be blinde themselues in the mysterie of saluation and others who haue knowledge in the letter yet for want of loue are vnprofitable and rather puffed vp with their knowledge then carefull to doe good with it to the perswading of men to faith thereby yet they whom God hath trulie inlightened doe farre otherwise For they hauing daily before their eyes the words of the Lord Iesus that as they loue him they should feed his lambes and his sheepe and againe that they who turne many to righteousnes shall shine as the starres for euer and euer they labour through loue to perswade them to giue ouer their sinfull and bad course and to taste and see how good the Lord is in his word to such as turne to him And the people who conuerse with such if they be appointed to saluation shall embrace such kindnes offered vnto them and how farre off soeuer they haue been from the assurance of it and from true godlinesse yet by good instruction and example they shall most readily looke after both And thus God wrought in the Iaylor and thus he worketh in many As examples hereof are many in the booke of the Acts of the Apostles where Paul trauelled among the ignorant nations so I can truly say vpon mine owne remembrance almost fortie yeeres agone and yet in those times the light of the Gospell shined nothing so cleerely as it hath done since that by familiar companying betwixt the faithfull Minister of God and the ignorant people the Lord wrought wonderfully and mightily amongst them And I am sure the fruit of the Gospell that hath been since in those parts that I say no more and that is to be seene at this day did flow from that well-spring and had the beginning there The Lord did blesse weake meanes when they were vsed in simplicitie and that in admirable manner when the subtiltie of the wicked was not yet at those times growne to such an height to dismay the people in their first beginnings But since those daies some of them though seeking to grow vp in further measure of knowledge and grace and to bring on others by their example haue met with such discouragements that they haue not answered I speake not of all particular persons as many other haue done to the hope that they gaue so long before by many degrees But while I shew how the Iaylor and many other haue taken so great good by the companie and fellowship of Gods seruants it is not to be passed by how little vse many make of such good meanes now a daies Who although they dwel neere godly Preachers yea and are readie enough in ciuill manner to haue their conuersing with them yet in things pertaining to God and to eternall life they haue no appetite to them Which I speake to their shame seeing so much good might be gotten thereby For what though they dwel neere such and haue thereby acquaintance with them yet many further off seeking heartily to take good by them are in farre better case and shew themselues farre wiser because their desire is farre greater to benefit themselues by them For euen as the corne that is kindly sowen in the field though it be held backe by vnseasonable weather is in farre better case then that which groweth on the house top though it be forwarder in the blade and commeth sooner to earing Euen so it is with them wisedome is easie to finde of them that seek it diligently though they be further off from the meanes then they who may enioy them with more ease when there is not an heart in them to take good by them as they may Thus ye see the first three meanes though a farre off by which God brought the Iaylor and so doth many other by the like to conuersion All which degrees tending thereto though I grant that many goe beyond them all and neuer attaine thereto yet in those who haue been further off if they be such as God will call they haue brought them on in such wise that they haue set them forward to faith and repentance Ye haue heard lastly of the meanes of the Iaylors conuersion which are more remote and further off Now follow those which are more neere and did effect the same Of the which the first is that he questioned with them about his saluation saying Sirs what must I doe to be saued And that we may know that he asked not this question idlely vainly or curiously but seriously from his heart and being vrged by necessitie it is said that hee came trembling and fell downe before them and in that feare and terror hee moued the question Whereby it appeared that hee had heard somewhat from them that caused feare of Gods wrath and doubting of and about his saluation and thereby was brought so willingly vnto them to seeke helpe And this came neerer the matter I meane his conuersion then all that went before And now for our instruction this teacheth that when a wicked person who hath walked at his owne libertie ignorantly and profanely as the most part doe whether hee haue any light and wandring thoughts about his saluation or no I say when such a one beginneth to tremble and feare that all will not goe well with him but that his sins hauing found him out doe threaten his damnation and thereupon beginneth to make question about his saluation what hee should doe to attaine to it then hee commeth toward conuersion and true repentance then there beginneth to be some hope of him And although I know that such fearefull thoughts doe sometime vanish and come to nothing and in some they breake into raging and despaire when they bee not kindly and seasonably wrought vpon yet where no such tozing and breaking of the heart is there without all doubt the partie remaineth farre off from all likelihood of turning to God For notwithstanding we iudge charitablie of them who resort ordinarily and willingly to the preaching of the Gospell yea and conceiue hope of others also among vs though further off from goodnesse then they as being meere worldlings ignorant or vaine persons and we waite when God shall call such to repentance for he bringeth out of both sorts thereunto yet till such time that they beginne to complaine of their estate and to crie out not only suspecting that all is not well with them but also know it to bee so at leastwise feare and feele it and so aske counsell about it there is no sound approching neere vnto God to speake as the Scriptures doe namely that the whole need not the Physition and that it is the sick-hearted sinner which seeketh seriously for mercie and forgiuenes For as all that repaire to Markets and Faires goe not to buy but many are wilie wanderers who goe to gaze to see and to be seene as Dinah did but such as want prouision for their families both cheape and buy euen so they
worst sort is of them that reioyce in actions simply euill as in vncleane and filthy talking in swearing in drunkennes whoring and blaspheming of the name of God Reproue and rebuke those men for it Their answere is ready what may we not speake may we not bee merry Yes mirth is lawfull The Lord by the Apostle stirreth vp here children vnto it but marke to what mirth not that which is taken in the sore mentioned sinnes and other like vnto them but in the Lord. Complaine not therfore without a cause as if God were too strict and precise to thee to restraine thee from all mirth Here indeed is a restraint but it is from vngodly mirth from reioycing as I may say in euil thy ioy must not be vnchast dishonest sensual earthly beastly The Lord is bountifull enough to thee in lawfull ioyes vouchsafed vnto thee to take thy part in Learne therefore hence to try thy mirth for when thou art reproued for thy lewd mirth it is no sufficiēt excuse to say we were but merry For know that there is a double mirth a holy mirth and an vngodly mirth a mirth in God and a mirth in the deuill Try therefore and examine thy mirth of whether sort it is If it be in God First God is alwaies in the one ende thereof and the heart is lifted vp in praise and thanksgiuing to God but for other he wil bring thee to a straight account reckning Againe if thou wouldest know that thy mirth is in the Lord try and examine whether thou thy selfe art in Christ For none can reioyce in the Lord but he that is already in Christ Be the thing wherein thou reioycest neuer so lawfull obserue neuer so strictly the time and measure in it this thy ioy is but a prophane and carnall ioy and not in the Lord. Euen the very delight thou takest in moderate eating and drinking and recreation if it be not of faith as it cannot be if thou be not in Christ it is sinne and therefore not in the Lord. And by this we see that only the righteous man can be truly ioyfull The worldly and the carnall he may reioyce in lawfull things but he cannot reioyce lawfully but in a carnal and fleshly manner this ioy neither proceedeth from God nor tendes to God but resteth in the matter neither is it ruled by the direction of Gods words but is disorderedly carried by the sway of his profane and wicked heart And as I haue said that we must beleeue in Christ and know that our names are written in heauen before we can reioyce in the Lord so there are other signes whereby we may know it for it being a thing of such worth and excellency I thinke it good to set downe more euidences of it We shall therefore better know that our ioy is in the Lord if we loue God greatly that is more then all that is precious in the world for the perfection of loue is ioy and therefore be carefull to obey him and if we loue our brethren for his sake And further if we sigh to be vnburdened and long to be with Christ which is best of all for by our reioycing that we haue in Christ Iesus our Lord we die daily And therefore by daily growing more ready to die we doe well testifie the ioy that we haue in him Lastly if our ioy haue vnfained thankes and feruent prayer for the continuāce of it as her companions for so doth the Apostle require that it should be accompanied it shall well appeare that we reioyce in the Lord. And here an other thing shall not be out of season to signifie to the reader that while he is commanded to reioyce in the Lord he must know that it nothing derogateth from it to delight in the word of God which Dauid oft professed that he did and that it was more sweet to him then the hony to his mouth for the word and the preachers that bring glad tidings out of it are the instruments and meanes whereby we delight in the Lord. And when we are taught to reioyce in the Saints which are on the earth and such as excell in vertue it hinders nothing our reioycing in the Lord but furthereth it seeing they are heires of the promise of life with vs and therefore helpers of that ioy The same I may say of reioycing in a good conscience For that is a testimony of our reioycing in the Lord. These and the like concurre with our ioying in God and are all helpers of that ioy And so that remaineth still firme that he that will reioyce should reioyce in the Lord. Now I come to the time when and how long this our ioy is to be in God and that is alwaies the Lord so that we wil be contented but to limit our ioy within those bounds we haue seene is liberall and bountifull for the time he doth not stint and limit vs to any set and certaine time but he will haue vs to reioyce in him euermore Herein differeth the ioy of the faithfull from the ioy of the world that worldly ioy is neuer constant and perpetuall but euen in laughing as Salomon teacheth the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heauinesse But the ioy of the faithfull flourisheth at all times and in all seasons it is like to the Laurell tree that neither winter nor summer casteth the leafe For this ioy hath continuall meanes to feed it withall neither can the righteous man if he consider it euer want cause to ioy and be merrie in God We haue seene the righteous man hath cause to reioyce in affliction and so much more hath he in prosperitie Hee hath cause to reioyce when he prayeth because God is neere to heare his prayer and when he readeth because he seeth God to speake to him in his Word and to giue peace vnto his conscience And so in euerie thing the righteous go about they haue cause to go ioyfully about it their calling especially be it neuer so base yea euen the poorest labouring men if they be Gods children they are then imployed in Gods businesse when they are about their calling he hath set them in the seruant when he is about his masters businesse he may reioyce in doing it For reade Ephes 6.6 you shall see that which their masters set their seruants about is called the will of God and that in seruing their masters with care and in a good conscience they serue God and Christ. And God will giue them a reward and pay them their wages for it They reioyce also when they haue occasion to giue and distribute for they are assured that what they giue to the poore and needie brother they giue to Christ and that in feeding him they feed Christ in cloathing him that they cloath Christ yea they reioice in death it selfe For they know it is not to them
decay of loue to God and the best things is said of our Sauiour heere to be occasioned as otherwise so especially by the multitude of great sinners and the beholding of such wicked examples of men as fill the world with iniquity and offences For oh when men shall be alwaies cloyed with the loose and professed ill behauiour of such as they liue amongst as righteous Lot was with the filthines of the stincking Sodomites it is not easily seene what force is in it to dampe and quench goodnesse in them that behold it and that sometime at the first but when afterwards they shall not be able to wind out from their company and their prouocations of them but that they shall be alwaies crossing their good course disgracing their innocent liues cauilling at their zeale in seruing God and bearing downe all honestie as it were a streame yea and more then all this hunting threatning and disquieting them that cannot approue their bad conuersation what straits thinke we shall they be in yea how hardly shall they be able to withstand their leaud examples but rather in time be corrupted by them And especially if these that thus vex them be men of authoritie and haue power to hurt them as well as a mind to trouble thē they shall find how true this Scripture is through the abundance of iniquitie the loue of many shall wax cold And if euill words alone be able to corrupt good manners how much more wicked life also wherof bad talke is but limbe or arme and especially if this be in the wealthie and great men So that it may be rightly said O good companie and holy examples how much worth are ye How happie are they who may enioy you if they can see It is doubtlesse a corner of heauen to be associated to such both in mariage and neighbourhood in comparison of the hellish companionship of the other And this be said briefly of these three what this loue is that Christ speaketh of that it is cooled and how namely by much iniquitie in others Obiect 1 And although many may perhaps heere obiect and say thus cannot such as haue receiued the doctrine of the glad tidings with comfort and been purged thereby from their old conuersation can they not hold their confidence and reioycing of their hope vnto the end as they began Obiect 2 And againe if any hauing felt the vnspeakable loue of God shed into their hearts by the holy Ghost haue at the first enioying of this grace set their loue on God in a most feruent manner as they haue good cause so to do and haue in like manner loued his people who are fellow heires with them of the glorie to come and the Word and the Minister by whom they were begotten to the assured hope of immortalitie if they haue done this say they at the first is it not meete that they should much more do this afterward If when they did but taste of Christs louing kindnesse at the beginning they were thus affected should they not much more do this after long experience and proofe of the benefit thereof many yeeres after Answ To both these obiections one answere may serue Namely that it is meete it should be so that men should hold both their confidence in God and continue their vnfained loue feruently to all these mentioned as at any time they did neither can I excuse the contrarie But yet we must consider that it is verie hard and difficult so to do and that it requireth the whole heart to be taken vp with it and possessed of it And this is a great hinderance to it if there were no other but it that such must liue and haue to do with the prophane sort of people who doe many wayes prouoke discourage and worke vpon them Indeed it must be granted that the euill heart is a maine hinderer from this holy course which I doe not say as though I would take vpon me to excuse or defend them who are waxen cold in the duties of loue for which they had sometimes been commended but rather to aduise such as are to stirre vp men to continue their first loue Note that they may exhort and perswade them to it wisely and in all kindnesse not hotly roughly and rashly as though words may force it when all good encouragements are little enough to perswade to it For though Christ foretell heere that through the abundance of iniquitie the loue of many shall waxe cold as thereby casting a reproch vpon such as shall verifie his words yet we that are the Lords remembrancers and haue experience of the frailtie that is in our brethren being priuie to our owne must in shewing how easily they fall from this grace or any other by all good meanes labour and helpe them to preuent it or if they haue alreadie fallen to reclaime and call them back againe But if by none of these meanes we preuaile with them know they that they shall fall from this their loue to their cost and beare their burthen whosoeuer they be For to speake as the truth is what can they do either more vnbeseeming their holy profession or the Lords vnspeakable kindnesse then to reward him after such a manner And after an heartie acknowledging of Gods great loue to them at their first tasting the sweetnes of it afterwards to forget it or vnthankfully to bring it into a common and meane account The Hebrewes who had in like maner offended were reproued sharpely by the author of the Epistle written to them in this manner Now call to remembrance the dayes that are past wherein after ye receiued light ye endured a great fight in afflictions being made a gazing stocke to them in reproches and were companions with such as were so tossed to and fro and suffered with ioy the spoiling of your goods knowing that ye haue in heauen a better and enduring substance And will ye now cast away your confidence which hath so great recompence of reward The same reproofe though not in the same particular thing the Apostle gaue the Galathians who when they had receiued such manifest gifts of the holy Ghost by his preaching that they were cleere patterns of excellent Christians to many and after that were so bewitched by the false Apostles that they ioyned the obseruing of the law with faith he spake thus to them O yee foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that after ye haue begun in the spirit ye will now bee made perfect by the flesh that is by the keeping of the law The redresse and remedie to recouer this decayed loue is that which saint Iohn giueth to the Church of Ephesus against the same disease when they had left their first loue saying remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first workes Wherin he teacheth vs as he did that people that this decay in our loue to Gods ministerie and people must bee called to
