy and peace and prosperity flourish again Let our chief prayer be Lord make us a happy people by being our God Give us thy self thy grace thy favour give us renewed hearts and reformed lives let not our sins confute and outcry and belie our prayers and pray them back again without an Answer And when we seek thee and thy Christ above all we know that with him thou wilt freely give us all other things The spiritual good things which we beg wil either remove or shelter and defend us from the outward evil things which we suffer Secondly this serveth for an instruction unto us touching a sanctified use of Gods judgments or threatnings when we learn obedience as Christ did by the things which we suffer Hebr. 5.8 when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we are chastened and taught together Psal. 94.12 when sufferings do quicken spiritual desires and the more troubles we find in our way the more love we have to our Country when we can say all this is come upon us and yet we have not forgotten thee Psal. 44.17 18. when we can serve God as wel in plowing and breaking the clods as in treading out the Corn Hos. 10.11 When with Ionah we can delight in him even in the Whales belly and suffer not our love of him to be quenched with all the waters of the Sea When we can truly say to him Lord love me and then do what thou wilt unto me let me feel thy râ—d rather then forfeit thine affection when we can look through the Anger of his chastisements unto the Beauty of his Commands and to the sweetness of his loving countenance as by a Rain bow we see the beautiful Image of the Suns-light in the middst of a dark and waterish Cloud when by how much the Flesh is the fuller of pain by so much prayers are fuller of spirit by how much the heavier are our earthly sufferings by so much the stronger are our heavenly desires when God threatneth punishments and we pray for grace this is a sanctified use of Gods judgments And this we should all be exhorted unto in the times of distraction to make it the principal argument of our prayers and study of our lives to obtain spiritual good things and the less comfort we find in the world to be the more importunate for the comforts of God that by them we may incourage our selves as David did in his calamity at Ziglag 1 Sam. 30.6 when the City Shechem was beaten down to the ground then the men and women fled to the strong Tower and shut that upon them Iudg. 9.51 The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous fly to it and are safe Prov. 18.18 Herein we shall more honour God when we set him up in our hearts as our fear and treasure and mourne more towards him then for the miseries we feel and suspire more after him then all the outward contentment which we want Herein we shall more exercise Repentance for it is worldly sorrow which droopeth under the pain of the flesh but godly sorrow is most of all affected with the Anger of God Herein we shall more prevail with God the more heavenly the matters of our prayer are the more prevalent they must needs be with an Heavenly Father we have five spiritual petitions unto one for bread the more sutable our prayers are to Gods wil the more easie access
looke with selfe-abhorrency upon himselfe and full detestation upon his former courses And he now no longer considers the Silver or the Gold the profit or the pleasure of his wonted lusts though they be never so delectable or desirable in the eye of flesh he looks upon them as accursed things to be thrown away as the Converts did upon their costly and curious Books Acts 19.19 Isa. 30.22 31 7. Sin is like a plaited picture on the one side of it to the impenitent appeareth nothing but the beauty of pleasure whereby it bewitcheth and allureth them on the other side to the penitent appeareth nothing but the horrid and ugly face of guilt and shame whereby it amazeth and confoundeth them Thus the remembrance of sinne past which they are very carefull to keep alwayes in their sight Psal. 51.3 doth by godly sorrow worke speciall care of amendment of life for the time to come 2 Chron. 6.37 38. Psal. 119.59 Ezec. 16.61 63.20.43 2. By a present sense of the weight and burthen of remaining corruptions which work and move and put forth what strength they can to resist the grace of God in us As the time past wherein sinne raigned so the present burthen of sinne besetting us is esteemed sufficient and makes a man carefull not to load himself wilfully with more being ready to sinck and forced to cry out under the paine of those which hee unwillingly lieth under already A very glutton when he is in a fit of the gout or stone will forbeare those meats which feed so painfull diseases A penitent sinner is continually in paine under the body of sinne and therefore dares not feed so dangerous and tormenting a disease The more spirituall any man is the more painefull and burdensome is corruption to him Rom. 7.22 For sin to the new man is as sicknesse to the naturall man The more exquisite and delicate the naturall senses are the more are they sensible and affected with that which offends nature Contraries cannot bee together without combate The spirit will lust against the flesh and not suffer a man to fulfill the lusts of it Gal. 5 16 17. the seed of God will keep down the strength of sin 1 Iohn 3.9 3. By an holy jealousie and godly feare of the falsenesse and back-sliding of our corrupt heart lest like Lots wise it should look back towards Sodome and like Israel have a minde hankering after the flesh pots of Egypt the wonted profits and pleasures of forsaken lusts A godly heart prizeth the love of God and the feelings of spirituall comfort from thence arising above all other things and is afraid to lose them It hath felt the burnings of sinne the stingings of these fiery Serpents and hath often been forced to befoole it selfe and to beshrew its own ignorance and with Ephraim to smite upon the thigh And the burnt child dreads the fire and dares not meddle any more with it Considers the heavinesse of Gods frown the rigour of his Law the weaknesse and ficklenesse of the heart of man the difficulty of finding Christ out when he hath withdrawn himselfe and of recovering light and peace againe when the soule hath wilfully brought it selfe under a cloud and therefore will not venture to harden it selfe against God Thus godly feare keeps men from sin Iob 31.23 Psal. 119.120 Prov. 28.14 Eccles. 