adde this one thing as a watchword to them all And that is that they take speciall heed that they harden not their hearts to abide still in that which they haue ill done neither against the instruction that calleth them backe from it neither make light of their sins as Esau did who when he had sold his birth-right being a signe of eternall life he made a sleight matter of it saying what is this birth-right vnto me as if he should haue said what good would it haue done me But it shall be their wisdome to sift and search themselues as they haue been taught to do rather then go further and further seriously considering the words of the Prophet which are these Doth a man fall and not rise againe or go out of the way and not returne And they should say as the Apostle said when their master told them that one of them should betray him answering seuerally as fearing lest such a mischiefe might light vpon them is it I master and another is it I And they should as they which are wearie of their doings and willing to repent say euery one by himselfe the men apart as the Prophet Zacharie speaketh and the women apart what haue I done And so shall they see that God will soone turne away from his displeasure and be mercifull to them According to that in Osea where the Lord giueth a most sweet and plaine direction both to repent and obtaine mercie saying Vers 1. O Israel returne to the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie 2. Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him take away all iniquitie and receiue vs graciously so will we render the calues of our lips 3. Ashur that is the Assirians shall not saue vs neither will we ride vpon horses that is to trust in them neither will we say any more to the worke of our hands ye are our gods for in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercie 4. I will heale their rebellion I will loue them freely saith the Lord for mine anger is turned away from them Herein the Lord setteth downe his louing kindnes toward them sundry waies that they or any that price and highly set by it may the easilier be perswaded of it and beleeue it and he requireth of them repentance to the end they and all beleeuers may yeeld and performe it And thus much be said at this time and of this first sort heere which our Sauiour speaketh of namely of those which fill the world with sinne THE SECOND SERMON VPON THE 24. OF MATthew the 12. and 13. verses The second part THe second part of the text followeth in which is shewed that by the abundance of iniquitie the loue of many shall waxe cold that is when the simple harted and godly minded people who would most willingly go on in a holy course shall yet see the horrible abominations in the world on euerie side swarming and those also with boldnesse vpholden and defended bearing sway and preuailing though at first they vtter dislike them yet being continually annoyed with them and grieued therewith by little and little they are discouraged and weakened in their good course till time they be cooled and fall from it deseruing thereby the sharpe reproofe which was giuen to the Church of Ephesus which was this I haue somewhat against thee euen for that thou hast left thy first loue This point laying out another sort of people to vs besides those who haue been spoken off to the end we may see our Sauiours mind the better therein and make our profit of it First I wil shew what he meaneth by this loue when he saith the loue of many shall waxe cold secondly that it is much decayed and waxen cold indeed in this our age as he foresaid it should and thirdly by what meanes and how namely by the abundance of iniquitie flowing round about them Fourthly I will set downe a remedie for such as haue fallen how they may rise againe and adde reasons to disswade from suffering their loue to waxe cold in them Now this loue heere spoken of is the same that Saint Iohn calleth our first loue which is a holy and heauenly affection stirred vp and wrought in our hearts as soone as we be perswaded of the loue of God in Christ to vs. And it causeth vs to set our loue on God more then euer we loued father wife or friend or any thing else of the greatest account and reckoning For this loue of God constraineth vs so to do and for his sake to loue our brethren For he that loueth him that begate loueth him also which is begotten also it draweth vs in a most feruent manner to loue the word of God as the Psalmist saith Oh how loue I thy word and the true Preachers of it for beautifull are the feet of those that bring glad tidings And what maruell For who can sufficiently haue his hart enlarged in this manner toward God who being by his former sinfull life brought euen to hell gates and that without hope of recouerie by any way that he could see did when he least looked for it and that of Gods meere loue and mercie obtaine deliuerance from the same and withall saw himselfe adopted and taken to be heire of euerlasting life This vnspeakable benefit as a spring sending forth and accompanied with many other blessings freely bestowed vpon him by Christ what can be too deare for him that hath bestowed it He is readie therefore for his sake that did all this for him to giue and consecrate himselfe againe to him and to be at his command in all things From whence it followeth that in great zeale and feruentnes he seeketh to do the will of God to the admiration of others euen as he himselfe saith if yee loue me yee will keepe my Commandements And this in few words is the loue that Christ heere speaketh of Now this loue is cooled or waxeth cold when this feruentnes is abated and this exceeding loue of Christ which before could neuer be thought great enough is now slaked as if it were almost put out Which commeth to passe when it is not daily and duely considered and remembred prised and valued aboue all other things as it is meete it should be and sometime also was in such account and reckoning with vs when we first beleeued And then also it is asswaged and decayeth when our loue fasteneth strongly vpon transitorie delights profits or preferments and especially if it be linked into any of these when they shall be sinfull and vnlawfull Thus I say when God his word faithfull Preachers and seruants of his with obedience to his will shall not be in the greatest price and estimation but thrust out by things of lesse and meaner value our loue is iustly said to become cold and that reproofe incurred which our Sauiour heere speaketh of And this
decay of loue to God and the best things is said of our Sauiour heere to be occasioned as otherwise so especially by the multitude of great sinners and the beholding of such wicked examples of men as fill the world with iniquity and offences For oh when men shall be alwaies cloyed with the loose and professed ill behauiour of such as they liue amongst as righteous Lot was with the filthines of the stincking Sodomites it is not easily seene what force is in it to dampe and quench goodnesse in them that behold it and that sometime at the first but when afterwards they shall not be able to wind out from their company and their prouocations of them but that they shall be alwaies crossing their good course disgracing their innocent liues cauilling at their zeale in seruing God and bearing downe all honestie as it were a streame yea and more then all this hunting threatning and disquieting them that cannot approue their bad conuersation what straits thinke we shall they be in yea how hardly shall they be able to withstand their leaud examples but rather in time be corrupted by them And especially if these that thus vex them be men of authoritie and haue power to hurt them as well as a mind to trouble thē they shall find how true this Scripture is through the abundance of iniquitie the loue of many shall wax cold And if euill words alone be able to corrupt good manners how much more wicked life also wherof bad talke is but limbe or arme and especially if this be in the wealthie and great men So that it may be rightly said O good companie and holy examples how much worth are ye How happie are they who may enioy you if they can see It is doubtlesse a corner of heauen to be associated to such both in mariage and neighbourhood in comparison of the hellish companionship of the other And this be said briefly of these three what this loue is that Christ speaketh of that it is cooled and how namely by much iniquitie in others Obiect 1 And although many may perhaps heere obiect and say thus cannot such as haue receiued the doctrine of the glad tidings with comfort and been purged thereby from their old conuersation can they not hold their confidence and reioycing of their hope vnto the end as they began Obiect 2 And againe if any hauing felt the vnspeakable loue of God shed into their hearts by the holy Ghost haue at the first enioying of this grace set their loue on God in a most feruent manner as they haue good cause so to do and haue in like manner loued his people who are fellow heires with them of the glorie to come and the Word and the Minister by whom they were begotten to the assured hope of immortalitie if they haue done this say they at the first is it not meete that they should much more do this afterward If when they did but taste of Christs louing kindnesse at the beginning they were thus affected should they not much more do this after long experience and proofe of the benefit thereof many yeeres after Answ To both these obiections one answere may serue Namely that it is meete it should be so that men should hold both their confidence in God and continue their vnfained loue feruently to all these mentioned as at any time they did neither can I excuse the contrarie But yet we must consider that it is verie hard and difficult so to do and that it requireth the whole heart to be taken vp with it and possessed of it And this is a great hinderance to it if there were no other but it that such must liue and haue to do with the prophane sort of people who doe many wayes prouoke discourage and worke vpon them Indeed it must be granted that the euill heart is a maine hinderer from this holy course which I doe not say as though I would take vpon me to excuse or defend them who are waxen cold in the duties of loue for which they had sometimes been commended but rather to aduise such as are to stirre vp men to continue their first loue Note that they may exhort and perswade them to it wisely and in all kindnesse not hotly roughly and rashly as though words may force it when all good encouragements are little enough to perswade to it For though Christ foretell heere that through the abundance of iniquitie the loue of many shall waxe cold as thereby casting a reproch vpon such as shall verifie his words yet we that are the Lords remembrancers and haue experience of the frailtie that is in our brethren being priuie to our owne must in shewing how easily they fall from this grace or any other by all good meanes labour and helpe them to preuent it or if they haue alreadie fallen to reclaime and call them back againe But if by none of these meanes we preuaile with them know they that they shall fall from this their loue to their cost and beare their burthen whosoeuer they be For to speake as the truth is what can they do either more vnbeseeming their holy profession or the Lords vnspeakable kindnesse then to reward him after such a manner And after an heartie acknowledging of Gods great loue to them at their first tasting the sweetnes of it afterwards to forget it or vnthankfully to bring it into a common and meane account The Hebrewes who had in like maner offended were reproued sharpely by the author of the Epistle written to them in this manner Now call to remembrance the dayes that are past wherein after ye receiued light ye endured a great fight in afflictions being made a gazing stocke to them in reproches and were companions with such as were so tossed to and fro and suffered with ioy the spoiling of your goods knowing that ye haue in heauen a better and enduring substance And will ye now cast away your confidence which hath so great recompence of reward The same reproofe though not in the same particular thing the Apostle gaue the Galathians who when they had receiued such manifest gifts of the holy Ghost by his preaching that they were cleere patterns of excellent Christians to many and after that were so bewitched by the false Apostles that they ioyned the obseruing of the law with faith he spake thus to them O yee foolish Galathians who hath bewitched you that after ye haue begun in the spirit ye will now bee made perfect by the flesh that is by the keeping of the law The redresse and remedie to recouer this decayed loue is that which saint Iohn giueth to the Church of Ephesus against the same disease when they had left their first loue saying remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first workes Wherin he teacheth vs as he did that people that this decay in our loue to Gods ministerie and people must bee called to