that is first such an heart as they might feare him for therefore their answere was disliked although their words were good because they proceeded not from such an heart But this speech of the Lord in this manner vttered raiseth a doubt in the hearer what hee should meane by wishing such an heart as though the feare of God could not grow in any heart and likewise come from it and if it bee so what heart is that hee wisheth vnto them To the which may be answered that the feare of God and obedience to his commaundements doe not come from euery heart neither doth such fruite grow in euery garden Note and it must be such an heart indeede as cannot be matched neither hath any fellow or companion But what manner of heart is that you will say you doe not vnderstand what hee meaneth I answere therefore further that by such an heart he meaneth in one word an heart conuerted to God more particularly an heart broken with sorrow for sinne and the feare of damnation yet quieted againe and eased by beleeuing the remission of sinne and sanctified also to newnes of life Euen such an heart is fit to breed the feare of God and in such an heart it can dwell and in no other And that is called by our Sauiour a good heart which onely and no other can bring forth good things For so he saith a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and contrariwise so that if the heart be good that is truely turned to God then it is fitted for that which God here wished to his people that is to feare him and keepe his commandements and not else Now for proofe that it must be thus the scripture is cleare and plentifull As first that the heart must bee wounded for sinne and broken with sorrow and feare till it bee sicke againe is prooued by the words of our Sauiour where hee saith The whole haue no neede of the Physitian but the sicke And they in the Acts were pricked in conscience for their wofull estate before they came to Peter to aske how they might bee healed but then they came to him and the other Apostles though they had railed on them before and said Men and brethren what shall we doe As if they should haue said in this our distresse and dispayring in our selues what helpe can ye minister vnto vs or ease vnto our soules This contrition and sorrow is one of the three things which helpe to make the euill heart good And yet this without the other two is nothing to this purpose but fit onely to raise vp flashes and feares of hell to the tormenting of the conscience and the holding of it in slauerie and bondage for which cause it is called of the Apostle the spirit of bondage But this being rightly vsed maketh a most direct way to the renuing and changing of the heart that it may be good To proceede therefore the second thing required to make the heart good is faith vnfained that the afflicted minde may see and beleeue the sinnes of it to bee pardoned to the easing and quieting of it which then standeth in need of it and most earnestly desireth it and the Lord hath giuen a free grant of it vnto such as are thus prepared for it by earnest desiring it euen as in the forementioned place the Lord saith I am a physitian for the sicke and in another place I will giue the water of life vnto such as thirst which the sicke and troubled conscience hearing counteth it the happiest and welcomest tidings that could be brought vnto it and so by due and aduised considering it laieth holde of it though weakely and by little and little the Lord inabling the partie and so beleeueth that it is as effectuallie offered to him as to any of Gods children that haue already imbraced it And this mightily worketh both to ease and quiet and also to quicken him who was before so cast downe and troubled And thus to passe to the third thing requisite to the reforming and rectifying of the heart that the true feare of God may proceede from thence the partie being thus perswaded of the loue of God and the free remission of sinne and what vnlooked for contentment he hath thereby breaketh forth into the praise of God with admiring his kindnes and saith what thankes shall I giue vnto the Lord for his vnspeakeable mercy vnto me What shall I offer vnto the Lord for this his great goodnesse And so hee being constrained by the loue of God so shed into his heart is perswaded and inabled in good sort to goe about the dutie which God requireth indeuoring and purposing to walke before him in vprightnes and innocencie for euer after And this desire of his not being frothie and rash stirred vp of more and painefull feare as in many wicked ones it is but proceeding from faith which worketh by loue and from the certaintie of the fauour of God assured to him by the holy Ghost is not a suddaine passion in him which is hot and feruent for the present onely but comming from so good a foundation and ground sanctifieth him effectually by working a dislike of euill because it is euil and an heartie and vnfained loue of al goodnesse which grace being thus wrought in him is the third thing required to the changing of the heart and turning of it vnto God And this must go with faith as we are taught in the Epistle to the Corinthians where he saith Seeing we haue these promises let vs clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and grow vp to full holines in the feare of God With this agreeth that of Saint Iohn that if we haue the hope which is the daughter of faith we purge our selues from sinne as it commeth to our sight Thus I haue shewed what graces of God must necessarily be planted in the heart that it may bring foorth this fruit I mean the feare of God that so it may become such an hart as God heere wisheth the people when he saith oh that there were such an heart in them Now that the Christian Reader may not be deceiued in iudging whether he hath such an heart or not I will adde some caueats about these three properties which make the heart good that he examining and obseruing them may see whether he haue them or no. And to begin let him know that about the first of them which is pricke or wound of conscience and feare of Gods displeasure for the same I giue these two caueats or watch-words The one is this that if God presse our consciences with the powerfull preaching of his word Note and accuse and arrest them thereby that we in no wise resist that worke of grace but submit our selues thereto seeing he vseth to do so to them whom he will saue The other that being
our conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse we haue our conuersation in the world By all which testimonies it is cleere that the godly and Christian life is the only sweet and comfortable life which is worthie to be marked to the shame of all such as barke against the innocent and holy seruants of God Note affirming that none are worse then they that I say no more And secondly to the no lesse shame of them I note it who patch vp and peece their comfort they care not with what shreds and fragments of their owne vaine and fleshly desires banishing away godlinesse as that which in no wise can stand with their delights And thirdly it might please all such as maruell why some cannot bee content to serue God as others euen the most do to take answere from hence that there being no sound comfort but in godlines they desire to liue comfortablie though it be to the little liking of such as maruell at them And this comfort is so much the more precious by this that it may continue and cannot be taken from vs according to that which our Sauiour saith This ioy shal no man take from you And further also because the godlesse can haue no part in it neither be partakers of it For so saith Saint Iohn None knew what that song meant but the hundred and foure and fortie thousand which were redeemed from the earth And so saith Salomon The heart knoweth the bitternesse of his soule and the stranger shall not medale with his ioy But this be said of the third vse which the Churches made of their peace and consequently of all the three vses that the godly made thereof Now it followeth to see how euen the bad sort vsed it For the holy Ghost teaching that the Churches encreased and were multiplied sheweth that it was by this that they were added vnto them and brought into the way of saluation who were before farre from it As if he should say euen the bad while the Churches had rest were mooued and drawne by the examples of the godly to follow them and to do as they did that is to say they heard the word of God and they ioyned themselues in fellowship with them and the Lord wrought thereby in such wise that they disclaimed their former euill course and were conuerted vnto him This is a most famous and notable example to teach euen the bad how they should behaue themselues in the dayes of peace and what vse God looketh that euen they should make of it They haue not libertie to liue as they list nor to trifle out their precious time as though neither any good were to be done in it and as though they should giue no account how they haue passed it But that they should look vpon them whom God hath set as examples among them to be moued thereby to be out of loue with their owne course and to like the good which they see in them and long to haue their part in it For to this end doth the Lord raise vp many good examples in sundrie places and giues them ofttimes peace to the end that when they haue both these with the pure preaching of the Gospell they may haue nothing to complaine of why they should not embrace the Christian course as others do And therefore the estate of all such is dangerous in no common sort who neuer aske wherefore all these good examples serue but rather scorne and dislike them or at least haue no fellowship with them And againe if any who as yet sauour not the precious Gospell should thinke that they shall neuer profit by it to come to faith and repentance they are to know that not only they may but also that God looketh for it at their hands For why did God giue Ahab great victories ouer his enemie Benhadad but to the end hee should know the Lord to be God and acknowledge him beleeue in him loue and feare him And did God prouoke him an Idolater and wicked man to forsake his euill way and will he reiect other who would draw nigh to him if they durst No God is readie to receiue yea he seeketh such as flie from him and which wander out of the right way yea and beseecheth them to be reconciled to him so that none shall need to feare that God will turne from them if their chiefe care be that they may turne to him And seeing I haue gone so farre in this matter I will proceed a little further and put on the person of such as are yet in darknesse and would willingly see light Such I know would aske how they may come home and be receiued into the fauour of God To such I answere they must be mooued by the reports of them who are in Christ alreadie and be perswaded what beautie is in the Gospell how precious it is and how many who haue been farre off haue by the power and perswasion of it come home to true repentance as the Publicans and great sinners who heard our Sauiour preach to them Secondly they must heare the word of God diligently as Salomon willeth that they who will be blessed should watch daily at wisdomes gates and giue attendance at the postes of her doores yea and further they must with the good people of Berea receiue the word with all readinesse They must also draw to good companie as Paul cleaued to Barnabas at his conuersion and the people both Iewes and Gentiles who embraced the Gospell did wheresoeuer he preached And by these meanes God worketh so in those whom he will saue that he changeth their hearts and maketh them new persons For though many people haue sundrie kinds of lets to hinder them from beleeuing yet they to whom God hath a fauour he will draw them by some excellent thing that they heare or by means of some doubt that troubleth them of the which they desire to be resolued that they shall not breake off their hearing till they receiue that chiefe and most excellent light by preaching which bringeth contentment and resolution of that which did most trouble them and that is faith vnfained And this is that which ought most of al to occupy and take vp the minds of vnstaied persons who haue no sure hold of eternall life and this is the vse which they ought to make of their liuing in peace and beholding the good example of those who are better then themselues to waite in their hearings and long for this namely that they may know they shal be saued As for al other taking vp of their thoughts and desires the best of them are but deceiuable that I say nothing of further mischiefes which they bring vpon themselues But doe the common sort of the ignorant and prophane make this vse of their peaceable liuing among Gods seruants Indeed God be praised some do for how should the number of penitent persons otherwise grow