9.2 Ier. 32 40. Phil. 2.12 Psal. 4.4 4. By a love to Christ and a sweet recounting of the mercies of God in him The lesse a man loves sinne the more he shall love Christ. Now repentance works an hatred of sinne and thereupon a love of Christ which love is ever operative and putting forth it self towards holinesse of life As the Love of God in Christ towards us worketh forgivenesse of sinne so our reciprocall love wrought by the feeling and comfort of that forgivenesse worketh in us an hatred of sinne A direct love begets a Reflect love as the heat wrought in the earth strikes back a heat up into the aire againe The woman in the Gospel having much forgiven her loved much Luke 7.47 Wee love him because he loved us first and love will not suffer a man to wrong the thing which hee loves What man ever threw away Jewels or money when he might have kept them except when the predominant love of something better made these things comparatively hatefull Luke 14.26 What woman could bee perswaded to throw away her sucking child from her breast unto Swine or Dogs to devoure it Our love to Christ and his Law will not suffer us to cast him off or to throw his Law behind our backs New obedience is over joyned unto pardon of sinne and repentance for it by the method of Gods Decrees by the order and chaine of Salvation and ariseth out of the internall character and disposition of a childe of God We are not Sonnes only by Adoption appointed to a new inheritance but we are Sons by Regeneration also partakers of a new nature designed unto a new life joyned unto a new head descended from a new Adam unto whom therefore we are in the power of his Resurrection and in the fellowship of his suffrings to be made conformable Phil. 3.10 And the Apostle hath many excellent and weighty arguments to inforce this upon us Col. 3. 1 2 3 4. If then ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God Set your affection on things above not on things on the earth For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory 1. Our fellowship with Christ wee are risen with him what he did corporally for us hee doth the same spiritually in us As a Saviour and Mediatour he died and rose alone But as a Head and second Adam he never did anything but his mysticall Body and seed were so taken into the fellowship of it as to be made conformable unto it Therefore if he rose as a Saviour to justifie us we must as members be therein fashioned unto him and rise spiritually by heavenly-mindednesse and a new life to glorifie him 2. We must have our affections in Heaven because Christ is there The heart ever turns towards its treasure where the body is thither will the Eagles resort 3. He is there in glory at Gods right hand and grace should move to glory as a piece of earth to the whole And he is there in our businesse making intercession in our behalfe providing a place for us sending down gifts unto us And the Client cannot but have his heart on his own businesse when the Advocate is actually stirring about it 4. We are dead with Christ as to the life of sinne And a dead man takes no thought or care for the things of that life from whence he is departed A man naturally dead looks not after food or rayment
or land or money or labour c. And a man dead to sinne takes no more care how to provide for it 5. In Christ we have a new life therefore we should have new inclinations sutable unto it and new provisions laid in for it A child in the womb is nourished by the navill being born it is nourished by the mouth A naturall man feeds on worldly things by sense a spirituall man on heavenly things by faith and conscience We can have nothing from the first Adam which is not mortall and mortiferous Nothing from the second which is not vitall and eternall Whatever the one gives us shrinks and withers into death whatever the other springs and proceeds unto immortall life Our life therefore being new the affections which serve it and wait upon it must be new likewise 6. This life is our own not so any thing in the world besides I can purchase in the world onely to me and mine Heires for ever but spirituall purchases are to my selfe for ever And every mans affections are naturally most fixed upon that which is most his own 7. It is an hidden life the best of it is yet unseen 1 Iohn 3.2 and though the Cabinet which is seen be rich yet the Iewell which is hidden in it is much richer And as there is a sinfull curiosity in lust to look after the hidden things of iniquity and to hanker after forbidden pleasures so there is a spirituall curiosity or ambition in grace to aspire towards hidden treasures to presse forward towards things that are before us to be cloathed upon with our house that is from heaven As Absolom being brought from banishment longed to see the face of his father 2 Sam. 14.32 So the soule being delivered out of the land of darknesse never thinks it sees enough of light When God did most intimately reveale himself unto Moses Moses did most earnestly beseech him to shew him his glory Exod. 33.11 18. The more sweetnesse we finde in the first fruits in so much of Christ as is revealed to us the more strong are our affections to the whole Harvest to that abundance of him which is hidden from us A few clusters of Grapes and bunches of Figges will inflame the desire of enjoying that Canaan which abounds with them 8. It is hidden with Christ so hidden as that wee know where it is Hidden so that the enemy cannot reach it but not hidden from the faith of the childe 9. It is hidden in God It is life in the fountaine Psal. 36.9 And every thing is perfectest in its originall and fountaine And this is such a fountaine of life as hath in it fulnesse without satiety and purity without defilement and perpetuity without decay and Al-sufficiency without defect Lastly It is but hidden it is not lost hidden like seed in the ground when Christ the Son of righteousnesse shall appear this life of ours