goodnes of God in forgiving giving saving honouring us is one of the principall foundations of sincere obedience Then the Soule will thinke nothing too good for God that hath shewed himselfe so good unto it What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits saith the Prophet David Psal. 116.12 and a little after it followes O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the Son of thine Handmaide that is an Home-borne servant thine from my mothers wombe It is an allusion to those who were borne of Servants in the House of their Masters and so were in a condition of Servants Paâ—tus sequitur ventâ—em If the mother be an Handmaide the childe is a Servant too and so the Scripture calleth them filios domus children of the house Gen. 14. 14 15 3 17 12. Lev. 22 11. Ecclesi 2.7 His heart being enlarged in thankfulnesse presently minded him of the deep ingagements that did bind him unto Service even from the wombe True filiall and Evangelicall obedience ariseth from faith and love Faith shewes us Gods love to us and therby worketh in us a Reciprocal love unto him We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 This is the only thing wherein a Servant of God may answer him and may de simili mutuam rependere vicem as Bernaâ—d speakes returne back unto God what he gives unto him If he be angry with me I must not be angry again with him but feare and tremble and begge for pardon If he reprove me I must not reprove but justifie him If he judge me I must not judge but adore him But if he love me I must take the boldnes to love him againe for therefore he loves that he may be loved And this love of ours unto Christ makes us ready to do every thing which he requires of us because we know that he hath done much more for us then he requireth of us The love of Christ saith the Apostle constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead that is either dead in and with him in regard of the guilt and punishment of sin so as to be freed from the damnation of it or dead by way of conformity unto his death in dying unto sinne and crucifying the old man so as to shake off the power and strength of it And the fruite of all both his dying and our loving is this That we should not live unto our selves but unto him that dyed for us and rose again Thus love argues from the greater to the lesser from the greatnes of his work for us to the smalnes of ours unto him If he died to give us life then we must live to doe him Service Feare produceth onely servile unwilling performances as those fruites which grow in Winter or in cold Countries are sowre unsavoury and unconcocted but those which grow in Summer or in hotter Countries by the warmth and influence of the Sun are sweet and wholesome such is the difference between those fruits of obedience which feare and which love produceth The most formall principle of obedience is love and the first beginings of love in us unto God arise from his mercies unto us being thankfully remembred this teacheth the soule thus to argue God hath given deliverances unto me and should I breake his Commandements Ezra 13.14 Christ gave himselfe to redeeme me from all iniquity and to make me in a speciall manner his owne therefore I must be zealous of good workes Tit. 2.14 therefore I must shew forth the vertues of him that called me out of darkenes into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2.9 No more frequent more copious common place in all the Scriptures then this to call for obedience and to aggravate disobedience by the consideration of the great things that God hath done for us Deut. 13.20 21 11 7 8 29 32 6 7. Iosh. 24.2 14. 1 Sam. 12.24 Isay. 1 2. Ier. 2.5 6. Hos. 2.8 Mic. 6.3 5. In the Law a Ransomed man became the Servant of him that bought and delivered him and upon this argument the Apostle calls for obedience Ye are not your owne but you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits whâ—ch are Gods 1 Cor. 6.19 20. We have but the use of our selves the property is his and we may do nothing to violate that V. Ut instrumentum divinae gloriae As a meanes and instrument of publishing Gods praises There is an Emphasis in the word Lips Sometimes it is a diminutive word taking away from the duty performed as Matth. 15.8 This people honour me with their lips but their heart is far from me But here it is an Augmentative word that enlargeth the duty and makes it wider I will sacrifice unto thee saith Ionah with the voice of thanksgiving Jonah 2.9 God regardeth not the sacrifice if this be not the use that is made of it to publish and celebrate the glory of his name The outward ceremony is nothing without the thankfulnes of the heart and the thankfulnes of the heart is too little except it have a voice to proclaime it abroad that other may learn to glorifie and admire the works of the Lord too It is not enough to Sacrifice not enough to sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving except withal we declare his works with rejoycing psal 107.22 There is a private thankfulnes of the Soul within it self when meditating on the goodnesse of God it doth in secret returne the tribute of an humble and obedient heart back again unto him which is to praise God on the Bed and there is publick thanksgiving when men tell of the wondrous works of God in the great Congregation of his Saints Psal. 149.1.5 Psal. 26.7.12 Now here the Church promiseth this publick thanksgiving it shal not be the thankfulnesse of the heart onely but of the lips too As it is noted of the thankfull Leper that with a loud voice he glorified God Luke 17.15 The living the living shall praise thee saith Hezekiah but how should they doe it The fathers to the children shall make known thy truth Isay 38.19 There are some affections and motions of the heart that do stop the mouth are of a cold stupefactive and constringent nature as the sap staies and hides it selfe in the root while it is winter Such is fear and extremity of griefe Come saith the Prophet Let us enter into our defenced cities and let us be silent there for the Lord our God hath put us to silence Jer. 8.14 Isai. 10.14 Other affections open the mouth are of an expansive dilating nature know not how to be straitned or suppressed and of all these joy and sense of Gods mercy can least contain it self in the compasse of our narrow breast but will spread and communicate it selfe to others A godly Heart is in this like unto those flowers which shut when the Sun sets
a most free and bountifull love having no motive or foundation but within it self and his free love and grace is the ground of all his other mercies to his people hee sheweth mercy on whom and because hee will shew mercy From the beginning to the end of our salvation nothing is primarily active but free grace Freely loved Deut. 7.7 8. Freely chosen Ephes. 1. ver 5 6. Christ the gift of free love John 3.16 His obedience freely ascepted for us and bestowed upon us Rom. 5.15 18. Iustification free Rom. 3.24 Adoption free Ephes. 1.5 Faith and repentance free Phil. 1.29 2 Tim. 2.25 Good works free Ephes. 2.10 Salvation free Titus 3.5 Acts 15.1 Thus the Foundation of all mercies is free love We do not first give to God that he may render to us again We turn we pray we covenant we repent we are holy we are healed onely because he loves us and he loves us not because he sees any thing lovely or amiable in us but because he will shew the absoluteness of his own will and the unsearchableness of his own Counsell towards us We are not originally denominated Good by any thing which floweth from us or is done by us but by that which is bestowed upon us Our goodness is not the motive of his love but his love the Fountain of our goodness None indeed are healed and saved but those that repent and return but repentance is only a condtion and that freely given by God disposing the subject for salvation not a Cause moving or procuring God to save us It is necessary as the means to the end not as the cause to the effect That which looks least free of any other act of God His rewarding of obedience is all and only mercy When we sow in righteousness we must reap in mercy Hos. 10.12 When he rendreth according to our works it is because of his mercy Psal. 62.12 This is the solid bottome and foundation of all Christian comforts that God loves freely Were his love to us to be measured by our fruitfulness or carriages towards him each hour and moment might stagger our hope but he is therefore pleased to have it all of Grace that the promise might be sure Rom. 4.16 This comforts us against the guilt of the greatest sins for love and free grace can pardon what it will This comforts us against the accusations of Satan drawn from our own unworthiness 'T is true I am unworthy and Satan cannot shew me unto my self more vile then without his accusations I will acknowledg my self to be but that love that gave Christ freely doth give in him more worthiness then there is or can be unworthiness in me This comforts us in the assured hope of Glory because when he loves he loves to the end and nothing can seperate from his love This comforts us in all afflictions that the free love of God who hath predestinated us thereunto wil wisely order it all unto the good of his servants Rom. 8.29 Hebr. 12.6 Our duty therefore it is First to labour for assurance of this free love It wil assist us in all duties it wil arme us against all Temptations It wil Answer all Objections that can be made against the souls peace It wil sustaine us in all conditions which the saddest of times can bring us unto If God be for us who can be against us Though thousands be against us to hate us yet none shall be against us to hurt us Secondly if God love us freely we should love him thankfully 1 Ioh. 4.19 and let love be the salt to season all our sacrifices For as no benefit is saving unto us which doth not proceed from love in him so no duty is pleasing unto him which doth not proceed from love in us 1 Joh. 5.3 Thirdly plead this free love and grace in prayer when we begge pardon nothing is too great for love to forgive When we begge grace and holiness nothing is too good for love to grant There is not any one thing which faith can manage unto more spiritual advantages then the free grace and love of God in Christ. Fourthly yet we must so magnifie the love of God as that we turne not free grace into wantonnesse There is a corrupt generation of men who under pretence of exalting grace do put disgrace upon the Law of God by taking away the mandatory power thereof from those that are under grace a doctrine most extremely contrary to the nature of this love For Gods love to us workes love in us to him and our love to him is this that we keep his Commandements and to keepe a Commandement is to confirme and to subject my conscience with willingnesse and delight unto the rule and preceptive power of that commandement Take away the obligation of the Law upon conscience as a rule of life and you take away from our love to God the very matter about which the obedience thereof should be conversant It is no diminution to love that a man is bound to obedience nay it cannot be called obedience if I be not bound unto it but herein the excellency of our love to God is commended that whereas other men are so bound by the Law that they fret at it and swell against it and would be glad to be exempted from it they who love God and know his love to them delight to be thus bound and finde infinitely more sweetnesse in the strict rule of Gods holy Law then any wicked man can do in that presumptuous liberty wherein he allowes himselfe to shake off and breake the cords of it Now lastly when we returne with sound repentance unto God then God is pleased to give more then ordinary tastes of the sweetnesse of his love by removing judgements which are the fruits of his Anger from us This point falls in with what was handled before on the second vers Therefore I shall conclude with these two notes First that in all judgements God will have us looke on them as fruits of his anger and take more notice in them of his displeasure than our owne sufferings When wrath is gone out the sword drawne thousands and ten thousands slaine in our Coasts Israel given to the spoile and Iacob unto robbers a land set on fire with civill flames and none able to quench them A Kingdome divided within it selfe A Church which was sometimes the Asylum for other exild and afflicted Christians to fly for shelter unto miserably torne by the foolish and unnaturall divisions of brethren and dangerously threatned by the policy and power of the common enemy who studies how to improve these divisions to the ruine of those that foment them our worke is to make this conclusion Our God is angry a God that loves freely that is infinite in mercy and pitty who doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men This should be our greatest Affliction and the removall of this anger by an universall Reformation and