things straight do bow them a contrarie way that so they may the easilier bring them betwixt both which is to be straight and right so the Lord when he entends to make a proud man humble and meeke he will breake his heart with sorrow and affliction wherewith when hee hath been throughly exercised he is the fitter to be brought to the meane betwixt both that is broken-heartednes and humilitie For as a log in the deepe mire hauing long lien therein is so fastened to the place as it is impossible to remoue or pluck it out vnlesse it be loosened and turned into another place but being so handled it may with ease be taken out Euen so if a man set vpon his dregges I meane being riuited into his sinnes be not loosened from them by some terrour and heart-smart though hee be brought neuer the neerer to repentance thereby yet he shall if he be such a one as God wil shew mercie vnto hee shall I say much more easily be perswaded thereto According to that which wee say in our common speech and that truly of a wicked man bent to his will and to liue licentiously that hee is neuer like to amend and come to good vnlesse the Lord awake him by some great affliction This manner of Gods dealing with men to bring them to so happie an estate by so vnlikely meanes and so farre off should teach the men of this age that wisedome hauing knowledge which the ignorant cannot learne that in their troubles and astonishments they should not think that they are punished seeing God taketh delight therein and so wax hardened but to know that they not humbling their hearts to seeke the Lord by preaching and by Gods benefits they haue need to be awaked by his iudgements and that he doth therefore afflict them that they may know they are farre gone in their euill course that so they may lay surer hold of his word and take direction and counsell from thence to be brought to God But let vs see how God wrought by the second meane that was farre off and so how hee brought him on by degrees to true conuersion This second meane was Pauls care of him in his desperate estate to hinder and disswade him from offering violence to himselfe and his kindnes towards him in ouercomming euill with good For whereas the Iaylor had shewed himselfe cruell towards him when he had giuen him no cause so to doe and therefore looked for no good will at his hands if possibly he should stand in neuer so great need thereof behold hee had no greater friend then him whom he had deserued to be his greatest enemie for euen by him was his life preserued This when he weighed and considered which hee could not but see Paul so earnestly beseeching him to doe himselfe no harme who had not otherwise been held back from killing himselfe I say when he laid these things together he was againe amazed at this but in another manner and better then before For before his heart was troubled desperatly thinking what losse he was like to haue but now hee was moued in a more commendable manner to see Pauls vnlooked for kindnes towards him This began to draw his heart towards Paul which we know must needs be a great change from that which was before And by this we may mark the beautie of vertue and grace in Gods seruants how greatly it moueth the hearts euen of wicked men Surely if they were carefull that their light might shine in good conuersation among men they should not a little prouoke them out of their bad course and to bee in loue with a better I doe not denie but it most moueth them when it bringeth any benefit to them as heere Pauls loue and care did to the Iaylor they had double force to worke vpon him And although it helpe much I grant to the further drawing him on toward goodnesse yet that only was not to be seene in him but that did beate into him a perswasion that he was a good man and was able to doe him good also and therefore a little after he desired to know of him how he might be saued So that kindnes and harmelesnes and other fruits of loue if they were more vsually and plentifully shewed foorth by Christians they would vndoubtedly pearce the hearts of many wicked men and cause them to thinke that they are farre from the course which they should walk in For though many scorners and profane persons doe trample goodnesse and good men vnder their feete yet the beautie of pietie and Christianitie doth much moue and auaile with many As we see by Peters words to Christian women where he saith Let the wiues be subiect to their husbands that euen they that obey not the word may without the word be wonne by the conuersation of their wiues But especially if Gods seruants would as opportunitie is offered shew their loue in seeking to win them to God and to help them towards eternall life much more should they perswade them to forsake their bad course and to embrace a better As our Sauiour Christ talking with that woman of Samaria brought her to repentance And this be said of the second meane of the conuersion of the Iaylor though farre off which as it was a degree before the former so they who are moued as hee was are sensiblie set forward as he was though I denie not but that many comming thus farre and further from their euill course may yet be farre enough off from true conuersion But let vs heare the third meane which the second now spoken of procured and brought foorth and that is a neerer degree to goodnesse then the former And this it is that he conceiued so well of them of Paul and Silas I meane that for all the commandement of the Magistrate hee brought them out of the prison and fell downe before them in token of reuerence to them and so fell to neere acquaintance with them who being good men it gaue hope of his further good taking by them And here I will stay a while to teach how we may profit by this To this end this I say that as his neere clinging and cleauing to them was another meane to bring him to true conuersion euen so God vseth the familiaritie and acquaintance that wicked men haue with his seruants to this end that they may distaste their former course and bring them to heare the word preached and so in time to be changed Thus many become beleeuers in Christ by companie and acquaintance with Preachers who being appointed by Christ to be fishers of men doe shew the loue to them that Christ shewed to themselues before that if they be men of God indeed they will lay open to them their treasures which they haue gathered out of the hoard of the Gospell and impart the same vnto them For although many of that profession I meane the Ministerie
he teacheth him to know Christ For a cleare and distinct knowledge of him is necessarie before we can beleeue And not only he preached Christ but also more generally the word of God that is euen other things to assure them of Christ And that must be the matter of our preaching we must not build our faith on the word of man but of God and great reason For faith vpholds a great waight euen our saluation lieth vpon it Faith in Christ therefore needs a strong foundation and such an one is Gods word that which is built on it is built on a sure rocke mans word is sandie not able to beare vp any thing And thus hauing briefly noted as I promised other things in the text I will returne to the points following in the diuision of the text Therefore now follow the effects of his faith which also are the fruits of it These as they are set downe heere and such as for that time he had opportunitie to shew by which also we may certainly gather that other fruits of faith were in him these I say may be referred to three The first was his baptisme the next his reioycing for his owne and his housholds beleeuing the third containe certaine duties of mercie and loue as his bringing them out of prison into his house his washing their stripes and refreshing of their hungrie bodies with meate Where first note this generally that good workes follow faith as the heate doth the fire So soone as the theefe beleeued he confesseth Christ sheweth other fruits of his faith such as in that time he could So this man doth the same by his loue to Gods seruants And he doth it immediately euen the same houre of the night as they were readie to teach euen so was he to minister to their necessities But this doctrine is manifest looke we into the particulars Of the which I will begin with that which most neerely concerneth this matter and that is the sealing and confirming of his faith and the making of it sure vnto him that he beleeued indeed I meane that he was baptised For what would a man in his case desire more then to haue proofe and testimony that he beleeued when thereby he was partaker of Christ and of eternall life And Baptisme was an open badge of Christ and of his righteousnesse receiued by faith euen as Circumcision was vnto the Fathers in the old Testament Obiect But what haste ye will perhaps say could not that be deferred till day at least for it is said he was baptised in the same houre of the night after they had preached to him and his houshold which was a little after midnight Answ I answere it is not to be maruelled at that he desired speed in that so waightie a matter For they that haue faith thinke long till they may haue it sealed and ratified And is there not good reason thereof If a man had the writing of a great inheritance passed ouer to him would he not thinke it long till he had the seale And great matters were that night passed ouer by the Lord to him euen heauen life saluation and happinesse These therfore he desireth to haue Gods seale set vnto And so as he may haue this he cares not for his sleepe or his ease neither feares he any trouble that might ensue vpō it And this teacheth al such as God endueth with faith whē they haue sought it earnestly to seek by al means speedily to haue it confirmed vnto them and to get all possible testimonies thereof For as nothing in the world is so precious as it is and therefore not with like care to bee sought so neither is any thing with like regard to be preserued and witnessed to them that haue it Which I speake as well for the ignorants sake who know not that there may many euidences be gathered of their saluation as to stirre vp those who haue better vnderstanding who though they know it yet find many wayes to hinder themselues from this benefit For it may iustly be complained of that it is too slightly looked after of the most part But to set downe any of them heere I forbeare because I haue done it in many other places and some follow immediately to be mentioned The next fruit of faith which also to make good my last speech is an infallible token of eternal life to them that haue it is ioy for that he beleeued in God Which being rightly vnderstood is no lesse For although many heare and receiue the word with ioy because they heare most precious and strange things brought to light by the preaching of it yet this is not the ioy I speake of but to haue inward peace and ioy through beleeuing that al sinne is put away which sometime weighed vs downe for the feare of hell deserued and sore disquieted our hearts this ioy I say is a fruit of faith and a token of saluation as Saint Paul saith we haue peace with God which cannot deceiue vs if we be once by faith iustified For when we who were without hope sometime yea in great feare that we should neuer see God in his glorie shall come to haue our hearts eased and find rest to our soules Is it not a sure argument that God hath put away all our iniquitie and receiued vs graciously no more to turne his displeasure and angrie countenance toward vs what is able to make vs ioyfull but that perswasion and yet if that can do it it followeth also that by such ioy we haue that which causeth it Obiect And because many boast of false ioy from which none can disswade an Hypocrite therefore who can be secured from feare of it but he may ye will say be deceiued Answ I answere as the painted fire may be discerned from that which burneth indeed so may the beleeuers ioy be discerned from the other euen as true sorrow which is sorrow indeed may be from that which is counterfeit For as Salomon saith the heart knoweth her owne heauinesse and the stranger shall not be partaker of her ioy so thereby we may gather that as heauinesse is felt so is ioy also which no other but he that hath it can haue any part in For the other trieth it not in the true weights of Gods word which is proofe enough that it is frothie deceiueable and not sound whereas the true beleeuer thinketh he can neuer bestow too much labour to know that his comfort is wrought by God and shed into his hart by the holy Ghost because it is his crowne and glorie and that wherein his happinesse consisteth as the Queenes chiefe chamberlaine the people of Samaria when they were conuerted by Philip and the other churches of Iudea and Galile did well testifie Neither let this trouble any that the godly do oft want this ioy yea and haue it many times drowned with deepe sorrowes
duties I say are not to be neglected Euen as the Iailer heere did as he could performe all these And where that helpe is ministred mutually amongst Christians as well in the best things as in the meaner much outward and inward peace is there enioyed good example shewed as a fruit of the Gospell and good hope that many shall be gained and brought thereby vnto it Note And heere I do specially desire all people of God to heare me in two things most needfull to this purpose The one that such as be of more hard froward austere and impatient disposition and yet religious would take a little paine to bridle and subdue the same and with grauitie and integritie to be more amiable that so they may discourage none of the weaker sort The second that such as receiue helpe of their brethren would not burden them and wearie and discourage them from such duties doing by their vndiscreet importunities looking for that which is beyond their compasse for them to aske or the other to grant and yet to iudge and censure them for not yeelding vnto them Now the last fruit of the Iailers faith and that is touching his houshold followeth that he reioyced that they also beleeued in the Lord. Therein he declared himselfe to be a right kind and louing master euen as he was a sound and good Christian and also that he was become a faithfull friend vnto Christ his master who so counteth of all them that reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner Euen so such masters may haue good hope of their true profiting and reioycing that desire to haue their houshold to be a little Church and beleeuers in Christ and all other may know that Christ accounteth highly of these who reioyce for them that of great sinners are conuerted to God And thus to make an end of the whole storie as we will iudge of the stature and proportion of a Giant by his hand or legge so we may iudge of the Iailers whole course of life by these parts of it That he was made a rare paterne in faith and godlinesse of a most barbarous and prophane person Now wherefore say I this but to the end that many who as yet are estranged from God and enemies to him euen a farre off may yet at least bethinke and resolue themselues to returne againe vnto him and neuer to leaue off till they bee truely come home and haue more in them then any reprobate that may fall away againe can haue TWO SERMONS VPON MATTH 24.12.13 PREAched by RICHARD ROGERS Vers 12 And because iniquitie shall be encreased the loue of many shall be cold But he that endureth to the end he shall be saued AS I vse and thinke it expedient so to doe in preaching a Sermons to acquaint the hearers first with the things which most concerne them to attend vnto so I will first shew what matters I meane to stand vpon And as it was the vsuall manner of our Sauiour to speake to the people of the things that concerned all that heard him that there might be hope that all sorts might take good thereby so my purpose is to do Now therefore seeing all sorts of hearers are either workers of iniquitie and such as fill the world with sinne or such as haue receiued the loue of the word into their hearts of which sort some haue been discouraged and haue begun to faint and to waxe cold and some hold on their course commendablie though these be the fewest therefore to all these three sorts I will direct my speech that the first may repent betimes and returne to the Lord the second may rise out of their falles and stand faster in the good estate wherein they had begun and the last may hold on in their first loue and continue to the end wherein their happinesse consisteth And that I may not be thought to speake what I list I will shew how our Sauiour Christ doth giue occasion hereof most fitly speaking himselfe of all these three sorts in the words which I haue read vnto you For he foretelling many things that should afterward come to passe putteth in this one amongst the rest saying It shall be in the latter dayes that people shall be giuen ouer to sinne and euen where the Gospell shall be preached euen there iniquitie shall abound in such wise that it shall draw away many of them who haue embraced and loued the truth so that they shall faint and fall from the goodnesse that hath been in them but let them saith he rouse vp themselues againe and returne to their first loue and they who yet hold it let them abide still in it for they only who continue to the end shall be saued And by this which he saith it may easily be gathered that he speaketh of three sorts as I also entend to do and withall three things he setteth downe One that iniquitie shall abound the second that by meanes thereof the loue of many shall waxe cold the third that they who wisely decline and shunne both and enter and keepe on in the good way wherein God hath set them vnto the end they shal vndoubtedly be saued and haue euerlasting life Now to begin with the first I wil handle it thus I will before I go further proue the words of our Sauiour to be most cleare true that all may see into thē Secondly applie them in more particular manner to all such as do cause iniquitie to abound that all who desire may be able to see whether they be of the number of them that they may thereafter prouide for themselues And thirdly I will shew what vse all such ought to make of the doctrine which they haue verified in hauing been helpers to encrease iniquitie and that is this that when they see they haue liued in times past to no other end then to helpe to fill the world with sin they may giue all diligence to seeke the pardon of their euill doings and neuer rest quiet vntill they haue obtained it and come out of them which is the right vse of knowing it But if they still go forward in their euill course they may shew themselues to be as they are that is contemners And that the world shall be full of iniquitie in these latter daies of ours it is proued by two reasons the one drawne from Scripture the other from experience The Spirit of God speaketh thus in the Scripture that as it was in the dayes of Noah so shall it be in the comming of the Sonne of man For as before the floud came they did eate and drinke marrie and giue in marriage vntill the day that Noah entred into the Arke and knew nothing vntill the floud came and tooke them all away so shall it then be Whereby Christ sheweth that in the latter dayes a part whereof this age is wherein we liue the people shall be as they were in that wofull time