in him will spring up and appear glorious Now next let us consider this Care of Repentance against a mans own more particular and speciall sins Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses c. Israel had been guilty of very many provocations but when they come to covenant with God and to renew their repentance their thoughts and cares are most set against their carnall confidence and spirituall Adultery Their most unfained detestations their most serious Resolutions were against these their most proper sinnes True Repentance worketh indeed a generall hatred of every false way Psal. 119.128 and suffereth not a man to allow himselfe in the smallest sinne Yet as the Dogge in hunting of the Deere though he drive the whole Herd before him yet fixeth his eye and sent upon some one particular which is singled out by the dart of the huntsman so though sound conversion doe work an universall hatred of all sin because it is sinne for Hatred is ever against the whole kinde of a thing Though every member of the old man be mortified and every grace of the new man shaped and fashioned in us yet the severest exercise of that Hatred is against the sinnes whereunto the conscience hath been more enslaved and by which the name of God hath been more dishonered A man that hath many wounds if there be any of them more deep dangerous or nearer any vitall part then the other though he will tend the cure of them all yet his chiefest care shall be towards that As the King of Syria gave command to his Army to single out the King of Israel in the battle 1 King 22.31 so doth Repentance lay its batteries most against the highest and strongest and most raigning sinne of the heart and by how much the more a man prized it before by so much the more doth he detest it now They counted no silver nor gold too good to frame their Idols of before their eare-rings shall goe to make them a Calfe Exod. 22.3 but when they repent nothing can be too base to compare them or to cast them unto Isay 2 20.30 22. The Humane nature is the same in all men yet some faculties are more vigorous in some and others in other some witty others strong some beautifull others proper some a quick eye others a ready tongue some for learned others for mechanicall professions as some grounds take better to some kind of grain then to others so in the new man though all the graces of Christ are in some degree and proportion shaped in every Regenerate person yet one excels in one grace another in another Abraham in faith Iob in patience Moses in meeknesse David in meditation Solomon in wisedome Phineas in zeal Mary Magdalene in love Paul in labour c. And so is it in the old man too Though by nature we have all the members of originall corruption yet these put themselves forth in actuall vigour differently One man is more possessed by a proud divell another by an unclean one Ahaz superstitious Balaam ambitious Cain envious Corah stubborne Esau profane Ismael a mocker the young man a worldling According to different complexions and tempers of body by which Habituall lust is excited and called forth into act or according to differences of education countries callings converse and interests in the world so men are differently assaulted with distinct kinds of sinne and most men have their peccatum in deliciis which they may more properly call Their owne Psalm 18.23 And as this sinne is usually the speciall barre and obstacle that keeps men from Christ as we see in the example of the young man Mark 10.22 and of the Jewes Iohn 5.44 12.42.43 So when Christ hath broken this obstacle and gotten the throne in a mans heart then the cheiâ—e work of Repentance is to keep this sinne from gathering strength againe for as they say of some kinde of Serpents that being cut in pieces the parts will wriggle towards one another and close and get life againe so of all
seems to be expounded Psal. 103.3 and that which is called Healing in one place is called forgivenesse in another if we compare Mat. 13.15 with Mark 4.12 Secondly by a spirituall and effectuall Reformation purging the conscience from dead workes making it strong and able to serve God in new obedience for that which Health is to the body Holinesse is to the soul. Therefore the Sun of righteousnesse is said to aâ—ise with Healing in his wings Mal. 4.2 whereby we are to understand the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit conveying the vertue of the blood of Christ unto the conscience even as the beames of the Sunne doe the heat and influence thereof unto the earth thereby calling out the herbs and flowers and healing those deformities which winter had brought upon it Thirdly by removing and withdrawing of judgements which the sinnes of a people had brought like wounds or sicknesses upon them So Healing is opposed to smiting and wounding Deut. 32.39 Iob 5.18 Hos. 6.1 2. Ier. 33.5 6. Fourthly by comforting against the anguish and distresse which sinne is apt to bring upon the conscience For as in Physick there are Purgatives to cleanse away corrupt humours so there are Cordials likewise to strengthen refresh weak and dejected Patients and this is one of Christs principal workes to binde and heale the broken in heart to restore comforts unto mourners to set at liberty them that are bruised and to have mercy upon those whose bones are vexed Psal. 147 3. Isai. 57.18 19. Luke 4.18 Psal. 6.2 3. I am not willing to shut any of these out of the meaning of the Text. First because it is an answer to that rayer Take away All iniquity The All that is in it The Guilt the staine the power the punishment the anguish whatever evil it is apt to bring upon the conscience Let it not doe us any hurt at all Secondly because Gods works are perfect where he forgives sinne he removes it where he convinceth of righteousnesse unto pardon of sinne he convinceth also of judgement unto the casting out of the prince of this world and bringeth forth that judgement unto victory Matth. 