soone be changed the difference wil soon be espied They are now as a Lyon within a grate or a Wolfe kept in a chaine Let the Lyon loose set the Wolfe at liberty ye shall soone see him as fierce and cruell as ever he was Remember what they were when they bare sway such as they were then such they are now in heart affection such as the fathers were such are their children a cruell a barbarous a bloody generation ever delighted with shedding blood Blessed be God the father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath not given us as a pray unto their teeth and let them fulfill the measure of their sinnes that upon them may come all the righteous blood which they have shed upon the face of the earth Above all the Galileans c. or those eighteene c. The examples of others and the miserable event upon them are propounded to teach the Disciples and all others to turne o God these men judging these punishments to be the wages of unrighteousnesse Doct. Examplesf Gods judgments upon some are profitable to others This teacheth that the example of Gods judgements which he useth and executeth upon nations kingdomes cities families houses and particular persons are profitable meanes to stay from that euil which God hath chastised in others In the glasse of others wee may looke upon our owne faces We see this Deut. 24. Remember Miriam Deut. 24.9 what the Lord thy God did upon her by the way 2 Sam. 11.20 21. after ye were come forth out of Egypt the Like is noted 2 Sam. 11. Wherefore approched ye so nigh the City when ye did fight knew ye not that they would shoote from the wall who smote Abimelech the sonnes of Ierubesheth 2 King 9.31 did not a woman cast a piece of a Mil-stone upon him from the wall that he died c. Math. 24.37 The words of Iezabel are grounded upon this foundation Luc. 17.27.32 Had Zimri peace that slew his master Christ our Saviour chargeth all to beware of excesse propounding the examples of Noah and Lot to tye up their hearts to looke after the appearance of Christ in glory and to draw them from the love of the world and afterward he addeth to the same end Remember Lots wife So that we see Dan. 5.20.22 the examples of Gods judgment in former times are profitable to them that come after to hold them in the wayes of righteousnesse and to keepe them from the pathes of death This is proved plainely from the unchangable nature of God Reason 1 he is one and the same now as he was in former times his words are not yea and nay but yea and amen he is not variable and unconstant Mat. 3.6 Iam. 1.17 like a reed shaken with the winde hither and thither but remaineth ever the same Psal 102.27 With him is no variablenesse neither shadow of turning he is the Lord he changeth not and his hatred against sinne is no way diminished 1 Cor. 10.11 6. Secondly from the end of Gods chasticements which is to respect others as well as those that are chasticed for they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Rom. 15.4 and these things are our examples to the intent we should not lust after evill things as they also lusted Now let us apply these things Behold here the great kindnesse of God who teacheth and instructeth us many wayes Vse 1 not onely by his word by his mercies by his present judgments by his promises by his threatnings but even by examples of things recorded that have fallen out all of them were written for our good The moe wayes we have the moe meanes God hath used the more inexcusable we are We are giuen to looke upon examples and to behold what is done by others and to follow them even in evill but as we see the examples so let us beleeve the punishments that befell them also Woe unto them and wretched is their estate that are not moved by examples of Gods judgements What will move and peirce our stony hearts if these things will not move us to turne unto him neither the hammer of his word nor the iron rod of his judgements Nay while we lye under a grievous visitation are we any whit softned or do our hearts relent What teares have we shed or what hath our behaviour beene or what sinnes have we forsaken O what can be said of us but that we are brasse and iron a stubborne and stiffe necked generation a people that are secure and senselesse and have our consciences as it were seared with an hote iron God hath executed sundry judgments upon us he hath given us cleannesse of teeth and want of bread in all our places Amos. 4.6.9 yet we have not returned unto him he hath smitten our great Gardens and the fruits of the earth with blasting and mildew yet we have not returned unto him he hath sent among us the pestilence after the maner of Egypt and now threatneth us with the sword of the enemie yet we have not returned unto him what marveill then when we profit by none of them and nothing will doe us good if he make us fearefull examples to others This we read Deut. 29. When God hath brought all the curses of the law upon the land the generation to come of their children that shall rise up after them when they see the plagues of the land and the sicknesses which the Lord hath laid upon it made like the overthrow of Sodome and Gomorah shall say Deut. 29.24.25 Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land what meaneth the heat of this great anger then men shall say because they have forsake the Covenant of the Lord God of their fathers c. The Lord God setteth former examples before our eyes to teach us and he will teach our posterity by the examples of his judgments before our eyes to teach us and he will teach our posterity by the examples of his judgements fallen upon us When the generation to come shall read and heare of his great judgments upon us that he hath smitten downe many thousands of us in his great wrath and heavy displeasure so that the former plagues will be forgotten in comparison of this if yet we will not returne and repent he will double and trebble his strokes and encrease his plagues yet seven times more and cause this to be forgotten in comparison of those to come and when any shall aske wherefore hath the Lord done this unto his people shall not men say as the truth is because they were warned and they would not be warned Is it not for the raigning sinnes in it that cry to heaven He hath spoken unto us and besought us by innumerable his mercies but they will not enter now he is constrained to send his destroying Angel and to scourge us with furious mortality and yet our dul
should never fade nor faile nor fall away Thirdly give no occasion of offence to wicked worldlings to open their mouthes against us to speake evill both of us and of our profession The Apostle warneth us to cut off occasions from them that seeke occasions 2. Cor. 11. 2 Cor. 11.11 And hee warneth young women to guide their houses 1 Tim. 5.14 and to give no occasion to the adversary to speake reproachfully 1 Tim. 5. These are they that watch for our halting and slipping as the Fowler doth for the Bird or the Hawke for his prey They lay nets and snares to catch the simple and heedlesse soule It is meat and drinke to them if they can take them at any advantage If wee suffer reproofe and reproach wrongfully happy are we and great is our comfort we have no cause of griefe and sorrow but rather of rejoycing resting in the testimony of a good conscience Psal 37. 44.11 12 13 17. and the approbation of Gods Spirit who shall bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy judgement as the noone day Thus wee see in the faithfull Psal 44. Thou hast given us like sheepe appointed for meâ—t thou makest us a reproach to our neighbours a scorne and derision to them that are round about us thou makest us a by-word among the Heathen a shaking of the head among the people c. all this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely with thy Covenant c. But if we suffer as evill doers wee have no comfort at all in any such sufferings but rather much discomfort and matter of sorrow and mourning Fourthly let us from the hatred and harsh entertainment we finde in the world be perswaded to knit our selves more closely to the rest of the faithfull that are brethren of the same Father servants of the same Master and members of the same body Forasmuch therefore as we are hated in the world and of the world let us cleave the more closely to God our Father and to Christ our head Ioh. 15.17 18. 17.26 John 15.17 18. who commandeth us to love one another Hence it is that Christ saith I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them and I in them Touching this brotherly kindnesse observe these three circumstances the manner the time and the persons The manner of it must bee earnestly fervently constantly and in truth not faintly not coldly not hypocritically not in shew onely for so did Cain love his brother The time must be at all times every season is the season thereof fit to practise it not in prosperity onely and when they have little or no need at all of us but chiefely and especially in adversity in time of dearth and famine which is the time of the triall of our love as Pro. 17.17 18.24 Prov. 17.17 18.24 A friend loveth at all times and a brother is borne for adversity And touching the persons whom are wee to love all the brethren not onely the rich and wealthy but the least the lowest the meanest the poorest among them especially whom the Lord hath chosen to be rich in faith Iam. 2.1 2 5. and heires of the Kingdome of Heaven To this end wee are warned not to have the faith of our glorious Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons forbidding us to despise poore Christians and to respect onely the richer sort of higher places that abound in earthly blessings Now to effect this brotherly love the better Motives to worke true love in us and to worke it the sooner in our hearts wee must consider sundry motives to move us thereunto laid before us in holy Scripture First we shall be all knowne to be the Disciples of Christ by this charity Ioh. 13.35 as a servant is by his livery to what Master he belongeth John 13.35 Secondly hereby we know that we are translated from death to life 1 Ioh. 3.14 and from the state of damnation to salvation because we love the brethren They are all no better then dead men starke dead in sinnes and trespasses and lying under condemnation that are destitute of this love Thirdly whosoever