for it selfe into the whole man minde thoughts affections words actions fitting them all unto the holy seed that is put into them as the earth being softned and mingled with the dew is the more easily drawn up into those varieties of herbs and fruites that are fed by it Sixthly It is of a vegerating and quickning nature it causeth things to grow and revive againe therefore the Prophet cals it the dew of herbs Esay 26.19 which are thereby refreshed and recover life and beauty even so the word and spirit of grace distilling upon the soule as small raine upon tender herbs and as showres on the grasse cause it to live the life of God and to bring forth the fruits of holinesse and obedience Esay 55.10 11. Those parts of the world which are under either perpetuall frosts or perpetuall scortchings are barren and fruitlesse the earth being closed up and the sap thereof dried away by such distempers Such is the condition of a soule under wrath that hath no apprehensions of God but in frost or fire for who can stand before his cold Psal. 147.17 Who can dwell with everlasting burnings Esay 33.14 Feare contracteth and bindeth up the powers of the soule it is the greatest indisposer of all other unto regular action But when the soule can apprehend God as love finde healing in his wings and reviving in his ordnances this love is of an opening and expansive quality calling forth the heart unto duty love within as it were hastening to meet and close with love without the love of obedience in us with the love of favour and grace in God I shut and barre my doore against an Enemy whom I feare and look upon as armed to hurt me but I open wide my doores my bosome unto a friend whom I love and look upon as furnished with counsell and comfort benefits to revive me There is a kind of mutuall love between dew and the earth dew loves the earth with a love of beneficeâ—ce doing it good and earth loves dew with a love of concupiscence earnestly desiring it and opening unto it Such is the love between Christ and the soule when hee appeares as dew unto it He visites the soule with a love of mercy reviving it and the soule puts forth it selfe towards him in a love of duty earnestly coveting as well to serve as to enjoy him Lastly it is of a refreshing and comforting nature tempering the heat of those hotter Countries and so causing the face of things to flourish with beauty and delight So God promiseth to be unto his people in their troubles as a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest Esay 18.4 The spirituall joy and heavenly comfort which the peace and grace of God ministreth to the consciences of believers Rom. 15.13 5.1 Phil. 4.4 1 Pet. 1.8 is said to make the bones flourrish like an herb Esay 66.14 As on the other side a broken spirit is said to dry up the bones Prov. 17. â—2 Their soule saith the Prophet shall be as a watered garden they shall sorrow no more I will turne their mourning into joy and will comfort them Ier. 31·12 13. By all which we should learne first as to bee sensible of our owne personall and spirituall drinesse barrennesse emptinesse of fruit and peace hard hearts withered consciences guilty spirits under our own particular sinnes So in regard of the whole land to take notice of that tempest of wrath which like an East winde out of the wildernesse dryeth up our springs and spoileth our treasures as the Prophet complaines Hos. 13.15.16 and to be humbled into penitent resolutions as the Church here is If God who was wont to be as dew to our Nation who made it heretofore like a Paradise and a watered garden be now as a Tempest as a consuming fire unto it turning things upside down burning up the Inhabitants of the Earth causing our land to mourn and our joy to wither as the Prophet speaks Ioel 1.12 this is an evident sign that the Earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof Isa. 24.4 5. Therefore as our sinnes have turned our dew into blood so our repentance must turn our blood into dew againe If ever we look to have a happy peace we must make it with God Men can give peace onely to our bodies our fields our houses our purses nor that neither without his over-ruling power and providence who alone mannageth all the counsels and resolutions of men but hee alone can give peace to our consciences by the assurance of his love which is better then life And if there should be peace in a Nation made up onely by humane prudence and correspondencies without publike repentance and through Reformation in Church in State in Families in Persons in judgement in manners it would be but like those short interims between the Egyptian plagues Exod. 8.15.9.34 A respiting only not a removing of our affliction like the shining of the Sunne on Sodom before the fire and brimstone fell upon it Gen. 19.23 24. Wee all cry and call for Peace and while any thing is left would gladly pay dear very dear to recover it againe But there is no sure and lasting purchase of it but by unfained Repentance and turning unto God this is able to give peace in the midst of warre In the midst of storme and tempest Christ is sufficient security to the tossed ship Matth. 8.24 27. This man is the peace even when the Assyrian is in the Land Mic. 5.5 Whereas impenitency even when we have recovered an outward peace leaves us still in the midst of most potent Enemies God Christ Angels Scripture Creatures Conscience Sinnes Curses all our Enemies The Apostle tels us that Lusts warre against the soule 1 Pet. 8.11 There is a strong emphasis in the word soule which is more worth then all the world nothing to bee taken in exchange for it Matth. 16.26 So long as we have our lusts unconquered we are under the wofullest warre in the world which doth not spoyle us of our blood our money our corne our cattell our houses our children but of the salvation of Immortall soules Time will repaire the ruines of other warres but eternity it self will not deliver that poor soule which is lost and fallen in the Warres of lust Therefore if you would have peace as a mercy get it from God let it be a dew from Heaven upon your conversion unto him A Kings favour is said to be as dew on the grasse Prov. 9.12 and as a cloud of the latter raine Prov. 16.15 And it would with all joyfulnesse be so apprehended if by that meanes the blessing of peace were bestowed upon these distressed Kingdomes How much more comfortable would it be to have it as a gift from God unto a repenting Nation For God can give peace in anger as well as he doth warre A ship at Sea may be distressed by a calme as well as broken by a tempest The cattell which we meane
good one while and evill another but goodnesse is his proper and native operation he is not the author of sin that entred by the devil he is not the author of death that entred by sin but our destruction is of our selves And therefore though the Prophet say Is there any evil in the City which the Lord hath not done Yet he doth it not but onely as it is bonum justitiae good in order to his glory For it is just with God that they who run from the order of his Commands should fall under the order of his Providence and doing willingly what hee forbids should unwillingly suffer what he threatneth In one word God is the Author of All good by his grace working it the Permitter of all evill by his patience enduring it the Orderer and disposer of both by his mercy rewarding the one by his justice revenging the other and by his wisedome directing both to the ends of his eternal glory This serveth to discover the free and â—â—le working of Grace in our first conversion and the continued working of grace in our further sanctification whatsoever is good in us habitually as Grace inhering or actually as Grace working is from him alone as the Author of it For though it be certain that when we will and do our selves are agents yet it is still under and from him Certum est nos facere cum faciamus sed ille facit ut faciamus as the great champion of Grace speaketh by Grace we are that we are we do what we do in Gods service Vessels have no wine bags have no money in them but what the Merchant putteth in the bowls of the Candlesticks had no oyl but that which dropped from the Olive branches Other things which seek no higher perfection then is to be found within the compasse of their own nature may by the guidance and activity of the same nature attain thereunto but man aspiring to a divine happinesse can never attain thereunto but by a divine strength impossible it is for any man to enjoy God without God The truth of this point sheweth it in five gradations 1. By Grace our mindes are enlightened to know and beleeve him for Spirituall things are spiritually discerned 2. By Grace our hearts are inclined to love and obey him for spirituall things are spiritually approved He onely by his Almighty and ineffable operation worketh in us Et veras Revelationes et bonas voluntates 3. By Grace our lives are enabled to work what our hearts do love without which though we should will yet we cannot perform no more then the knife which hath a good edge is able actually to cut till moved by the hand 4. By Grace our good works are carried on unto perfection Adam wanting the Grace of perseverance fell from innocency it self It is not sufficient for us that he prevent and excite us to will that he co-operate assist us to work except he continually follow and supply us with a residue of spirit to perfect and finish what we set about All our works are begun continued and ended in him Lastly By Grace our perseverance is crowned for our best works could not endure the triall of justice if God should enter into judgement with us Grace enableth us to work and Grace rewardeth us for working Grace beginneth and Grace finisheth both our faith and salvation The work of holinesse is nothing but Grace and the reward of holinesse is nothing but Grace for Grace Secondly this teacheth us how to know Good from Evil in our selves what we look on as good we must see how we have derived it from God the more recourse we have had unto God by prayer and faith and study of his will in the procurement of it the more goodnesse we shall find in it A thing done may be good in the substance of the work and yet evill in the manner of doing it as the substance of a vessell may be silver but the use sordid Iehu his â—eal was rewarded as an act of Iustice quoad substantiam operis and it was punished too as an act of policy quoad mâ—dum for the perverse end A thing which I see in the night may shine and that shining proceed from nothing but rottennesse We must not measure our selves by the matter of things done for there may be Malum opus in bona materia Doeg prayes and Herod hears and Hypocrites fast and Pharisees preach but when wee would know the goodness of our works look to the fountain whether they proceed from the Father of lights by the spirit of love the grace of Christ from humble penitent filiall heavenly dispositions nothing will carry the soul unto God but that which cometh from him Our Communion with the Father and the Sonne is the triall and foundation of all our goodnesse Thirdly Thiâ— should exceedingly abase us in our own eyes and stain all the pride and cast down all the Plumes of flesh and blood when we seriously consider that in us as now degenerated from our originall there is no good to be found our wine become water our Silver dresse as our Saviour saith of the devil when he lies he speaks de suo of his own so when we do evil we work de nostro of our own and secundum hominem as the Apostle speaks According unto man 1 Cor. 3.3 Lusts are g our own our very members to that body of sin which the Apostle calleth the old man with which it is as impossible to do any good as for a Toad to spit Cordiâ—ls Men are apt to glory of their good hearts and intentions only because they cannot search them Ier. 17.11 And being carnal themselves to entertain none but carnal notions of Gods service But if they knew the purity and jealousie of God their own impotency to answer so holy a wil they would lay their hands upon their mouthes and with Iob abhor themselves and with Isaiah bewail the uncleannesse of their lips and with Moses fear and quake as not being able to endure the things that are commanded and with Ioshua acknowledge that they cannot serve God because he is holy they would then remember that the Law of God is a Law of fire Deut. 33.2 and the Tribunall of God a Tribunall of fire Ezek. 1.27 that the pleading of God with sinners are in flames of fire Isa. 66.15 16. that the triall of all our works shall be by fire 1 Cor. 3.13 that the God before whom we must appear is a consuming fire Hebr. 12.29 Goe now and bring thy straw and stubble thy drowsie and sluggish devotion thy fickle and flattering repentance thy formall and demure services into the fire to the Law to measure them to the Iudge to censure them nay now carry them to thine own conscience and tell me whether that wil not passe the