they vsed all diligence and armed themselues now while God gaue them this little breathing from persecution that so by their confidence pure heart good conscience loue and patience and other grace they might be fit to leade a godly life in the world with ease and strengthen themselues against falles and the baits of sin on euery side And it is manifest to all of vs who can iudge that by such meanes and a sound ministerie watching praying and the like the Church of God can grow in grace and no otherwise And that they did thus it is apparent by that which we reade in the second of the Acts where it is said that they were daily in the temple and continued in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayer And this vse should all true particular Churches and people of God make of their libertie of peace and of liuing free from persecution From the which God hath a long time freed many of his good seruants in this age howsoeuer some are much and oft vnder the crosse yea and that right heauie and sharpe such therefore should glorifie God by bringing forth fruit not in a common sort yea al possible good should be done of them and not omitted For as for priuate lets and those which are vsuall may more easily be ouercome either inward corruptions or outward ill examples or other discouragements as long as the word of God may haue free passage to be sincerely preached But if outward peace alone be counted so great a benefit and such holy and fruitfull vse made of it Note then how much more should we thinke so when that one is accompanied with abundance of other good things when health wealth friends and fauour of the godly shall go herewith and meet altogether in one person what manner of people ought such to be in all godlinesse And how God looketh for it that it should be so that place of Deuteronomie doth liuely shew Where Moses saith that we must serue the Lord with all ioyfulnesse and a good heart for the abundance of all good things The meditations of such mens harts should be acceptable to God and to follow the metaphor of building vsed heere a little the people that is so blessed of God should do as builders are wont that is to pull downe the ruinous corners set vp new frames in their roomes so should Gods seruants plucke downe the old ruines and breaches of their corrupt hearts as anger wrath impatience bitternesse and such like vncleane lusts and set vp mercie tenderheartednesse loue zeale faith and such like Yea and more particularly according to the diuers ages of Gods children they should exercise themselues that is to say the tender consciences and yong beginners should haue their thoughts and meditations about the fauour of God desiring aboue all things to be assured of it the middle aged Christians and such as are somewhat stayed in faith and the feare of God should chiefely be occupied in striuing against their lusts and fighting with them the ancient and experienced who haue done both these should much be taken vp in calling to mind what they haue heard of Gods manner of dealing in guiding his Church and the fruit thereof and in declaring to other and what they haue seene and found themselues worth the reporting to be in the seruing of God that thereby they may be encouraged to walke fruitfully and circumspectly still as they did long before and not to be led away from their stedfastnes in their Christian course by the error of the wicked as hauing found that course by long proofe to haue been the most gainfull of all other vnto them These vses and the like all sorts and ages of Gods people ought to make of Gods blessings towards them and of freedome from trouble But do the people of this age thus for that were a kind vse of peace and his other benefits and would well become them No for in this land these fiftie yeeres now fully passed what knowledge might haue been so that one might haue been able to teach another and there might haue been that grace of the spirit which might haue seasoned Christians hearts no lesse sensiblie then the dew doth moisten the mountaines So that our Church might haue been a paterne to others as the Thessalonians were examples to all that beleeued in Macedonia and Achaia and it might now haue been verified if euer in any age since the Apostles time that out of the bellies of beleeuers might haue flowed riuers of waters of life whereas except some persons heere and there there is great ignorance vnfaithfulnesse hollownesse securitie vncharitablenesse maliciousnesse and what not of that kind I speake not of the disorders of life for they are more fitly to be reprooued in the next vse which the Churches made of their peace but of the grosse distemperatures of the heart for although these times of prosperitie and peace haue been the fittest seasons for men to encrease in goodnes and grace euen as the haruest is to gather in the corne yet whether we enquire into particular Churches or persons we shall find nothing more true then this that peace and plentie haue poisoned for the most part the enioyers of them But if the people of God whom I teach now to make this vse of his blessings were not wound in by the diuels cunning sleights among the rest of the world it were the lesse maruel but euen they cannot be sholed out from them but haue their teeth set on edge with their courses by liuing among them and beholding how they runne headlong into all excesse by meanes of their prosperitie so that euen they forget their couenant made with God that is that they should endeuour to vse soberly in this present world all their lawfull liberties till with shame and sorrow afterward they are faine to returne againe to repentance And thus many euen of them not holding gouernment ouer their hearts breake out into offensiue life and become eye-sores to their brethren who will not be pent in to keepe the bounds of vnoffensiue walking till experience constraine them to wish they had been wiser and before their straying out so far to haue kept themselues well while they were well And this teacheth vs that Moses saw good cause to giue this warning to Gods people when they were to go to the land flowing in abundance of Gods blessings out of the barren wildernesse saying When the Lord hath brought you into that land with great and goodly cities which ye builded not and houses full of all manner of goods which ye filled not and welles digged which ye digged not and vineyards and oliue trees which ye planted not and when ye haue eaten and are full beware lest you forget the Lord which brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage Now to make vse of this in
then be earnest and harty as we see this our Apostles was he stirreth them to it againe and againe and in many places that it may worke the like impression in them that it had in his heart Begin with thy selfe to say I haue repented and hate my sinne therefore I exhort and call vpon others to repent I haue left my swearing and therefore cannot abide it I reioyce in God and am filled with ioy and therefore I exhort others vnto it This then being a duty required of all that are to exhort obserue what speciall duty it layeth vpon the minister and publike teacher of the word of God for he being by his place and calling to exhort to euery good duty and to dehort from euery vice he had neede to take more especial and extraordinary paines with his owne heart that he may himselfe be wanting in nothing but his mouth may speake from the abundance of that which his heart hath wrought in it that there be not any vice but his heart hath both expelled it out and setled in it the hatred of the same not any vertue of faith of repentance of ioy but he hath had them already wrought in his heart Doct. 2 Againe secondly for the person that giueth this exhortation cōsider that it is Paul an Apostle that exhorteth vs as an Ambassadour sent from God and speaking from God as the preface of the Epistle sheweth Which consideration as it setteth an edge vpon the exhortation so ought it to sharpen and whet vs on to be the more eager to follow it And thus much it shall suffice to haue obserued of the party exhorting Expressed in the repetition of the exhortation I say Now I come to the persons exhorted and they are the Philippians as I said faithfull and righteous whom the Apostle in the first verse called beloued and longed for brethren and so to those who are such this exhortation in many places is expressely limited In the 32. Psalme be glad yee righteous and reioyce in the Lord and be ioyfull all yee that are vpright in heart and in Psal 33.1 Reioyce in the Lord O ye righteous for it becommeth vpright men to be thankefull here we see the wicked are shut out haue no part nor portion in this ioy and that is wel seene for what ioy haue worldly men in God or heauenly things but in pleasures profits But another duty belongeth vnto thē which the Apostle S. Iames exhorteth them vnto bidding thē to weep howle though they be rich men if they be oppressors and wicked be not rich in God And againe chap. 4. vers 9. Waile and sorrow ye sinners and weep let your laughter be turned into mourning your ioy into heauines The reason of the restraint and limiting of it to the faithfull is easy and yet very worthy to be stood vpon for as for the righteous they haue both great cause to reioyce and great neede to be stirred vp to this duty whereas the wicked haue neither any true cause of sound ioy neither feele they any need of it That the faithfull haue need to be stirred to this duty we cannot be ignorant if we consider that which the Psalmist writeth Psalme 34.19 and the whole Scripture accordeth with that Many are the troubles of the righteous And whosoeuer will follow