adde this one thing as a watchword to them all And that is that they take speciall heed that they harden not their hearts to abide still in that which they haue ill done neither against the instruction that calleth them backe from it neither make light of their sins as Esau did who when he had sold his birth-right being a signe of eternall life he made a sleight matter of it saying what is this birth-right vnto me as if he should haue said what good would it haue done me But it shall be their wisdome to sift and search themselues as they haue been taught to do rather then go further and further seriously considering the words of the Prophet which are these Doth a man fall and not rise againe or go out of the way and not returne And they should say as the Apostle said when their master told them that one of them should betray him answering seuerally as fearing lest such a mischiefe might light vpon them is it I master and another is it I And they should as they which are wearie of their doings and willing to repent say euery one by himselfe the men apart as the Prophet Zacharie speaketh and the women apart what haue I done And so shall they see that God will soone turne away from his displeasure and be mercifull to them According to that in Osea where the Lord giueth a most sweet and plaine direction both to repent and obtaine mercie saying Vers 1. O Israel returne to the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie 2. Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him take away all iniquitie and receiue vs graciously so will we render the calues of our lips 3. Ashur that is the Assirians shall not saue vs neither will we ride vpon horses that is to trust in them neither will we say any more to the worke of our hands ye are our gods for in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercie 4. I will heale their rebellion I will loue them freely saith the Lord for mine anger is turned away from them Herein the Lord setteth downe his louing kindnes toward them sundry waies that they or any that price and highly set by it may the easilier be perswaded of it and beleeue it and he requireth of them repentance to the end they and all beleeuers may yeeld and performe it And thus much be said at this time and of this first sort heere which our Sauiour speaketh of namely of those which fill the world with sinne THE SECOND SERMON VPON THE 24. OF MATthew the 12. and 13. verses The second part THe second part of the text followeth in which is shewed that by the abundance of iniquitie the loue of many shall waxe cold that is when the simple harted and godly minded people who would most willingly go on in a holy course shall yet see the horrible abominations in the world on euerie side swarming and those also with boldnesse vpholden and defended bearing sway and preuailing though at first they vtter dislike them yet being continually annoyed with them and grieued therewith by little and little they are discouraged and weakened in their good course till time they be cooled and fall from it deseruing thereby the sharpe reproofe which was giuen to the Church of Ephesus which was this I haue somewhat against thee euen for that thou hast left thy first loue This point laying out another sort of people to vs besides those who haue been spoken off to the end we may see our Sauiours mind the better therein and make our profit of it First I wil shew what he meaneth by this loue when he saith the loue of many shall waxe cold secondly that it is much decayed and waxen cold indeed in this our age as he foresaid it should and thirdly by what meanes and how namely by the abundance of iniquitie flowing round about them Fourthly I will set downe a remedie for such as haue fallen how they may rise againe and adde reasons to disswade from suffering their loue to waxe cold in them Now this loue heere spoken of is the same that Saint Iohn calleth our first loue which is a holy and heauenly affection stirred vp and wrought in our hearts as soone as we be perswaded of the loue of God in Christ to vs. And it causeth vs to set our loue on God more then euer we loued father wife or friend or any thing else of the greatest account and reckoning For this loue of God constraineth vs so to do and for his sake to loue our brethren For he that loueth him that begate loueth him also which is begotten also it draweth vs in a most feruent manner to loue the word of God as the Psalmist saith Oh how loue I thy word and the true Preachers of it for beautifull are the feet of those that bring glad tidings And what maruell For who can sufficiently haue his hart enlarged in this manner toward God who being by his former sinfull life brought euen to hell gates and that without hope of recouerie by any way that he could see did when he least looked for it and that of Gods meere loue and mercie obtaine deliuerance from the same and withall saw himselfe adopted and taken to be heire of euerlasting life This vnspeakable benefit as a spring sending forth and accompanied with many other blessings freely bestowed vpon him by Christ what can be too deare for him that hath bestowed it He is readie therefore for his sake that did all this for him to giue and consecrate himselfe againe to him and to be at his command in all things From whence it followeth that in great zeale and feruentnes he seeketh to do the will of God to the admiration of others euen as he himselfe saith if yee loue me yee will keepe my Commandements And this in few words is the loue that Christ heere speaketh of Now this loue is cooled or waxeth cold when this feruentnes is abated and this exceeding loue of Christ which before could neuer be thought great enough is now slaked as if it were almost put out Which commeth to passe when it is not daily and duely considered and remembred prised and valued aboue all other things as it is meete it should be and sometime also was in such account and reckoning with vs when we first beleeued And then also it is asswaged and decayeth when our loue fasteneth strongly vpon transitorie delights profits or preferments and especially if it be linked into any of these when they shall be sinfull and vnlawfull Thus I say when God his word faithfull Preachers and seruants of his with obedience to his will shall not be in the greatest price and estimation but thrust out by things of lesse and meaner value our loue is iustly said to become cold and that reproofe incurred which our Sauiour heere speaketh of And this
mind and considered duely what a great sinne it is then truely lamented pardon craued with the prayer of faith and full purpose and endeauour against the same after and then to set afresh vpon the practise of christianity againe and neuer to thinke it well vntill this remedy be vsed This is to be done when this loue is decayed which to doe is a certaine violence vsing against our selues by more then an ordinary turning to God againe and a wary walking afterward to preuent the like And heâ—re I thinke it very meete to admonish you the more earnestly to beware of and to preuent this sin for two reasons which I vrge out of the text The one this the other followeth afterward seeing it shall bee the case of many to fall thus for so our Sauiour foretelleth saying because iniquitie shall abound the loue of many shall waxe cold And if many be like to fall thus what are we in this age to whom this watchword shall come that we should looke to auoide the danger of it vnlesse we be daily and much occupied in laboring and endeauoring to shun and preuent it And for mine owne part I am not ashamed to confesse if any lesse experienced herein regard the word of him that hath troden in this way before them that for more then thirtie yeares I haue feared the loosing of this first loue by reason of the strong prouocations thereto that I haue obserued from time to time to arise one after another by meanes whereof I haue seene good cause to auoide the same with all possible care that so doing I or any other in like state may much the better finish our course with ioy And yet this caueat I would might be well marked that all zeale in our first receiuing of the Gospel and beleeuing in Christ hath not been to be commended as that which may of necessitie vrge a Christian to the retaining and continuing of it afterwards as if it were a part of our first loue when as it is not to be denied that there was in our first beginning as there is daily in those who are effectually called to beleeue vnto saluation especially of the ignoranter sort much good meaning without knowledge and much froth in a great deale of zeale so that it should vnwisely be done of Preachers and farre from good discretion to vrge vpon them their former practise simplie without respect had of zeale voide of good ground and warrant of Gods word As for example many well minded when they were first brought to the true imbracing of the Gospell thought that all other who were not as themselues and iumpe of their fise and measure in zeale were to be iudged and censured as they thought good namely to haue had nothing in them neither were to be kept companie with whereas both themselues bewray their owne weakenes sufficiently all may see and beside who doubteth but that such as are teachable should be well hoped of and incouraged to be stedfast in the good things wherein they had well begun and so to be brought on to the receiuing of faith and the bearing of Christs yoke as true Christians doe Another great weakenesse hath possessed others and as full of error that in their zeale at their first beginning they haue thought that they must oft breake off their necessarie worke to pray and reade yea and that in the time of doing of their worke they must be praying rather then minding of and duely regarding the busines they had in hand Then the which what might be thought more sauoring of ignorance and blindnesse whereas they ought to haue knowne and been perswaded that God hath appointed a time to pray and all other things to giue place thereto when opportunitie serueth but yet in time of necessarie businesse that the same should be faithfully and diligently attended and followed and the mind not to be carried after other matters seeing God is serued therein euen as he is in reading praying and the like Also many haue fondly and falsely been perswaded that whiles they are occupied in holy exercises as prayer reading conference then they haue been more holy then others of their brethren but if they haue by frailtie failed therein yea or by other waightie occasions or if they haue waxen afterward more dull through want of knowledge or forgetfulnes vnfitter to Gods seruice then they were before then they haue iudged themselues the worst of all Gods people if they haue not denied that they were any of them at all Many such weaknesses which yet they count points of holines accompany the most of Gods faithful ones of the ignoranter sort at their first entrance into Christ who seeing better things are found in them are not imputed to them by the Lord but yet must they not for all that be iustified in them and borne with neither thinke that all things wherein they haue a good meaning must be holden for a vertue Euen as Naaman the Syrian being brought from his idolatrie by the Prophet Elisha and perswaded to worship the true God Iehoua only did in zeale and of a good meaning desire of him that two mules load of the earth that was in the land of Israel might be giuen him wherupon he might stand to offer sacrifice when he should come home as though that earth had been holier then that which was in his owne countrie Likewise Mary Magdalene and the other good women whom Christ before his death had most sweetly seasoned and perfumed with the odours of his heauenly doctrine so that they beleeued in him and followed him came of a zealous mind the third day after his buriall to the sepulchre to see him supposing that he had been still dead and not risen againe and brought sweete ointments with them to annoint his bodie By the which ceremonie and custome vsed to their dead in those dayes although they did confirme their faith in the hope of the resurrection after the manner of their Fathers who did so yet who doubteth but that they were led with blind zeale therein toward Christ both in seeking him that liued among the dead and also in going about to annoint Christs bodie as if it should haue putrified in the sepulchre like other mens By this that hath been said it is manifest that all things that the faithfull do in a good meaning are not to be paternes for themselues or others to follow vnlesse they haue had good warrant for the doing of them and especially at their first conuersion Thus much for the caueat or watchword before giuen namely that all zeale in good people at the first ought not to be taken for sound and substantiall I will now proceed Remember therfore that I set downe two reasons why Gods seruants should take heed in a speciall manner that they be not made cold in their loue as Christ hath foretold it shall be the case of many by meanes of the wickednesse which
they shall see in the world One of these reasons I haue handled and that is seeing it shall be the case of many to do so The other is this because they whose loue waxeth cold to God to the preaching of the Gospell and to his people they fall also from the duties which by that loue they should performe or which is all one with it they do them to no purpose so that God accepteth them not According to the words of the Apostle If I giue all my goods to the poore and my bodie to be burnt and haue no loue and though I speake with the tongues of Angels I am as sounding brasse or a tincking cymball So then if the best things which we do be sin without this loue it followeth that if that grace of loue be cold and dead in vs all that we do is abhorred of God I haue now spoken of the second sort prophes ied of by our Sauiour whose loue waxeth cold by the abundance of iniquitie which they see in the world and this I haue done as briefely as I might with any edifying I passe to the third namely of those who continue vnto the end in a godly life such he saith shall without question be saued Which words of Christ must wisely bee considered for hee doth not exclude from eternall life all such as haue left their good beginnings for a season if they do bethinke themselues better afterwards and returne againe to the Lord by true repentance for else none of the last mentioned sort could be saued neither doth he exclude such as haue a long time led a wicked race if they find mercie in their life time at Gods hands to be conuerted for if it were so then none of the first sort could obtaine eternall life But though he meane such as continue to the end in the good course in which they begun long before their death of which there is no question yet he meaneth also such who at their death shall be found penitent whether they begin then or whether long before and reuolted or turned aside againe so as in the truth of their hearts they returne at the last But let not this be taken as though it were a small matter to do the one or the other nay rather they doe both boldly and dangerously which dare tempt God after such a manner yet if any dare aduenture in that sort it is true that no man ought to debarre them of this libertie that if they confesse and forsake their sinne they shall find mercie Now to come to the words seeing they only who continue to the end shall bee saued and are blessed the chiefe point heere to be debated is who is he that continueth and how he groweth to it The answere whereto is at hand that they who begin well and daily go forward shall continue to the end and thereby and no other way we come to it that being excepted that I said before that they must not be denied mercie who repent at last Of both these therefore somewhat is requisite to be said which briefely shall be done And of the first the lesse seeing in shewing before in the first point how they who haue caused iniquitie to abound should repent I haue declared that such repenting is the right way to make a good end Therefore this onely I will say of a good beginning that it is requisite that all that intend and go about it be stedfast and stablished therein I meane in faith in loue in patience c. not flitting and inconstant This Saint Peter requireth when he saith Take heed that ye be not led away from your stedfastnesse in knowledge and