12.20 Their Back-sliding Their praier was against All iniquity and God in his answer thereunto singleth out one kinde of iniquity but one of the greatest by name And that first to teach them and us when we pray against sinne not to content our selves with generalities but to bewaile our great and speciall sinnes by name those specially that have been most comprehensive and the Seminaries of many others Secondly to comfort them for if God pardon by name the greatest sinne then surely none of the rest will stand in the way of his mercy if he pardon the Talents we need not doubt but he will pardon the pence too Paul was guilty of many other sinnes but when he will magnifie the grace of Christ he makes mention of his great sinnes A blasphemer a persecutor injurious and comforts himselfe in the mercy which he had obtained against them 1 Tim. 1.13 Thirdly to intimate the great guilt of Apastacie and rebellion against God After we have known him and tasted of his mercy and given up our selves unto his service and come out of Egypt and Sodome then to looke back againe and to be false in his Covenant this God lookes on not as a single sinne but as a compound of all sinnes When a man turnes from God he doth as it were resume and take home upon his conscience All the sinnes of his life again Fourthly to proportion his answer to their repentance They confesse their Apostasie they had been in Covenant with God they confesse he was their first husband Hos. 2 7. and they forsooke him and sought to Horses to Men to Idols to vanitie and lies this is the sin they chiefly bewaile and therefore this is the sinne which God chiefly singles out to pardon and to heale them of This is the great goodnesse of God toward those that pray in sincerity that he fits his mercy ad Cardinem desiderii answers them in the maine of their desires lets it be unto them even as they will I will love them freely This is set downe as the fountaine of that Remission Sanctification and Comfort which is here promised It comes not from our Conversion unto God but from Gods free love and grace unto us And this is added first to Humble them that they should not ascribe any thing to themselves their Repentance their prayers their covenants and promises as if these had been the means to procure mercie for them or as if there were any objective grounds of lovelines in them to stirre up the love of God towards them It is not for their sake that he doth it but for his own The Lord sets his love upon them because he loved them Deut. 7.7 8. not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you Ezek. 36.22.32 He will have mercy because he will have mercy Rom. 9.15 Secondly To support them above the guilt of their greatest sinnes Men think nothing more easie while they live in sinne and are not affected with the weight and hainousnesse of it then to beleeve mercie and pardon But when the soule in conversion unto God feeles the heavie burden of some great sinnes when it considers its rebellion and Apostacie and backesliding from God It will then be very apt to think God will not forgive nor heale so great wickednesse as this There is a naturall Novatianisme in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sinnes of Apostacie and falling after repentance Therefore in this case God takes a penitent off from the consideration of himself by his own thoughts unto the height and excellencie of his Thoughts who knowes how to pardon abundantly Isay. 55.7 8 9. Ier. 29.11 Ezek. 37.3 Nothing is too hard for love especially free-love that hath no foundation or inducement from without it self And because we reade before Hos. 8.5 That Gods Anger was kindled against them therefore he here adds that this also should be turned away from them Anger will consist with love we finde God Angrie with Moses and Aaron and Miriam and Asa and he doth sometimes visit with rodds and scourges where he doth not uâ—terly take away his loveing kindenesse from a people Psal. 89.32.33 A man may be angrie with his wife or childe or friend whom he yet dearly loveth And God is said to be thus Angry with his people when the effects of displeasure are discovered towards them Now upon their Repentance and Conversion God promiseth not onely to love them freely but to clear up his Countenance towards them to make them by the Removall of Judgements to see and know the ftuits of his free love and bounty unto them When David called Absolom home from banishment this was an effect of love but when he said let him not see my face this
Repentance and by consequence is incurable To speak against the Son of man that is against the doctrine Disciples ways servants of Christ looking on him only as a man the leader of a Sect as master of a new way which was Pauls notion of Christ and Christian Religion when he persecuted it and for which cause he found mercy for had he done that knowingly which he did ignorantly it had been a sin uncapable of mercy Acts 26.9 1 Tim. 1.13 thus to sin is a blasphemy that may be pardoned but to speake against the Spirit that is to oppose and persecute the doctrine worship ways servants of Christ knowing them and acknowledging in them a spiritual Holiness and eo nomine to do it so that the formal motive of malice against them is the power and lustre of that spirit which appeareth in them and the formal principle of it neither ignorance nor self-ends but very wilfulness and Immediate malignity Woe be to that man whose natural enmity and antipathie against Godliness do ever swel to so great and daring an height It shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Matth. 12.32 That is say some neither in the time of life nor in the point or moment of death which translates them unto the world to come Others not in this life by Iustification nor in the world to come by consummate Redemption and publick judiciary absolution in the last day which is therefore called the Day of Redemption in which men are said to finde mercy of the Lord Ephes. 4.30 2 Tim. 1.18 For that which is here done in the Conscience by the ministery of the Word and efficacy of the Spirit shall be then publickly and judicially pronounced by Christs own mouth before Angels and men 2 Cor. 5.10 Others Shall not be forgiven that is shall be plagued and punished both in this life and in that to come Give me leave to add what I have conceived of the meaning of this place though no way condemning the Expositions of so great and learned men I take it By This world we may understand the Church which then was of the Iews or the present age which our Saviour Christ then lived in It is not I think insolent in the Scripture for the words Age or World to be sometimes restrained to the Church Now as Israel was God's First-born and the first fruits of his increase Exod. 4.22 Ierem. 