Christ he must forsake father mother goods lands brethren sisters life al and take vp his crosse daily follow him for such is the rage of Satan the malice of the wicked as against the whole Church in generall so against all the godly that they neuer can haue as it were peaceable houres but so soone as they haue giuen their names to Christ and are entred into his schoole they haue one trouble and vexation or other to wrestle withall They see matter of griefe sorrow within them without them and round about them Within them they haue wicked rebellion of their owne harts to be as it were pricks and thornes in their flesh to gall and vex and disquiet them they haue Satan continually casting his deadly and fiery darts of tentations into their soules And all the world in a manner they shall see to be as it were banded and combined together against them in mocks in taunts in slanders in whatsoeuer iniuries and ill turnes and mischiefes they can doe vnto them Alas any one of these were cause sufficient to make the children of God heauy pensiue and sorrowfull for their strength is not the strength of stones nor their flesh of brosse as Iob speaketh of himselfe in the sixth of his booke but these pearce and wound them deepely to their very soules great need therefore the faithfull haue to be raised vp from this sorrow and heauines of heart to reioyce and be made merry in the Lord. for should they haue no ioy to help to counteruaile their sorrowes Note the life of the Christian were too tedious and grieuous to be endured by any the most patient sufferer in the world the troubles that accompany it are soe many and the sorrowes soe grieuous that they would eate out the very heart of the faithful quickly if it were not that ioy mixed and intermedled withall did mittigate the sense and ease and lighten the burthen of them As for wicked men they haue no such burthen of trouble and sorrowes to be eased of The diuell is not grieuous vnto them with his tentations be the tentations what they wil be they like them well they entertaine them they make much of them they are the welcomest guests that can come vnto them for their is no suggestion of Satan but it is euill there is no kinde of euill but the heart of a wicked man is prone vnto it If the diuell prouoke him to wrath and anger the heart is before straying after it If to vncleannesse to prophanesse to swearing c. these are all pleasing motions vnto the vnregenerate person Sin also and corruption that dwelleth and raigneth in him is not troublesome and grieuous vnto the wicked man Nay he is so farre from sorrowing because of this corruption that it is his darling and his delight It is as his right hand as his vse as his life and soule so deare is it vnto him yea rather he can endure to haue his goods his delights yea his very life taken away rather then to forgoe this sinne and corruption of his heart As for the world they and it are in a very quiet and friendly league for because they are of the world the world cannot at but loue it own as our Sauior teacheth vs Ioh. 15.19 So that the wicked haue no such enemies no troubles nor sorrowes as the righteous haue but they liue at peace with their sinne at peace with the deuill and at peace with the world They haue mirth enough and too much for them They neede not as they thinke neither care they
worst sort is of them that reioyce in actions simply euill as in vncleane and filthy talking in swearing in drunkennes whoring and blaspheming of the name of God Reproue and rebuke those men for it Their answere is ready what may we not speake may we not bee merry Yes mirth is lawfull The Lord by the Apostle stirreth vp here children vnto it but marke to what mirth not that which is taken in the sore mentioned sinnes and other like vnto them but in the Lord. Complaine not therfore without a cause as if God were too strict and precise to thee to restraine thee from all mirth Here indeed is a restraint but it is from vngodly mirth from reioycing as I may say in euil thy ioy must not be vnchast dishonest sensual earthly beastly The Lord is bountifull enough to thee in lawfull ioyes vouchsafed vnto thee to take thy part in Learne therefore hence to try thy mirth for when thou art reproued for thy lewd mirth it is no sufficiēt excuse to say we were but merry For know that there is a double mirth a holy mirth and an vngodly mirth a mirth in God and a mirth in the deuill Try therefore and examine thy mirth of whether sort it is If it be in God First God is alwaies in the one ende thereof and the heart is lifted vp in praise and thanksgiuing to God but for other he wil bring thee to a straight account reckning Againe if thou wouldest know that thy mirth is in the Lord try and examine whether thou thy selfe art in Christ For none can reioyce in the Lord but he that is already in Christ Be the thing wherein thou reioycest neuer so lawfull obserue neuer so strictly the time and measure in it this thy ioy is but a prophane and carnall ioy and not in the Lord. Euen the very delight thou takest in moderate eating and drinking and recreation if it be not of faith as it cannot be if thou be not in Christ it is sinne and therefore not in the Lord. And by this we see that only the righteous man can be truly ioyfull The worldly and the carnall he may reioyce in lawfull things but he cannot reioyce lawfully but in a carnal and fleshly manner this ioy neither proceedeth from God nor tendes to God but resteth in the matter neither is it ruled by the direction of Gods words but is disorderedly carried by the sway of his profane and wicked heart And as I haue said that we must beleeue in Christ and know that our names are written in heauen before we can reioyce in the Lord so there are other signes whereby we may know it for it being a thing of such worth and excellency I thinke it good to set downe more euidences of it We shall therefore better know that our ioy is in the Lord if we loue God greatly that is more then all that is precious in the world for the perfection of loue is ioy and therefore be carefull to obey him and if we loue our brethren for his sake And further if we sigh to be vnburdened and long to be with Christ which is best of all for by our reioycing that we haue in Christ Iesus our Lord we die daily And therefore by daily growing more ready to die we doe well testifie the ioy that we haue in him Lastly if our ioy haue vnfained thankes and feruent prayer for the continuāce of it as her companions for so doth the Apostle require that it should be accompanied it shall well appeare that we reioyce in the Lord. And here an other thing shall not be out of season to signifie to the reader that while he is commanded to reioyce in the Lord he must know that it nothing derogateth from it to delight in the word of God which Dauid oft professed that he did and that it was more sweet to him then the hony to his mouth for the word and the preachers that bring glad tidings out of it are the instruments and meanes whereby we delight in the Lord. And when we are taught to reioyce in the Saints which are on the earth and such as excell in vertue it hinders nothing our reioycing in the Lord but furthereth it seeing they are heires of the promise of life with vs and therefore helpers of that ioy The same I may say of reioycing in a good conscience For that is a testimony of our reioycing in the Lord. These and the like concurre with our ioying in God and are all helpers of that ioy And so that remaineth still firme that he that will reioyce should reioyce in the Lord. Now I come to the time when and how long this our ioy is to be in God and that is alwaies the Lord so that we wil be contented but to limit our ioy within those bounds we haue seene is liberall and bountifull for the time he doth not stint and limit vs to any set and certaine time but he will haue vs to reioyce in him euermore Herein differeth the ioy of the faithfull from the ioy of the world that worldly ioy is neuer constant and perpetuall but euen in laughing as Salomon teacheth the heart is sorrowfull and the end of that mirth is heauinesse But the ioy of the faithfull flourisheth at all times and in all seasons it is like to the Laurell tree that neither winter nor summer casteth the leafe For this ioy hath continuall meanes to feed it withall neither can the righteous man if he consider it euer want cause to ioy and be merrie in God We haue seene the righteous man hath cause to reioyce in affliction and so much more hath he in prosperitie Hee hath cause to reioyce when he prayeth because God is neere to heare his prayer and when he readeth because he seeth God to speake to him in his Word and to giue peace vnto his conscience And so in euerie thing the righteous go about they haue cause to go ioyfully about it their calling especially be it neuer so base yea euen the poorest labouring men if they be Gods children they are then imployed in Gods businesse when they are about their calling he hath set them in the seruant when he is about his masters businesse he may reioyce in doing it For reade Ephes 6.6 you shall see that which their masters set their seruants about is called the will of God and that in seruing their masters with care and in a good conscience they serue God and Christ. And God will giue them a reward and pay them their wages for it They reioyce also when they haue occasion to giue and distribute for they are assured that what they giue to the poore and needie brother they giue to Christ and that in feeding him they feed Christ in cloathing him that they cloath Christ yea they reioice in death it selfe For they know it is not to them
things straight do bow them a contrarie way that so they may the easilier bring them betwixt both which is to be straight and right so the Lord when he entends to make a proud man humble and meeke he will breake his heart with sorrow and affliction wherewith when hee hath been throughly exercised he is the fitter to be brought to the meane betwixt both that is broken-heartednes and humilitie For as a log in the deepe mire hauing long lien therein is so fastened to the place as it is impossible to remoue or pluck it out vnlesse it be loosened and turned into another place but being so handled it may with ease be taken out Euen so if a man set vpon his dregges I meane being riuited into his sinnes be not loosened from them by some terrour and heart-smart though hee be brought neuer the neerer to repentance thereby yet he shall if he be such a one as God wil shew mercie vnto hee shall I say much more easily be perswaded thereto According to that which wee say in our common speech and that truly of a wicked man bent to his will and to liue licentiously that hee is neuer like to amend and come to good vnlesse the Lord awake him by some great affliction This manner of Gods dealing with men to bring them to so happie an estate by so vnlikely meanes and so farre off should teach the men of this age that wisedome hauing knowledge which the ignorant cannot learne that in their troubles and astonishments they should not think that they are punished seeing God taketh delight therein and so wax hardened but to know that they not humbling their hearts to seeke the Lord by preaching and by Gods benefits they haue need to be awaked by his iudgements and that he doth therefore afflict them that they may