grace This requireth truth care and wisedome therefore doe the fewer attaine to it to be builded and setled in their most holie faith but the most professors are off and on cheaping but not buying therefore in euery temptation or affliction for the most part they are doubting that they haue not repented aright and that they haue no faith neither euer had whereas a foundation well laid stands in stormes and tempests and is not throwne downe with wind nor weather And in speaking of this so worthie a point I cannot but bewaile a common and dangerous practise amongst people and those of the better sort that few by all their hearings and readings are able to collect and lay together a plaine path-way to saluation and a direction to a godly life but by halues or by shreds and pieces for either they faile in knowledge and so they are farre from the right way so that if they would neuer so faine enioy the benefit of both they know not how to go about it or else they seeke not with all their hearts to follow that which they know if their iudgements be sound and that maketh all that they pretend or go about as farre from a good foundation as the former And should men thinke we begin in faith and repentance in such a maner Is such a confused and raw entrance into it like to profit it This is all that I will say of the first of the two things that lead to a perseuering in a godly course to our end and that is a right manner of beginning For he that hath made a good entrance is halfe the way to a good end but he that begins erroniously and amisse shall the further he goeth the further go out of the way let this therefore be well regarded and looked to The second which being adioyned to the former wil most certainly bring continuance in a Christian course is a daily proceeding in and according to such a good beginning as I haue said to be required that is to build proportionably to it that as some true measure of knowledge faith hope patitience the feare of God and other grace is attained and stedfastnes therin so that they be vpholden maintained and preserued daily as precious things worth the cost and labor that is bestowed vpon them I meane that they who haue beleeued and repented do so still and endeuour aboue all things to hold out therin from day to day As the Fathers mentioned in the Epistle to the Hebrewes were said to liue by faith that is set it a worke after they beleeued and they that repented at Iohns baptisme were exhorted by him to bring forth the fruits of amendment afterward that so they might well testifie that they went on in repentance still And therefore must watching praying hearing and such other good meanes be vsed daily with as good appetite as at the first beginning that we may grow thereby The which course being obserued we cannot faile but be found of the Lord in peace whensoeuer he shall come for our deliuerance out of this vaile of miserie and happie shal that seruant be whom his master when he commeth shall find so occupied he shall bid him enter
arrested thus by him in any wise we despaire not In both which we might be like easily to offend if we should not take this warning and watchword Both are very necessarie for as we are readie to run to extremities in all other things rather then to keepe a meane and that which is commendable betwixt both so do we easily encline thereto in these For either men are slie and subtill to shun all sorrow and checke of conscience for sinne or if they can no longer they are readie to despaire In the first they may fitly be compared to them who are taken with sicknesse and yet will beare it out too long as though they would driue it away by ill entertaining it rather then to betake themselues to their chamber or to fall into the Physitians hands euen so will they wind out of Gods hands I say rather then they will be holden vnder of feare and griefe In the last they are like to a theefe who being apprehended vpon stealing some twelue-penie matter fals to confesse that he hath stollen a horse without any examining and so brings him selfe into perill of his life So these men if they once be checked in their conscience iustly whereby they ought to accuse themselues and bewaile their sinne with hope of pardon fall to remember many other faults and so cast off all hope of forgiuenesse and so despaire For as men are verie hardly brought to yeeld to any wounding of their conscience be it neuer so iust so if they must needs commonly they haue no stay but go too farre whereby they are constrained to crie out they are damned and so lie long in woe and torment where they need not These two things therefore regard about the first point namely the pricke of conscience About the second which is faith these two caueats are to be marked The one that a man seeking faith for no other shall find it beleeue not too hastily and rashly that is without warrant of the Scripture and word of God The other that hauing warrant Note he refuse not to beleeue neither reason against it but applie it to himselfe and resist doubting Both are alike necessarie the first for the bold and such as feele their sin to be no great burthen to their conscience and yet of al other are most ready to affirme that they beleeue in Iesus Christ which he himselfe flatly denieth saying I came not to call the righteous that is such as feele as little burthen of their sin as if they were righteous but sinners who feele the burthē of their sin as a debter doth his debt vnto repentance The second caueat is as necessary for the afflicted conscience who though he haue right to the promise by Christs free grant yet through weaknesse and want of experience is holden from beleeuing and clasping about it and all because he doth not duly consider his libertie and the warrant that he hath from Christ for his so doing Wherein although I deny not but that Gods prouidence ruleth yet the partie offendeth for that he doth not embrace that which is freely giuen him by God and by meanes thereof he cannot praise and be thankfull to God for it About the third point that is necessarily required to make the heart good which is sanctification these two watch-words are to be receiued The one that he of whom we speak do loue goodnesse and loath euill not some one or few lest he deceiue himselfe about it but all nor in priuate respects but because it is euill and hated of God The other that these two namely to loath and loue be constantly setled in him for continuance The reason of both is manifest as of the former for if one sin should be loathed and another loued some disliked and shamed and other delighted in and embraced what could be more ridiculous and further off from the nature of true repentance For the offence to men and the dishonor which might arise to God thereby in some few euill actions Note could not be satisfied nor answered by many good actions A thing worthie to be noted seeing many take libertie against their conscience to doe what they desire to doe and yet will be counted repentant persons as well as the best and this be said of the first of these two caueats For the second if a man should be very forward in abhorring sinne at the first and afterward should grow slouthfull and carelesse and make no conscience of wicked desires and breake out into loosenesse of heart this were enough to blemish his sanctification how sound soeuer it might haue seemed if not to bewray it to haue beene meere hypocrisie which of the two would bee thought most likely Thus I haue said that which I thought meete of this matter to helpe him that desireth it to attaine such an heart as bringeth forth the feare of God euen that which God requireth And seeing thus much is necessary and no lesse Note to get such an heart namely to haue it broken healed againe by faith and mortified and seeing so great heede is to be taken that all these be wrought in the heart aright and indeede all may see good reason why God wisheth such an heart to be in all those who would be accepted of him and what a rich iewell and treasure such an heart is and by necessary consequence how ill it will go with all such as be without it THE SECOND SERMON VPON THE SAME TEXT I Shewed last of all what a iewel such a good heart is and in what wofull and dangerous estate they are in who are without it but more heauy it is that it is not regarded which is too common because the most are foolish and weigh nothing throughly if it agree not with their appetite when yet to speake as the truth is Note whatsoeuer wit eloquence or learning bee in any whatsoeuer nobility birth or dignity whatsoeuer manhood and stomack wealth or beauty they are all as nothing without this that is such an heart as I haue mentioned to make a man happie or to commend him to God Nay I say more whatsoeuer shew of Religion bee in any as that he could speake out of the Scripture plentifully if he could alleage all authorities out of the word of God and of Fathers yea if he could possibly speake with the tongues of Angels and had not this euen such an heart as God wisheth to be in them that shall please him it were nothing for such a one should bee but as S. Paul speaketh in the like case of loue a fruit of it as a sounding brasse and as a tinkling cymball And therefore how much is the estate of such to be bewailed as haue scarcely any whit of all this which I haue now named and are as farre from such an heart as the East is from the West And to come home to our selues how is the people of this age bewitched and blindfolded that when God
euen the thing which they thirst for for the Lords answere is that he will quench it If they thirst therefore for remission of their sins and cannot be satisfied without it they shall partake that If for faith to apprehend it and by which they may know they are forgiuen that shall bee granted them also If for eternall life they shall enioy it in due time when they haue waited a while patiently and the same I say of the manifold graces of the Spirit which are here resembled by this bodily refreshing which quencheth the thirst thereof namely milke water and wine And to tarrie a little in this second branch to prooue the same as somewhat hath been said of the first I will beginne with that which worthily deserueth the first place namely how God promiseth the remitting of all sin and consequently saluation for euer to all that thirst for it The word of God is plentifull in prouing that he doth so As that of our Sauiour in Saint Iohn where he saith If any thirst let him come to me and drinke Why then if his thirst be for this euen this hee may take by Christs free grant and comfort himselfe therewith In the eleuenth of Matthew he meaneth the same in other words where he saith Come to me all ye that trauell and be loaden and I will ease you Now search out his meaning how can he ease burdened consciences troubled for the feare of Gods wrath which is due thereto but he must take away the guilt of their sinne and the punishment due to it by pardoning and remitting it as if it had neuer been committed And by these meanes he doth ease the greatest torment that euer vexed the soule of man Therefore the afflicted person may be bold with reuerence to take this and such like Scriptures to the quieting of his distressed mind and to the putting away of his intollerable vnquietnesse which before oppressed him And euen so do the faithfull seruants of God declare his mind and will to people in the like case As Peter in the second of the Acts when certaine men were pricked in conscience for their sinne and came to him and the other Apostles saying in the anguish of their hearts men and brethren what shall we do he answered in effect thus Seeke to haue your sinnes forgiuen you and to know that it is so by the signes which Christ hath left therof ye may rest quiet But how could they seeke that if Christ had not giuen them libertie both to do so and also to find it By all which it is cleare that our Sauiour hath prouided a most gracious helpe and remedie to all afflicted consciences and which is all one therewith that I may keepe in your remembrance the manner of speech set downe in our text doth promise vpon his faithfulnesse that he will quench this thirst of longing for Gods fauour and the pardon of sin in whomsoeuer it shall be found Obiect 1 But whiles I am setting downe this me thinkes I heare some obiecting thus oh this is too good to be true for we say they haue deepely smarted for that we could neuer fasten vpon this truth who yet haue sought it with teares and haue made bitter complaints for that we could not beleeue it and therefore we thinke that there is no such comfort for vs. Answ To such therefore I answere that they ought not to conclude against themselues vpon such weake grounds but wait still for this doctrine hath bin strongly proued and further may be to such as are not satisfied as well by other testimonies as by that which hath been set downe and therefore they are not farre from the grace whereby they may be able to applie it to themselues and the vnliker it seemeth to them to be true because it is so good and comfortable they must know that it commendeth the more the great kindnesse of God to man and so to them in the depth of their miserie when it seemeth to them to be vnauoidable and the more highly hee is to bee praised for his vnspeakeable loue and goodnesse And it is true that nothing doth more set fourth the loue of God to vs then this as being the gift of greatest price that he may or can bestow vpon vs. Obiect 2 Others obiect that they can hardly thinke that God will so easily and for nothing on our behalfe offer so largely vnto such as haue so sore and so many waies prouoked him namely that if we do but thirst for the best things we shall haue our thirst quenched when yet they do not see they say that there is required so much as a dislike and abhorting of sinne with this great offer of mercie without which yet they know no mercie can be shewed Answ 1 To the first part of this obiection this answere is to bee made that it is to the greater honor of God that he will ouercome mens euill with good leauing to vs an example therein that we should follow and be like to him and that he sent his Sonne into the world for them that be vngodly and vnworthie And for the second part of the obiection that so large and precious a promise is made to the bare thirsting after the loue of God and eternall life without any leauing and forsaking of sinne to this point I require diligent obseruing of mine answere I say therefore that all things cannot be mentioned at once in handling some points of holy doctrine lest we should thereby fall into confusednesse Neither in handling plainly this of thirsting is it necessarie to speake of the renouncing or purposing against sinne otherwise then in the way of preoccupation that is the answering of an obiection as heere I do Therefore to this part of the obiection I answere that he who thirsteth truely for saluation cannot do it without the abhorring of the sin which hath been most delighted in For while we desire grace we abhor sin which is contrarie to it and this thirsting after the water of life shal drie vp the heate of sin by little and little no otherwise then the hot and scorching sunne doth the moist and soft puddle I meane so farre as the similitude serueth for this purpose And therefore let any make this good that he thirsteth and I will make it good by the word of God that his thirst shall be quenched and his sinnes pardoned Now therefore where are they which say oh Preachers vrge vs so hardly that we shall neuer be able to follow the doctrine they teach vs of the way to eternall life I say if the way that we set downe be hard it is through the hardnes of your hearts For otherwise who would desire the way to be easier then it is heere set downe to be he that thirsteth after it shall haue eternall life And yet seeing it is so easie let all who desire to be partakers of life looke well and carefully to this