extolling the great Name of God ascribing in our hearts and mouths all blessednesse unto him acknowledging his infinite Majesty in himselfe and his Soveraignty over us his poore creatures Exod. 15.11 Mic. 7.18 and so covering our faces and abhorring our selves in his sight Isaiah 6. Ioh 42.5.6 not daring to question any of his deep absoluâ—e and most unsearchable Counsels but because all things are of him to acknowledge that all things oughâ— to be for and to him and are to be reduced to the Ends of his glory by the counsell of his own will Rom. 9.20.21 Rom. 11.33.36 Matth. 11.25 26. Psal. 135.5 6. Iob 9.12 Ephes. 1.11 In the latter respect as hee is the God in whom we live and mâ—â—e and have our being and hope for our blessednesse So it importeth first a glorying and rejoycing in him as our alone felicity Psal. 33.1 Habac. 3.18 Phil. 4.4 Secondly a choosing and preferring him above all other good things making him our end and aym in life in death in doing in suffering Rom. 4 7.8 Thirdly a thankfull acknowledgement of all his mercies as most beneficiall unto us and most gratuitous and free in regard of him 2 Sam. 7.18 Lam. 3.22.23 Lastly a constant endeavour of a holy life so to bring forth fruiâ— to doe the will of God and to finish his work which he hath set us so to order our conversation aright before him as that hee may have ascribed unto him the glory of his authority over the consciences of men and of the power of his Love shed abroad in their hearts and that all that see our conversation may say doubtlesse the God whom these men serve after so holy a manner for whom they despise all outward sinfull pleasures is a holy and blessed God infinitely able to comfort satisfie and reward all those that so conscionably and constantly give up themselves unto him Iohn 15.8 and 17.4 Psal. 50.23 Deut. 4.6 7. Mat. 5.16 2 Cor. 9.13 1 Pet. 2 1â— The second particular in their Covenant is amendmen of life and a more speciall care against those sins of carnall confidence and spirituall adultery whereby they had formerly dishonoured and provoked God From whence there are two observations which offer themselves 1. That true repentance and sound conversion as it makes a man thankfull for the pardon of sin past so it makes him carefull against the practise of sin for the time to come especially those particular sinnes whereby he had formerly most dishonoured God and defiled his own conscience This doctrine consisteth of two parts which we will consider asunder And first of this care and purpose of amendment in generall When the poore Converts who had been guilty of the most precious and innocent bloud that ever was shed began to be convinced of that horrible sin and found those nailes wherewith they had fastned the Lord of glory to a Crosse pricking and piercing of their owne hearts with what bleeding and relenting affections did they mourne over him with what earnest importunities did they inquire after the way of salvation wherein they might serve and enjoy him never were their hands more cruell in shedding that bloud then their hearts were now sollicitous to be bathed in it to be cleansed by it Acts 2.37 The poore Prodigall who is the Embleme of a penitent sinner when hee came to himselfe againe or bethought himself as the phrase is 1 King 8.47 for we doe never depart from God but we doe withall forsake and lose our selves and are transported with a spirituall madnesse from our right mindes immediately grew to a resolution of arising out of that base and brutish condition and of going home to his Father and by that meanes to his wit and senses againe So when by Iohns preaching of repentance men were turned to the Wisdome of the just for all unrighteousnesse is folly and madnes and were prepared for the Lord wee immediately finde what a speciall care they had to be informed in the wayes of duty earnestly inquiring after that new course of obedience which they were now to walk Luke 3.10.12 14. All true penitents are of the minde of these in the Text wee will not say any more and what have I to doe any more with Idols ver 8. as Ezra in his penitent prayer Should we now againe breake thy Commandements Chap. 9.13 When Christ rose from the dead he died no more and when wee repent of sinne it must bee with a repentance that must never any more bee repented of Rom. 6.9 12. 2 Cor. 7.10 The time past of our life must suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles 1 Pet. 4.3 This care ariseth from the nature of true repentance which hath two names usually given it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a change of the mind the heart is framed to have other and truer notions of sinne of grace of heaven of hell of conscience of salvation then it it had before for the minde of wicked men being defiled they can frame to themselves none but impure apprehensions of spirituall things as a yellow eye sees every thing yellow and a bitter palate tastes every thing bitter 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a change of the cares and indeavours of life That whereas before a man made provision for the flesh and his study and care was how to satisfie the lusts of his own heart Rom. 13.14 what he should eate what he should drink wherewith he should be cloathed Now his care is how he may be saved how he may honour and enjoy God Acts 2.37 and 16.30 The first question in Repentance is What have I done Ier. 8.6 and the next question is What shall I doe Acts 9.6 And this care repentance worketh 1. By a godly sorrow for sinne past It brings into a mans remembrance the history of his former life makes him with heavinesse of spirit recount the guilt of so many innumerable sinnes wherewith he had bound himselfe as with chaines of darknesse the losse of so much precious time mis-spent in the service of such a Master as had no other wages to give but shame and death The horrible indignities thereby offered to the â—ajestie and Justice of God the odious contempt of his holy Will and soveraigne Authority the daring neglect of his threatnings and undervaluing of his rewards the high provocation of his jealousie and displeasure the base corrivalty and contesting of filthy lusts with the grace of the Gospell and the precious bloud of the Sonne of God the gainsaying and wrestling and stubborne antipathie of a carnall heart to the pure motions of the Spirit and Word of Christ the presumptuous repulses of him that standeth at the doore and knocks waiting that he may be gracious the long turning of his back and thrusting away from him the word of Reconciliation wherein Christ by his Ambassadours had so often beseeched him to be reconciled unto God The remembrance of these things makes a man
looke with selfe-abhorrency upon himselfe and full detestation upon his former courses And he now no longer considers the Silver or the Gold the profit or the pleasure of his wonted lusts though they be never so delectable or desirable in the eye of flesh he looks upon them as accursed things to be thrown away as the Converts did upon their costly and curious Books Acts 19.19 Isa. 30.22 31 7. Sin is like a plaited picture on the one side of it to the impenitent appeareth nothing but the beauty of pleasure whereby it bewitcheth and allureth them on the other side to the penitent appeareth nothing but the horrid and ugly face of guilt and shame whereby it amazeth and confoundeth them Thus the remembrance of sinne past which they are very carefull to keep alwayes in their sight Psal. 51.3 doth by godly sorrow worke speciall care of amendment of life for the time to come 2 Chron. 6.37 38. Psal. 119.59 Ezec. 16.61 63.20.43 2. By a present sense of the weight and burthen of remaining corruptions which work and move and put forth what strength they can to resist the grace of God in us As the time past wherein sinne raigned so the present burthen of sinne besetting us is esteemed sufficient and makes a man carefull not to load himself wilfully with more being ready to sinck and forced to cry out under the paine of those which hee unwillingly lieth under already A very glutton when he is in a fit of the gout or stone will forbeare those meats which feed so painfull diseases A penitent sinner is continually in paine under the body of sinne and therefore dares not feed so dangerous and tormenting a disease The more spirituall any man is the more painefull and burdensome is corruption to him Rom. 7.22 For sin to the new man is as sicknesse to the naturall man The more exquisite and delicate the naturall senses are the more are they sensible and affected with that which offends nature Contraries cannot bee together without combate The spirit will lust against the flesh and not suffer a man to fulfill the lusts of it Gal. 5 16 17. the seed of God will keep down the strength of sin 1 Iohn 3.9 3. By an holy jealousie and godly feare of the falsenesse and back-sliding of our corrupt heart lest like Lots wise it should look back towards Sodome and like Israel have a minde hankering after the flesh pots of Egypt the wonted profits and pleasures of forsaken lusts A godly heart prizeth the love of God and the feelings of spirituall comfort from thence arising above all other things and is afraid to lose them It hath felt the burnings of sinne the stingings of these fiery Serpents and hath often been forced to befoole it selfe and to beshrew its own ignorance and with Ephraim to smite upon the thigh And the burnt child dreads the fire and dares not meddle any more with it Considers the heavinesse of Gods frown the rigour of his Law the weaknesse and ficklenesse of the heart of man the difficulty of finding Christ out when he hath withdrawn himselfe and of recovering light and peace againe when the soule hath wilfully brought it selfe under a cloud and therefore will not venture to harden it selfe against God Thus godly feare keeps men from sin Iob 31.23 Psal. 119.120 Prov. 28.14 Eccles. 9.2 Ier. 32 40. Phil. 2.12 Psal. 4.4 4. By a love to Christ and a sweet recounting of the mercies of God in him The lesse a man loves sinne the more he shall love Christ. Now repentance works an hatred of sinne and thereupon a love of Christ which love is ever operative and putting forth it self towards holinesse of life As the Love of God in Christ towards us worketh forgivenesse of sinne so our reciprocall love wrought by the feeling and comfort of that forgivenesse worketh in us an hatred of sinne A direct love begets a Reflect love as the heat wrought in the earth strikes back a heat up into the aire againe The woman in the Gospel having much forgiven her loved much Luke 7.47 Wee love him because he loved us first and love will not suffer a man to wrong the thing which hee loves What man ever threw away Jewels or money when he might have kept them except when the predominant love of something better made these things comparatively hatefull Luke 14.26 What woman could bee perswaded to throw away her sucking child from her breast unto Swine or Dogs to devoure it Our love to Christ and his Law will not suffer us to cast him off or to throw his Law behind our backs New obedience is over joyned unto pardon of sinne and repentance for it by the method of Gods Decrees by the order and chaine of Salvation and ariseth out of the internall character and disposition of a childe of God We are not Sonnes only by Adoption appointed to a new inheritance but we are Sons by Regeneration also partakers of a new nature designed unto a new life joyned unto a new head descended from a new Adam unto whom therefore we are in the power of his Resurrection and in the fellowship of his suffrings to be made conformable Phil. 3.10 And the Apostle hath many excellent and weighty arguments to inforce this upon us Col. 3. 1 2 3 4. If then ye be risen with Christ seek those things that are above where Christ is sitting on the right hand of God Set your affection on things above not on things on the earth For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory 1. Our fellowship with Christ wee are risen with him what he did corporally for us hee doth the same spiritually in us As a Saviour and Mediatour he died and rose alone But as a Head and second Adam he never did anything but his mysticall Body and seed were so taken into the fellowship of it as to be made conformable unto it Therefore if he rose as a Saviour to justifie us we must as members be therein fashioned unto him and rise spiritually by heavenly-mindednesse and a new life to glorifie him 2. We must have our affections in Heaven because Christ is there The heart ever turns towards its treasure where the body is thither will the Eagles resort 3. He is there in glory at Gods right hand and grace should move to glory as a piece of earth to the whole And he is there in our businesse making intercession in our behalfe providing a place for us sending down gifts unto us And the Client cannot but have his heart on his own businesse when the Advocate is actually stirring about it 4. We are dead with Christ as to the life of sinne And a dead man takes no thought or care for the things of that life from whence he is departed A man naturally dead looks not after food or rayment