31.9 Ier. 2.3 So the Church of Israel is called the Church of the First-born Hebr. 12.23 and the first Tabernacle and a worldly Sanctuary Hebr. 9.1.8 and Ierusalem that now is Gal. 4.25 And then by the World to come we are to understand the Christian Church afterwards to be planted for so frequently in Scripture is the Evangelical Church called the World to come and the last dayes and the ends of the world and the things thereunto belonging Things to come which had been hidden from former ages and generations and were by the ministery of the Apostles made known unto the Church in their time which the Prophets and righteâ—us men of the former ages did not see nor attain unto Thus it is said In these last dayes God hath spoken to us by his Son Heb. 1.1 And Unto Angels he did not put in subjection the world to come Heb. 2.5 and Christ was made an high Priest of good things to come Heb. 9.11 and The Law had a shadow of good things to come Heb. 10.1 and the times of the Gospel are called Ages to come Ephes. 2.7 and the ends of the world 1 Cor. 10.11 Thus legal and Evangelical dispensations are usually distinguished by the names of Times past and the last dayes or times to come Hebr. 1.1 Ephes. 3.9 10. Colos. 1.25 26. The one an Earthly and Temporary the other an Heavenly and abiding administration and so the Septuagint render the Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 9.5 Everlasting Father which is one of the Names of Christ by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Father of the world to come The meaning then of the place seems to be this That sinnes of high and desperate presumption committed maliciously against known light and against the evidence of Gods Spirit as they had no Sacrifice or expiation allowed for them in the former world or state of the Iewish Church but they who in that manner despised Moses and his Law though delivered but by Angels died without mercy Numb 15.27 30 31. Hebr. 2.2 3 3. so in the World to come or in the Evangelicall Church though grace should therein be more abundantly discovered and administred unto men yet the same Law should continue stil as we finde it did Hebr. 2.2 3 4 5. Hebr. 6.4 5 6. Hebr. 10.26 27 28. neither the open enemies of Christ in the one nor the false professors of Christ in the other committing this sin should be capable of pardon This doctrine of Apostacy or Back-sliding is worthy of a more large explication but having handled it formerly on Hebr. 3.12 I shall add but two words more First that we should beware above all other sins of this of falling in soul as old Eli did in body backward and so hazarding our salvation if once we have shaken hands with sin never take acquaintance with it any more but say as Israel here What have I to do any more with Idols The Church should be like Mount Sion that cannot be moved It is a sad and sick temper of a Church to tosse from one side to another and then especially when she should be healed to be carried about with every winde Secondly We should not be so terrified by any sin which our soul mourns and labours under and our heart turneth from as thereby to be withheld from going to the Physician for pardon and healing Had he not great power and mercy did he not love freely without respect of persons and pardon freely without respect of sins wee might then be affraid of going to him but when he extendeth forgivenesse to all kindes iniquity transgression sin Exod. 34.6 and hath actually pardoned the greatest sinners Manasses Mary Madalen Paul Publicans harlots backsliders we should though not presume hereupon to turn Gods mercy into poyson and his grace into wantonness for mercy it self will not save those sinners that hold fast sin and will not forsake it yet take heed of despairing or entertaining low thoughts of the love and mercy of God for such examples as these are set forth for the incouragement of all that shall ever beleeve unto eternall life 1 Tim. 1.16 And the thoughts and wayes which God hath to pardon sin are above our thoughts and wayes whereby we look on them in their guilt and greatnesse many times as unpardonable and therefore are fit matter for our faith even against sense to beleeve and rely upon Isa. 55.57 58. Now followeth the Fountain of this Mercy I will leve them freely Gods love is
conversion unto him our greatest businesse And I doe verily believe that England must never thinke of outliving or breaking thorow this anger of God this criticall judgement that is upon it so as to returne to that cold and formall complexion that Laodicean temper that she was in before till she have so publickly and generally repented of all those civill disorders which removed the bounds and brought dissipation upon publick justice and of all those Ecclesiasticall disorders whch let in corruptions in doctrine superstions in worship abuses in Government discountenancing of the power of godlinesse in the most zealous Professors of it as that our Reformation may be as conspicuous as our disorders have beene and it may appeare to all the world that God hath washed away the filth and purged the blood of England from the midst thereof by the Spirit of Iudgement and by the Spirit of burning Secondly That Gods love is the true ground of removing Judgements in mercie from a people Let all Humane counsells be never so deep and armies never so active and cares never so vigilant and Instruments never so unanimous if Gods love come not in nothing of all these can doe a Nation any good at all Those that are most interested in Gods love shall certainly be most secured against his Judgements Hither our eyes our prayers our thoughts must be directed Lord love us delight in us choose us for thy selfe and then though Counsells and treasures and armies and men and horses and all second causes faile us though Sathan rage and hell threaten and the foundations of the earth be shaken though neither the Vine nor the Olive nor the figg-tree nor the field nor the pastures nor the heards nor the stay yeeld any supplies yet we will rejoyce in the Lord and glory in the God of our Salvation sinne shall be healed anger shall be removed nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. THE FIFTH SERMON HOSEA Chap. 14. ver 5.6 7. 