that they haue no lesse to testifie it to them then this namely that they haue the thirst which hath been set downe to be required And heere for the more full handling of this point I will enter into the third branch of this first part that is to say what God requireth of them whose thirst he will quench and that is that they come to him for it that is beleeue that he will do in deed as he promiseth euen satisfie the soule of him that thirsteth with the thing that he desireth and therefore with remission of sinne and saluation if that be the thing he thirsteth after This faith is that which the Prophet requireth when he speaketh of comming requiring it of them that they come Euen as our Sauiour also in Saint Iohn meaneth the same by comming to him where he maketh comming and beleeuing both one He that commeth to me shall not hunger and he that beleeueth in me shall neuer thirst meaning he shall neuer want spiritual nourishment namely that which his soule longeth for who beleeueth in him So that we see it is required heere that the thirstie persons who are by the Prophet called out from all other to drinke and to be refreshed should beleeue that God meaneth as he speaketh and will do it indeed which standeth with great reason that they should do so For although the Lord bequeath and freely grant it vnto them yet if they weigh it not and so giue no credit to it how can they be the better for it Neither need they feare that they shall presume and be too bold in clasping about and beleeuing it for while they desire it and God promiseth to grant them their desire who shall take it from them No if God will iustifie none shall be able to condemne And if ye aske why will God haue them beleeue it I say to the end they may see the louing kindnesse of God towards them who hauing been so low brought by the sight of their vnworthinesse that is euen to hell gates in their owne perswasion shall the more wonder to see the height of glorie that they are by him exalted to And this they beleeuing and considering do as Saint Peter saith Loue him and reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious whereas otherwise they could do neither And doe we not see by this that there is great reason why God requires of all his that they should beleeue in his Sonne euen that they may see his louing kindnesse which was before hidden from them and being made ioyfull thereby more then they could be brought vnto by the voice of an Angell they may loue him and be zealous in his seruice which by no other meanes they could be brought vnto Therefore let them labour aboue all things that they may haue this perswasion of Gods sauour and let them see that they haue no lesse then this vnfained faith in them though weake because so great and waightie matters are thereby wrought and vpholden in them But heere one thing more I must adde though afterwards I shall say somewhat of it And that is how a man may proue that he hath this faith seeing it is easily doubted of and most of all by them who haue least cause and this proofe of their faith and testimonie thereof I thinke it most fit to stay them vp withall that they may not wauer as they who haue it not shall do and must needs though they speake great words about it And I cannot brieflier nor more pithily do it then by telling them that if they hold fast this precious promise of saluation by Christ they must know that they receiue the spirit of sanctification also which crieth in them Abba Father and sanctifieth them and more plainely thus that as they desire the forgiuenes of their sins they desire and endeuour after the reformation of their liues and the weaning of their harts from euill also And this where it is wrought that I say no more of it in this place shall euer prooue that there is this effectuall faith This I haue said of this first part and the three branches thereof and namely of this one kind of their thirsting for remission of sins and eternal life For there are other thirstings then for these as I gaue the Reader to vnderstand before whereof I will giue you a taste though more briefly in the next Sermon seeing I haue largely handled this in the forementioned instance that it may giue light to the Reader that whatsoeuer good things he thirsteth for he may be as sure that he shall obtaine them THE SECOND SERMON VPON THE SAME TEXT NOw to proceed where I left we are to know that Gods people are neuer fully satisfied while they wander heere on earth but are euer thirsting after one good thing or other or some new measure of grace whatsoeuer they haue been satisfied in alreadie for otherwise they could not be included among them to whom this promise is made neither haue they their part in it when it is said Ho all ye that thirst come to the waters and drinke From hence it is that some hauing attained to true faith yet as feruently desire to preserue and strengthen the same as they desired when they were before in great feare and doubting to haue any measure at all thereof And so the Lord requireth that we highly esteeme desire and long after the same and the saluation which we waite for thereby euen as at the first acquaintance with them we did In like manner Gods faithfull people knowing that he is as a flowing fountaine rich in all good things and neuer drawne drie they thirst still after other particular graces of the holy Ghost when he hath satisfied them with the former And namely hope loue patience meekenesse humblenesse strength to beare afflictions and such like And he doth no sooner stirre vp in them the desire and longing after these but he doth withall giue them his word and promise that he will bestow the same vpon them euen as he heere speaketh saying He all ye that thirst come to the waters and drinke And in like maner he speaketh in Hosea when he hath said that he will forgiue all their iniquitie and loue them freely he addeth I will be as the dew to Israel he shall grow as the lilly and fasten his roots as the trees of Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty shall be as the Oliue tree and his smell as Lebanon By all which the Lord meaneth that when his people turning to him and longing for his mercie shall obtaine it to couer their sinnes they shall as the drie ground thirsteth for the dew and raine and is satisfied therewith so shall they I say be refreshed with the dew of his grace to grow vp out of their old sinnes florishing in his Church as the plants constantly setled therin as the trees deepely rooted and prouoking others to follow and
as he saith to the like purpose in another place Harlots and publicans shall enter into the kingdome of God before the chiefe Priests and the Elders of the people which yet was nothing likely in the sight of men So we reade that they who were mockers and railed on the Apostles so farre were they from sauouring their heauenly doctrine yet when the Lord in his mercie towards them caused them to attend to Peters sermon reproouing their sinne they were so pricked in their consciences that they came to him and the other Apostles for further instruction and comfort and obtained it Samaria that had long been bewitched by Simon Magus the sorcerer yet at the preaching of Philip a thing very vnlike to come to passe was conuerted to Christ so as the fruit thereof appeared not to be small namely that it brought great ioy into the citie so they who were notorious offenders came flocking about Christ to heare him when the Scribes and Pharisies not only did not so but scorned that they should And therefore it may iustly bee lamented that the preaching of the Gospell is not with credit and authoritie in a sound and plaine manner planted in such places where it is wanting and where it were like to do much good as our Lord Iesus bewailed it when he saw the people scattered as sheepe without a shepheard and willed that prayers should be made to the Lord of the haruest that he would scud labourers into his haruest For it is very probable if it were so that numbers would embrace it ioyfully who now for that they know not the power and worth of it passe by it and scorne it as nothing or little worth Obiect And whereas some will bee readie to say wee may easily guesse what good it is like to do if it were in such places by the small account that is made of it where it is Answ I answere that where the Gospel is with due reuerence beseeming such an holy ordinance of God preached it doth not returne in vaine but draweth them which were dispersed to one bodie of the Church And doubtlesse if the Prachers themselues be men of sinceritie loue grauitie and will put on the person of the people to consider their ignorance forgetfulnesse loosenesse vnsetlednesse and other infirmities and applie themselues vnto them as their needs do require and would seeke to winne them rather then set vp themselues none need to doubt but that they should perswade many to become true Christians and to bee tractable to good duties when they be kindly and wisely aduised and directed Oh they that haue not experience will hardly be perswaded how much vnfained loue and labour in the Minister is like to preuaile with the people to winne them from folly vanitie ignorance and the common sinnes which through custome and company they haue been drowned in And what maruell when they shall by wise and friendly dealing be made to see how they were deceiued and that very dangerously whiles they following the desires of their euill hearts walked after the sinnes of the times in which they liued and when other manner of pleasures and delights shall be offered them which they neuer had tasted of before I meane heauenly I may speake the more boldly because I know I speake the truth that almost fortie yeeres agone when I came yong from the Vniuersitie to a people blind and farre gone in the sinnes that were then commonly committed in the world sauouring no whit of pietie and I had little in mee to commēd me vnto them my knowledge being not much though my desire I may say was feruent in seeking it and to do them good and my authoritie small as being then vnder another which was Pastor to them but resident in another charge hard by euen so long ago I say I remember that which is not vnworthie the mentioning and speaking of in this place And that is how maruellously God wrought among vs that when there was no president nor example in the corner thereabout of diligent repairing to the place of Gods worship on the Sabbath in the afternoone but all disorder in dancing playing haunting the Ale-house and other like and little power of godlines to be seene or heard of round about it pleased God by care and diligence in example giuing among them and labouring in that weake manner that I was able to teach and exhort them with familiar conuersing with them in priuate who were more teachable then the rest in good communication drawing them on that in two yeeres space I might haue perswaded them to any good thing that I saw meet the bodie of them I meane and a louing consent might haue bin seene among them to that which was good neither can I say any worse of them for the time that I could stay amongst them which was full six yeeres Which I say not for vaine glorie God is record and well nigh fortie yeeres is a reasonable time to despise that and yet I would haue said more but for auoiding the suspicion of it but I speake this to moue some of my fellow brethren in the Ministerie such as in an honest and good heart desire to see fruit of their labours to thinke of the way of obtaining the same And that is no doubt to such as hartily seeke it to labour for the gift of perswading the people and familiar applying the Scripture to the persons particularly in a right and wise manner as well as to teach them the truth generally and to vse diligence and constancie in both and withall to take all occasion to commune and confer of good things in companying with them and not to spend the little time that they are with them in play nor to vse to talke of worldly things to them whereto the people be so readily carried nor idlely and vainly to keepe them company which dulleth and maketh blunt the edge of their Ministrie amongst them and raiseth a meaner conceit of the persons themselues and by consequent of their Ministerie which had little need to be This manner of liuing amongst them with an especiall care to auoid iust suspicion of couetousnesse and loue of this world and other offences which are too common is like through Gods blessing to knit them so in firme and true loue together that they shall call home to true repentance such as God hath in those places ordained to eternall life and they shall by such manner of liuing with them be like with loue and readinesse to receiue their doe at the peoples hands about the paying and requiring of the which the greatest pritches are taken and the sorest conceits arise betwixt them which are the beginnings and occasions of continuall broiles and contentions afterwards or at least of strangenesse or hollow and hauerly loue betwixt them whereby it commeth to passe that preaching doth little good vnto them And thus by occasion of answering this obiection I haue
truly penitent that vsed these ceremonies Therefore according to his meaning let vs learne this that when we make account that we do repent let vs see that it be true and heartie not fained and hypocriticall And therin we must see that we be setled and stablished not flitting nor off and on as the manner of the most is to offer to God such cracked halfe seruice Now as by repentance heere he meaneth the whole conuersion of a man which consisteth in the pricke of conscience faith in Gods promises and care of amendment of life so must mens repentings be and not be patched and pieced with shreds and rags of our owne deuising but currant and approued hauing all these three parts in it For else as a ragge it will soone weare away whereas it is to be preserued vpholden and continued and the longer we liue to be better testified that it is true and vnfained indeed And thus do and prosper such a foundation laid shall be fit to be builded vpon proportionablie and when wee haue thus begun in the same manner go we forward till we and all other that list may see that our repentance is that which is not to be repented of And for want of this as they who did neuer rightly begin shall haue nothing whereof they may reioyce whatsoeuer their shewes be so they who haue begun well yet without such a proceeding shall euer be readie to stagger and to doubt whether they did euer rightly begin to beleeue and repent or no which who doth not see what a continuall disquietnes and discomfort it breeds whereas they who are setled and commendablie go forward shall hold the confidence and reioycing of their hope vnto the end And this of the whole FINIS TWO SERMONS VPON ACTS 9.31 Then had the Churches rest through all Iudea and Galilie and Samaria and were edified and walking in the feare of the Lord and the comfort of the holy Ghost were multiplied HAuing in some of the former Sermons taught that Christiās should passe the whole time of their dwelling heere in holy feare of offending God and namely that part of their life which is passed in outward peace and prosperity which blessing of God the most part doe greatly abuse I thought it both verie pertinent and also profitable to shew and set downe some examples of such as haue done so and examples not of one man two or three but of whole particular Churches who may be paternes of well vsing outward peace and rest from persecution and trouble to the worlds end Here therfore in this text I meane to lay out the meaning thereof you may see people of no long continuance for the most of them in the profession of the Gospell who as they had been hardly holden vnder of trouble and persecution in all the three places of Iudea Samaria and Galily and yet reuolted not from their religion neither fainted in their hope so now when God gaue them a breathing time as it were of outward peace and rest from their former persecution they neglected not the occasion offered them but tooke the opportunitie to benefit themselues in the practise of godlinesse to their high commendation and to the example of all posteritie that should come after them For they vsed all good meanes both in communion and meeting together publikely and priuately by hearing the Apostles doctrine and conference of the same and euery one by himselfe in reading and prayer to set themselues forward therein And by these and such like meanes they builded vp themselues in sauing and effectuall knowledge in faith hope patience loue and other graces of God and rested not there but also shewed the same forth in their liues before men with great ioy of heart to themselues Neither was this their holy and heauenly course without fruit for the Lord blessed it abundantly to the praise of his name in the conuersion of many For so it is said in the text that they were multiplied that is the number of them who were beleeuers in Christ was encreased the Lord adding vnto them that is to the Church through the good example which they gaue many euen of the bad sort which liued among them And so the word multiplied is to be vnderstood as in the originall tongue most clearely may appeare and not as it is taken in some translations that is to say that they were multiplied by the comfort of the holy Ghost for that altereth the sense of the place which is this as I haue said that the faithfull were multiplied encreased in number other who had been vnbeleeuers before being brought to the faith and not as the translaters take it that the comfort of the faithfull was multiplied Thus much be said for the coherence of this text with the former and for the laying out of the meaning of it Now follow the parts of it and they are generally two The one is the setting downe of the state of these Churches of Iudea Samaria and Galilie at that time namely that they were not vnder persecution as a while before they had been but they had rest from it The other part is the vse that was made of it amongst them The vse of this peace or rest from persecution was made by two sorts of people· the one was the faithfull and beleeuers the other those which beleeued not The vse that the faithfull made of it was threefold the one that they for their owne parts grew in grace and in the gifts of God For it is said they were edified that is builded vp if ye aske wherein the answere is in faith and the fruits of it as Iude in his Epistle wrote to the Churches that they should be builded vp in their most holy faith The second vse they made of their peace was that they did shew foorth the same grace and faith in their liues before men for so it is said they walked through the course of their liues in the feare of the Lord. The third was they did by both prouide and procure to themselues a sweete and a sound comfort in their liues which few heere enioy for so it is said they were comforted by the holy Ghost The vse the bad sort and vnbeleeuers made of it was this that they learned by the examples of the other to embrace the Gospell and to be good in that time of rest from persecution and became followers of the Churches for they would not haue been multiplied if the other had not been added to them But to begin before I speake of outward peace and rest from persecution first let it be marked that those Churches were before this vnder persecution to teach vs that although God loue his people dearely and can afford them his good benefits of all sorts in this life as he bestowed the best vpon these yet he seeth it good to exercise them with sundrie afflictions as he saith whom I loue I correct And