seems to be expounded Psal. 103.3 and that which is called Healing in one place is called forgivenesse in another if we compare Mat. 13.15 with Mark 4.12 Secondly by a spirituall and effectuall Reformation purging the conscience from dead workes making it strong and able to serve God in new obedience for that which Health is to the body Holinesse is to the soul. Therefore the Sun of righteousnesse is said to aâ—ise with Healing in his wings Mal. 4.2 whereby we are to understand the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit conveying the vertue of the blood of Christ unto the conscience even as the beames of the Sunne doe the heat and influence thereof unto the earth thereby calling out the herbs and flowers and healing those deformities which winter had brought upon it Thirdly by removing and withdrawing of judgements which the sinnes of a people had brought like wounds or sicknesses upon them So Healing is opposed to smiting and wounding Deut. 32.39 Iob 5.18 Hos. 6.1 2. Ier. 33.5 6. Fourthly by comforting against the anguish and distresse which sinne is apt to bring upon the conscience For as in Physick there are Purgatives to cleanse away corrupt humours so there are Cordials likewise to strengthen refresh weak and dejected Patients and this is one of Christs principal workes to binde and heale the broken in heart to restore comforts unto mourners to set at liberty them that are bruised and to have mercy upon those whose bones are vexed Psal. 147 3. Isai. 57.18 19. Luke 4.18 Psal. 6.2 3. I am not willing to shut any of these out of the meaning of the Text. First because it is an answer to that rayer Take away All iniquity The All that is in it The Guilt the staine the power the punishment the anguish whatever evil it is apt to bring upon the conscience Let it not doe us any hurt at all Secondly because Gods works are perfect where he forgives sinne he removes it where he convinceth of righteousnesse unto pardon of sinne he convinceth also of judgement unto the casting out of the prince of this world and bringeth forth that judgement unto victory Matth. 12.20 Their Back-sliding Their praier was against All iniquity and God in his answer thereunto singleth out one kinde of iniquity but one of the greatest by name And that first to teach them and us when we pray against sinne not to content our selves with generalities but to bewaile our great and speciall sinnes by name those specially that have been most comprehensive and the Seminaries of many others Secondly to comfort them for if God pardon by name the greatest sinne then surely none of the rest will stand in the way of his mercy if he pardon the Talents we need not doubt but he will pardon the pence too Paul was guilty of many other sinnes but when he will magnifie the grace of Christ he makes mention of his great sinnes A blasphemer a persecutor injurious and comforts himselfe in the mercy which he had obtained against them 1 Tim. 1.13 Thirdly to intimate the great guilt of Apastacie and rebellion against God After we have known him and tasted of his mercy and given up our selves unto his service and come out of Egypt and Sodome then to looke back againe and to be false in his Covenant this God lookes on not as a single sinne but as a compound of all sinnes When a man turnes from God he doth as it were resume and take home upon his conscience All the sinnes of his life again Fourthly to proportion his answer to their repentance They confesse their Apostasie they had been in Covenant with God they confesse he was their first husband Hos. 2 7. and they forsooke him and sought to Horses to Men to Idols to vanitie and lies this is the sin they chiefly bewaile and therefore this is the sinne which God chiefly singles out to pardon and to heale them of This is the great goodnesse of God toward those that pray in sincerity that he fits his mercy ad Cardinem desiderii answers them in the maine of their desires lets it be unto them even as they will I will love them freely This is set downe as the fountaine of that Remission Sanctification and Comfort which is here promised It comes not from our Conversion unto God but from Gods free love and grace unto us And this is added first to Humble them that they should not ascribe any thing to themselves their Repentance their prayers their covenants and promises as if these had been the means to procure mercie for them or as if there were any objective grounds of lovelines in them to stirre up the love of God towards them It is not for their sake that he doth it but for his own The Lord sets his love upon them because he loved them Deut. 7.7 8. not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you Ezek. 36.22.32 He will have mercy because he will have mercy Rom. 9.15 Secondly To support them above the guilt of their greatest sinnes Men think nothing more easie while they live in sinne and are not affected with the weight and hainousnesse of it then to beleeve mercie and pardon But when the soule in conversion unto God feeles the heavie burden of some great sinnes when it considers its rebellion and Apostacie and backesliding from God It will then be very apt to think God will not forgive nor heale so great wickednesse as this There is a naturall Novatianisme in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sinnes of Apostacie and falling after repentance Therefore in this case God takes a penitent off from the consideration of himself by his own thoughts unto the height and excellencie of his Thoughts who knowes how to pardon abundantly Isay. 55.7 8 9. Ier. 29.11 Ezek. 37.3 Nothing is too hard for love especially free-love that hath no foundation or inducement from without it self And because we reade before Hos. 8.5 That Gods Anger was kindled against them therefore he here adds that this also should be turned away from them Anger will consist with love we finde God Angrie with Moses and Aaron and Miriam and Asa and he doth sometimes visit with rodds and scourges where he doth not uâ—terly take away his loveing kindenesse from a people Psal. 89.32.33 A man may be angrie with his wife or childe or friend whom he yet dearly loveth And God is said to be thus Angry with his people when the effects of displeasure are discovered towards them Now upon their Repentance and Conversion God promiseth not onely to love them freely but to clear up his Countenance towards them to make them by the Removall of Judgements to see and know the ftuits of his free love and bounty unto them When David called Absolom home from banishment this was an effect of love but when he said let him not see my face this
was the continuation of Anger but at last when he admitted him into his presence and kissed him here that Anger was turned away from him too 2 Sam. 14.21.24.33 These words then containe Gods mercifull answer to the first part of Israels prayer for the Taking away of all Iniquity which had beene the fountaine of those sad Judgements under which they languished and pined away Wherin there are two parts 1. The Ground of Gods answer His free love 2. A double fruit of that love 1. In Healing their Backsliding In removing his Anger and heavie Iudgements from them We will breifly handle them in the order of the Text. I will Heale their Backsliding When Gods people do returne unto him and pray against sin then God out of his free love doth heale them of it First he teacheth them what to aske and then he tells them what he will give Thus we finde Conversion and Healing joyned together Isai. 6.10 They shall returne even to the Lord and he shall be intreated of them and shall heale them Isai. 19.22 Return Backsliding children I will Heal your Backslidings Ier. 3.22 Men if they be injured and provoked by those whom they have in their power to undoe though they returne and cry peccavi and are ready to aske forgivenesse yet many times out of pride and revenge will take their time and opportunity to repay the wrong But God doth not so His Pardons as all his other Gifts are without exprobratâ—on as soon as ever his servants come back unto him with teares and confession he looks not upon them with scorn but with joy his mercy makes more haste to embrace them then their repentance to returne unto him Luke 15.20 then out comes the wine the oyle the balme the cordials then the wounds of a Saviour doe as it were bleed afresh to drop in mercy into the sores of such a Penitent O though he be not a dutifull not a pleasant childe yet he is a childe though I spake against him yet I remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him Jer. 31.20 The Lord greatly complaines of the inclination of his people to backsliding and yet he cannot finde in his heart to destroy them but expresseth a kinde of Conflict betweene Iustice and Mercy and at last resolves I am God and not man I can as well heale their backsliding by my Love as revenge it by my justice therefore I will not execute the fiercenesse of mine anger but I will cause them to walk after the Lord Hos. 11.7.10 Yea so mercifull he is that even upon an hypocriticall conversion when his people did but flatter and lie unto him and their heart was not right towards him nor they stedfast in his covenant yet the Text saith he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity not as to the justification of their persons for that is never without faith unfained but so farre as to the mitigation of their punishment that he destroyed them not nor stirred up all his wrath against them Psal. 78.34.35 for so that place is to be expounded as appeareth by the like parallel place Ezek. 20 17. Neverthelesse mine eye spared them from destroying them neither did I make an end of them in the wildernesse Now the Metaphoricall word both here and so often elsewhere used in this argument leadeth us to looke upon sinners as Patients and upon God as a Physician By which two considerations we shall finde the exceeding mercy of God in the pardon and purging away of sinne set forth unto us Healing then is a Relative word and leades us first to the consideration of a Patient who is to be healed and that is here a grievous sinner fallen into a Relapse Healing is of two sorts The healing of a sicnesse by a Physician the healing of a wound by a Chirurgian And Sinne is both a sicknesse and a wound The whole head sick the whole Heart faint from the soale of the foot even unto the Head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Isai. 1.5.6 A sicknesse that wants healing a wound that wants binding Ezek. 34.4 A sick sinner that wants a Physician to call to repentance Matth. 9.12 13. A wounded sinner that wants a Samaritan so the Iewes called Christ Iohn 8.48 to binde up and poure in wine and oyle Luek 10.34 Diseases are of severall sorts but those of all other most dangerous that are in the vitall parts as all the diseases of sinne are and from thence spread themselves over the whole man Ignorance pride carnall principles corrupt judgement diseases of the Head Hardnesse stubbornesse Atheisme Rebellion diseases of the Heart Lust a dart in the Liver Corrupt communication the effect of putrified lungs Gluttony and drunkennesse the swellings and dropsies of the belly despaire and horrour the griefe of the bowels Apostacie a Recidivation or Relapse into all An Eare that cannot heare God speake Ier. 6.10 An Eye quite dawbed up that cannot see him strike Ier. 44.18 Isai. 26.11 A palate out of taste that cannot savour nor relish heavenly things Rom. 8.5 Lips poisoned Rom. 3.13 A Tongue set on fire Iam. 3.6 Flesh consumed bones sticking out sore vexed and broken to pieces Iob 33.21 Psal. 6.2 51.8 Some diseases are dull others acute some â—â—upifying others tormenting Sinne is All. A stupifying palsie that takes away feeling Ephes 4.19 A plâ—guâ— in the Heart which sets all on fire 1 King 8.38 Hos. 7.4 Let us consider a little the proper passions and effects of most diseases and see how they suite to sinne First Paine and distemper This first or last is in All sinne for it begets in wicked and impenitent men the pain of guilt horrour trembling of heart anguish of conscience fear of wrath expectation of judgement and fiery indignation as in Cain Pharaoh Ahab Felix and divers others Gen. 4.13.14 Exod. 9.27.28 1 King 21.27 Acts 24.25 Isai. 33.14 Hebr. 2.15 Rom. 8 15. Hebr. 10.27 And in Penitent men it begets the pain of shame and sorrow and inquietude oâ— spirit a wound in the spirit a prick in the very heart Rom. 6.21 Ezek. 16.61 2 Cor. 7.10 Prov. 18.14 Acts 2.37 Penitency and Paine are words of one derivation and are very neare of kin unto one another Never was any wound cured without paine never any sinne healed without sorrow Secondly c weaknesse and Indisposednesse to the Actions of life Sinne is like an unruly spleen or a greedy wenne in the body that sucks all nourishment converts all supplies into its own growth and so exhausts the strength and vigor of the soul making it unfit and unable to do any good When ever it sets about any duty till sinne be cured it goes about it like an arm out of ioynt which when you would move it one way doth fall back another It faints and flaggs and is not able to put sorth any skill or any