know they are farre gone in their euill course that so they may lay surer hold of his word and take direction and counsell from thence to be brought to God But let vs see how God wrought by the second meane that was farre off and so how hee brought him on by degrees to true conuersion This second meane was Pauls care of him in his desperate estate to hinder and disswade him from offering violence to himselfe and his kindnes towards him in ouercomming euill with good For whereas the Iaylor had shewed himselfe cruell towards him when he had giuen him no cause so to doe and therefore looked for no good will at his hands if possibly he should stand in neuer so great need thereof behold hee had no greater friend then him whom he had deserued to be his greatest enemie for euen by him was his life preserued This when he weighed and considered which hee could not but see Paul so earnestly beseeching him to doe himselfe no harme who had not otherwise been held back from killing himselfe I say when he laid these things together he was againe amazed at this but in another manner and better then before For before his heart was troubled desperatly thinking what losse he was like to haue but now hee was moued in a more commendable manner to see Pauls vnlooked for kindnes towards him This began to draw his heart towards Paul which we know must needs be a great change from that which was before And by this we may mark the beautie of vertue and grace in Gods seruants how greatly it moueth the hearts euen of wicked men Surely if they were carefull that their light might shine in good conuersation among men they should not a little prouoke them out of their bad course and to bee in loue with a better I doe not denie but it most moueth them when it bringeth any benefit to them as heere Pauls loue and care did to the Iaylor they had double force to worke vpon him And although it helpe much I grant to the further drawing him on toward goodnesse yet that only was not to be seene in him but that did beate into him a perswasion that he was a good man and was able to doe him good also and therefore a little after he desired to know of him how he might be saued So that kindnes and harmelesnes and other fruits of loue if they were more vsually and plentifully shewed foorth by Christians they would vndoubtedly pearce the hearts of many wicked men and cause them to thinke that they are farre from the course which they should walk in For though many scorners and profane persons doe trample goodnesse and good men vnder their feete yet the beautie of pietie and Christianitie doth much moue and auaile with many As we see by Peters words to Christian women where he saith Let the wiues be subiect to their husbands that euen they that obey not the word may without the word be wonne by the conuersation of their wiues But especially if Gods seruants would as opportunitie is offered shew their loue in seeking to win them to God and to help them towards eternall life much more should they perswade them to forsake their bad course and to embrace a better As our Sauiour Christ talking with that woman of Samaria brought her to repentance And this be said of the second meane of the conuersion of the Iaylor though farre off which as it was a degree before the former so they who are moued as hee was are sensiblie set forward as he was though I denie not but that many comming thus farre and further from their euill course may yet be farre enough off from true conuersion But let vs heare the third meane which the second now spoken of procured and brought foorth and that is a neerer degree to goodnesse then the former And this it is that he conceiued so well of them of Paul and Silas I meane that for all the commandement of the Magistrate hee brought them out of the prison and fell downe before them in token of reuerence to them and so fell to neere acquaintance with them who being good men it gaue hope of his further good taking by them And here I will stay a while to teach how we may profit by this To this end this I say that as his neere clinging and cleauing to them was another meane to bring him to true conuersion euen so God vseth the familiaritie and acquaintance that wicked men haue with his seruants to this end that they may distaste their former course and bring them to heare the word preached and so in time to be changed Thus many become beleeuers in Christ by companie and acquaintance with Preachers who being appointed by Christ to be fishers of men doe shew the loue to them that Christ shewed to themselues before that if they be men of God indeed they will lay open to them their treasures which they haue gathered out of the hoard of the Gospell and impart the same vnto them For although many of that profession I meane the Ministerie
they shall see in the world One of these reasons I haue handled and that is seeing it shall be the case of many to do so The other is this because they whose loue waxeth cold to God to the preaching of the Gospell and to his people they fall also from the duties which by that loue they should performe or which is all one with it they do them to no purpose so that God accepteth them not According to the words of the Apostle If I giue all my goods to the poore and my bodie to be burnt and haue no loue and though I speake with the tongues of Angels I am as sounding brasse or a tincking cymball So then if the best things which we do be sin without this loue it followeth that if that grace of loue be cold and dead in vs all that we do is abhorred of God I haue now spoken of the second sort prophes ied of by our Sauiour whose loue waxeth cold by the abundance of iniquitie which they see in the world and this I haue done as briefely as I might with any edifying I passe to the third namely of those who continue vnto the end in a godly life such he saith shall without question be saued Which words of Christ must wisely bee considered for hee doth not exclude from eternall life all such as haue left their good beginnings for a season if they do bethinke themselues better afterwards and returne againe to the Lord by true repentance for else none of the last mentioned sort could be saued neither doth he exclude such as haue a long time led a wicked race if they find mercie in their life time at Gods hands to be conuerted for if it were so then none of the first sort could obtaine eternall life But though he meane such as continue to the end in the good course in which they begun long before their death of which there is no question yet he meaneth also such who at their death shall be found penitent whether they begin then or whether long before and reuolted or turned aside againe so as in the truth of their hearts they returne at the last But let not this be taken as though it were a small matter to do the one or the other nay rather they doe both boldly and dangerously which dare tempt God after such a manner yet if any dare aduenture in that sort it is true that no man ought to debarre them of this libertie that if they confesse and forsake their sinne they shall find mercie Now to come to the words seeing they only who continue to the end shall bee saued and are blessed the chiefe point heere to be debated is who is he that continueth and how he groweth to it The answere whereto is at hand that they who begin well and daily go forward shall continue to the end and thereby and no other way we come to it that being excepted that I said before that they must not be denied mercie who repent at last Of both these therefore somewhat is requisite to be said which briefely shall be done And of the first the lesse seeing in shewing before in the first point how they who haue caused iniquitie to abound should repent I haue declared that such repenting is the right way to make a good end Therefore this onely I will say of a good beginning that it is requisite that all that intend and go about it be stedfast and stablished therein I meane in faith in loue in patience c. not flitting and inconstant This Saint Peter requireth when he saith Take heed that ye be not led away from your stedfastnesse in knowledge and grace This requireth truth care and wisedome therefore doe the fewer attaine to it to be builded and setled in their most holie faith but the most professors are off and on cheaping but not buying therefore in euery temptation or affliction for the most part they are doubting that they haue not repented aright and that they haue no faith neither euer had whereas a foundation well laid stands in stormes and tempests and is not throwne downe with wind nor weather And in speaking of this so worthie a point I cannot but bewaile a common and dangerous practise amongst people and those of the better sort that few by all their hearings and readings are able to collect and lay together a plaine path-way to saluation and a direction to a godly life but by halues or by shreds and pieces for either they faile in knowledge and so they are farre from the right way so that if they would neuer so faine enioy the benefit of both they know not how to go about it or else they seeke not with all their hearts to follow that which they know if their iudgements be sound and that maketh all that they pretend or go about as farre from a good foundation as the former And should men thinke we begin in faith and repentance in such a maner Is such a confused and raw entrance into it like to profit it This is all that I will say of the first of the two things that lead to a perseuering in a godly course to our end and that is a right manner of beginning For he that hath made a good entrance is halfe the way to a good end but he that begins erroniously and amisse shall the further he goeth the further go out of the way let this therefore be well regarded and looked to The second which being adioyned to the former wil most certainly bring continuance in a Christian course is a daily proceeding in and according to such a good beginning as I haue said to be required that is to build proportionably to it that as some true measure of knowledge faith hope patitience the feare of God and other grace is attained and stedfastnes therin so that they be vpholden maintained and preserued daily as precious things worth the cost and labor that is bestowed vpon them I meane that they who haue beleeued and repented do so still and endeuour aboue all things to hold out therin from day to day As the Fathers mentioned in the Epistle to the Hebrewes were said to liue by faith that is set it a worke after they beleeued and they that repented at Iohns baptisme were exhorted by him to bring forth the fruits of amendment afterward that so they might well testifie that they went on in repentance still And therefore must watching praying hearing and such other good meanes be vsed daily with as good appetite as at the first beginning that we may grow thereby The which course being obserued we cannot faile but be found of the Lord in peace whensoeuer he shall come for our deliuerance out of this vaile of miserie and happie shal that seruant be whom his master when he commeth shall find so occupied he shall bid him enter