5. I will be as the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his reâ—ts as Lebanon 6. His branches shall spread and his beautie shall be as the Olive Tree and his smell as Lebanon 7. They that dwell under his shadow shall returne They shall revive as the Corne and grow as the Vine the sent thereof shall bee as the wine of Lebanon c. IN these verses is contained â—ods answer unto the second part of Israels petition wherein they desired him to doe them good or to receive them graciously And here God promiseth them severall singular blessings set forth by severall metaphorâ— and similitudes all answering to the name of Ephraim and the ancient promises made unto him Deu. 33.13 17. c. opposite to the many contrary courses threatned in the former parts of the Prophecy under metaphors of a contary importance Here is the dew of grace contrary to the morning cloud the earthly dew that passeth away Cap. 13.3 Lillies Olives Vines Spices contrary to the Judgments of Nettles Thornes Thistles chap. 9 16.10.8 Spreading roots contrary unto dry roots chap. 9.16 A fruitfull vine bringing forth excellent wine contrary to an empty Vine bringing fruit only to it selfe that is so sowre and usavory as is not worth the gathering chap. 10.1 Corne growing instead of corne taken quite away chap. 2.9 instead of no staulk no bud no meale chap. 8.7 Fruit promised in stead of no fruit threatned chap. 9.16 Wine promised in opposition to the failing of wine Chap. 9.2.2.9 Sweet wine opposite to sowre drinke Chap. 4.18 Safe dwelling in stead of no dwelling Chap. 9.3 Branches growing and spreading instead of branches consumed Chap. 11.6 Green trees instead of Dry springs Chap. 13.15 And all these fruits the fruits as of Lebanon which was of all other parts of that Country the most fertill Mountaine full of various kindes of the most excellent Trees Cedars Cypresse Olive and divers others affording rich gummes and balsomes full also of all kinds of the most medicinall and aromatick herbs sending forth a most fragrant odour whereby all harmfull and venemous Creatures were driven from harboring there And in the Vallies of that Mountaine were most rich grounds for Pasture Corne and Vineyards as the Learned in their descriptions of the holy Land have observed The Originall of all these blessings is the heavenly dew of Gods grace and favour alluding to that abundance of dew which fell on that Mouniaine descending upon the Church as upon a garden bringing forth Lillies as upon a Forrest strengthning the Cedars as upon a Vineyard spreading abroad the branches as upon an Olive yard making the trees thereof green and fruitfull and as on a rich field receiving the Corne. Here is spirituall beautie the beautie of the Lillie exceeding that of Solomon in all his glory spirituall stabilitie the rootes of the Cedars and other goodly trees in that mountaine spirituall odors and spices of Lebanon spirituall fruitfulnesse and that of all sorts and kinds for the comfort of life The fruit of the field bread to strengthen the fruit of the Olive trees oyle to refresh the fruit of the Vineyard wine to make glad the heart of man Psal. 104.15 Wee esteeme him a very rich man and most excellently accommodated who hath gardens for pleasure and fields for corne and pasture and woods for fuell for structure for defence for beautie and delight and Vineyards for wine and oyle and all other conveniencies both for the necessities and delights of a plentifull life Thus is the church here set forth unto us as such a wealthy man furnished with the unsearchable riches of Christ with all kinde of blessings both for sanctity and safety as the Apostle praiseth God the father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ viz. Election to eternall life adoption to the condition of sonnes and to a glorious inheritance redemption from misery unto blessednesse remission of sinnes knowledge of his will holinesse and unblameablenesse of life and the seale of the Holy Spirit of Promise as we find them particularly enumerated Ephe. 1.3 13. The words thus opened doe first afford us one generall Observation in that God singleth out so many excellent good things by name in relation to that generall petition Doe us good That God many times answereth prayer abundantly beyond the petitions of his people They prayed at large only for good leaving it as it becommeth us who know not alwayes what is good for our selves to his holy will and wisedome in what manner and measure to doe good unto them And he answers them in particular with all kinde of good things As in the former petition they prayed in generall for the forgivenesse of sinne and God in particular promiseth the healing of their Rebellions which was the greatest of their sinnes God many times answers the
Ionah in the Whales belly and as Daniel in Babylon pray towards his holy Temple still The woman of Canaan would not bee thrust of with a seeming rejection nor utterly despond under a grievous Tentation but by a singular acumen and spirituall sagacitie discerned matter of argument in that which looked like a deniall Math. 15.27 Sope and Fullers Earth at the first putting on seeme to staine and to foule cloaths when the use and end is to purifie them And Gods frowns and delayes may seeme to be the denials of prayer when haply his end is to make the granting of them the more comfortable Therefore in all troubles we must not gâ—ve over looking towards God but say with Iob though he slay me I will trust in him And after all afflictions we must learn to expresse the fruit of them to come out of them Refined as silver out of the fire to have thereby our faith strengthned our hope confirmed our love inflamed our fruit and obedience