hateth his brother the Son of his heavenly Father is another Cain a very murtherer 1 Ioh. 3.15 and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him If wee would scorne to bee blotted and branded with such an odious name it behooveth us to avoid and beware the like practice as well as the title It is in vaine for us to goe about to shun and shake from us the name so long as we resemble his nature Nay we are like the Devill himselfe Iohn 8.44 who was a murtherer from the beginning Joh. 8. When the Prophet told Hazael of his barbarous and horrible cruelty that hee should shew against the children of Israel he seemed to scorne it and to startle at it as at an hideous matter Is thy servant a dog 2 King 8.13 that he should doe this great thing but what availed this or was he one inch the further from it because he put it away from him No doubtlesse So what shall it profit these men to cast from them those names of Cain and his father the Devill and think they have wrong offered them to be so esteemed wheÌ„ in the meane season they nourish malice and mischiefe in their sinfull hearts Fourthly hereby we know that we are of the truth 1 Ioh. 3.19 and shall assure our hearts before him by the opposition of the world 1 Joh. 3.19 so that from hence we should gather great consolation and assurance to our selves that we are not married to the world but are divorsed from the world Iam. 4.4 If we be the friends of the world we become the enemies of God because the friendship of this world is enmity with God Fiftly love is of God 1 Iohn 4.21 Iohn 17.3 and every one that loueth is borne of God and knoweth God whereas he that loveth not God knoweth him not 1 Joh. 4.21 howbeit this is eternall life to know him Joh. 17.3 Sixtly God hath loved us first when we deserved no love 1 Iohn 4.9 Rom. 5.8 but to bee hated whereas we often hate those that deserve to be loved yea he so loveth us that hee sent his Sonne his onely begotten Sonne whom he loved and in whom he is exceedingly well pleased that wee might live through him Is not this love of his toward his enemies strong enough to worke love againe in us toward our brethren O what a little feeling have we in our hearts of the love of the Father if it cannot worke thus much in us to cause us for his sake to love his children The bright beames of the love of the Sunne of righteousnesse did never shine upon us to quicken us if wee doe not also warme
subordinate unto him Secondly God hath set his whole delight on his to love them above all other people Deut. 10.15 21. and doth great things for them that hee hath not done for the whole world beside Hee hath given his owne Sonne for them and to them which is the fountaine of all his love Joh. 3.16 For he so loved the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And 1 Joh. 4.9 10. in this was manifested the love of God toward us because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world 1 Ioh. 4.9 10. that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes From hence flow all spirituall and eternall blessings as reconciliation and atonement sanctification and likewise our justification consisting in the forgivenesse of sinnes and the imputation of his righteousnesse unto us yea hence doe flow temporall blessings to us as they are blessings so that he careth for us as the Eagle for her Birds Deut. 32.11 12. and tendreth us as the apple of his owne eye Zach. 2.5 Thirdly this truth further appeareth unto us by the titles given to the faithfull For as the Names of God set forth his nature toward us so also doe the names that are given to the Godly The names that he giveth are not like names given by men who onely hope or desire to finde them as they are named but they often prove the contrary as we see in Abshalom who had his name of his Fathers peace but hee sought the destruction of his Father It is not so with God he doth not deceive neither can bee deceived in calling his Children by their names They are called sometimes the Lords portion Deut. 32.9 Exod. 19.5 and the lot of his inheritance Deut. 32. Sometimes his chiefe treasure above all people though all the earth be his Exod. 19 5. sometimes his Sonnes and Daughters 1 Ioh. 3.1 begotten of him to a lively hope of an inheritance unspeakable and glorious 1 Joh. 3.1 sometimes the Spouse of Christ Hos 2.19 23. Ioh. 15.24 Hos 2. sometimes his Jewels Mal. 3. and sometimes also his friends labouring to doe whatsoever he commandeth them Joh. 15.14 All these titles and testimonies teach us how dearely hee loveth and accounteth of his people The uses of this point serve Vse 1 partly for information partly for instruction and partly for consolation First for information or bettering of our knowledge we must consider that from hence wee have boldnesse and confidence in prayer to approach neere to the Throne of Grace that he will give us whatsoever we aske according to his will Hence it is that in the Lords prayer we are willed and warranted to begge the sanctifying of his Name the comming of his Kingdome c. and whatsoever serveth for his glory or our owne good and to call him by the name of our Father Matth. 6. â— to stirre up our faith to come with assurance and without doubting to be heard and helped Will a Father deny his Childe any thing that is good for him God is our Father and we his Children he our Shepheard and we his Flocke hee the Creator and we his creatures Hee seeth what wee have need of and hee knoweth better then our selves what is good for us so that we may boldly come in faith and not waver as the Romanists would have us to doe Now to the end we may approach and appeare before him aright and come unto him as to a Father we must come partly with cheerefulnesse and boldnesse and partly with awefulnesse and reverence And these two must be compounded and mingled together boldnesse with reverence and reverence with boldnesse that we may pray and make supplication to him with a reverent boldnesse and with a bold kinde of reverence lest boldnesse severed from reverence breed basenesse and contempt and reverence severed from boldnesse turne into a slavish and superstitious feare To worke in us boldnesse and willingnesse the Scripture layeth before us the promises of God whereupon we must build as upon a sure foundation To strike in us reverence it propoundeth sundry threatnings and admonitions which we ought to call to minde so often as we goe to praier to prepare us thereunto First we must acquaint our selves with the gracious promises of God which he hath made to us in his holy Word that our dull and dead spirits may thereby be quickned and our unbeleeving hearts may be fully perswaded that hee will deliver our soule from death Psal 116.8 our eyes from teares and our feet from falling For as the amiable Word of a Father implieth a readinesse and willingnesse in God to shew mercy so it should stirre up in us a forwardnesse to come unto him and to aske whatsoever wee want The Scripture is full of such heavenly promises Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will heare thee Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 If wee humble our selves in his presence and turne from our sinnes and wicked waies then He will heare in Heaven 2 Chron. 7.14 15.2 Esay 65.24 and be mercifull unto our sins 2 Chron. 7. If we seek him He will be found of us 2 Chron. 15. Before we call he will answer and while we speake he will heare Esay 65. If we which are evill can give good gifts to our children Luke 11.13 how much more will our heavenly Father give the holy Ghost to them that desire him Rom. 10.22 Luke 11 He that is Lord of all is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. Draw neere to God and He will draw neere to you Iam. 4.8 Iam. 4. All these are so many encouragements to draw us and to drive us to God who by these and a thousand such other promises inviteth us into his holy presence Againe on the other side we must consider that the Scripture withall giveth us sundry advertisements and threatnings to admonish us to come to him with feare and reverence The name of a Father is a title of familiarity but familiarity many times breedeth too much boldnesse and boldnesse breedeth contempt and contempt a base estimation of God and therefore it must bee seasoned with other considerations lest wee come to him in vaine and to our owne hurt Hence it is that as Christ our Saviour teache thus to call God our Father when we fall down before him so withall he willeth us to remember that he is in Heaven that is of infinite glory power and majesty Let us therefore have before us these and such like meditations If I regard wickednesse in my heart Psal 66.18 26.6 Prov. 1.28 15.8 21.27 the Lord will not heare me Psal 66.18 26.6 and often in the Proverbs They shall call upon me but