they vsed all diligence and armed themselues now while God gaue them this little breathing from persecution that so by their confidence pure heart good conscience loue and patience and other grace they might be fit to leade a godly life in the world with ease and strengthen themselues against falles and the baits of sin on euery side And it is manifest to all of vs who can iudge that by such meanes and a sound ministerie watching praying and the like the Church of God can grow in grace and no otherwise And that they did thus it is apparent by that which we reade in the second of the Acts where it is said that they were daily in the temple and continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayer And this vse should all true particular Churches and people of God make of their libertie of peace and of liuing free from persecution From the which God hath a long time freed many of his good seruants in this age howsoeuer some are much and oft vnder the crosse yea and that right heauie and sharpe such therefore should glorifie God by bringing forth fruit not in a common sort yea al possible good should be done of them and not omitted For as for priuate lets and those which are vsuall may more easily be ouercome either inward corruptions or outward ill examples or other discouragements as long as the word of God may haue free passage to be sincerely preached But if outward peace alone be counted so great a benefit and such holy and fruitfull vse made of it Note then how much more should we thinke so when that one is accompanied with abundance of other good things when health wealth friends and fauour of the godly shall go herewith and meet altogether in one person what manner of people ought such to be in all godlinesse And how God looketh for it that it should be so that place of Deuteronomie doth liuely shew Where Moses saith that we must serue the Lord with all ioyfulnesse and a good heart for the abundance of all good things The meditations of such mens harts should be acceptable to God and to follow the metaphor of building vsed heere a little the people that is so blessed of God should do as builders are wont that is to pull downe the ruinous corners set vp new frames in their roomes so should Gods seruants plucke downe the old ruines and breaches of their corrupt hearts as anger wrath impatience bitternesse and such like vncleane lusts and set vp mercie tenderheartednesse loue zeale faith and such like Yea and more particularly according to the diuers ages of Gods children they should exercise themselues that is to say the tender consciences and yong beginners should haue their thoughts and meditations about the fauour of God desiring aboue all things to be assured of it the middle aged Christians and such as are somewhat stayed in faith and the feare of God should chiefely be occupied in striuing against their lusts and fighting with them the ancient and experienced who haue done both these should much be taken vp in calling to mind what they haue heard of Gods manner of dealing in guiding his Church and the fruit thereof and in declaring to other and what they haue seene and found themselues worth the reporting to be in the seruing of God that thereby they may be encouraged to walke fruitfully and circumspectly still as they did long before and not to be led away from their stedfastnes in their Christian course by the error of the wicked as hauing found that course by long proofe to haue been the most gainfull of all other vnto them These vses and the like all sorts and ages of Gods people ought to make of Gods blessings towards them and of freedome from trouble But do the people of this age thus for that were a kind vse of peace and his other benefits and would well become them No for in this land these fiftie yeeres now fully passed what knowledge might haue been so that one might haue been able to teach another and there might haue been that grace of the spirit which might haue seasoned Christians hearts no lesse sensiblie then the dew doth moisten the mountaines So that our Church might haue been a paterne to others as the Thessalonians were examples to all that beleeued in Macedonia and Achaia and it might now haue been verified if euer in any age since the Apostles time that out of the bellies of beleeuers might haue flowed riuers of waters of life whereas except some persons heere and there there is great ignorance vnfaithfulnesse hollownesse securitie vncharitablenesse maliciousnesse and what not of that kind I speake not of the disorders of life for they are more fitly to be reprooued in the next vse which the Churches made of their peace but of the grosse distemperatures of the heart for although these times of prosperitie and peace haue been the fittest seasons for men to encrease in goodnes and grace euen as the haruest is to gather in the corne yet whether we enquire into particular Churches or persons we shall find nothing more true then this that peace and plentie haue poisoned for the most part the enioyers of them But if the people of God whom I teach now to make this vse of his blessings were not wound in by the diuels cunning sleights among the rest of the world it were the lesse maruel but euen they cannot be sholed out from them but haue their teeth set on edge with their courses by liuing among them and beholding how they runne headlong into all excesse by meanes of their prosperitie so that euen they forget their couenant made with God that is that they should endeuour to vse soberly in this present world all their lawfull liberties till with shame and sorrow afterward they are faine to returne againe to repentance And thus many euen of them not holding gouernment ouer their hearts breake out into offensiue life and become eye-sores to their brethren who will not be pent in to keepe the bounds of vnoffensiue walking till experience constraine them to wish they had been wiser and before their straying out so far to haue kept themselues well while they were well And this teacheth vs that Moses saw good cause to giue this warning to Gods people when they were to go to the land flowing in abundance of Gods blessings out of the barren wildernesse saying When the Lord hath brought you into that land with great and goodly cities which ye builded not and houses full of all manner of goods which ye filled not and welles digged which ye digged not and vineyards and oliue trees which ye planted not and when ye haue eaten and are full beware lest you forget the Lord which brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Now to make vse of this in
Lord and he will giue thee thine heartes desire As though he would shew that of our selues we hasted not after it but held backe from it Also Saint Paul to the Philippians thus writeth so that men be willing to reioyce in the Lord and so to imbrace the true ioy they may hold it as long as they will euen alwayes without loosing The which two Scriptures if they be duely considered doe shew that although the people of this world preferre the vaine pleasures of this life before the best things yet of Gods seruants this spirituall and holy reioycing is principally to be regarded and cared for And that doth so much the more commend the examples and practise of these Churches for y t in the time of their peace they so laboured this point namely to seeke for the ioy which the holie Ghost worketh insomuch that their commendation is set downe vnto all posterity And to say the truth what should more be regarded of vs then to follow their example and to prouide whiles we may liue in outward peace in the world that we may be comforted in God and make our dayes which otherwise are euill to be pleasant and sweet by abiding in his loue which maketh all things sauoury and sweet which we goe about or take in hand And if we neglected so weighty commandements as this is that we should reioyce in the Lord If I say we neglected this for greater and weightier causes it were another matter but what is of like weight vnto it or what is to be so much desired as that we may liue in sound comfort from day to day whereas yet we who lose our part therein which with Gods good allowance and liking we might inioy wee cast it away and reiect it for moone shine in the water as they say euen for nothing nay for lesse then nothing euen for the pleasing of our selues in that which is not a shadow of pleasure to him that can iudge and thereby make our selues as ridiculous as Esau who for his belly lost the greatest benefit and for a messe of pottage the kingdome of heauen For if we duely consider it what is it that men preferre before this precious iewell of sound ioy but the pleasures of sinne which yet last but for a season as whorishnes deceiuing and oppressing enuy reuenge c. which are properly so called the dreaming of the painted felicity of this world and drowning themselues in it till they be meerely besides themselues by it though I say not for all this that dealings in the world be in their owne nature euill A man would thinke that except people were bewitched they meeting with so many calamities as make their liues euen wearisome to thē and bring thēselues to their wits end should seeke out if there were not some way to abate their sorrowes and vexations and if they know how and can finde any then to ease themselues speedily without any stay Also whē they see that they walke among many poysoned allurements which they cannot but be snared and deceiued with and yet sting as the serpent and Cockatrice when they haue their fill of them who would thinke but when by experience they had found it so that they would be wise after and beware of being in like manner carried to their accustomed baits being their bane but being stung a man would thinke they would seeke to be healed especially knowing that there is such a soueraigne medicine as this heauēly comfort is that I speake of to heale al anoyance whatsoeuer yea and is it selfe able to giue them contentment aboue all other delights But when they shall not haue wisdome to helpe themselues against these two so sore anoyances namely calamities to moderate and asswage them and vaine pleasures to renounce them as this one reioycing in God will do both what wilfulnes or rather madnes may it be accounted And yet if it were the case of professed euill men only to do thus it might be the lesse marueiled at but when better then they yea euen such as desire to be reckoned among the best shall thus be besotted and thus disguise themselues to thinke that because they liue among thē that do so they must needs be like vnto them how can this be sufficiently bewailed Now if we haue not this care and wisdom to prouide wel for our selues when we may and to seeke to serue God with ioy and gladnes without the which our life is not so much as a shadow of a life but the best that can be inioyed is but a dainty misery how are we like to care for others our owne especially to the which yet we are streightly bound by the commandement of God But of this vse of their peace namely that they atteined thereby to a sweet and comfortable life and how we by their example should make the like vse of ours thus much The next point to be considered as in the entring into this third vse was mentioned is how and by what meanes they made this vse of it For all haue not this sound comfort in their liues who are free from persecution and haue outward peace in the world And how this came to passe is shewed in the text namely that they builded vp themselues in grace and walked in the feare of the Lord and hereby were comforted by the holy Ghost which to set it downe more plainly is thus much They liued godly and therefore they liued sweetly and comfortably This point though it be most cleare in it selfe yet the blinde multitude are of a contrary iudgement yea they fight with tooth and naile as they say against it vpholding among them that the pleasant life hath no greater enemie then godlines and therefore this must be well proued To this purpose read that saying of Dauid to Salomon his sonne a little before his death His wordes are these I goe the way of al the world be strong therfore and take heed to the charge of the Lord thy God to walke in his wayes and keep his statutes commandements and iudgements and his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses that thou maiest prosper in all that thou doest and in euery thing whereunto thou turnest thee what doth he here teach to be the direct way to prosper but the looking to the charge which God giueth that is to liue godly And what differs his speech from the Lords owne word in Deuetronomie For thus he saith this people hath saied well all that they haue saied But oh that there were such an heart in them that they did feare me and keepe all my commandements alwayes that it might go well with them and their children for euer Loe what is mens prospering ioy or well liking in their liues but that which riseth from hence that they resolue to liue godly Agreeing with that which Paul speaketh This is our reioycing euen the testimonie of