encreased our sinne tâ—ken away and our iniquities purged Esay 27.9 To bee Chastened and taught Psal. 84.12 to bee chastned and converted Ier. 38.18 If we have runne away from our duties and been cast into a Whales belly for it when we are delivered let us be sure to look better to our resolutions afterwards after all that is come upon us for our sinnes take heed of breaking his Commandements againe Ezra 9.13 14. As Iobs riches after his so wee should endeavour that our graces after our afflictions may be doubled upon us and that the sent of our holy example may like spices bruised or the grapes of Lebanon crushed in the Wine-presse give a more fragrant smell in the nostrils of God and man as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Lastly he promiseth that all these should be fruits of Lebanon of the best and perfectest kinde There are many evidences of the goodnesse of God even in the lives of Pagan men we reade of Abimelechs forbearance to sinne against God Gen. 20.4 6. and of his and Ephrons singular kindnesse to Abraham Gen. 20.14 15. Gen. 23.10 11 15. No argument more common then this of the vertues the temperance prudence justice mercy patience fidelity friendships affability magnanimity of many heathen men insommch that some have presumed so farre as to make them ex congâ—uo meritorious or dispositive to salvation But all these are but wild grapes bitter clusters the fruits of an empty Vine not worth the gathering in order to salvation But the graces which God bestoweth upon his Church are of a more spirituall and perfect nature proceeding from faith in Christ from love of God from a conscience cleansed from dead works from an intention to glorifie God and adorne the Gospel from a new naâ—ure and from the spirit of Christ conforming his servants unto himself They are not grapes of Sodom but grapes of Lebanon And as hee thus blesseth us in the like manner should we serve him not offer unto him the reâ—use the halt and blind and maimed for Sacrifice not give unto him of that which cost us nothing but goe to Lebanon for all our Sacrifices covet earnestly the best gifts presse forward and labour to perfect holinesse in the feare of God Give unto him our Lillies the beauties of our minority and our Cedars the strength of our youth and our olives and grapes and corn and wine whatever gifts hee hath bestowed on us use them unto his service and honour againe nor content our selves with the forme of godlinesse with the morality of vertues with the outside of duties with the seeds and beginnings of holinesse he hath none who thinks hee hath enough but strive who shall out-runne one another unto Christ as Peter and Iohn did towards his Sepulcher It was an high pitch which Moses aimed at when he said I beseech thee shew me thy glory Exod. 33.18 Nothing would satisfie him but fulnesse and satiety it selfe Be sure that all your graces come from Sion and from Lebanon that they grow in Immanuels Land till Christ own them God will not accept them Morall vertues and outward duties grapes of Sodom may commend us unto men nothing but inward spirituall and rooted graces the grapes of Lebanon will commend us unto God To do only the outward works of duty without the inward principle is at best but to make our selves like those mixt Beasts Elephants and Camels in the Civill Law operam praestant natura fera est which though they doe the work of tame beasts yet have the nature of wilde ones Morall vertue without spirituall piety doth not commend any man unto God for we are not accepted unto him but in Christ and we are not in Christ but by the holy Spirit THE SIXTH SERMON HOSEA Chap. 14. ver 8. Ephraim shall say what have I to doe any mor with Idols I have heard him and observed him I am like a green firre-tree from me is thy fruit found THe Conversion of Israel unto God in their trouble was accompanied with a Petition and a Covenant A Petition imploring mercy and grace from God and a Covenant promising thanksgivings and obedience unto him And God is pleased in his Answer to have a distinct respect unto both these for whereas they petition first for pardon that God would take away all iniquity he promiseth to heale their backslidings and to love them freely and whereas they pray for blessings receive us into favour doe us good God likewise maketh promises of that in great variety expressed by the severall metaphors of fertility answering to the name and blessings promised formerly unto Ephraim And all this we have handled out of the four preceding verses Now in this 8th verse God is pleased not only graciously to accept but further to put to his seale and to confirme the Covenant which they make promising that by the assistance of his spirit they should bee enabled to doe what they had undertaken This is the greatest ground of confidence that wee can have to binde our selves in holy Covenants unto God even the promise of his strength and assistance enabling us to keep Covenant with him Therefore when David had said I have sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous Iudgements it followes a little after Accept I beseech thee the free-will offerings of my mouth O Lord and teach me thy judgements Psal. 119.106 108. David was confident that God would not onely accept his Covenant but teach him how to keep it and that made him the more confident to binde himselfe by it In the Originall the words are onely thus Ephraim What have I to doe any more with Idols which therefore some would have to be the words of God spoken unto Ephraim But there is nothing more usuall in Scripture then an ellipsis of the verb and we finde this very verb omitted and yet necessary to be supplyed Esay 5.9 and in this place