wee resolve to hold our peace yet it will breake out This we see in the Prophet when the Word of the Lord became a reproach unto him and a derision daily hee said within himselfe Ier. 20.9 I will not make mention of him nor speake any more in his Name howbeit his Word was in his heart as a burning flame in his bones and he was weary with forbearing so that he could not stay Ier. 20.9 It is not enough for us to mourne in secret for the abominations committed openly but it is our duty to reprove those that dishonour him and such as sinne openly should be reprooved openly as the Apostle teacheth both by precept 1 Tim. 5.20 Gal. 2.14 1 Tim. 5.20 and by example Gal. 2.14 Can a good Childe that loveth his Father heare him in his presence reviled traduced and evill spoken of and yet hold his peace as if he were a deafe man and heard nothing doth he not thereby after a sort give consent to such reproaches and make himselfe partaker of those evils as it were a party and joyne himselfe to his Fathers enemy Or will a good Servant heare his Master disgraced before him and yet say nothing at all How then shall we heare the Lord blasphemed who is both our Father and Master and his Name taken in vaine and yet keepe silence and not answer a word How shall we dare once to call him Father and not blush at the naming of him if there be any shame in us when we have no care to maintaine his honour but suffer it to lye in the dust and trodden under foot as a polluted thing How shall God open his eares at our prayers to powre on us his graces when our mouthes are quite shut up and stopped at his disgraces or how shall we looke to have him confesse us before his Father Matth. 10.32 and the elect Angels in Heaven when we are ashamed to confesse him before the sonnes of men upon earth Alas how jealous are wee of our owne names and upon what nice and tender points of saving credit and reputation doe we stand to maintaine them And ought not the Name of God to be much more deare and precious unto us Either let us cease once to take the name of a Father in our mouthes or else let us shew a more Sonne-like affection toward him in our hearts Either let us forbeare to professe our selves his Children or else let us beare our selves as Children and carry in us a readinesse every way to honour him The sixth signe Sixtly we are bound to love God againe and to answer love for love And so much the rather because he commendeth his love toward us that when we were his enemies hee sent his Sonne into the world to die for us O how great was his love toward us O how little is our love toward him were not he a very unnaturall childe that tasting abundantly of his Fathers kindnesse recompenceth it with unkindnesse stubbornenesse unthankfulnesse and disobedience againe Thus doe we foolish people deale with the Lord and reward him hatred for his love and enmity for his friendship How to knovv vvhether vve love God But how shall we know whether we love him or not Is every mans claime and entituling himselfe unto it a certaine and sufficient rule to know this No doubtlesse this is a marke too generall and may soone deceive us if we leane upon it as a broken staffe or a reed of Egypt If we love him indeed and in truth we will love him even when hee chasteneth and afflicteth us It is an easie matter for us to say we love God greatly when he blesseth and prospereth us and when he mercifully supplieth all things unto us that we desire Such love the hypocrites may pretend and make greater shew thereof then the true Children of God This may all such doe as live in peace and prosperity and yet notwithstanding deceive themselves and others also This corruption doth Satan discover to be in us naturally Iob 1.9 10. Iob 1.9 10. Doth Iob feare God for naught hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side thou hast blessed the worke of his hands and his substance is increased in the Land but put forth thine hand now and touch all that he hath and he will curse thee to thy face But we must testifie our love toward him that we can love him when he chasteneth us and beare the crosse patiently whatsoever hee shall lay upon us and looke for deliverance from him alone And so much the rather because he chasteneth in love toward us and if we endure chastisement Heb. 12.7 God offereth himselfe to us as unto children Heb. 12.7 especially considering hee doth it evermore for our good And if his chastisements proceed from love why should they not worke the same in them that are chastened we have had the fathers of our bodies which corrected us oftentimes for their pleasure and yet we gave them reverence shall wee not then much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live who chasteneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse Lastly The seventh signe wee must come out from the society and company of evill men and have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse If wee delight as much in the company of the ungodly as of the godly of the children of the Devill as of Gods we are become one body with them we cannot be assured that we are Gods Children but he that is their Father is become our Father and he that ruleth in them ruleth in us also This note not onely giveth light to our selves but holdeth out the candle to others to know whose wee are and to whom we belong Psal 16.3 15.4 If our greatest delight bee in the Saints we are also ourselves in the number of the Saints and if we honour them that feare the Lord it is an evident token our selves feare him and that a vile person is contemned of us But if wee bee never more merry then with them whose conversation would make us sorry and sigh if the zeale of Gods glory were before our eyes how can we assure our hearts that God is our Father seeing his enemies are our greatest friends and best welcome unto us This doth the Apostle teach at large 2 Cor. 6. who upon the promise that God will be a Father unto us and we shall bee his Sonnes and Daughters concludeth 2 Cor. 6.17 18. Be not therefore unequally yoaked with Infidels what fellowship is there betweene righteousnesse and unrighteousnesse betweene Christ and Belial wherefore come out from among them and separate from them and touch no uncleane thing and I will receive you But it may be said Obiect What needeth this separation to be urged so hotly unto us that live not among any Infidels mingled pell
this Iam. 1.18 Of his owne will begate he us with the Word of Truth And Paul to like purpose Hee hath opened to us the mystery of his Will and hath made us accepted in his Beloved Ephes 1.6 Phil. 2.13 according to his rich grace And elsewhere It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure This will further appeare to be the first mover that setteth forward the other second causes For our whole salvation proceedeth from the grace of God as election Christ himselfe vocation faith justification regeneration love good workes conversion of sinners the finall perseverance of the Saints and eternall glorification Even as the body and branches of the tree issue from the root so is the good pleasure of God the root out of which all these blessings grow which in due time we partake Let us see this better by induction of particulars No man can bee saved and obtaine eternal life except he be predestinated chosen unto it For the Kingdome is not given but to such for whom it is prepared Matth. 25.34 20.23 Ephes 1.4 Matth. 25.34 20.23 but this is done according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1.4 No man could be saved except Christ Iesus had come and had satisfied the wrath of his Father for the sinnes of the world Acts 4.12 for there is no other name under Heaven whereby we can be saved But this benefit proceedeth from the grace of God Ioh. 3.16 and his everlasting love toward us Ioh. 3.16 For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne for all that beleeve in him There is none saved that is come to yeeres of discretion except he be effectually called to Christ and his Gospell but whence commeth this but from his grace for he hath called us with an holy calling according to his owne purpose 2 Tim. 1.9 Gal. 1.15 which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1.9 No man is saved except he have faith and beleeve in Christ for the Just shall live by his faith Hab. 2.4 Heb. 11.6 and without it It is unpossible to please God and whatsoever is not of faith is sinne But from whence have wee faith it is by grace Ephes 2.8 Ephes 2. By grace yee are saved through faith it is the gift of God No man can be saved except also he be justified Psal 34.15 for the eyes of the Lord are over the iust but the face of the Lord is upon the evill to root out the remembrance of them from the earth Psal 34. Now whence is this but from his free grace Rom. 3.24 We are iustified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24 No man can bee saved except he be regenerated and sanctified by the holy Spirit for except a man be borne againe of water and the holy Ghost he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God Ioh. 3.3 Joh. 3.3 But whence is this also but from grace that we should be holy and without blame before him Ephes 1.4 5. Tit. 2.11 12. 1 Cor. 16.14 22. Ephes 1.4 5. Tit. 2.11 12 No man can bee saved without love toward God and our neighbour 1 Cor. 16.14 For he that loveth not the brethren abideth in death 1 Joh. 3.14 1 Ioh. 3.14 4.7 19. But this love proceedeth from grace for love is God 1 Ioh. 4.7 19. and we love him because he loved us first No man can bee saved without bringing forth good workes Ephes 2.10 and walking in them for wee are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good workes which God hath ordained that we should walke in them But this commeth from his grace who hath promised to give us his Spirit Ezek. 36. Ezek. 36.27 I will cause them to walke in my wayes No man can be saved without remission of sinnes for in many things wee all offend daily Jam. 3.2 Iam. 3.2 Ephes 2.7 Esay 43.25 but this is from grace Ephes 2.7 Esay 43.25 No man can bee saved except hee persevere and continue in faith in good workes and in all Christian duties for hee that continueth unto the end shall be saved Matth. 24.13 Matth. 24.13 but when the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse and committeth iniquity all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not bee mentioned but in his sinne that he hath sinned he shall die Ezek. 18.24 Ezek. 18.24 Now whence is this that we stand fast Is it from our selves No it is from his grace who will give them an heart to feare him for ever Ier. 32.39 Phil. 1.6 that they shall not depart from him Jer. 32.39 40. Phil. 1.6 Lastly no man can be saved without eternall life for what is our salvation but our glorification now this is also of grace for here Christ saith It is the good pleasure of our heavenly Father to give us the Kingdome and the Apostle elsewhere Eternall life is the gift of God Rom. Rom. 6.23 6.23 The reasons first Reas 1 because God will have the praise of all his workes Ephes 1.11 12. Ephes 1.11 12. Rom. 11.36 All things are from him and through him and for him To him be rendred all glory for ever Rom. 11.36 But if our salvation were any way of our selves that we did part stakes with him in the grace there were reason wee should also share with him in the glory Hence it is that the Apostle saith Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God Secondly grace otherwise were no grace at all and salvation were not of his good pleasure but of our owne good pleasure For grace is not grace except it be every way gracious or free Rom. 11.6 Rom. 11.6 If it bee of grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace were no more grace but if it be of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke Thus the Apostle reasoneth from the contrary Thirdly God oweth nothing to any man neither taketh he ought of any man so that hee may give or not give what when where to whom and how much it pleaseth him being independant upon any creature and free from all obligation which might binde him to any of them He hath absolute right and jurisdiction over all men as the Potter hath over his clay Hee may doe with his owne what he please and who shall say unto him Iob 9.12 Rom. 9.20 Esay 10.15 45.9 What doest thou Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it Why hast thou made me thus Shall the clay say to him that fashioned it What makest thou Shall the Sonne say to the Father What begettest thou or to the Woman What hast thou brought forth Shall the Axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therewith Ier. 18.6 Or shall the Saw magnifie it selfe against him that shaketh it As if