Thus we have taken a view of the Patient Sick weake pained consumed deformed wounded and sore bruised without power or help at home without friends abroad no sense of danger no desire of change patient of his disease impatient of his cure but one meanes in the world to helpe him and he unable to procure it and being offered to him unwilling to entertaine it who can expect after all this but to hear the knell ring and to see the grave opened for such a sick person as this Now let us take a view of the Physician Surely an ordinary one would be so farre from visiting such a Patient that in so desperate a condition as this he would quite forsake him As their use is to leave their Patients when they lie a dying Here then observe the singular goodnesse of this physician First though other Physicians judge of the disease when it is brought unto them yet the Patient first feels it and complaines of it himselfe but this Physician giveth the Patient the very feeling of his disease and is faine to take notice of that as well as to minister the cure He went on frowardly in the way of his heart saith the Lord and pleased himself in his owne ill condition I have seene his way and will heale him Isay. 57 17.18 Secondly other Patients send for the Physician and use many intreaties to be visited and undertaken by him Here the Physician comes unsent for and intreates the sick person to be healed The world is undone by falling off from God and yet God is the first that begins the reconciliation and the stick of it is â—n the world and not in him and therefore there is a great Emphasis in the Apostles expression God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not himself unto the world He intreats us to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.19.20 He is found of them that sought him not Isai. 65.1 and his office is not onely to save but to seeke that which was lost Thirdly other Physicians are well used and entertained with respect and honour but our Patient here neglects and misuseth his Physician falls from him betakes himself unto Mountebanks and Physicians of no value yet he insists on his mercy and comes when he is forsaken when he is repelled I have spread out my hands all the day unto a Rebellious people Isai. 65.2 Fourthly other Physicians have usually ample and honourable rewards for the attendance they give but this Physician comes onely out of love heales freely nay is bountifull to his Patient doth not onely heale him but bestows gifts upon him gives the visit gives the physick sends the ministers and servants who watch keep the Patient Lastly other Physicians prescribe a bitter potion for the sick person to take this Physician drinketh of the bitterest himself others prescribe the sore to be launced this Physician is wounded and smitten himself others order the Patient to bleed here the physician bleeds himselfe yea he is not onely the Physician but the Physick and gives himselfe his own flesh his own blood for a purgative a cordiall a plaister to the soul of his Patient Dies himselfe that his Patient may live and by his stripes we are healed Isai. 53.5 We should from all this learne First to admire the unsearchable Riches of the mercy of our God who is pleased in our misery to prevent us with goodnesse and when we neither felt our disease nor desired a remedy is pleased to convince us of our sinnes Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity To invite us to repentance O Israel returne unto the Lord thy God To put words into our mouth and to draw our petition for us Take with you words and say unto him take away all iniquity c. To furnish us with arguments we are fatherlesse thou art mercifull To incourage us with promises I will heale I will love To give us his Ministers to proclaime and his Spirit to apply these mercies unto us If he did not convince us that iniquity would be a downfall and a ruine unto us Ezek. 18.30 we should hold it fast and be pleased with our disease like a mad man that quarrels with his cure and had rather continue mad then be healed Ioh. 3.19 20 21. If being convinced he did not invite us to repentance we should run away from him as Adam did No man loves to be in the company of an Enemy much lesse when that enemy is a Iudge They have turned their back unto me and not their face Jer. 2.27 Adam will hide himselfe from the presence of the Lord Gen. 3.8 and Cain will goe out from the presence of the Lord Gen. 4.16 Guilt cannot looke upon Majestie stubble dares not come neere the fire If we be in our sins we cannot stand before God Ezra 9.15 If being invited he did not put words into our mouthes we should not know what to say unto him We know not wherwith to come before the Lord or to bow before the high God if he do not shew us what is good Mic. 6.6 8. Where God is the Judge who cannot be mocked or deceived who knoweth all things and if our heart condemne us he is greater then our heart and where ever we hide can finde us out and make our sinne to finde us too Gal. 6.7 1 Iohn 3.20 Num. 32.23 where I say this God is the Judge there guilt stoppeth the mouth maketh the sinner speechlesse Matth. 22.12 Rom. 3.19 Nay the best of us know not what to pray as we ought except the Spirit be pleased to help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 When we are taught what to say If God do not withdraw his anger we shall never be able to reason with him Iob. 9.13 14. Withdraw thine hand from me let not thy dread make me afraide then I will answer then I will speak Job 13.21 22. If he doe not reveal mercie if he doe not promise love or healing if he do not make it appeare that he is a God that heareth prayers flesh will not dare to come neere unto him 2. Sam. 7.27 We can never pray till we can cry Abba father we can never call unto him but in the multitude of his mercies As the earth is shut and bound up by frost and cold and putteth not forth her pretious fruits till the warmth and heat of the Summer call them out so the heart under the cold affections of feare and guilt under the darke apprehensions of wrath and judgement is so contracted that it knows not to draw neere to God but when mercie shines when the love of God is shed abroade in it then also is the heart it selfe shed abroade and enlarged to powre out it self unto God Even when distressed sinners pray their prayer proceeds from apprehensions of mercy for prayer is the childe of faith Rom. 10.14 Iaâ— 5.15 and the object of faith is mercy Secondly The way to prize this mercie is to grow
acquainted with our own sicknesse to see our face in the glasse of the law to consider how odious it renders us to God how desperately miserable in our selves The deeper the sense of misery the higher the estimation of mercy When the Apostle looked on himselfe as the cheif of sinners then he accounted it a saying worthy of all Acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners 1. Tim. 1.15 Till we be sicke and weary we shall not looke after a Physician to heale and ease us Matth. 9.12.11 28. till we be pricked in our hearts we shall not be hasty to enquire after the means of Salvation Acts 2.37 Though the proclamation of pardon be made to All that will Revel 22.17 Yet none are willing till they be brought to extreamities as men cast not their goods into the sea till they see they must perish themselves if they doe not Some men must be bound before they can be cured All that God doth to us in conversion he doth most freely but a gift is not a gift till it be received Rom. 5.17 Iohn 1.12 and we naturally refuse and reject Christ when he is offered Isay. 53.3 Iohn 1.11 because he is not offered but upon these termes that we deny our selves and take up a Crosse and follow him Therefore we must be wrought upon by some terrour or other 2 Cor. 5.11 When we finde the wrath of God abiding upon us and our souls shut under it as in a prison Iohn 3.36 Gal. 3.22 and the fire of it working and boyling like poison in our consciences then we shal value mercie and cry for it as the Prophet doth Heale me O Lord and I shall be healed Save me and I shall be saved for thou art my prayse Jer. 17.14 Things necessary are never valued to their uttermost but in extremities When there is a great famine in Samaria an Asses head which at another time is thrown out for carrion wil be more worth then in a plentifull season the whole body of an Oxe Nay hunger shal in such a case overvote nature and devour the very tender love of a mother the life of a childe shall not be so deare to the heart as his flesh to the belly of a pined parent 2 King 6 25 28. As soone as a man findes a shipwrack a famine a hell in his soul till Christ save feed deliver it immediately Christ will be the desire of that soule and nothing in Heaven or earth valued in comparison of him Then that which was esteemed the foolishnesse of preaching before shall be counted the power of God and the wisdom of God then every one of Christs ordinances which are the waters of the Temple for the healing of the Sea that is of many people Ezek. 47.8 and the Leaves of the Tree of Life which are for the healing of the Nations Revel 22.2 and the streames of that Fountaine which is opened in Israel for sin and for uncleannesse Zach. 13.1 and the wings of the Sun of righteousnesse whereby he conveyeth healing to his Church Mal. 3 2. shall be esteemed as indeed they are the Riches the Glory the Treasure the feast the physick the salvation of such a soule Rom. 11.12 Ephes. 3.8 2 Cor. 3.8.11 2 Cor. 4.6.7 Isai. 25.6 Revel 19.9 Luke 4.18 Hebr. 2.3 Iames 1.21 Iohn 12.50 Acts 28.28 And a man will waite on them with as much diligence and attention as ever the impotent people did at the poole of Bethesda when the Angel stirred the water and endure the healing severity of them not onely with patience but with love and thankfulnesse suffer reason to be captivated Wil to be crossed high imaginations to be cast down every thought to be subdued conscience to be searched heart to be purged lust to be cut off and mortified in all things will such a sick soul be contented to be dieted restrained and ordered by the Counsell of this heavenly Physician It is here next to be noted that God promiseth to heale their Back-slidings The word imports a departing from God or a turning away againe It is quite contrary in the formall nature of it unto faith and Repentance and implies that which the Apostle calls a Repenting of Repentance 2 Cor. 7.10 By faith we come to Christ John 6.37 and cleave to him and lay hold upon him Heb. 6.18 Isay. 5â— 2.6 but by this we depart and draw back from him and let him goe Heb. 10.38.39 By the one we prize Christ as infinitely precious and his ways as holy and good Phil. 3.8 2 Pet. 1 4. by the other we vilifie and set them at nought stumble at them as wayes that doe not profit Matth. 21.42 Acts 4.11 1 Pet. 2.7 8. Iob. 21.14.15 For a man having approved of Gods wayes and entred into covenant with him after this to goe from his word and fling up his bargaine and start aside like a deceitfull bow of all other dispositions of the Soule this is one of the worst to deale with our sinnes as Israel did with their servants Ier. 34.10 11. dismisse them and then take them again It is the sad fruit of an evil and unbeleeving heart Heb. 3.12 a And God threatneth such persons to leade them forth with the workers of iniquity Psal. 125.5 as cattell are led to slaughter or malefactours to execution And yet we here see God promiseth Healing unto such sinners For understanding whereof we are to know that there is a Twofold Apostacy The one out of Impotency of Affection and prevalency of lust drawing the heart to look towards the old pleasures thereof againe and it is a Recidivatton or Relapse into a former sinfull condition out of forgetfulness and falsness of heart for want of the fear of God to ballance the conscience and to fix and unite the heart unto him Which was the frequent sin of Israel to make many promises and Covenants unto God and to break them as fast Iudg. 2.18.19 Psal. 106.7 8 9.12 13. And this falling from our first love growing cold and slack in duty breaking our engagements unto God and returning again to folly though it be like a Relapse after a disease exceeding dangerous yet God is sometimes pleased to forgive and heal it The other kind of Apostacy is proud and malicious when after the Tast of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come men set themselves to hate oppose persecute Godliness to do despight to the spirit of grace to fling off the holy strictness of Christs yoake to swel against the searching power of his word to trample upon the blood of the Covenant and when they know the spiritualness and holiness of Gods wayes the innocency and piety of his servants doe yet notwithstanding set themselves against them for that reason though under other pretences This is not a weak but a wilful and if I may so speak a strong and a stubborn Apostaâ—y A sin which wholly hardneth the heart against