that is first such an heart as they might feare him for therefore their answere was disliked although their words were good because they proceeded not from such an heart But this speech of the Lord in this manner vttered raiseth a doubt in the hearer what hee should meane by wishing such an heart as though the feare of God could not grow in any heart and likewise come from it and if it bee so what heart is that hee wisheth vnto them To the which may be answered that the feare of God and obedience to his commaundements doe not come from euery heart neither doth such fruite grow in euery garden Note and it must be such an heart indeede as cannot be matched neither hath any fellow or companion But what manner of heart is that you will say you doe not vnderstand what hee meaneth I answere therefore further that by such an heart he meaneth in one word an heart conuerted to God more particularly an heart broken with sorrow for sinne and the feare of damnation yet quieted againe and eased by beleeuing the remission of sinne and sanctified also to newnes of life Euen such an heart is fit to breed the feare of God and in such an heart it can dwell and in no other And that is called by our Sauiour a good heart which onely and no other can bring forth good things For so he saith a good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and contrariwise so that if the heart be good that is truely turned to God then it is fitted for that which God here wished to his people that is to feare him and keepe his commandements and not else Now for proofe that it must be thus the scripture is cleare and plentifull As first that the heart must bee wounded for sinne and broken with sorrow and feare till it bee sicke againe is prooued by the words of our Sauiour where hee saith The whole haue no neede of the Physitian but the sicke And they in the Acts were pricked in conscience for their wofull estate before they came to Peter to aske how they might bee healed but then they came to him and the other Apostles though they had railed on them before and said Men and brethren what shall we doe As if they should haue said in this our distresse and dispayring in our selues what helpe can ye minister vnto vs or ease vnto our soules This contrition and sorrow is one of the three things which helpe to make the euill heart good And yet this without the other two is nothing to this purpose but fit onely to raise vp flashes and feares of hell to the tormenting of the conscience and the holding of it in slauerie and bondage for which cause it is called of the Apostle the spirit of bondage But this being rightly vsed maketh a most direct way to the renuing and changing of the heart that it may be good To proceede therefore the second thing required to make the heart good is faith vnfained that the afflicted minde may see and beleeue the sinnes of it to bee pardoned to the easing and quieting of it which then standeth in need of it and most earnestly desireth it and the Lord hath giuen a free grant of it vnto such as are thus prepared for it by earnest desiring it euen as in the forementioned place the Lord saith I am a physitian for the sicke and in another place I will giue the water of life vnto such as thirst which the sicke and troubled conscience hearing counteth it the happiest and welcomest tidings that could be brought vnto it and so by due and aduised considering it laieth holde of it though weakely and by little and little the Lord inabling the partie and so beleeueth that it is as effectuallie offered to him as to any of Gods children that haue already imbraced it And this mightily worketh both to ease and quiet and also to quicken him who was before so cast downe and troubled And thus to passe to the third thing requisite to the reforming and rectifying of the heart that the true feare of God may proceede from thence the partie being thus perswaded of the loue of God and the free remission of sinne and what vnlooked for contentment he hath thereby breaketh forth into the praise of God with admiring his kindnes and saith what thankes shall I giue vnto the Lord for his vnspeakeable mercy vnto me What shall I offer vnto the Lord for this his great goodnesse And so hee being constrained by the loue of God so shed into his heart is perswaded and inabled in good sort to goe about the dutie which God requireth indeuoring and purposing to walke before him in vprightnes and innocencie for euer after And this desire of his not being frothie and rash stirred vp of more and painefull feare as in many wicked ones it is but proceeding from faith which worketh by loue and from the certaintie of the fauour of God assured to him by the holy Ghost is not a suddaine passion in him which is hot and feruent for the present onely but comming from so good a foundation and ground sanctifieth him effectually by working a dislike of euill because it is euil and an heartie and vnfained loue of al goodnesse which grace being thus wrought in him is the third thing required to the changing of the heart and turning of it vnto God And this must go with faith as we are taught in the Epistle to the Corinthians where he saith Seeing we haue these promises let vs clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and grow vp to full holines in the feare of God With this agreeth that of Saint Iohn that if we haue the hope which is the daughter of faith we purge our selues from sinne as it commeth to our sight Thus I haue shewed what graces of God must necessarily be planted in the heart that it may bring foorth this fruit I mean the feare of God that so it may become such an hart as God heere wisheth the people when he saith oh that there were such an heart in them Now that the Christian Reader may not be deceiued in iudging whether he hath such an heart or not I will adde some caueats about these three properties which make the heart good that he examining and obseruing them may see whether he haue them or no. And to begin let him know that about the first of them which is pricke or wound of conscience and feare of Gods displeasure for the same I giue these two caueats or watch-words The one is this that if God presse our consciences with the powerfull preaching of his word Note and accuse and arrest them thereby that we in no wise resist that worke of grace but submit our selues thereto seeing he vseth to do so to them whom he will saue The other that being
arrested thus by him in any wise we despaire not In both which we might be like easily to offend if we should not take this warning and watchword Both are very necessarie for as we are readie to run to extremities in all other things rather then to keepe a meane and that which is commendable betwixt both so do we easily encline thereto in these For either men are slie and subtill to shun all sorrow and checke of conscience for sinne or if they can no longer they are readie to despaire In the first they may fitly be compared to them who are taken with sicknesse and yet will beare it out too long as though they would driue it away by ill entertaining it rather then to betake themselues to their chamber or to fall into the Physitians hands euen so will they wind out of Gods hands I say rather then they will be holden vnder of feare and griefe In the last they are like to a theefe who being apprehended vpon stealing some twelue-penie matter fals to confesse that he hath stollen a horse without any examining and so brings him selfe into perill of his life So these men if they once be checked in their conscience iustly whereby they ought to accuse themselues and bewaile their sinne with hope of pardon fall to remember many other faults and so cast off all hope of forgiuenesse and so despaire For as men are verie hardly brought to yeeld to any wounding of their conscience be it neuer so iust so if they must needs commonly they haue no stay but go too farre whereby they are constrained to crie out they are damned and so lie long in woe and torment where they need not These two things therefore regard about the first point namely the pricke of conscience About the second which is faith these two caueats are to be marked The one that a man seeking faith for no other shall find it beleeue not too hastily and rashly that is without warrant of the Scripture and word of God The other that hauing warrant Note he refuse not to beleeue neither reason against it but applie it to himselfe and resist doubting Both are alike necessarie the first for the bold and such as feele their sin to be no great burthen to their conscience and yet of al other are most ready to affirme that they beleeue in Iesus Christ which he himselfe flatly denieth saying I came not to call the righteous that is such as feele as little burthen of their sin as if they were righteous but sinners who feele the burthē of their sin as a debter doth his debt vnto repentance The second caueat is as necessary for the afflicted conscience who though he haue right to the promise by Christs free grant yet through weaknesse and want of experience is holden from beleeuing and clasping about it and all because he doth not duly consider his libertie and the warrant that he hath from Christ for his so doing Wherein although I deny not but that Gods prouidence ruleth yet the partie offendeth for that he doth not embrace that which is freely giuen him by God and by meanes thereof he cannot praise and be thankfull to God for it About the third point that is necessarily required to make the heart good which is sanctification these two watch-words are to be receiued The one that he of whom we speak do loue goodnesse and loath euill not some one or few lest he deceiue himselfe about it but all nor in priuate respects but because it is euill and hated of God The other that these two namely to loath and loue be constantly setled in him for continuance The reason of both is manifest as of the former for if one sin should be loathed and another loued some disliked and shamed and other delighted in and embraced what could be more ridiculous and further off from the nature of true repentance For the offence to men and the dishonor which might arise to God thereby in some few euill actions Note could not be satisfied nor answered by many good actions A thing worthie to be noted seeing many take libertie against their conscience to doe what they desire to doe and yet will be counted repentant persons as well as the best and this be said of the first of these two caueats For the second if a man should be very forward in abhorring sinne at the first and afterward should grow slouthfull and carelesse and make no conscience of wicked desires and breake out into loosenesse of heart this were enough to blemish his sanctification how sound soeuer it might haue seemed if not to bewray it to haue beene meere hypocrisie which of the two would bee thought most likely Thus I haue said that which I thought meete of this matter to helpe him that desireth it to attaine such an heart as bringeth forth the feare of God euen that which God requireth And seeing thus much is necessary and no lesse Note to get such an heart namely to haue it broken healed againe by faith and mortified and seeing so great heede is to be taken that all these be wrought in the heart aright and indeede all may see good reason why God wisheth such an heart to be in all those who would be accepted of him and what a rich iewell and treasure such an heart is and by necessary consequence how ill it will go with all such as be without it THE SECOND SERMON VPON THE SAME TEXT I Shewed last of all what a iewel such a good heart is and in what wofull and dangerous estate they are in who are without it but more heauy it is that it is not regarded which is too common because the most are foolish and weigh nothing throughly if it agree not with their appetite when yet to speake as the truth is Note whatsoeuer wit eloquence or learning bee in any whatsoeuer nobility birth or dignity whatsoeuer manhood and stomack wealth or beauty they are all as nothing without this that is such an heart as I haue mentioned to make a man happie or to commend him to God Nay I say more whatsoeuer shew of Religion bee in any as that he could speake out of the Scripture plentifully if he could alleage all authorities out of the word of God and of Fathers yea if he could possibly speake with the tongues of Angels and had not this euen such an heart as God wisheth to be in them that shall please him it were nothing for such a one should bee but as S. Paul speaketh in the like case of loue a fruit of it as a sounding brasse and as a tinkling cymball And therefore how much is the estate of such to be bewailed as haue scarcely any whit of all this which I haue now named and are as farre from such an heart as the East is from the West And to come home to our selues how is the people of this age bewitched and blindfolded that when God