are truly turned unto God True it is repentance taketh not away all fayling and falling neither freeth us from all sliding and slipping of the foot and albeit we stumble and fall we walke not from God but toward him and rise againe The penitent person is like to a man that walketh up an high hill though he have many fals slips yet still he is said to go up the hil because his face is toward the top of the hil nay his falles make him more wary and heedfull so it is with the faithfull he may take a fall The faithfull make profit by their falles with the fall defile himselfe yet he taketh profit by it and becommeth more circumspect and every fall helpeth him one step toward the kingdome of heaven Thirdly marke how repentance changeth us and altereth our hearts from time to time how sinne weakneth decayeth and dieth in us on the other side how grace and Godlinesse encrease and strengthen in us Philem. 10.11 and how we grow in love with righteousnesse that we may say as Paul doth of Onesimus once unprofitable now profitable and of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified But if we find no steppes no degrees or proceedings in good things we may justly suspect our selues that we are not yet truly turned This is a certaine and infallible rule repentance and continuance in sinne in our old wicked courses cannot possibly stand together Lastly whether it have wrought a through change in us 1 Thess 5.23 2 Cor. 7.1 that our spirit and soule and body be presented blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Many content themselves to give the halfe turne like Agrippa Act. 26. These turne up and downe as the dore upon the hinges so these are here and there but it is in their sinne and are as farre from God as before Or they turne from sinne as Lots wife did go out of Sodome she went forward for a while but shee had an eye still looking backe toward Sodome Or else they turne as the wheele that ever is in motion but at night it abideth where it was before for they are ever the same men their turning is without turning they are alwayes the same without any change 9 Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger thas we perish not In these words we have the reason wherefore they fasted prayed and repented It is not a speech of infidelity for then it should not be said before they beleeved and doubtlesse they would here have concluded God will not returne though we returne to him and he will not repent of the evill threatned though we repent of our evill practises and if they had fallen into utter desperation they would not have cryed at all unto God much lesse mightily as they are commanded to do This verse containeth three things feeling feare and faith First a feeling or sense of sinne Secondly a feare of judgement Thirdly hope of deliverance It is to be supposed that albeit they doubted of the issue of the sentence as a thunder-bolt throwne out against them yet not of the favour of God toward them neither of his receiving of them to mercy in the next life albeit they should perish according to the flesh yet their soules should be saved in the day of the Lord. For if they had beene overthrowne and destroyed though it had been with fire and brimstone from heaven as Sodome and Gomorrah were yet had it beene no argument of their eternall condemnation and dying out of Gods favour because punishment suffered cannot prove a man to be rejected no more then it did Moses who never came into the land of promise because he had provoked God to wrath Numb 20.12 and sanctifie him not in the eyes of the children of Israel Besides no man can be eternally condemned which hath truly repented he may be chastised but he cannot be accursed So then here was faith and feare mingled together in the same persons as it were wine and water in one vessell A true faith but a little and weake faith which they found and felt in themselues like the father of the possessed who professed his faith but withall confessed the weaknesse of his faith Mark 9. Lord I beleeue helpe thou mine unbeleefe Mark 9.24 Math. 6.30 and 8.26 and 14.31 Rom. 4.19 2 Cor. 10.15 Rom. 4.20 Col. 1.23 and 2.7.5 Heb. 10.27 Act. 6.5.8 There are degrees of faith a little faith a doubting faith a weake faith the Apostle also speaketh of an encreasing faith 2 Cor. 10 We read of a strong faith Rom. 4.20 of growing in faith 2 Thess 1.3 Or of abounding in faith 2 Cor. 8.7 of a faith grounded and setled Col. 1.23 rooted built up and established chap. 2.7 of the stedfastnes of faith 5. of the assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 and of the fulnesse of faith Act. 6.5.8 But whatsoever titles it hath the strongest faith and deepest rooted is mingled with doubtfulnesse like the ayre overcast with cloudes or a ship beaten with stormes and tempestes Luk. 22. Such was the faith of these Ninevites doubting but not despairing shaken but not cast downe tossed with waues but not suffering shipwracke because as they feared his judgements so they hoped for his mercies and beleeved that their sinnes were pardonable which is the first step and degree of faith This was in the Prodigall sonne when he resolved to goe to his father Luk. 15.18 and confesse he had sinned against heaven and against him and was no more worthy to be called his sonne when as yet he felt not his offences already pardoned This was in the Ninevites in this place The meaning of the words they conceive a good hope of God albeit he threatned them and beleeve that his wrath may be appeased when they say Who can tell if God will returne and therefore some doubting was joyned with it as Ioel. 2.14 Ioel. 2.14 Who knoweth if he will returne and leave a blessing behind him 2 Sam. 12.22 and 2 Sam. 12.22 Who can tell whether God will have mercy on me that the child mâ—y live So likewise Ester Ester 4.14 4.14 Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time as this So then this phrase is used in matters not fully certaine and manifest unto them but in such as are doubtfull Object Againe when the Prophet saith God will repent the question may be asked how repentance can agree to God Tit. 1.2 who is by nature unchangable and cannot lye Tit. 1.2 Especially considering we find Scripture to affirme 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lye nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent 1 Sam 15.29 yet before it was said it repented him that he had set up Saul to be king how are these things to be
them the lesse sorry they were for themselues These are like drunken men that dread nothing because all their wit is gone to discerne of danger or like little children that feare not the fire till they be burned Pro. 20.11 nor the candle till they be singed with it As Pro. 20.11 even a child is knowne by his doings whether his worke be pure and whether it be right Lastly it behoveth us to examine our owne hearts The trials of a true faith whether we have true faith or not But how shall we try and prove our selues let these be the trials First if our faith be not fruitlesse and barren but worke in us love and hatred joy and greefe hope and feare If this faith be in us it will make us that we shall not be idle or unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ It will make to a â—ound in us both the love of God and our brethren and of good things and the hatred of evill both joy to see Religion florish and greeve to see God dishonoured both hope of everlasting life and feare to offend the everliving God That faith which swimmeth in the braine descendeth not to the bottome of the heart is no found faith but in shew and shadow onely a dead and counterfeite fâ—ith Secondly it is sound if it make us stand in feare of his judgments executed upon others like children that shake and quiver when the father correcteth any of their brethren nay of the seruants of the house so it is with the children of God they feare and lay it to heart when he chasteneth his Church or any of his own people nay the ungodly and prophane persons of the world they by and by looke upon themselues and examine their own wayes to see whether they be not guilty of the same sinnes 2 Sam. 6.6.7.9 This appeareth in David when the Lord in his anger smote Vzzah for his errour that he died by the Arke of God because he put forth his hand and tooke hold of it when the Oxen shooke it be feared God exceedingly that day What did he nor feare the Lord before Yes doubtlesse but exceedingly at that time when he saw a visible example of his wrath before his eyes and this also made him say Psal 19.120 my flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy judgment This the Evangelist sheweth Act. 5. when Ananias and Sapphâ—ra were suddainly smittendown with suddaine death Act. 5.11 feare came upon the whole Church and upon all thâ—se that heard of it If it be the property of the child of God to tremble at his word Esay 66.2 Esay 66. as the heart of Iosiâ—h melted for feare at the hearing of the Iaâ—v 2 King 22. Because a reproofe entreth more into a wise man then an hundred stripes into a Foole Pro. 17. Pro. 17.10 how much more at his rods at his scourges and at the drawing and shaking of his glittering sword when his hand layeth hold on judgment like the child at the sight of his fathers rod So the Prophet Hab. 3.2 16. when he heard of the judgments of the Lord was afraid his belly trembled his lippes quivered at the voice rottennesse entred into his bones and he trembled in himselfe This feare of Gods