O Lord our God for thou hast made all these things Ier. 14.22 And the like wee may say in a more strict and peculiar sense of regeneration That it is a spirituall and heavenly birth It is not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God There is no concurrence or active assistance of the flesh or of any naturall abilities unto a birth which is meerely spirituall Ioh. 1.13 Ioh. 3 5 6. Iam. 1.17 18. Therefore Christ was pleased to go up into heaven before he shed forth his holy Spirit in abundance on the Church Ioh. 7.39 Ioh. 16.7 Act. 1.4.5 to teach us first that our conversion and sanctification comes from above by a divine teaching by a spirituâ—ll conviction by a supernaturall and omnipotent traction by an heavenly calling by the will of him who alone can give a will unto us No voice can be heard by those that are dead but the voyce of the Sonne of man Ioh. 6.44.45 Ioh. 16.8 9 10 11. Heb. 3.1 Iam. 1.18 Pâ—ilâ— 1â— Ioh. 5.25 Heb. 12.25 and withall to acquaint us whither the affections and conversations of men thus sanctified should tend namely unto heaven as every thing works towards its originall and every part inclines unto the whole Col. 3.1 2. Pâ—il 3. â—0 With allusion unto this metaphor of dew or raine the holy Spirit is said to be powred out upon the Churches Act. 2.17 Tit. 3.6 and the word of grace is frequently compared unto raine As it is the seed by which we are enabled to bee fruitfull Math. 13.19 so it is the râ—ine which softneâ—h the heart that it may be the better wrought upon by that seminall vertue Esay 55.10 11. Heb. 6.7 whereas false teachers are called clouds without water Iud. v. 12. They have no fructifying vertue in them None can give grace but God It is heavenly in its nature therefore it is so in its originall It stayes not for man Mic. 5 7. It depends not on the wills concurrencies preparations or dispositions which arise out of us but it wholy preventeth us we are made active by it but we are not at all antecedently active in fitting or disposâ—ing our selves for it Secondly It is the fruit of a Serene cleare and quiet heaven for dew never falleth either in scorching or in tempestuous weather as Philosophers have observed In like manner the grace favour and blessings of God are the fruits of his reconciled affection towards us Upon the wicked he raineth storme and tempest he showreh down on them the fury of his wrath and shewes himselfe dark cloudy gloomy terrible unto them Psa. 11.6 Psal. 83.15 Iob. 20.23 â—ah 1.3.8 But unto those that feare his name he openeth a clear and a gracious countenance and being reconciled unto them sheddeth abroad his love into their hearts and his peace into their consciences like Gedeons dew on the fleece and on the ground as a speciall evidence of his grace and therefore the Psalmist compares the love and peace that is amongst brethren unto dew Psal. 133.3 which ever falleth from a calme serene and quiet skie Thirdly It is abundant and innumerable who can number the drops of dew on the ground or the haires of little raine for so they are called in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because of their smalnesse and number Deut. 32.2 so Husshai expresseth the multitudes of all Israel 2 Sam. 17.12 we will light upon him as the dew falleth upon the ground And the multitudes of beleevers are said to be born unto Christ by his sending forth the rod of his strength as dew from the wombe of the morning Psal. 110.3 as we finde Historically verified Acts 2.41 Act. 5.14.16 Act. 6.7 Acts 9.31 42. Act. 19.20 Such is the grace and favour of God unto his people after their conversion unsearchable it cannot be comprehended or measured nor brought under any number or account Psal. 71.15 Psal. 139.17.18 Christ is compared unto Manna hee was the bread that came down from heaven Ioh. 6.50 51. and Manna came in mighty abundance so that there was enough for every one to gather Exod. 16.16 It had dew under it and dew over it as we may conjecture by comparing Exod. 16.14 with Num. 11.9 whereunto the holy Ghost seemeth to allude when he speaks of the hidden Manna Rev. 2.17 though that may likewise referre unto the pot of Manna which was kept in the Tabernacle Exod. 16 32 33. Heb. 9.4 As our life is said to be hid with Christ now hee is in Heaven Col. 3.3 By this dew coming along with Manna is intimated That the mercies of God in Christ his daily mercies which are said with allusion I suppose unto this Manna to be renewed every morning Lam. 3.23 and his hidden mercies to wit the inward comforts of his grace and spirit are all Innumerable and past finding out We may say of his mercies as the Psalmist of his Commandements I have found an end of all perfection but these are exceeding broad more then eye hath seen or ear heard or the heart it self is able to comprehend 1 Cor. 2 9 Fourthly It is silent slow insensible while it is falling you cannot say here it is it deceives the eye and is too subtle for that to see it it deceives the eare and is too silent for that to heare it it deceives the face and is too thin and spirituall for that to feel it You see it when it is come but you cannot observe how it comes In this manner was God pleased to fill the world with the knowledge of his Gospell and with the grace of his Spirit by quiet small contemptible and as it were by insensible meanes The kingdome of God came not with Observation Luk. 17 20.21 that is with any visible notable splendor or externall pompe as the Iewes expected the Messiah to come but it came with spirituall efficacy and with internall power upon the consciences of men and spread it self over the world by the Ministry of a very few despised instruments with respect unto which manner of working the spirit is compared unto winde which we heare and feel but know not whence it comes nor whither it goes Iohn 3.8 The operations of grace are secret and silent upon the conscience you shall finde mighty changes wrought and shall not tell how they were wrought The same man coming into the Church one houre a swine a dogge a lion and going out the next houre in all visible respects the same but invisibly changed into a Lamb. Fifthly It is of a soft and benigne nature which gently insinuateth and worketh it selfe into the ground and by degrees moisteneth and mollifieth it that it may be fitted unto the seed which is cast into it In like manner the spirit the grace the word of God is of a searching insinuating softning qualitie it sinks into the heart and works it selfe into the conscience and from thence makes way
they be not quenched 2 Tim. 1.6 So to rejoyce in the Lord as withall to work out our salvation with fear and trâ—mbling Psal 2.11 Phil. 2.12 13. never to let the grace of God puffe us up or make us forgetfull of our own weaknesse but as the Apostle sâ—ith of himself in regard of Gods grace When I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12.10 so to say of our selves in regard of our own naturall corruption when I am strong then I am weak Secondly This must not so humble us as to deject and dismay us or make us give over the hope of holding out to the end when our nature is so weak our enemies so strong our temptations so many but we must withall be quickned by these considerations with prayer to implore and with faith to rely on and draw strength from the word and grace of God to have alwayes the window of the soule open towards the Sunne of righteousnesse whereby the supplies of his grace to prevent exciâ—e assist follow establish us and carry on every good thing which he hath begun for us may be continually admitted This is one of the most necessary duties for a Christian to hold constant and fixed purposes in godlinesse the Scripture frequently calls upon us for them that with purpose of heart wee would cleave unto God Act. 11.23 That we would continue in the grace of God Act. 13.43 that we would bee rooted and grounded in love Ephes. 3.17 that we would hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering Hebr. 10.23 thâ—t we would be stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 that we would look to our selves that wee may not lose the things which wee have wrought 2 Ioh. ver 8. that we would hold fast and keep the works of Christ unto the end Revel 2.25 26. and it is that which godly men are most earnestly solicitous about and do strive unto with greatest importunity I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgresse Psal. 17.3 Vnite my heart to feare thy name Psal. 86.11 My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Psal. â—7 7 Therefore in this case it is necessarie for us to draw nigh unto God who onely can ratifie all our pious resolutions who giveth power to the faint and to them that have no power encreaseth strength Isa. 40.29 who onely câ—n settle and stablish the â—earts of men 1 Pet. 5.10 The conscience of our duty the sense of our frailtie the power malice and cunning of our Enemies the obligation of our Covenant should direct the souâ—e perpetually unto God for the supply of his grace that that may in all our weaknesses be sufficient for us and hold us up that we may be safe as the Psalmist speaks Psal. 119.117 and may never through infirmitie or unstablenesse of spirit violate our own resolutions Thirdly This is matter of great comfort unto the godly that in the midst of so many temptations snares impediments amongst which we walk not onely the sâ—fetie of our souls and securitie of our eternall salvation but even our present condition in this life our conversion our obedience all our pious purposes of heart all the progresse we make in an holy conversation do not depend upon the weaknesse and uncertainty of an humane will but upon the infallible truth the constant pâ—omise the immutable purpose the invincible power the free love the absâ—lute grate the omnipotent wisdome and working of God who doth whatsoever he pleaseth both in heaven and earth and worketh all things by the counsell of his own will I the Lord change not therefore you sonnes of Jacob are not consumed Mal. 3.6 We poore and weak men change with every winde strong to day and weak to morrow fixed and resolute to day shâ—ken and staggering to morrow running forward to day and revolting as fast to morrow no hold to be taken of our promises no trust to bee given to our Covenants Like Peter on the water we walk one step and we sink another All our comfort is this our strength and standing is not founded in our selves but in the rock whereon we are built and in the power of God by which we are kept through faith unto salvation out of whose hands none are able to pluck us our verie actions are wrought in us and carried on unto their end by the power of Christ who hath mercy wisedome and strength enough to rescue us as from the power of hell and death so from the danger of our own fickle and froward hearts To see a man when hee is halfe a mile from his enemie draw a sword to encounter him or take up a stone to hit him would be but a ridiculous spectacle for what could he do with such weapons by his own strength at such a distance But if he mount a canon and point that levell against the enemie this we do not wonder at though the distance be so great because though the action be originally his yet the effect of it proceedeth from the force of the materials and instruments which he useth to wit the powder the bullet the fire the canon It seemed absurd in the eye of the enemy for little David with a Shepheards bagge and a sling to go against Goliah an armed Gyant and it produced in his proud heart much disdaine and insultation 1 Sam. 17.41 42 43. But when we heare David mention the name of God in the strength and confidence whereof he came against so proud an enemy this makes us conclude weake David strong enough to encounter with great Goliah It is not our own strength but the love of God which is the foundation of our triumph over all enemies Rom. 8.38 39. But some will then say then we may be secure If Gods grace and power be our alone strength then let us commit our selves and our salvation unto him and in the meane time give over all thoughts and care of it our selves and live as wee list no act of ours can frustrate the counsell or the love of God To this we answer with the Apostle God forbid Though the enemies of Free Grace do thus argue yet they who indeed have the grace of God in their hearts have better learned Christ For it is against the formall nature of the grace and Spirit of Christ to suffer those in whom it dwelleth to give over themselves unto securitie and neglect of God for grace is a vitall and active principle and doth so work in us as that it doth withall dispose and direct us unto working to The propertie of grace is to fight against and to kill sinne as being most extremely contrary unto it and therefore it is a most irrationall wâ—y of arguing to argue from the being of grace to the life of sinne How shall wee that are dead to sinne live any longer therein Rom. 6.2 If we be dead to sinne this is argument