be in loue with their example and good course euen as a sweet smell or a beautifull creature prouoketh to the liking thereof And that which he speaketh of them he affirmeth of all which are his true Israelites and faithfull people And hereof it is that they enioy and attaine to many fruits of the spirit because they loue and long much after them and euery one hath the greater measure of them the more stedfastly that he beleeueth God will grant them And so on the contrarie it is verified in others which is written Wo be to them which are full for they shall hunger wo be to them that are rich for they haue their consolation For they who thirst not for heauenly grace to refresh them and make them well liking to God and his people shall turne their thirst after the pleasures of sin and the vnsauourie froth of their euill hearts till hauing their fill of them they cast vp their sweet morsels as their bane and poison And this shall suffice to haue said of this verse for our instruction and comfort The summe whereof is not only that they who hartily long for the great benefit of assurance of Gods loue shall haue it beleeuing it because God hath promised it to them but euen other grace also as willingnesse and fitnesse for the duties of their particular calling as Salomon in the third of the Kings and the Publicans and souldiers in the third of Luke obtained which is a singular gift of God with the former Also they shall haue patience yea and ioy in tribulation mercifulnes and liberalitie to the needie contempt of the world willingnesse and readines to die and a supplie of all other wants which all being enioyed as they may be heere are another manner of portion then all abundance of corne wine or any other thing that is earthly and yet they shall to their good contentment haue their part in these also Now followeth the reprehension in the second verse But heere we must marke that he reproueth not them whom he before called in their thirsting after heauenly things to be satisfied therewith For all may see there was no cause why he should find fault with them who did that which he required but he reproueth them who did not thirst nor set their delight on the best things telling them that they bestowed their labour and trauell vpon that which could not profit but deceiue them For by money in this verse hee meaneth their precious labour and care and by bread he meaneth that which in the first verse he did by wine water and milke that is the substantiall and true nourishing food of the soule As if he should say why are ye so vnthankfull nay so wilfully foolish that when God hath freely offered his bountifull kindnesse to you to drinke of the water of life you affect it not but rather reiect it and in the meane while wearie and trouble your selues about that which cannot satisfie or giue you contentment For to speake as the truth is men are so bewitched by the diuell that they had rather wander vp and downe in by-wayes and crosse pathes erroniously and to follow their owne opinions in seeking eternall life till they be wearied rather then to rest in the safe way which God offereth them And when he hath reproued them for this great fault he exhorteth them to be wiser and to heare him attentiuely in shewing them a better way euen the right and true way to happinesse that is by thirsting after it as the other did mentioned in the former verse and so doing he sheweth them what a worthie fruit they should reape thereof euen all abundance of things worthie to be desired and rest to their soules thereby which he meaneth by that allegoricall speech when he saith Eate that which is good and let your soules delight in fatnesse Thus much for the meaning of this verse now briefly looke wee into the reproofe and exhortation therein contained and consequently what fruit will follow if they be both regarded In the reproofe we are taught as well as they to whom the Prophet wrote and the wofull experience of this age doth shew that he did not onely expostulate with his owne nation at that time but that he hath also iustly inueighed against all Adams posterity in what age soeuer For all men naturally are caried away with this frenzy that in seeking of eternall life they doe all erre and are deceiued and do chuse rather to follow their owne fancie and conceit then the voice or word of God He speaketh not to them who being drowned in a deepe forgetfulnesse of God and themselues doe not almost thinke of the welfare and saluation of their soules he complaineth not I say of such whose number yet who doubteth but that it is exceeding great yea and that all such are further off from eternall life then the other but to them hee directeth his words who desire life in some sort and yet know no way thereto but wander vncertainly they know not whether So that heere are all such condemned as seeke amisse and toile themselues to come to happinesse any other way then God teacheth in his word and all their labours and trauels that way are called of him vnprofitable and ill bestowed cost Whereupon we may iustly complaine of the wofull estate of sundrie kinds of people among vs and lay forth their misery as cleerely as if it were seene in a glasse And first of all they who are teachers or be taught in the Romish synagogues may manifestly see how they incur the bitter and iust reproofe of the Prophet in such sort as they shall neuer bee able to winde themselues out of it For to yeld them that which truely we may we denie not but that there are of them which toile and trauell to goe to heauen though this must be knowne also that others of them couer their knaueries with a colour of their religion and either know that they are misled or at least hold their profession for their ease and bellies sake euen these who seeke the way to heauen which are the simplest minded amongst all the rest of their religion are they against whom the Prophet enueigheth As for the wilfull and subtill among them they are much further off and almost without hope But the simpler are also deceiued with a false worship of God and vse it after the fond and superstitious conceits and dreames of their owne braine though onely of meere ignorance of whose doings yet the Lord more iustly complaineth then he doth of those to whom these words were directed when hee saith who required these things at your hands For in vaine doe they worship him teaching and receiuing for doctrines the traditions of men To enter into particulars is infinite Obiect And whereas it will be obiected that they take great paine and bestow much time about the same Answ I answere the rightlier do the
token thereof that there was great ioy amongst them and they forsooke the sorcerer who had deceiued them All which with many other such examples doe teach hearers of Sermons to aime at this point first and chiefely that they may be changed in their minds and hearts from their former blind iudgement and corrupt nature embrace Christ for their only Sauiour as being lost in themselues and declare their loue and thankfulnesse for the same to him euer after and to bring foorth the fruits thereof in a godly and Christian life which being farre otherwise in the most hearers at this day layeth hardly to their charge that either they know not the end of preaching nor â—o what end they heare or else a worse thing namely that they regard not but set light by Gods ordinance which he will most certainely be reuenged of when it shall be little welcome vnto them And to follow this point of the end of preaching that it is to turne people to God it is not to be maruelled at for great is the force of it as we see in those that were mockers raileâ—â— on the Apostles in the second of the Acts who were yet conuerted by Peters Sermon And so throughout the whole booke where Paul preached among the Gentiles through whole countries and cities they who had long sit it darknes as hauing neuer heard of Christ saw great light and were perswaded to beleeue in him and receiued the word with great ioy For the word of God is mightie in operation and sharper then any two edged sword and entereth thorow euen to the diuiding asunder of the soule and the spirit and the ioynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart For although all men are borne in sin and so they loue and like well to lie therein and though the naturall man is not obedient to the will of God neither can be and being at amitie with the world is at enmitie with God in which estate they are farre from the hope of the life to come yet when they so heare the Gospell that they beleeue and when the wisedome of God once enters into their hearts and the knowledge of his word delights their soules it is maruellous what a change is wrought in them thereby For as children while they bee without discretion are wholly carried after childishnesse and babish folly yet if they come to yeeres of vnderstanding and begin to see that they must liue in the world they let go childishnesse and wax thriftie euen so when God by the wisdome of his word teacheth vs to put away our childish folly youthfull lusts and works of darknesse then the which for the time we knew no better we do with a holy detestation come out of our filthie Sodome euen as Ephraim when she repented of Idolatry which she had so entirely loued expressed it thus saying What haue I to do with Idols And how doth God worke this mightie change in men Surely by perswading them that they gaine an hundred to one thereby that I say no more the Prophet making good my words to the full when he saith One day in thy courts O Lord is better then a thousand elsewhere And though this be not seene with bodily eye yet it is perceiued by a farre more cleere and vndoubted testimonie then if it were seene while it is receiued by faith and beleeued Oh! he that is perswaded of this doth with the Apostles forsake all and follow Christ in waiting till that hundred fold in Saint Matthew promised be accomplished and enioyed And what maruell that we may be thus drawne by such