forget God as our Prophet complaines Hos. 13.6 But spiritual knowledge of Blessings is to taste and see the goodness of the Lord in them To look up to him as the Author of them acknowledging that it is he who giveth us power to get wealth and any other good thing Deut. 8.17 18. Psal. 127.1 Prov. 10.22 and to be drawn by them unto him as their End to the adoring of his bounty to the admiration of his goodnesse to more chearfulnesse and stronger engagements unto his service to say with Iacob He gives me bread to eate and raiment to put on therefore he shal be my God Gen. 28.20 He giveth me all things richly to enjoy therefore I will trust in him 1 Tim. 6.17 Catalogues of mercy should beget resolutions of obedience Iosh. 24.2 14. Thirdly we have here a singular commendation of the Doctrine which the Prophet had delivered unto the people of God namely that it was altogether Right and the way which God required them to walk in whatever Judgement carnall and corrupt minds might passe upon it Now the Doctrine of Gods Judgements Precepts and Proâ—mises is said to be Right diverse wayes 1. In regard of their Equity and Reasonablenesse There is nothing more profoundly and exactly rationall then true religion and therefore conversion is called by our Saviour conviction There is a power in the word of God to stop the mouthes and dispell the cavillations of all contradictors so that they shal not be able to resist or speak against the truth that is taught Ioh. 16 8. Tit. 1.9.10 Act. 6.10 Mat. 22.34 and the Apostle calleth his Ministry a Declaration and a manifestation of the truth of God unto the consciences of men 1 Cor. 2.4 2 Cor. 4.2 and Apollos is said mightily to have convinced the Jewes shewing or demonstrating by the Scripture that Jesus was Christ Act. 18.28 therefore the Apostle calleth the devoting of our selves unto God a Reasonable Service Rom. 12.1 and those that obey not the Word are called unreasonable or absurd men that have not wisedome to discerne the truth and equity of the wayes of God 2 Thess. 3.2 What can be more reasonable then that he who made all things for himself should be served by the Creatures which he made That we should live unto him who gave us our being That the supreaâ— will should be obeyed the infallible truth beleeved that he who can destroy should be feared that he who doth reward should be loved and trusted in That absolute Iustice should vindicate it self against presumptuous disobedience and absolute goodnesse extend mercy unto whom it pleaseth It is no marvel that the holy Spirit doth brand wicked men throughout the Scripture with the disgracefull title of Fools because they reject that which is the supreme rule of wisedome and hath the greatest perfection and exactnesse of reason in it Ier. 8.9 2. In regard of their consonancy and Harmony within themselves as that which is right â—nd strait hath all its parts equall and agreeing one unto another so all the parts of Divine Doctrine are exactly suteable and conforme to each oâ—her The promises of God are not yea and nay but yea and Amen 2. Cor 1 19 20. However there â—ay be seeming repugnances to a carnall and captious eye which may seem of purpose allowed for the exercise of our diligence in searching and humility in adoring the profoundnesse and perfection of the word yet the Scriptures have no obliquity in them at all but all the parts thereof doe most intimately consent with one another as being written by the Spirit of truth who cannot lye nor deceive who is the same yesterday to day and for ever 3. In regard of their Directnesse unto that End for which they were revealed unto men being the strait road unto eternall life able to build us up and to give us an inheritance Act. 20.32 In which respect the word is called the word of life Act. 5.20 and the Gospel of Salvation Eph. 1.13 yea Salvation it selfe Ioh. 4.22 Ioh. 12.50 Act. 28.28 as being the way to it and the instrument of it 2. Tim. 3.15 16 17. Iam. 1.21 4. In regard of their Conformity to the holy nature and will of God which is the originall rule of all Rectitude and Perfection Law is nothing but the will of the Law-giver revealed with â—n intention to binde those that are under it and for the ordering of whom it was revealed That will being in God most holy and perfect the Law or Word which is but the patefaction of it must needs be holy and perfect too therefore it is called the acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12.2 Col. 1.9 It is also called a Word of truth importing a conformity between the minde and will of the speaker and the word which is spoken by him in which respect it is said to be Holy Iust and Good Rom. 7.14 5. In regard of the Smoothnesse Plainnesse Perspicuousnesse of them in the which men may walke surely easily without danger of wandring stumbling or miscarriage as a man is out of danâ—ger of missing a way if it be strait and direct with out any turnings and in no greâ—â— danger of falling in it if it be plaine and smooth and no stumbling block left in it Now such is the word of God to those who make it their way a strait way which looketh directly forward Psal. 5.8 Heb. 12.13 An even and smooth way which hath no offence or stumbling block in it Psal. 26.12 Psal. 119.165 It is true there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard things to exercise the study and diligence the faith and prayers of the profoundest Scholers waters where in an Elephant may swimme but yet as nature hath made things of greatest necessity to be most obvious and Common as aire water bread and the like whereas things of greater rarity as gemms and jewels are matters of honour and ornament not of daily use so the wisedome of God hath so tempered the Scriptures as that from thence the wisest Solomon may fetch jewels for ornament and the poorest Lazarus bread for life but these things which are of common necessity as matters of Faith Love Worship Obedience which are universally requisite unto the common salvation as the Apostle expresseth it Iude ver 3. Tit. 1.4 are so perspicuously set downe in the holy Scriptures that every one who hath the spirit of Christ hath therewithall a judgement to discern so much of Gods will as shall suffice to make him beleeve in Chirst for righteousnesse and by worship and obedience to serve him unto salvation The way of Holinesse is so plain that simple men are made wise enough to finde it out and wayfaring men though fooles doe not erre therein Psal. 19.7 â—say 32.4 Esay 35.8 Matth. 11 25. From all which we learn First to take heed of picking quarrels at any word of God or presuming to passe any bold and carnall censure