what the Scripture sayeth the stone that the builders refused is made the head of the corner He that readeth let him consider And Reuel 3. Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this booke And without this reading often of the word it is impossible to resist readily the tentations of Satan For the deuill will bring such colour of Scripture for his tentations as we cannot resist if we haue not by diligent reading the Scripture ready at hand and vpon our fingers ends that we may answere with our Sauiour out of the Scripture It is written and againe it is written and so against euery tentation Some will here excuse themselues from their ability They are poore men and they are not able to lay out the mony to buy them a Bible withall But alas this is easily answered For there is no man I take it not among you that are of the poorer sort but he will finde spare money at least once in the yeare to make merry withall and to refresh himselfe for al the labor and trauaile of the yeare why canst thou theÌ„ find money to lay out to make thee merry for a day and wilt thou not find money to bestow vpon the Bible and booke of God which may make thee merry the whole yeare and make thee euery day as it were a ioyfull feast in thy conscience Reade therefore and to this end if thou wouldest heare more of reading reade a Chapter of this argument in my booke the third treatise But yet also to thy reading holy meditation and conference of the word of God is to be ioyned For examine and thou shalt finde them that haue attained to the highest degree of ioy in the word to haue been continuall meditators and conferrers of it and by meditation and conference to haue nourished and fostered this their ioy Dauid that was a man euen filled with this heauenly ioy in the word and therfore crieth out Psal 119.13 part How sweete is thy law vnto my mouth yea sweeter then honey vnto my mouth This Dauid I say was a man of daily and continual studie and meditation in the word vers 1. hee saith Thy word it is my meditation continually And in the sixth part I will talke of thy testimonies before Kings and will not bee ashamed The presence of Kings and great Princes should not abash him but euen before them he would conferre and talke of the word of God Reade an excellent place to this purpose containing both an exhortation and a promise Iosh 1.8 The Lord commandeth Ioshua that he let not the booke of God go out of his mouth It must not goe out of his mouth that is he must be talking speaking and conferring of it Secondly he must meditate therein day and night that he may obserue and doe according to all the law of Moses that so hee might prosper whither soeuer he went So that wouldest thou prosper and reioyce in whatsoeuer thou goest about the way is to meditate talke and conferre of the word of God And in the first Psalme they that meditate in the law of God day and night are pronounced blessed For whatsoeuer they doe shall prosper Which prosperitie hath alwaies ioy as an attendant vpon it But as all meditation of the word is a meane in some sort to continue and increase our ioy in God so especially meditating and conferring of the most gracious and comfortable promises of the Gospell The meditation and conference of these are as it were bellowes to blow and kindle the spâ—â—â—es of our ioy which are in our soules So then we see the hearing of the word preached and the reading of the word written and the meditation and conference of both and especially of the comfortable promises of the Gospell are singular meanes to continue and to encrease our ioy in the Lord. But withall let vs remember to ioyne to these the practise of the word thus heard and read and meditated and conferred on In that place I quoted Iosh 1.8 The law must be in his mouth he must speake of it and hee must meditate in it But to what end to rest there No but that he may obserue and doe according to all the law of Moses c. and then he should prosper For this is a most certaine truth that without the practise of the word neither hearing neither reading neither conferring neither meditating can cause or continue any sound ioy in the heart Reade 2. Ecclesiastes Surely saith the Preacher to a man that is good in his sight God giueth wisedome and knowledge and ioy but to the sinner he giueth paine c. God giueth ioy saith the Preacher to him that is good in his fight Reade againe Ioh. 15.10 If you keepe my commandements you shall abide in my loue as I haue kept the commandements of my father and abide in his loue And then immediatly hee addeth in the next verse These things haue I spoken vnto you that my ioy may abide in you and that your ioy may be full Our Sauiour giueth charge to his Disciples to keepe and to practise his commandements that his ioy may abide and that it may grow to be full in them Many places might easily be alleaged to this purpose Prouerbs 29.6 In the transgression of an euill man is his snare but the righteous doth sing and reioyce The wicked man by his transgression insnareth and intangleth himselfe in sorrow but the righteous that directeth his way by the word hee shall be merrie and sing for ioy The scripture in sundry places beateth vpon this point and therefore I will not stand so vpon it Doe we therefore desire to leade and liue a ioyful life Let vs become good men by the practise of Gods word Otherwise let vs not looke to haue our ioy continue But rather let vs looke for sorrow yea for sorrow vpon sorrow As it is written Psal 32.10 Many sorrowes shall come to the wicked man To these meanes that I haue spoken of may be added some that are touched by this our Apostle 1. Thes 5.17.18 c. For hauing exhorted them in the 16. verse to reioyce alway In the words following he sheweth by what meanes they may continue this their ioy And that is first by continuall prayer For we haue the promise of Christ that whatsoeuer we aske of God according to his will in the name of Christ it shal be giuen vnto vs. Now this we know and are well assured of that it is according to the will of God that we should reioyce so that if we pray for it earnestly and continually he will be most willing and ready to grant our petition Seek therefore the continuance and increase of this ioy at Gods hand and thou shalt finde it knock for it by prayer at the doore of Gods mercy and he will giue it vnto thee But alas this duty of prayer for ioy is carelesly for the most part neglected Men presume
to a conclusion of all we haue seene how earnest the Lord is by the Apostle to call and exhort vs to this duty of reioycing in the Lord we haue also seene by what meanes we may attaine to this ioy if we yet haue it not and how many and speciall meanes God hath giuen vs to keepe and to encrease it when we haue it and to recouer it if we haue lost the sense and feeling of it What then is our duty but that we try and examine our owne hearts to finde whether euer we felt in our hearts any true reioycing in God and in good things and if we neuer knew what it meant let vs learne in that sort that I haue shewed to get it and so after to keepe it And especially by weaning our selues for the loue of this ioy from other delights pleasures and profits wherein we haue bin taken vp and willingly vndergoing troubles and crosses when God hath called vs vnto them for the same and so to keepe it And if we haue by carelesse negligence suffered the deuill to bereaue vs of this so rich and pretious a iewell of our ioy yet let vs by al meanes possible labour vncessantly day and night to renew and recouer that we haue lost and let vs neuer giue any rest vnto God nor vnto our owne hearts vntil we feele the heauenly sparkles of our former ioy againe kindled in vs. And when it hath pleased God againe to restore it to vs let vs beware greatly of a second relapse It is very easie without dilligent care taking to be lost and many enemies lie in waite to take it from vs. But it is not so easie to be found againe when it is lost The thiefe is not so chary to keepe thy gold from thee when he hath stolne it as the deuil is to keep away and to hide thy ioy from thee that thou mightest neuer finde it againe Now though I haue already vsed some reasons to perswade vs to be carefull of this duty yet considering our dulnes and vntowardnes vnto it it shall not be vnfit to adde for a finall conclusion a few motiues to make vs the better to remember and to put in practise these meanes whereof you haue now heard And to omit to speake of that which before I touched that al other ioy besides this vanisheth away and nothing in the end remaineth but sorrow and vexation of Spirit As Salomon hath left his owne experience to teach vs. And that this ioy is of it selfe the most compleate and absolute ioy that can be possessed as being founded in God himselfe consider besides it selfe what excellent priuiledges this ioy bringeth vnto vs It bringeth vnto vs comfort aboundantly against all the crosses that can befall vs and against all the enemies we can haue in this life Let famine Let nakednesse Let danger assaile vs we haue God yet to reioyce in to feed vs to cloath vs to protect vs so far as shall be for our good Let wicked men banish vs Let them hate vs let them imprison vs let them take our liues from vs yet we haue God to reioyce in who will accompany vs in banishment in prison or in what place soeuer whose loue shal more then counteruaile all the hatred of the wicked And the life that he hath hid and treasured vp for vs shall be better then a thousand liues which they can take away This ioy is as salt to season and to sauour al our other ioyes whatsoeuer they be for without this our pleasures are vnsauourie and haue no taste nor sauour of pleasure in them Againe lastly marke what an excellent promise the Lord maketh to this ioy Psal 37.4 Delight thy selfe saith the Psalmist in the Lord and he shall giue thee thine hearts desire There is no man but would bee glad to haue his desire satisfied Loe then the way Delight thy selfe in God be carefull to keepe this blessed ioy and God who cannot lie hath promised to giue thee whatsoeuer thy heart can desire so ready is the Lord to fulfill the desire of them that reioyce and delight themselues in him It was a great fauour of the Lord vnto Salomon 1. King 3. to aske him what he should giue him and he would be readie to giue it yet God made him promise but for one request what a fauour of God is this then vnto thee that there shall be no good thing thy tongue can aske or thy heart desire but the Lord will giue it to thee so be it thou delight thy selfe in him But consider for thy further care yet of this dutie that this promise implieth also a threatning in it And that is if thou refusest to delight in God and wilt take thy pleasure and delight in vanitie in sin in the breach of the Sabbath and of other duties God will deny thee euery desire of thy heart In that which thou desirest ioy in God will send thee sorrow in that thou desirest a blessing in God will blow vpon it with his curse The not regarding this duty is a plaine and euident token of an hypocrite whom God hateth For read Iob. 27.10 The hypocrite saith Iob will he set his delight in the almightie will he call vpon God at all times making both these alike to be notes and brandes of a dissembling hypocrite that he will not at all times call vpon God neither will set his constant and continuall delight in God A fearefull thing we know it is to be an hypocrite whose portion is hell fire Mat. 24.51 it is said the Lord of the euill seruant shall cut him off and shall giue him his portion with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth If thou wilt haue no part nor portion in this lot of hypocrites bee no hypocrite delight in the Lord which hypocrites doe not neither can doe and so thou shalt auoid it On the contrary this holy ioy is a note of a man renued and regenerated by the Spirit of God Read Gal. 5.22 The fruite of the spirit is loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meeknes temperancy And against these is no law They that find this ioy in their hearts from the Spirit of God There is no lawe or curse of God to seaze vpon them For they are guided by the Spirit of God FINIS 2. Chron. 17.7 The vnfolding of the text The parts two The sfirst part The behauiour of Paul and Silas in prison wherein three things are to be considered First that God standeth by his seruants in their troubles Lament 1.12 Eccles 4.10 2. King 6.16 Act. 12.11 Dan. 6.22 Matth. 27. 2. Cor. ◠8 and 6.10 Iudg. 6.12 Psalme 5.11 Psalme 3.4 Iohn 20.25 1. Iohn 5.4 The secōd point How Gods children are affected in their troubles Phil. 4.4 1. Sam. 30.6 Why troubles are so vnwelcome to vs. Psalme 73.14 Psalme 126.5 As our outward troubles are many so are our blessings also Gen. 19.26
The third point They that pursue Gods seruants shall haue small cause of reioycing in the end 2. Thess 1.6 Gen. 12.3 Examples 1. King 22.25 Numb 16.30 Exod. 14.25 Matth. 27.4 Psalme 105.15 1. Sam. 24.18 Dan. 6.20 The second part of the text The conuersion of the Jailer Three things heere to be marked The estate of the Iailer before his conuersion Ephes 2 12. and 4.17 Ezech. 16.6 Iohn 4.18 Luke 19.7.8 1. Tim. 1.13 Lament 3.22 His particular sinnes 1. Crueltie Matth. 7.1 Iames 2.13 Iosh 7.19 Matth. 27. vers 28. c. 1. Sam. 14.44 Deut. 25.3 Exod. 21.24 Matth. 18.28 Prou. 27.4 His second sinâ—â— Desperatenesse Exod. 16.3 Iob 1.11 Iudg. 17.2 2. Sam. 17.23 1. Sam. 28.7 c. Lament 3.39 His third sinne Sensualitie in prosperitie To be sensuall in prosperitie a greater sin then to be impatient in aduersitie 2. Tim. 3.4 Prou. 18.11 1. Iohn 2.16 The meanes of his conuersion The first meane a farre off Doctrine 1. Sam. 24.17 The second meane Pauls care of his life Rom. 12.21 The beautie of vertue grace in Gods seruants 1. Pet. 3.1 Iohn 4. The third meane His cleauing to the Apostles The benefit of familiaritie with Gods seruants Matth. 4.19 Iohn 21.15 Iohn 21.15 Dan. 12.3 Psal 34.8 Many that may enioy this benefit looke not after it The meanes of the Iaylors conuersion which are more neere 1. His question about saluation Doct. WheÌ„ a loose person doubteth that all is not well with him he is in the way to true conuersion Matth. 9.12 Gen. 34.1 Vnto whom such should repaire Acts 2.37 Acts 10.33 The second meane The Apostles answere Faith is not in our power but the free gift of God Luke 19.10 The third Their preaching of the word of God vnto him What things they taught him out of the word Rom. 10.17 vers 10. 1. Iohn 3.3 That he so soone beleeued was more then ordinarie Rom. 8.15 Act. 16.15 Luke 19.8 Act. 9.8.9 c. Why some are holden vnder heauines longer then other He is kindly pricked who is kindly healed Verse 28. Rom. 12.21 Doctrine Exod. 23.5 Rom. 12.21 Verse 29. Verse 30. How the Lord can change a vile sinner Reuel 3.9 A great comfort to all faithfull Ministers Verse 31. Faith alone saueth 1. Ioh. 5.11.12 Rom. 3.28 Galath 2.16 Popish doctrine erronious Iames 2.24 Paul couetous to winne soules The duty of masters of families Exod. 20.10 Verse 32. An excellent example of pain in teaching Iohn 4.32.34 Rom. 10.14 Gods word the foundation of faith The effects of his faith Good workes follow faith The first fruit of his faith He receiued Baptisme Rom. 4.11 Doct. Desire to haue faith confirmed The second fruit of his faith Ioy. Luke 8.13 Rom. 5.1 Matth. 11.28 Hose 14.3 The difference betwixt true ioy and counterfeit Rom. 5.5 Act. 8.8.39 Why Gods people want this ioy Psal 51.12 Iohn 16.20 2. Cor. 12.7 Psal 126.5 Philip. 4.4 The third fruit of his faâ—th his loue to the Apostles Doct. Cruell men coruerted be kind Esay 11.6 c. Act. 2.13.37 Isai 11.6 Psa 12.4 2. Pe. 2.3 Particular fruits of his loue Psal 51.3 2. Cor. 7.11 Luke 7.38 Luke 19.8 Matth. 10.41 1. Cor. 13.2 Isai 1.12 Doct. The fourth fruit Luke 159.10 The summe and scope of this Sermon The opening of the text Three parts thereof Three points handled in the first part The truth hereof proued by Scripture and experience Matth. 24.37 2. Tim. 3.1 Iniquity aboundeth among all sorts Yong men Old men Rich. Poore Ierem. 5.4 Ministers and people The second point Application of the former to foure sorts of people The first sort of those that multiplie sinne Rom. 13.13 The second sort Ios 7.25 Leuit. 24.10 2. Sam. 17.23 The third sort Psal 50.17 2. Tim. 3.5 Matth. 7.21 The fourth sort Iam. 2.10.11 1. Kings 8.46 The third poynt The vse Heb. 11.6 Matth. 3.7 8. Two incouragements to draw all these sorts to faith and repentance The first Iohn 10.16 The second Ioel 2.13 Lament 3.40 A watchword to all the former sorts Gen. 25.32.33.34 Ierem. 8.6 Zach. 12.12 Osea 14.2.3.4 The second part of the text Reuel 2.4 Fiue things handled in this part Reuelat. 2.4 1. What our first loue is 2. Cor. 5.14 1. Iohn 5.1 Psalme 119.97 Rom. 10.15 Iohn 2. How this loue is said to be cooled 3. By what meanes If euill words corrupt good maners wicked life much more Hebr. 3.6 How the Minister should deale with such as are fallen from their first loue Hebr. 10.32 Gal. 3.1 4. How to remedy it Reuel 2.4 Two reasons why we must labour to preuent this sinne The first A caueat Examples of zeale without knowledge 2. King 3.17 Marke 16.1 The second reason 1. Cor. 13.1.2.3 The third part of the text Of the third sort Who may be truely said to continue to the end Prou. 28.13 They who shall continue First begin well 2. Pet. 3.17 Iude 20. Matth. 7.27 Secondly They grow accordingly Hebr. 11. Matth. 3.8 a Matth. 26.41 b Luke 18.1 c 1. Pet. 2.2 Matth. Philip. 1.5 The scope of this Text and whole Sermon Matth. 7.21 The occasion of these words The parts of the text three The first part The Lord commendeth the peoples words but condemneth their heart Doct. Psal 50.16 Matth. 15.29 Ezech. 33.30 Good speech commendable yea commanded Hos 14.2 1. Tim. 4.12 But it must not goe alone without other gifts Ierem. 17 9. 2. Cor. 11.14 Micah 6.6 There is a middle sin betwixt hypocrisie and sinceritie Psalm 78.35 Great heed to be taken to our couenants with God Psal 78.57 2. Pet. 2.22 Psal 119.106 The second part and doctrine out of it The feare of God cannot dwâ—ll in euery heart Three things requisit in a heart fitted to feare God Luk. 6.46 First that it be troubled for sin Luk. 5.31 Act. 2.37 Rom. 8.15 Secondly that Faith must be adioyned Luk. 5 31. Iohn 7.37 Thirdly that Sanctification must goe with both 2. Cor. 7.1 1. Iohn 3.3 Two caueats about wound of conscience Two caueats about beleeuing Two watch-words about sanctification 1. Cor. 13.1 The end why God wisheth that there were such an heart in the people First that they might feare him The feare of God a rare iewell Common professors want this feare Secondly that they might keep his Commandements 1. Chron. 28.7 This must be in particular and constantly The third part The fruit of such an heart and life First to the parties themselues Heb. 12.16 To haue peace with God a singular treasure Psalm 23.1 Iohn 13.1 Psalm 73.14 Prou. 10.9 Gal. 6.16 1. Pet. 3.12 1. Tim. 4.8 The fearefull estate of such as are not at peace with God Iob 21.14.15 1. Pet. 4.18 1. Pet. 4.4 Hap of Gods children euerlasting Psal 16.11 Luk. 21.28 2. Pet. 3.11 Secondly to their children Parents fearing God prouide wel for their children after them Comman 2. Deut. 28.46 Wicked parents are also vnnaturall towards their children Why good education hath not alwayes like effect What is meant