strong perswasions as God vseth in his Gospell euery where when we reade in humane authors that rude and barbarous people were brought to great matters euen ciuilitie and to good order by the perswasion of eloquent men There was a time saith Tulliâ— when men wandered vp and downe in woods and fields without any dwelling as the beasts do but by the wisdome and eloquence of some they were perswaded to fellowship and were drawne to haue habitation in cities and villages And may not the most mightie perswasions of the almightie much more draw such as haue been blindfolded with error and delusions from their vncleane conuersation to that which is holy and from bondage to Satan to beleeue in the liuing God Obiect Neither let any obiect and say that it is a small matter to be drawne by perswasion to beleeue the Gospel and worship God according to it when we see that Papists can draw people to their religion by perswasion Answ To the which I answere they can perswaded to their religion indeed so can the euer to their fellowship and companie and adulterers draw women to their lure thereby But we are not so much to stand vpon this that they be able to perswade as to consider what it is whereto they perswade For who doubteth but that men may easily be perswaded to that which is agreeable to their nature and suting with their desire as these whom I haue mentioned and such like For they are all done by the working of Satan in all power and signes and lying wonders and in all deceiueablenesse of vnrighteousnesse among them that perish because they receiued not the loue of the truth that they might be saued Therefore God sendeth them strong delusions that they should beleeue lyes that all they may be damned which beleeue not the truth but haue pleasure in vnrighteousnes But to be perswaded of the truth of that which is against our nature and liking so that thereby wee beleeue it and to cast away the pleasures of sinne and ieopard our soules vppon the doctrine that is taught vs this I say is another matter then bare perswasion from what ground soeuer it come And this is the heauenly worke of the holy Ghost which mouing and leading vs shal wel shew it selfe to be so indeed This being so we may gather necessarily hereby that the sound plaine and powerful preaching of the Gospell whereby onely through the worke of grace we may be perswaded to turne to God aright is a most blessed gift of God and therefore that it is no marueile that he hath appointed that rather then other meanes to soe excellent an end But here I must adde this because many euen of the priuate sort of men who haue been happily trained vp vnder a good ministery can discerne and do complaine that this holy ordinance of God I meane the publishing of the Gospel is taken in hande of sundrie Ministers who are vtterly vnfit for it and the duty thereof is discharged in much vnreuerence and nothing beseeming the worthines of it if this be not better looked vnto by such as haue authoritie in this behalfe I see not how it can be had in such honour as is due vnto it neither yeeld the fruite that otherwise it promiseth For
as he saith to the like purpose in another place Harlots and publicans shall enter into the kingdome of God before the chiefe Priests and the Elders of the people which yet was nothing likely in the sight of men So we reade that they who were mockers and railed on the Apostles so farre were they from sauouring their heauenly doctrine yet when the Lord in his mercie towards them caused them to attend to Peters sermon reproouing their sinne they were so pricked in their consciences that they came to him and the other Apostles for further instruction and comfort and obtained it Samaria that had long been bewitched by Simon Magus the sorcerer yet at the preaching of Philip a thing very vnlike to come to passe was conuerted to Christ so as the fruit thereof appeared not to be small namely that it brought great ioy into the citie so they who were notorious offenders came flocking about Christ to heare him when the Scribes and Pharisies not only did not so but scorned that they should And therefore it may iustly bee lamented that the preaching of the Gospell is not with credit and authoritie in a sound and plaine manner planted in such places where it is wanting and where it were like to do much good as our Lord Iesus bewailed it when he saw the people scattered as sheepe without a shepheard and willed that prayers should be made to the Lord of the haruest that he would scud labourers into his haruest For it is very probable if it were so that numbers would embrace it ioyfully who now for that they know not the power and worth of it passe by it and scorne it as nothing or little worth Obiect And whereas some will bee readie to say wee may easily guesse what good it is like to do if it were in such places by the small account that is made of it where it is Answ I answere that where the Gospel is with due reuerence beseeming such an holy ordinance of God preached it doth not returne in vaine but draweth them which were dispersed to one bodie of the Church And doubtlesse if the Prachers themselues be men of sinceritie loue grauitie and will put on the person of the people to consider their ignorance forgetfulnesse loosenesse vnsetlednesse and other infirmities and applie themselues vnto them as their needs do require and would seeke to winne them rather then set vp themselues none need to doubt but that they should perswade many to become true Christians and to bee tractable to good duties when they be kindly and wisely aduised and directed Oh they that haue not experience will hardly be perswaded how much vnfained loue and labour in the Minister is like to preuaile with the people to winne them from folly vanitie ignorance and the common sinnes which through custome and company they haue been drowned in And what maruell when they shall by wise and friendly dealing be made to see how they were deceiued and that very dangerously whiles they following the desires of their euill hearts walked after the sinnes of the times in which they liued and when other manner of pleasures and delights shall be offered them which they neuer had tasted of before I meane heauenly I may speake the more boldly because I know I speake the truth that almost fortie yeeres agone when I came yong from the Vniuersitie to a people blind and farre gone in the sinnes that were then commonly committed in the world sauouring no whit of pietie and I had little in mee to commēd me vnto them my knowledge being not much though my desire I may say was feruent in seeking it and to do them good and my authoritie small as being then vnder another which was Pastor to them but resident in another charge hard by euen so long ago I say I remember that which is not vnworthie the mentioning and speaking of in this place And that is how maruellously God wrought among vs that when there was no president nor example in the corner thereabout of diligent repairing to the place of Gods worship on the Sabbath in the afternoone but all disorder in dancing playing haunting the Ale-house and other like and little power of godlines to be seene or heard of round about it pleased God by care and diligence in example giuing among them and labouring in that weake manner that I was able to teach and exhort them with familiar conuersing with them in priuate who were more teachable then the rest in good communication drawing them on that in two yeeres space I might haue perswaded them to any good thing that I saw meet the bodie of them I meane and a louing consent might haue bin seene among them to that which was good neither can I say any worse of them for the time that I could stay amongst them which was full six yeeres Which I say not for vaine glorie God is record and well nigh fortie yeeres is a reasonable time to despise that and yet I would haue said more but for auoiding the suspicion of it but I speake this to moue some of my fellow brethren in the Ministerie such as in an honest and good heart desire to see fruit of their labours to thinke of the way of obtaining the same And that is no doubt to such as hartily seeke it to labour for the gift of perswading the people and familiar applying the Scripture to the persons particularly in a right and wise manner as well as to teach them the truth generally and to vse diligence and constancie in both and withall to take all occasion to commune and confer of good things in companying with them and not to spend the little time that they are with them in play nor to vse to talke of worldly things to them whereto the people be so readily carried nor idlely and vainly to keepe them company which dulleth and maketh blunt the edge of their Ministrie amongst them and raiseth a meaner conceit of the persons themselues and by consequent of their Ministerie which had little need to be This manner of liuing amongst them with an especiall care to auoid iust suspicion of couetousnesse and loue of this world and other offences which are too common is like through Gods blessing to knit them so in firme and true loue together that they shall call home to true repentance such as God hath in those places ordained to eternall life and they shall by such manner of liuing with them be like with loue and readinesse to receiue their doe at the peoples hands about the paying and requiring of the which the greatest pritches are taken and the sorest conceits arise betwixt them which are the beginnings and occasions of continuall broiles and contentions afterwards or at least of strangenesse or hollow and hauerly loue betwixt them whereby it commeth to passe that preaching doth little good vnto them And thus by occasion of answering this obiection I haue