anger is a worke of grace in the heart Thirdly if the feare of his judgments be an effectuall meanes preventing in us the feeling of them They that feare most now shall have least cause to feare hereafter and contrary wise such as feare least now when they are called to feare shall be suddainly overtaken with feare hereafter when they can neither prevent it nor avoid it Fourthly we may try the truth and efficacy of our faith if we can beleeve God on his bare word although we see not the performance thereof neither any appearance or likelihood thereof This we must consider in two respectes both of his promises and of his threatnings Touching his promises when we dare trust him on his bare word for the performance of them We say of some men we will trust them no farther then we see them or have some earnest pledge or pawne from them howbeit we must not deale so with God this is as much as not to trust him at all but our owne eyes and to trust our owne pawne not him But for us to trust him 2 Cor. 5.7 when he seemeth to go from his owne word or against his word even deny himselfe this is assuredly a true faith Thus it was with Abrahram when the Lord bad him kill his sonne his onely sonne even Isaac the sonne of promise by whom he looked to have issue in number as the Starres of heaven and as the sand by the Sea-shore he accounted that God was able to raise him up even from the dead from whence also he received him in a figure So it was with Iob H. b. 1.29 we must beleeve that God will save us even when he seemeth to goe about to destroy us Iob. 13.15 Thus we are taught to beleeve that he loveth us when he chasteneth us and frowneth upon us and maketh little shew of love toward us we must beleeve that he remembreth us when he seemeth to forget us Esay 49.4.15.16 And touching his threatnings we must beleeve them before they come The threatnings of God are manifold and evident The soule that sinneth Ezek. 18.5 Psal 68.21 shall dy the death Ezek. 18.5 and Psal 68. The Lord will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalpe of every one that goeth on obstinately in his sinnes But because we see it not presently instantly and immediatly performed the ungodly put farre from them the evill day and they live merrily and pleasantly thereby seeming to escape the scourge here Eccl. 8.11 as Eccl. 8. Because sentence against an evil worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill These thinke God will be better then his word and that these threatnings are spoken onely to fray and affright men as scare-crowes do birdes to keepe them in awe not to bring them to ruine and destruction What are these but infidels who cannot beleeve that God will doe that which they see him not to do presently Here then is the worke of faith to beleeve that which may seeme to carry no likelihood of comming to passe remembring what Salomon saith Though the wicked live an hundred yeares and passe them all ouer in pleasure yet I know it shal not go wel with the wicked Eccl. 8.13 neither shall he prolong his dayes which are as a shadow because he feareth not before God The heathen do account it a point of mans misery above all other creatures that he alone is vexed with care and feare for the future but I account it a point of mans excellency and eminency above other creatures and of true Christians above
particular parts thereof in order as they lye And first there is propounded in the parable the greatnesse of Gods patience waiting long for fruit the first the second and the third yeere Some read the words by warrant of an ancient coppy after this manner Behold there are three yeeres since the time I come c. and thus also the vulgar Edition readeth the place Whereby it may appeare that this communication was had in the beginning of the fourth yeare after the baptisme of Christ And albeit he speake in the time present I come Doct. yet he meaneth he came in the time past or I am wont and accustomed to come God is very patient as Math. 26.23 From hence we learne that the favour of God to his Church his patience is great infinite he is not easily moved nor quickly provoked He is of much patience even toward them that obey not much more toward his deare children he is of a forbearing nature and will not poure out all his wrath neither execute his justice upon offenders so soone as they deserve it He expecteth many dayes moneths and yeares for the conuersion of sinners Esay 65.2.3 48.9 he spreadeth out his hand all the day long unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way that is not good c. Ier. 35.15 Math. 22. a people that procureth me to anger continually to my face and chap. 4.8 for my names sake will I deferre mine anger and for my praise will I refraine for thee that I cut thee not off His patience is so great that it exceedâ—th the height of heaven Psal 103.11.13 and goeth beyond the love of women We see it in the old world nay we need not seeke farâ—e to prove it nor goe out of our selves we have all good experience thereof The reasons are plaine Reasons 1 Sometimes to the inten this enemies should not thereby take occasion to blaspheme his name which is holy throughout all generations as Deut. 32. I said I would scatter them into corners Deut. 32.26.27 I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemie lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely and should say Our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this Hence it is also that Moses groundeth his prayer upon such a point as this Exod. 32. Exod. 32.11 Why doth thy wrath waxe hote against thy people which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand Numb 14.13.14 wherefore should the Egyptians speake and say for mischiefe did he bring them out to slay them from the mountaines and to consume them from the face of the earth and againe in an another place Then the Egyptians shal heare it and they will tel it to the inhabitants of this land c. Secondly are not we the workmanship of God he knoweth our weaknesse that we are nothing but dust and ashes neither able to answer him one of a thousand he considereth whereof we are made he remembereth that we are but flesh Psal 103.14 yea as a wind that suddenly passeth away as Psal 103. So the Prophet Esay speaketh chap. 57. I will not contend for ever Esay 57.16 neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made Thus God rejoyceth not to be alwayes smiting in regard of our enemies lest they should insult over the Church and in regard of our owne frame and frailty lest we should be consumed and come to nothing First Vse 1 therefore take notice how the Lord exerciseth his patience toward his servants which he doth divers wayes first he powreth not out all his wrath he proceedeth by steppes and degrees Hab. 3.2 and when his people pray unto him in judgement he remembreth mercy Or else wee should immediatly be consumed Heb. 12.29 for why our God is a consuming fire Math. 17.5 Secondly he sent a Saviour and redeemer as a remedy of our sinnes in whom he is well pleased and he hath appeased the wrath of his father 1 Ioh. 2.1 1.7 Ioh. 3.16 for we have an advocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous his blood clenseth us from all sinne Is it then any marvell if God be patient toward his people and do not keepe his anger for ever Esay 65.1 Thirdly he sendeth to his enemies an Ambassage of peace before they seeke to him and is found of them that never asked for him he setteth up his ordinances among them Psal 147.19.20 as meanes to reclaime them for he sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgments they have not knowne them Hence it is that he hath committed the word of reconciliation to his Ministers who as the ambassadours of Christ beseech us to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Fourthly he is infinitly patient in that he putteth off the day of judgment to so long a day 2 Pet. 3.9 as 2 Peter 3. the Lord is not slacke of his comming but is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Secondly is his kindnesse great then blessed are they that belong to him who have the God of Iacob for their refuge because his mercy is endlesse and his compassion infinite Such shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty happy are they that put their trust in him as Iam. Iam. 5.11 5. Behold we count them happy that endure we have seene the end of the Lord for he is very pitifull and mercifull Lastly it putteth us in minde of sundry good duties both toward God and toward one another First to seeke the Lord with a steadfast faith because we deale not with one that stoppeth his eares against us but heareth the cryes of his servants helpeth them This the Prophet presseth Amos. 5. Seeke the Lord and ye shall live Amos. 5.6.14.15 seeke good and not evill c it may be that the Lord God of hostes will be gratious unto the remnant of Ioseph The ungodly haue no promise of his patience who hate the good and love the evill Secondly it behoveth us to repent us of our sinnes withall our hearts and that betimes For albeit he be patient yet he is also just and therefore we may not dreame of such a patience as shall destroy his justice Mockers at Gods judgments This reproveth such as make a mocke of his threatnings and feare them no longer then they are upon them The Lord threatned the Egyptians to raine downe a very grievous haile upon man and beast Exod. 9. and willed them not to abide abroad in the field but what followed Gen. 19.15 he that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh
speake aright and repent him of his wickednesse saying what have I done This reproveth the boldnesse and rashnesse of such as dare take upon them to enter into the secrets of God Vse 1 without any warrant or commission from him 2 Sam. 6.19 as they that adventured to pry into the Arke were punished 1 Sam. 6. so such as presume to read what is written in the booke of life and presume to open the booke that is clasped and sealed with many seales may happily never finde their owne names registred therein For the farther reproofe of such as dare pronounce the sentence of damnation upon any and judge others reprobates and the directing of our selves herein let us observe these few rules for the cleering of the point and the keeping of us in the meane betweene two extremes Deut. 29.29 First it is a good rule which Moses giveth The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever that we may doe all the words of this law But the sentence of reprobation is one of the secrets of God or rather the secret of secrets the most hidden secret of all the rest Secondly it is noted of charity it thinketh no evill 1 Cro. 13.5.7 it beleeveth all things it hopeth all things it endureth all things Such then as despaire of the conversion of others doe plainely declare they are destitute of love which covereth a multitude of sinnes Thirdly we must notwithstanding learne the great folly of many men in the world that build awry or amisse upon a good foundation For seing we must not be as men without hope of Salvation of others much lesse of our selves we see how diverse are deceived that give an easie passage entrance to commit sinne till they be so caught and intangled yea so enwrapped and fettered with it as a fowle in a snare or as a prisoner in chaines that they cannot easily breake it off againe neither ridde themselves of it as the wise Salomon speaketh of the strange woman Pro. 2. Pro. 2.19 None that goe unto her returne againe neither take they hold of the pathes of life True it is this is an excessive and hyperbolicall speech often used in Scripture as Esay 59 4. 64.7 Ier. 8.6 and sundry examples teach the same 2 Sam. 12.13 1 Cor. 6.11 Heb. 11.31.32 Iam. 2.25 But the meaning is few come to repentance to reforme themselves or take a better course of life that they might be saved And this is another folly of the sinner who being rebuked and threatned for sinne doe by and by answer Tush we can leave sinne when we list we will repent at leysure and helpe all But Salomon will teach these fooles that few or none compassed with the continuall practise of sinne amend their wayes Pro. 6.22.27 but goe as the Oxe to the slaughter or as a foole to the correction of the stockes because they have set themselves in the way to hell Ier. 13.23 going downe to the Chambers of death For custome is as strong as nature or rather much stronger It is as the Ethiopians skin and the Leopards spotts which cannot be changed It is hard for a man to forget his naturall language and his mother tongue but it is harder for the sinner to forsake his sinfull course For a man by nature or birth is indifferent to any language and inclined to no one more then to another because he hath it by hearing and imitation of others as appeareth in such as are borne deafe but we doe not only sucke in sinne with the mothers milke but as the Prophet confesseth Psal 51.5 We were shapen in iniquitie and in sinne did our mothers conceive us which is a great deale more then can be spoken of the language which we learne in our youth Besides it is a great pollicy of Satan to cover his purpose at the first as the fisher doth the hooke to deceive us the sooner he beginneth with lesser sinnes until he have wrapped us in the greater and our consciences be hardned and as it were seared with an hote iron Fourthly A tvvo fold favour of God to the sinner this sheweth the wonderfull love and favour of God which he vouchsafeth to any both when he preventeth sinne that we doe not fall into it and when he breaketh off the course of it when we are overtaken with it This is a twofold grace We are by nature prone to sin and ready to yeeld to every tentation as we see in Peter that denied his Master at the word of a seely damsell when therefore the Lord putteth his hand under us and stayeth us up that we doe not stumble and fall is not this a wonderfull grace to keepe us from sinning against him and wounding our owne soules As this is a great blessing so the other is yet greater to pull us out of the snare when we have one foot in hell as it is a greater worke to stay a man that is running downe a steepe hill then to perswade him not to runne at all The truth of both these we see in David a man after Gods owne heart for when he was purposed to shed blood 1 Sam. 25.22.33 and to destroy all that pertained to Nabal by the morning light he blessed God that had kept him from comming to shed blood and from avenging himselfe with his owne hand Loe here the preventing grace of God to stay him that was running and making haste to commit sinne Againe when he had given himselfe over to commit one sinne after another Luc. 11.22 as it were to adde drunkennesse unto thirst the strong man bagan to possesse the house but a stronger then he came and overcame him and tooke from him all his armour wherein he trusted and so recovered him out of the snare of the Devil which he laid to entrap him He had as much as lay in him cast himselfe into the mouth of the roaring Lyon that gapeth after his prey it was therefore the speciall mercy of God to reclaime and recover him out of the snare of the devill who after a sort was taken captive by him at his will Lastly we must labour that sinne may not raigne in our mortall bodies For albeit we cannot be without sinne because we carry about the flesh yet we must take heed it exercise not a kingdome in us it hath an easie entrance an easie continuance but it is hard to get out and to ridde our selves from the tyranny thereof as we may see in Esau Gen. 26. in Saul 1 Sam. 14 15. and in Iudas who passed from one degree to another till at last they filled up the measure of their sinne It is an easie matter to pull up the bankes and throw downe the walles whereby as by fenses or bulwarkes the sea is kept out from overflowing the land and so to let in the water but it
I will not answer the prayer of the wicked is abominable And Ioh. 9.31 We know that God heareth not sinners Ioh. 9.31 but if any man be a Worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Thus James speaketh Chap. 4. Iam. 4.3 Yee aske and receive not because yee aske amisse that ye may consume it upon your lusts So Christ himselfe teacheth This people draweth neere to me with their mouthes Matth. 15.8 9. and honour me with their lips but their heart is farre from mee in vaine doe they worship me And the Prophet long before When yee spread forth your hands Esay 1.11 12 15. I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not heare These and such like places comming every where to hand are so many threatnings and watchwords and must be our continuall study and meditation whensoever we goe to prayer to awake us and rowze us up to come unto God as to a Father with the more reverence and godly feare and to assure us that if we take not good heed we may tread in his Courts and appeare in his presence and yet receive no gracious answer from him because we doe no other nor no better then take his name in vaine Secondly hence proceed sundry instructions to sundry duties which we may referre to these heads Our duty to God learned out of this Title some belonging to God some to our selves and some to our brethren Touching God it leadeth us as it were by the hand to honour reverence and obey him as Children doe their earthly Parents Ephes 6.1 2. This the Prophet Malachi teacheth Mal. 1.6 1 Pet. 1.14 15 16 17. Chap. 1. A Sonne honoureth his Father and a Servant his Master If then I be a Father where is mine honour and if I be a Master where is my feare saith the Lord of Hosts And if wee take his name in our mouthes and call him Father let us not fashion our selves according to the former lusts but passe the time of our sojourning here in feare and as he that calleth us is holy so let us be holy in all manner of conversation because it is written Be yee holy for I am holy If then we beleeve God to be our Father in Christ Iesus we must as good and obedient Children submit our selves to his holy Will and pleasure Hee that doth the Will of the Father that is in Heaven he is the Childe of God and every one that calleth him Father Ioh. 4.44 he that doth the will of the Devill is the childe of the Devill Ioh. 8. For know ye not that to whomsoever yee give your selves as servants to obey his servants yee are to whom yee obey Rom. 6.16 whether it bee of sinne unto death or of obedience unto righteousnesse It is a grievous and heavy charge to have it said to us as Christ doth to the Iewes Yee are of your father the Devill But doe we thinke that this charge lyeth heavy upon them alone or that they onely may justly bee upbraided with this reproach Nay doubtlesse all such as follow their steps must be content to beare and borrow the same name If then this saying fall fully upon us Obiect woe unto us But now how may wee know whether we be the Children of God or not for all will lay claime unto it alike even the children of the Devill will usurpe it wherein then lyeth the difference I answer Answ We shall know it by these particulars First if we labour to know his will How to knovv whether vve be Gods Children which is the groundworke of the doing thereof First we regard not to know it how or when shall we practise and performe it Hee that hath not as yet laid the foundation when will he set up the rest of the building Hence it is that Christ saith Ioh. 13.17 If yee know these things happy are ye Ioh. 13 1â— if yee doe them The Sonne and Heire will search and know the Will and Testament of his earthly Father that he may not be ignorant what is left unto him So ought we to doe we must be alwaies looking into the Will of our Heavenly Father that we may know what is befallen us and what is acceptable in his sight This is one evident signe of our adoption Secondly The second signe Psal 119.6 if wee labour to please him in all things and have respect to all his Commandements If wee regard his will in some things but displease and despise him and dispence with our selves in the rest he hath no respect to us neither to our obedience For this is not the obedience of Sonnes but rather to serve two Fathers Matth. 6.24 while wee love the one we hate the other and while wee cleave to the one we neglect the other and therefore God will not be a Father to such Thirdly The third signe wee must feare to offend him because hee is a Father and loveth us and because we love his Commandements If we feare him onely because hee can and will and doth punish such as commit sinne we are rather slaves then sonnes For this is a servile feare not a child-like feare Wicked men oftentimes feare to offend but it is onely or chiefely for feare of punishment Rom. 8.15 which proceedeth from the spirit of bondage that ingendreth feare not from the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Rom. 8.15 The godly feare to offend because they love God and his Lawes and they know hee loveth them againe they know he is ready to forgive and not to powre out all his wrath and therefore they feare him Fourthly if we unfainedly take God for our Father The fourth signe Psal 119.136 we must be greatly grieved when by sinne wee displease him or see others displease him and transgresse his Commandements No other crosse or calamity should goe so neere us as to dishonour and disobey him No losse of friends so great as to lose his favour No want so great as to want his love and protection and the light of his countenance The greatest griefe that possessed the Prodigall Sonne was this that he had offended his loving Father by sinning against him Luke 15.20 this strooke him more to the heart then the wasting of his wealth and that he began to be pinched with poverty This was the beginning of his repentance and of his comming to himselfe And as it was with him so it must be with us also This must bee our griefe and hereby we must shew our repentance The fifth signe Fiftly we may not nay we will not nor cannot be silent when wee heare the holy Name of God dishonoured His love hath so ravished our hearts Cant. 5.8 that we are even sicke of love it is such a fire kindled in our brests that much water cannot quench it for albeit wee would hide it it cannot be smothered and though