managing the lusts of the eyes unto the ends of gaine sensuall managing the lusts of the flesh unto ends of pleasure and divellish managing the pride of life unto ends of power But such wisedome as this God esteemes very foolishnesse My people are foolish sottish children they have no understanding Why They are wise to do evill but to do good they have no knowledge Ier. 4.22 Wisedome is onely unto that which is good he is the wisest man who is simple and ignorâ—nt in the trade of evill Rom. 16.19 If any man amongst you seemeth to bee wise in this world let him become a foole that hee may be wise 1 Corinth 3.18 On the other side the true and ultimate end of righteous men is Almighty God as most glorious in himselfe and most good unto us or the seeking of his glory that he may be honoured by us and of our own salvation that wee may bee glorified by him The fruition of him as the highest and first in genere veri and the greatest and last in genere boni the chiefest object for the minde to rest in by knowledge and the heart by love this must needs be the best of all ends both in regard of the excellency of it as being infinitely and most absolutely good and in regard of eternitie so that the soul having once the possession of it can never be to seek of that happinesse which floweth from it Ioh. 6.27 28. The proper meanes for the obtaining of this end is the knowledge of God in Christ as in his Word he hath revealed himself to be known worshipped and obeyed for there onely doth he teach us the way unto himself and true wisdome is the pursuing of this meanes in order unto that end For though many approaches may be made towards God by the search and contemplation of the creature yet in his word he hath shewed us a more full and excellent way which onely can make us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Iesus 2 Tim. 3.15 Prov. 9.10 Eccles. 12.12 13. Ier. 9.23 24. All the thoughts and wisdome of men is spent upon one of these two heads either the obtaining of the good which we want or the avoiding and declining the evill which we feare And by how much the more excellent and difficult the good is which we want and by how much the more pernicious and imminent the evill is which we feare by so much greater is the wisedome which in both these procures the end at which we ayme Now then what are the most excellent good things which we want food is common to us with other creatures Raiment houses lands possessions common to us with the worst men take the most admired perfections which are not heavenly and we may finde very wicked men excell in them All men will confesse the soule to be more excellent then the body and therefore the good of that to be more excellent then of the other and the chiefe good of it to be that which doth most advance it towards the fountaine of goodnesse where is fulnesse of perfection and perpetuity of fruition The excellency of every thing standeth in two things The perfection of beauty wherein it was made and the perfection of use for which it was made The beauty of man especially in his soule consists in this that he was made like to God after his Image Gen. 1.26 27. and his end and use in this that he was made for God first to serve him and after to enjoy him for the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe Psal. 4.3 This people have I formed for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise Isa. 43.21 Therefore to recoveâ— the Image of God which is in knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse Colâ—s 3.10 Epâ—es â— 24 to work to the service and glory of God Ioh. 1â— 8 to aspire and to enjoy the possession and fruition of God Exod. 33.18 Phil. 1.23 must needs bee mans greatest good and by consequence to attend on the meanes hereof must needs bee his greatest wisedome What is the most pernicious and destructive evill which a man is in danger of not the losse of any outward good things whatsoever for they are all in their nature perishable we enjoy them upon these conditions to part with them again no wisedome can keep them Meat for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall destroy both it and them 1 Cor. 6.13 Not the suffering of any outward troubles which the best of men have suffered and triumphed over But the greatest losse is the losse of a precious soul which is more worth then all the world Matth. 16.26 and the greatest suffering is the wrath of God upon the conscience Psal. 90.11 Isa. 33.14 Heb. 10.31 Matth. 10.28 Therefore to avoid this danger and to snatch this darling from the paw of the Lion is of all other the greatest wisdome It is wisdome to deliver a City Eccles. 9.15 much more to deliver a soul Prov. 11.30 Angelicall Seraphicall knowledge without this is all worth nothing 1 Cor. 13.1 2. Therefore we should learn to shew our selves wise indeed by attendance on Gods Word If the most glorious creatures for wisdom and knowledge that ever God made the blessed Angels were employed in publishing the Law of God Act. 7.53 Gal. 3.19 and did with great admiration look into the mysteries of the Gospel and stoope down with their faces towards the mercy Seat 1 Pet. 1.12 Eph. 3.10 Exod. 37.9 it cannot but be also our chiefest wisdome to hide the world in our hearts and to make it our companion and Councellor as David did Psal. 119.24 We esteeme him the wisest man who followeth the best and safest Counsell and that which will most preserve and promote his interest his honour and his conscience Herein was Rehoboams weaknesse that by passionate and temeratious Counsels he suffered his honour to be stained his interest to be weakned and his conscience to be defiled with resolutions of violence and injustice Now there is no counsell to that of Gods Word It illightneth the eyes it maketh wise the simple Psal. 19.7 8. It is able to make a man wise for himselfe and unto salvation which no other counsell can do 2 Tim. 3.15 16. there is no case that can be put though of never so great intricacie and perplexity no doubt so difficult no temptation so knotty and involv'd no condition whereinto a man can be brought so desperate no imployment so darke and uncouth no service so arduous or full of discouragements in all which so farre as respecteth conscience and salvation there are not most clear and satisfactory expedients to be drawn out of Gods Word if a man have his judgement and senses after a spirituall manner exercised in the searching of it That we are so often at a stand how to state such a question how to satisfie such a scruple how to cleare and expedite
of ours upon his righteous wayes When God doth set his Word in the power and workings of it upon the spirit of any wicked man making his conscience to heare it as the voyce of God it usually worketh one of these two effects either it subdues the soule to the obedience of it by convincing judging and manifesting the secrets of his heart so that he falleth down on his face and worshippeth God 1 Cor. 14 25. Or else it doth by accident excite and enrage the naturall love which is in every man to his lusts stirring up all the proud arts and reasonings which the forge of a corrupt heart can shape in defence of those lusts against the sword of the spirit which would cut them off as that which hindreth the course of a river doth accidentally enrage the force of it and cause it to swell and over runne the bankes and from hence ariseth gainsaying and contradiction against the word of grace and the wayes of God as unequall and unreasonable too strict too severe too hard to be observed Ezek. 18.25 snuffing at it Mal. 1.13 gathering odious Consequences from it Rom. 3.8 Replying against it Rom. 9.19 20. casting reproaches upon it Ier. â—0 8 9. enviously swelling at it Act. 13.45 There are few sinnes more dangerous then this of picking quarrels at Gods word and taking up weapons against it It will prove a burthensome stone to those that burthen themselves with it Zach. 12.3 Math. 21.44 Therefore when ever our crooked and corrupt Reason doth offer to except against the wayes of God as unequall we must presently conclude as God doth Ezek. 18 25. that the inequality is in us and not in them When a Lame man stumbleth in a plaine path the fault is not in the way but in the foot nor is the potion but the palate too blame when a feverish distemper maketh that seeme bitter which indeed was sweet He that removeth in a Boat from the shoare in the judgement of sence seeth the houses or trees on the shoare to totter and move whereas the motion is in the Boat and not in them Uncleane and corrupt hearts have uncleane notions of the purest things and conceive of God as if he were such a one as themselves Psal. 50.21 Secondly it should teach us to come to Gods Word alwayes as to a Rule by which we are to measure our selves and take heed of wresting and wrying that to the corrupt fancies of our owne evill hearts as the Apostle saith some men do to their owne destruction 2. Pet. 3.16 Act. 13 1â— Every wicked man doth though not formally and explicitely yet really and in truth set up his owne will against Gods resolving to doe what pleaseth himselfe and not that which may please God and consequently followeth that reason and councell which waites upon his owne will and not that Word which revealleth Gods Yet because he that will serve himselfe would faine deceive himselfe too that so he may doe it with lesse regret of conscience and would faine seem Gods servant but be his owne therefore corrupt Reason sets it selfe on work to excogitate such distinctions and evasions as may serve to reconcile Gods word and a mans owne lust together Lust sayes steale God sayes no thou shalt not steale carnall Reason the advocate of Lust comes in and distinguisheth I may not steale from a neighbour but I may weaken an enemy or pay my selfe the stipend that belongs to my service if others doe not and under this evasion most innocent men may bee made a prey to violent Souldiers who use the name of publike interest to palliate their own greedinesse Certainly it is a high presumption to tamper with the word of Truth and make it beare false witnesse in favour of our owne sinnes and God will bring it to a tryall at last whose will shall stand his or ours Lastly this serveth as an excellent boundary both to the ministration of the Preacher and to the faith of the hearer in the dispensing of the Word first To us in our ministry that we deliver nothing unto the people but the Right wayes of the Lord without any Commixtures or contemperations of our owne Mixtures are usefull onely for these Two purposes either to slaken and abate something that is excessive or to supply something that is deficient and to collect a vertue and efficacy out of many things each one of which alone would have been ineffectuall and so all Heterogeneous mixtures doe plainely intimate either a vitiousnesse to be corrected or a weaknesse to be supplyed in every one of the simples which are by humane wisdome tempered together in order unto some effect to be wrought by them Now it were great wickednesse to charge any one of these upon the pure and perfect Word of God and by consequence to use deceit and insincerity by adulterating of it either by such glosses as diminish and take away from the force of it as the Pharisees did in their carnall interpretations consuted by our Saviour Matth. 5.21 27 38 43. or by such Superinducements of humane Traditions as argue any defect as they also did use Matth. 15.2 9. Humane Arts and Learning are of excellent use as Instruments in the managing and searching and as meanes and witnesses in the explication of holy Writ when piously and prudently directed unto those uses But to stampe any thing of but an humane Originall with a divine character and obtrude it upon the consciences of men as the Papists doe their unwritten traditions to binde unto obedience to take any dead child of ours as the Harlot did 1 Kings 3.20 and lay it in the bosome of the Scripture and father it upon God to build any structure of ours in the road to heaven and stop up the way is one of the highest and most daring presumptions that the pride of man can aspire unto to erect a throne in the consciences of his fellow creatures and to counterfeit the great Seale of Heaven for the countenancing of his own forgeries is a sin most severely provided against by God with speciall prohibitions and threatnings Deut. 12.32 Deut. 18.20 Ier. 26.2 Prov. 30.6 This therefore must be the great care of the Ministers of the Gosple to shew their fidelity in delivering onely the Counsell of God unto his people Acts 20.27 to be as the Two golden pipes which received oyle from the Olive branches and then emptied it into the gold Zach. 4 12. First to receive from the Lord and then to deliver to the people Ezek. 2.7 Esay 21.10 Ezek. 3.4 1 Cor. 11.23 1 Pet. 4.11 Secondly The people are hereby taught first To examine the doctrines of men by the rule and standard of the Word and to measure them there that so they may not be seduced by the craftinesse of deceivers and may be the more confirmed and comforted by the doctrine of sincere teachers for though the Iudgement of Interpretation