to a conclusion of all we haue seene how earnest the Lord is by the Apostle to call and exhort vs to this duty of reioycing in the Lord we haue also seene by what meanes we may attaine to this ioy if we yet haue it not and how many and speciall meanes God hath giuen vs to keepe and to encrease it when we haue it and to recouer it if we haue lost the sense and feeling of it What then is our duty but that we try and examine our owne hearts to finde whether euer we felt in our hearts any true reioycing in God and in good things and if we neuer knew what it meant let vs learne in that sort that I haue shewed to get it and so after to keepe it And especially by weaning our selues for the loue of this ioy from other delights pleasures and profits wherein we haue bin taken vp and willingly vndergoing troubles and crosses when God hath called vs vnto them for the same and so to keepe it And if we haue by carelesse negligence suffered the deuill to bereaue vs of this so rich and pretious a iewell of our ioy yet let vs by al meanes possible labour vncessantly day and night to renew and recouer that we haue lost and let vs neuer giue any rest vnto God nor vnto our owne hearts vntil we feele the heauenly sparkles of our former ioy againe kindled in vs. And when it hath pleased God againe to restore it to vs let vs beware greatly of a second relapse It is very easie without dilligent care taking to be lost and many enemies lie in waite to take it from vs. But it is not so easie to be found againe when it is lost The thiefe is not so chary to keepe thy gold from thee when he hath stolne it as the deuil is to keep away and to hide thy ioy from thee that thou mightest neuer finde it againe Now though I haue already vsed some reasons to perswade vs to be carefull of this duty yet considering our dulnes and vntowardnes vnto it it shall not be vnfit to adde for a finall conclusion a few motiues to make vs the better to remember and to put in practise these meanes whereof you haue now heard And to omit to speake of that which before I touched that al other ioy besides this vanisheth away and nothing in the end remaineth but sorrow and vexation of Spirit As Salomon hath left his owne experience to teach vs. And that this ioy is of it selfe the most compleate and absolute ioy that can be possessed as being founded in God himselfe consider besides it selfe what excellent priuiledges this ioy bringeth vnto vs It bringeth vnto vs comfort aboundantly against all the crosses that can befall vs and against all the enemies we can haue in this life Let famine Let nakednesse Let danger assaile vs we haue God yet to reioyce in to feed vs to cloath vs to protect vs so far as shall be for our good Let wicked men banish vs Let them hate vs let them imprison vs let them take our liues from vs yet we haue God to reioyce in who will accompany vs in banishment in prison or in what place soeuer whose loue shal more then counteruaile all the hatred of the wicked And the life that he hath hid and treasured vp for vs shall be better then a thousand liues which they can take away This ioy is as salt to season and to sauour al our other ioyes whatsoeuer they be for without this our pleasures are vnsauourie and haue no taste nor sauour of pleasure in them Againe lastly marke what an excellent promise the Lord maketh to this ioy Psal 37.4 Delight thy selfe saith the Psalmist in the Lord and he shall giue thee thine hearts desire There is no man but would bee glad to haue his desire satisfied Loe then the way Delight thy selfe in God be carefull to keepe this blessed ioy and God who cannot lie hath promised to giue thee whatsoeuer thy heart can desire so ready is the Lord to fulfill the desire of them that reioyce and delight themselues in him It was a great fauour of the Lord vnto Salomon 1. King 3. to aske him what he should giue him and he would be readie to giue it yet God made him promise but for one request what a fauour of God is this then vnto thee that there shall be no good thing thy tongue can aske or thy heart desire but the Lord will giue it to thee so be it thou delight thy selfe in him But consider for thy further care yet of this dutie that this promise implieth also a threatning in it And that is if thou refusest to delight in God and wilt take thy pleasure and delight in vanitie in sin in the breach of the Sabbath and of other duties God will deny thee euery desire of thy heart In that which thou desirest ioy in God will send thee sorrow in that thou desirest a blessing in God will blow vpon it with his curse The not regarding this duty is a plaine and euident token of an hypocrite whom God hateth For read Iob. 27.10 The hypocrite saith Iob will he set his delight in the almightie will he call vpon God at all times making both these alike to be notes and brandes of a dissembling hypocrite that he will not at all times call vpon God neither will set his constant and continuall delight in God A fearefull thing we know it is to be an hypocrite whose portion is hell fire Mat. 24.51 it is said the Lord of the euill seruant shall cut him off and shall giue him his portion with hypocrites where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth If thou wilt haue no part nor portion in this lot of hypocrites bee no hypocrite delight in the Lord which hypocrites doe not neither can doe and so thou shalt auoid it On the contrary this holy ioy is a note of a man renued and regenerated by the Spirit of God Read Gal. 5.22 The fruite of the spirit is loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes faith meeknes temperancy And against these is no law They that find this ioy in their hearts from the Spirit of God There is no lawe or curse of God to seaze vpon them For they are guided by the Spirit of God FINIS 2. Chron. 17.7 The vnfolding of the text The parts two The sfirst part The behauiour of Paul and Silas in prison wherein three things are to be considered First that God standeth by his seruants in their troubles Lament 1.12 Eccles 4.10 2. King 6.16 Act. 12.11 Dan. 6.22 Matth. 27. 2. Cor. ◠8 and 6.10 Iudg. 6.12 Psalme 5.11 Psalme 3.4 Iohn 20.25 1. Iohn 5.4 The secōd point How Gods children are affected in their troubles Phil. 4.4 1. Sam. 30.6 Why troubles are so vnwelcome to vs. Psalme 73.14 Psalme 126.5 As our outward troubles are many so are our blessings also Gen. 19.26
mind and considered duely what a great sinne it is then truely lamented pardon craued with the prayer of faith and full purpose and endeauour against the same after and then to set afresh vpon the practise of christianity againe and neuer to thinke it well vntill this remedy be vsed This is to be done when this loue is decayed which to doe is a certaine violence vsing against our selues by more then an ordinary turning to God againe and a wary walking afterward to preuent the like And heâ—re I thinke it very meete to admonish you the more earnestly to beware of and to preuent this sin for two reasons which I vrge out of the text The one this the other followeth afterward seeing it shall bee the case of many to fall thus for so our Sauiour foretelleth saying because iniquitie shall abound the loue of many shall waxe cold And if many be like to fall thus what are we in this age to whom this watchword shall come that we should looke to auoide the danger of it vnlesse we be daily and much occupied in laboring and endeauoring to shun and preuent it And for mine owne part I am not ashamed to confesse if any lesse experienced herein regard the word of him that hath troden in this way before them that for more then thirtie yeares I haue feared the loosing of this first loue by reason of the strong prouocations thereto that I haue obserued from time to time to arise one after another by meanes whereof I haue seene good cause to auoide the same with all possible care that so doing I or any other in like state may much the better finish our course with ioy And yet this caueat I would might be well marked that all zeale in our first receiuing of the Gospel and beleeuing in Christ hath not been to be commended as that which may of necessitie vrge a Christian to the retaining and continuing of it afterwards as if it were a part of our first loue when as it is not to be denied that there was in our first beginning as there is daily in those who are effectually called to beleeue vnto saluation especially of the ignoranter sort much good meaning without knowledge and much froth in a great deale of zeale so that it should vnwisely be done of Preachers and farre from good discretion to vrge vpon them their former practise simplie without respect had of zeale voide of good ground and warrant of Gods word As for example many well minded when they were first brought to the true imbracing of the Gospell thought that all other who were not as themselues and iumpe of their fise and measure in zeale were to be iudged and censured as they thought good namely to haue had nothing in them neither were to be kept companie with whereas both themselues bewray their owne weakenes sufficiently all may see and beside who doubteth but that such as are teachable should be well hoped of and incouraged to be stedfast in the good things wherein they had well begun and so to be brought on to the receiuing of faith and the bearing of Christs yoke as true Christians doe Another great weakenesse hath possessed others and as full of error that in their zeale at their first beginning they haue thought that they must oft breake off their necessarie worke to pray and reade yea and that in the time of doing of their worke they must be praying rather then minding of and duely regarding the busines they had in hand Then the which what might be thought more sauoring of ignorance and blindnesse whereas they ought to haue knowne and been perswaded that God hath appointed a time to pray and all other things to giue place thereto when opportunitie serueth but yet in time of necessarie businesse that the same should be faithfully and diligently attended and followed and the mind not to be carried after other matters seeing God is serued therein euen as he is in reading praying and the like Also many haue fondly and falsely been perswaded that whiles they are occupied in holy exercises as prayer reading conference then they haue been more holy then others of their brethren but if they haue by frailtie failed therein yea or by other waightie occasions or if they haue waxen afterward more dull through want of knowledge or forgetfulnes vnfitter to Gods seruice then they were before then they haue iudged themselues the worst of all Gods people if they haue not denied that they were any of them at all Many such weaknesses which yet they count points of holines accompany the most of Gods faithful ones of the ignoranter sort at their first entrance into Christ who seeing better things are found in them are not imputed to them by the Lord but yet must they not for all that be iustified in them and borne with neither thinke that all things wherein they haue a good meaning must be holden for a vertue Euen as Naaman the Syrian being brought from his idolatrie by the Prophet Elisha and perswaded to worship the true God Iehoua only did in zeale and of a good meaning desire of him that two mules load of the earth that was in the land of Israel might be giuen him wherupon he might stand to offer sacrifice when he should come home as though that earth had been holier then that which was in his owne countrie Likewise Mary Magdalene and the other good women whom Christ before his death had most sweetly seasoned and perfumed with the odours of his heauenly doctrine so that they beleeued in him and followed him came of a zealous mind the third day after his buriall to the sepulchre to see him supposing that he had been still dead and not risen againe and brought sweete ointments with them to annoint his bodie By the which ceremonie and custome vsed to their dead in those dayes although they did confirme their faith in the hope of the resurrection after the manner of their Fathers who did so yet who doubteth but that they were led with blind zeale therein toward Christ both in seeking him that liued among the dead and also in going about to annoint Christs bodie as if it should haue putrified in the sepulchre like other mens By this that hath been said it is manifest that all things that the faithfull do in a good meaning are not to be paternes for themselues or others to follow vnlesse they haue had good warrant for the doing of them and especially at their first conuersion Thus much for the caueat or watchword before giuen namely that all zeale in good people at the first ought not to be taken for sound and substantiall I will now proceed Remember therfore that I set downe two reasons why Gods seruants should take heed in a speciall manner that they be not made cold in their loue as Christ hath foretold it shall be the case of many by meanes of the wickednesse which