ought so much the more to be magnified if we consider what we are by nature to wit the children of wrath the heires of damnation the sonnes of Satan the servants of sinne so that wee may say not onely with Abraham Gen. 18.27 Luke 15.21 I am but dust and ashes but with the Prodigall Sonne I am not worthy to be called thy Sonne For what are we from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot but a very lumpe of sinne and corruption It is by grace and adoption that we are made the Brethren of Christ and fellow-heires with him and not much inferiour to the very Angels in Heaven Psal 8. Secondly in that God professeth himselfe a Father of all the faithfull observe that with him there is no accepting of persons Acts 11.36 Iob 34.19 Gal. 2.6 The poore man hath as great right and interest in Gods Kingdome and in this Title to call him Father as the rich man whose corne and cattell is encreased whose wine and oyle is multiplyed The weake brother may comfort himselfe herein knowing that God is a Father to him as well as he was to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to David to Peter or to Paul As all the Faithfull have obtained like precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 so have all of them a like or equall right in this Father-hood the low as well as high the poore as well as rich the simple as well as wise the bond as well as free are allowed and warranted to speak to him as to a Father as we are also taught in the Lords prayer which is a perfect platforme for all to use that come before him For there is neither Jew nor Gentile Gal. 3.28 Col. 3.11 male nor female circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian but Christ is all and in all and they have interest in him alike who shed his blood as well for the one as for the other and paid the same price for them all And thus it shall be at the last Day when no outward thing shall commend us to God neither birth nor blood neither learning nor riches neither great revenues nor golden crownes nor large Kingdomes none of these shall helpe no not the outward calling of a Christian if there be no more in us Let us therefore comfort our selves in this that the love of God is as great toward us as to those that are greater in the world True it is all men have not neither can have free accesse into the presence of Kings and Princes to stand before them and to heare their voice but all men even of low degree have liberty to come into the presence of Almighty God to heare his Word which is his voice nay they are called and invited unto it All men have not liberty to sit downe at the Table of great Personages howbeit God admitteth all true beleevers and penitent persons though never so poore to sit at his Table and to partake of his Supper yea they are the guests that he inviteth and entertaineth and welcommeth he will suppe with them and they shall suppe with him Thirdly from hence we have assurance that God will accept of our service and obedience albeit it bee maimed and unperfect and many waies defective The father that commandeth his childe to serve him albeit he faile oftentimes in the manner of doing yet when he beholdeth his care and endeavour to please him he praiseth his doing and passeth by his misdoing as if he saw it not so it is with God he requireth at our hands to obey him and albeit we faile and offend many waies in our obedience yet when he seeth a ready and willing minde 2 Cor. 8.12 and an unfained desire in us to doe our duty he accepteth us according to that we have and not according to that we have not Psal 203.13 This the Prophet teacheth He pittieth them that feare him no lesse then a Father doth his Children Doth the Father accept of nothing but that which is on every side perfect and every way absolute Yes he commendeth the heart when the foot halteth so God accepteth of our sincerity even when it is mingled with much infirmity This the Prophet Malachi witnesseth Chap. 3.17 They shall be mine Mal. 3.17 saith the Lord of Hosts in the Day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serveth him This serveth as a great encouragement to us to cause us to serve him and to put forth all our strength and utmost endeavour to doe his will Lastly he will not cast away any of the faithfull finally and for ever neither shall any fall away from his favour True it is they may many waies fall but they shall rise againe Mic. 7.8 he may chastise them with the rods of men but his mercy he will never take away from them neither purposeth hee to cast them away utterly out of his sight He may suffer them to be winnowed Esay 54.8 Luk. 22.31 32. as men winnow wheat but he hath prayed for them that their faith shall not fully nor finally faile as Christ our Saviour speaketh unto Peter Luk. 22.31 32 Your Father The second point in the promise is the application Christ Iesus contenteth not himselfe to say It is the Fathers pleasure but your Fathers as when we pray we are taught to say Our Father Neither doth the reason run in this manner It is my Fathers pleasure as he might have spoken as indeed sometimes hee speaketh and as the Scripture calleth him the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ioh. 20.17 but to set the better edge upon it and to make it pierce the deeper he saith It is your Fathers good pleasure Ephes 1.3 It is not enough to beleeve that God is the Father of Christ or the Father of the Church but we must further beleeve that he is our Father and every one for his part must say He is my Father It is a matter of knowledge onely to confesse him a Father but it is a matter of faith to confesse him to be our Father Doct. 8 This teacheth that it is a duty belonging to the faithfull to apply the promises of God to themselves particularly as Ier. 3.19 Thou shalt call me Ier. 3.19 My Father and shalt not turne away from me Christ also sendeth Mary to his Brethren to say unto them Ioh. 20.17 28. I ascend unto my Father and to your Father to my God and to your God Ioh. 20. This was the confession and application of Thomas Luke 1.47 Gal. 2.20 My Lord and my God This was the faith of the blessed Virgin My spirit reioyceth in God my Saviour Even so the Apostle Gal. 2.20 The Sonne of God who liveth in me loved me and gave himselfe for me It must bee thus with every soule in particular not onely to say Christ is the beloved Sonne of the Father but as it was with the
desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat If then we finde and feele these assaults these tentations these buffettings it is a plaine proofe that we have received faith which maketh the Devill so earnest and diligent to interrupt us and intercept us Secondly if we have faith applying the promises it will purge the heart and mortifie the corruptions thereof the death of Christ crucifieth the flesh and all worldly lusts our best beloved sinnes our dearest sinnes and most desired and those whereunto we are most enclined and wherewith wee are most infected as most consonant and agreeable to our corrupt natures This is one infallible token that we are true beleevers and this rule is taken out of the words of Peter Acts 15.9 Gal. 5.6 Hee put no difference betweene Jewes and Gentiles purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15. which worketh by love Gal. 5. Thirdly Christ giveth himselfe to the beleever so that his holinesse belongeth to him Never any husband could endow his wife with such a dowry to say as Christ Iesus doth Hos 2.19 20. I will betroth them to me for ever in righteousnesse in faithfulnesse in judgement in loving kindnesse and in mercy Thus they are married to him in holinesse and they become to be the members of Christ for Christ cannot be the head of a polluted body or of defiled members As from a corrupt head proceed corrupt things to the members so from a pure and holy head which is Christ must necessarily proceed holinesse to all those that are his members The Vine cannot but communicate of his juyce or sappe to the branches There was never any that did truely apply Christ but Christ truely applyed himselfe to him againe neither was there ever any that embraced him but he likewise by and by tooke hold of him His left hand is under his head Cant. 2.6 8.3 and his right hand doth embrace him The beleever applieth Christ and Christ holdeth the beleever so that as the beleever saith I am Christs and Christ is mine so on the other side Christ saith I am the beleevers and the beleever is mine This application is mutuall and mysticall there is a double worke in it one is of the beleever the other of Christ A man layeth hold upon a staffe that he carrieth in his hand to stay himselfe up from falling but the staffe cannot lay hold upon him againe Or a man claspeth and embraceth the tree with both his armes but the tree cannot embrace