belong principally to the Ministers of the Word yet God hath given unto all Belevers a Iudgement of discretion to try the spirits and to search the Scriptures whether the things which they heare be so or no 1 Ioh. 4.1 Act. 17.11 1 Thess. 5.21 for no man is to pinne his own soule and salvation by a blinde obedience upon the words of a man who may mislead him nay not upon the words of an Angel if it were possible for an Angel to deceive Gal. 1.8 1 Kings 13.18 21. but onely and immediately upon the Scripture except when the blind lead the blind the leader only should fall into the ditch and the other goe to heaven for his blind obedience in following his guides towards hell whereas our Saviour tels us both shall fall though but one be the leader Matth. 15.14 Matth. 23.15 Secondly Having proved all things to hold fast that which is good with all readinesse to receive the righteous ways of God and submit unto them how meane soever the Instrument be in our eyes how contrary soever his message be to our wills and lusts When God doth manifest his Spirit and Word in the mouths of his Ministers we are not to consider the vessell but the Treasure and to receive it as from Christ who to the end of the world in the dispensation of his Ordinances speaketh from heaven unto the Church 1 Thess. 2.13 â— Cor. 5.20 Heb. 12.25 Matth. 28.20 Fourthly In that it is said That the Iust wâ—ll walk in them we may observe Two things 1. That Obedience and walking in the right wayes of the Lord is the end of the ministry That the Saints might be perfected that the body of Christ might bee edified that men might grow up into Christ in all things Eph. 4.11.15 that their eyes might be opened and they turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26.16 17 18. The Prophet concludeth that he hath laboured in vaine if Israel be not gathered Esay 49.4 5. Without this the Law is vaine the pen of the Scribe in vaine Ier. 8.8 better not know the way of Righteousnesse then having known it to turne from the holy Commandement which was delivered unto us 2. Pet. 2.21 We should esteeme it a great misery to be without Preaching without Ordinances and so indeed it is of all famine that of the Word of the Lord is the most dreadfull better be with Gods presence in a wildernesse then in Canaan without him Exod. 33.15 better bread of affliction and water of affliction then a famine of hearing the word to have our teachers removed Amos 8.11 Esay 30.20 this is mischiefe upon mischiefe when the Law perisheth from the Priest and there is no Vision Ezek. 7.26 and yet it is much better bee in this case without a Teaching Priest and without the Law then to enjoy them and not to walk answerably unto them where the Word is not a savour of life it is a savour of death unto death exceedingly multiplying the damnation of those that doe despise it 2 Cor. 2.15 Matt. 11.22 24. First it doth ripen those sinnes that it findes making them much more sinfull then in other men because committed against greater light and more mercy One and the same sinne in an Heathen is not so hainous and hatefull as in a Christian. Those trees on which the Sun constantly shines have their fruit grow riper and greater then those which grow in a shady and cold place The raine will hasten the growth as weell of weeds as of corne and make them ranker then in a dry and barren ground Ioh. 9.41 Ioh. 15.22.24 Secondly it doth superadde many more and greater for the greatest sinnes of all are those which are commited against light and grace Sinnes against the Law and Prophets greater then those which are committed against the glimmerings of nature Ezek. 2.5.3.6 7. and sinnes against Christ and the Gospel greater then those against the Law Heb. 2.2.10.28 29. Such are unbeliefe Impenitency Apostacy despising of salvation preferring death and sinne before Christ and mercy judging our selves unworthy of eternall life c. Thirdly it doth by these meanes both hasten and multiply judgments The sinnes of the Church are much sooner ripe for the fickle then the sinnes of Amorites they are neare unto cursing Heb. 6.8 Summer fruits sooner shaken off then others Amos. 8.1 Ier. 1.11 12. Christ comes quickly to remove his Candlestick from the abusers of it Rev. 2.5 The Word is a rich mercy in it selfe but nothing makes it effectually and in the event a mercy unto us but our walking in it 2. We learne from hence That we never make the Scriptures our Rule to live and walke according unto them till we be first justified and made righteous Our obedience to the Rule of the Law written in the Scriptures proceedeth from those suteable impressions of holinesse wrought in the soule by the Spirit of Regeneration which is called the writing of the Law in our hearts Ier. 31.33 2 Cor. 3.3 or the casting of the soule into the mould of the Word as the phrase of the Apostle seemeth to import Rom. 6.7 we are never fit to receive Gods Truth in the love and obedience of it till we repent and be renewed If God saith the Apostle will give repentance for the acknowledging of the truth 2 Tim. 25. The wise in heart that is those that are truly godly for none but such are the Scriptures wise men these will receive Commandements but a prating foole will fall Prov. 10.8 where by prating I understand cavilling contradicting taking exceptions making objections against the Commandement and so falling and stumbling at it according to that of the Apostle Iam. 1.19 20 21. Let every man bee swift to heare that is ready to learn the will of God and to receive the Commandement but slow to speak slow to wrath that is carefull that he suffer no pride and passion to rise up and speak against the things which are taught according as Iob sayes Teach me and I will hold my peace Iob 6.24 for the only reason why men fret and swell and speak against the truth of God is this because they will not work righteousnesse The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God therefore men are contentious because they love not to obey the truth Rom. 2.8 disobedience is the mother of gainsaying Rom. 10.21 when we once resolve to lay apart all filthinesse then wee will receive the Word with meeknesse and not before none heare Gods Words but they who are of God Ioh. 8.47 none hear the voyce of Christ but the sheep of Christ Ioh. 10.4 5. Christ preached is the power of God and the wisedome of God but it is onely to them that are called to others a stumbling block and foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.24 We speak wisedome saith the Apostle but it is amongst them that are perfect 1 Cor. 2.6 He that is
subject unto one Prince doth not greatly care to study the Laws of another or if he doe it is in order to curiosity and not unto duty So long as men resolve of Christ we will not have this man to raign over us so long either they study not his Word at all or it is in order to some carnall and corrupt ends and not either to obedience or salvation Hereby we may try our spirituall estate whether we be just men or no if we make Gods Word our Way our Rule our Delight laying it up in our hearts and labouring to be rich in it that wee may walk with more exactnesse It was an ill signe of love to Christ the Master of the Feast when men chose rather to tend their cattell and grounds then to waite on him Luke 14.18 An ill signe of valuing his doctrine when the losse of their Swine made the Gardarens weary of his company Luke 8.37 There was much work to doe in the house when Mary neglected it all and sate at his feet to heare his Doctrine and yet was commended by him for it Hee was better pleased to see her hunger after the Feast that hee brought then solicitous to provide a Feast for him more delighted in her love to his Doctrine then her Sisters care for his entertainment Luke 10.41 42. This is one of the surest Characters of a Godly man that hee makes the Word in all things his Rule and Counsellor labouring continually to get more acquaintance with God and his holy Will thereby Prov. 10.14 Col. 3.16 Iohn 15.7 It is Hâ—s Way and every man endeavours to be skilfull in the way which he is to travell It is his Toole and instrument every Work-man must have that in a readinesse to measure and carry on all the parts of his work It is his Wisedome every one would be esteemed a wise man in that which is his proper function and profession It is the mystery and Trade unto which he is bound and every man would have the reputation of skill in his owne Trade It is his Charter the grant of all the Priviledges and Immunities which belong unto him and every Citizen would willingly know the Priviledges which he hath a right in It is the Testament and Will of Christ wherein are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises and what Heire or childe would be ignorant of the last Will of his Father Lastly it is the Law of Christs Kingdom and it concerns every Subject to know the Duties the Rewards the Punishments that belong unto him in that relation Fifthly in that he saith That the Transgressours shall fall therein wee learne That the Holy and right wayes of the Lord in the ministry of his word set forth unto us are unto wicked men turned into matter of falling and that two manner of wayes 1. By way of Scandall they are offended at it And 2. by way of Ruine they are destroyed by it 1. By way of Scandall they are offended at it So it is prophesied of Christ that as he should be for a Sanctuary unto his people so to others who would not trust in him but betake themselves to their owne counsels he should be for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence for a ginne and for a snare Esay 8.14 for the fall and the rising againe of many in Israel and for a signs to be spoken against Luke 2.34 35. So he saith of himselfe for Iudgement am I come into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blinde Ioh. 9.39 And this offence which wicked men take take at Christ is from the purity and holinesse of his word which they cannot submit unto A stone of stumbling he is and a rock of offence to them which stumble at the word being disobedient 1 Pet. 2.8 2 Cor. 2 14 15. Thus Christ preached was a Sanctuary to Sergius Paulus the Deputy and a stumbling block to Elymas the Sorcerer a Sanctuary to Dionysius and Damaris and a stumbling block to the wits and Philosophers of Athens A Sanctuary to the Gentiles that beg'd the preaching of the Gospel and a stumbling block to the Iews that contradicted and blasphemed Act. 13.42 45. the former primarily and per se for salvation was the purpose of his comming there was sinne enough to condemne the world before I came not saith he to judge the world but to save the world Joh. 12.47 The other occasionally not by any intrinsecall evill quality in the word which is holy just good and dealeth with all meeknesse and beseechings even towards obstinate sinners but by reason of the pride and stubbornesse of these men who dash against it as that wholesome meat which ministers strength to a sound man doth but feed the disease of another that sits at the same table with him the same light which is a pleasure to a strong eye is a paine to a weak one the same sweet smels that delight the braine doe afflict the matrix when it is distempered and none of this by the infusion of malignant qualities but only by an occasionall working upon and exciting of those which were there before And there are many things in the word of God at which the corrupt hearts of wicked men are apt to stumble and bee offended As first the profoundnesse and depth of it as containing great mysteries above the discovery or search of created Reason Such is the pride and wantonnesse of sinfull wit that it knows not how to beleeve what it cannot comprehend and must have all Doctrines tried at her barre and measured by her ballance as if a man should attempt to weigh out the earth in a paire of scales or to empty the waters of the Sea with a bucket As soone as Paul mentioned the Resurrection presently the Athenian Wits mocked his Doctrine Act. 17.32 and it was a great stumbling block to Nicodemus to heare that a man must be borne againe Joh. 3.4 Sarah hath much adoe to beleeve beyond reason Gen. 18.12 and Muses himselfe was a little staggerd by this temptation Numb 11.22 21. A very hard thing it is for busie and inquisitive Reason to rest in an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the depth of the wisedome and counsell of God and to adore the unsearchablenesse of his Judgements though even Humane Lawes tell us that Reason of Law is not always to be inquired into The first great Heresies against the highest mysteries of Christian Religion the Trinity the two natures of Christ the Hypostaticall union the deity of the Holy spirit had their first rise among the Graecians who were then the masters of wit and Learning and esteemed the rest of the world Barbarous and the old exception which they were wont to take at the Doctrine of Christianity was the foolishnesse of it as the Apostle notes 1 Cor. 1.23 Secondly the sanctity and strictnesse