him againe but it is not so betweene Christ and the true beleever we hold him fast but he holdeth us faster and giveth unto us of his holinesse even grace for grace even as the childe holdeth the Father fast that leadeth him howbeit the father holdeth him faster and stayeth him up from falling away from him otherwise he were every foot in danger True it is we cannot say that all our blacknesse of sinne is quite gone and removed but that we have still many spots and wrinkles wee have not yet received perfect holinesse from him The Moone receiveth all her light from the Sunne yet is not her body without some spots so it is with us though we be blacke Cant 1.5 yet he accepteth us as comely Lastly we have the true faith if we hold fast the promises and cleave close to him even then when he seemeth to frowne upon us and to be angry with us to hide his face from us and to with-hold his loving countenance as the Sunne that is hid in a cloud out of our sight We must rest upon him in time of affliction We must see hope through despaire and Heaven through Hell we must behold his mercy through his indignation yea life through death and salvation through damnation Iob 13.15 as it was with Job Though he slay me yet will I trust in him though he hide his face for a time frō us yet the bright beames of faith will shine thorow the thickest fogs and mists that arise in us Thus we may by these notes prove our faith and try the truth thereof But if these be not in us but the contrary we cannot assure our selves that we are yet come to a true faith For first of all if we live in quiet and at rest at peace and ease all our dayes without any feares doubtings wrastlings bruisings buffettings and assaults of Satan we have cause to feare we have a false faith This rule is grounded upon the Words of Christ Luke 11.21 Luke 11. When a strong man armed keepeth the Palace his goods are in peace If Satan never assault us to pull downe the buttresse and fortresse of our faith wee are at peace and league with him and hee with us and we have just cause to suspect our selves True it is there may be many doubts and tentations and yet no faith but there can be no faith where are no doubtings or tentations at all If we have faith Wheresoever there is true faith there will be doubts and tentations there will arise doubts yea albeit we have a great and a strong faith for it is not so strong but That strong man armed will try the strength thereof and so much the rather because it is ever mingled with some infidelity Such then as can cry out What a doubt touching my salvation Out upon it O it is a great sinne once to make a doubt I thanke God I never doubted any whit of my salvation since I can remember neither yet of Christ to bee mine I doubt not to pronounce of all such without any doubting at all they never knew what faith meaneth it is an evident demonstration of great and grosse infidelity Againe if sinne be living in us that there be no mortification at all 2 Cor. 7.1 no cleansing of our selves from the filthinesse of the flesh and spirit we can have no true faith It is open impiety to imagine that the death of Christ truely applied to any soule should not bee of force to kill sinne in it and therefore it is great folly to say We can rightly apply Christ and the promises of the Gospell Col. 3.3 4 5. and yet can shew never a sinne mortified in us No man is come to that height of sinne that he dareth either speake or thinke that there wanteth power in the death of Christ to kill sinne in us and therefore we must needs hold him for an unbeleever that talketh of particular application and yet hath sinne as a tyrant raigning in him Besides if Christ have not united us to himselfe in holinesse we are yet faithlesse men For he uniteth himselfe to none but he putteth holinesse in some measure into them This rule is expressed by the Apostle Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs Gal. 5.24 have crucified the flesh 2 Cor. 4.17 with the affections and lusts and are become new creatures Lastly if we rely upon God and upon his love and favour no longer then
his Sonnes with the comfortable heate thereof Seventhly 1 Iohn 4.17 we have boldnesse to lift up our heads in the Day of Judgement because as hee is so wee are in this world if we be regenerate we are partakers of the heavenly nature ready to render love for love Lastly if we say we love God as who will not say it and how many ready to sweare it and yet hate our brother 1 Iohn 4.20 5.1 we are lyers and speake not the truth for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene how can hee love God whom he hath not seene forasmuch as every one which loveth him that begate loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 All these are as so many chaines whereunto I might adde sundry other linkes to couple us together and to hold us close one to another If we breake these bands in sunder that nothing will hold us like the man distempered and distracted in the Gospel How can we have any communion with God that have no fellowship with the brethren Fiftly we all have need of patience seeing wee are assured to finde such as will be sure to exercise it and we must earnestly crave it of the God of patience For how shall we goe thorow-stitch with our profession for which we shall not onely be little esteemed but hated of all men Luke 21.19 Heb. 10.36 except we possesse our soules with patience against the contempt which all for Christs sake are subject unto in this present world We are commonly esteemed as the reffuse and off all of all others but let us keepe faith and a good conscience and then say with the holy man Job whose patience and constancy was many wayes prooved and sundry false imputations charged upon him Behold my witnesse is in Heaven Iohn 16.19 1 Cor. 4.3 and my record is on high And with the Apostle With me it is a very small thing that I should be iudged of you or of mans iudgement yea I iudge not mine owne selfe The Faithfull are Gods hidden Ones deare to him and beloved of him And as they are the members of Christ so he accounteth his body after a sort maimed and unperfect without us for He is the Head over all things to the Church Ephes 1.23 which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Eph. 1.23 where the Apostle sheweth that his body is his fulnesse Is it not a blemish and deformity in the naturall body wherein one member onely if it bee but a little finger is wanting so Christ Iesus should be unperfect as a body maimed and disfigured if any of his members should be missing which hee will not suffer to bee taken from him If at any time great men favour and respect us we passe not greatly what inferiour persons thinke of us So should it be with us concerning the matter in hand we ought to digest the disgraces and reproaches of the world more easily and with all patience considering the mighty God and Christ his Sonne and our Saviour have us in such estimation Rom. 8.31 For if God bee on our side who shall be against us Wee commonly affirme A friend in the Court is as good as a penny in the purse and we finde it so If then wee have a friend in the Court of Heaven which is the highest Court and from whence lyeth no appeale we shall not need to feare or be disquieted what man doth or can doe unto us And if we had the greatest friends that can be upon the earth what benefit can we promise to our selves by it when he that is higher then the highest is our enemy Lastly as wee are hated and shall bee hated in the world so we must learne and acknowledge that it is not lawfull to avenge our selves or to recompence and requite like for like Matth 5.44 2 Cor. 2.10 Acts. 7.59 Luke 17.3 Rom. 12.19 but we must love our enemies Matth. 5.44 and forgive them Luke 17.3.2 Cor. 2.10 and pray for them Acts 7.59 Hence it is that the Apostle teacheth Rom. 12.19 Avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. He is the Iudge of the whole world and to him it belongeth to punish and shall not the Judge of the whole world deale uprightly Gen. 18.15 He judgeth without all passion or perturbation whereas we are partiall and passionate and sometimes peevish in our owne causes It is the office of God that properly belongeth to him Psal 94.1 to revenge all our wrongs whatsoever who will more sharpely and severâ—ly right our causes then any other man can doe whereas if we be avengers of our owne private injuries wee make our selves Iudges of the earth we take upon us the perfect knowledge of all things we make our selves searchers of the heart wee wrest the sword of justice from the Magistrate nay we usurpe the office of God and make our selves to be witnesses parties and punishers in our owne matters which was never allowed in any Court where there was any colour of upright dealing and we cannot expect the Divine revenge which onely keepeth due measure and proportion betweene too much and too little Little flocke The last observation taken from the limitation added to the flocke of Christ that it is little and arising from the former interpretation is that it is said to bee little in respect of the opinion that these poore sheepe have of themselves Their hearts are not hauty neither are their eyes lofty Psal 131.1 2. neither doe they exercise themselves in great matters or in things too high for them but they behave themselves as a child that is weaned from his mother their soule is even as a weaned childe This teacheth us Doct. 6 that the faithfull are little and lowly in their owne eyes This we learne by sundry examples in the Old and New Testament Jacob an holy Patriarke saith of himselfe Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies Gen. 32.10 18.27 and of all the truth which thou hast shewed to thy servant Thus doth Abraham the Father of the faithfull confesse in his prayer I have taken upon me to speake to my Lord which am but dust and ashes Gen. 18. Ezra the learned Scribe of God was ashamed and blushed to lift up his face to God Ezra 9.6 Iob 1.1 4.3 4. 42.6 Ezra 9.6 Job a just and upright man one that feared God and eschewed evill who had none like to him in the earth answered the Lord and said I am vile what shall I answer I will lay mine hand upon my mouth once have I spoken yea twice but I will proceed no further yea I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Esay 6.6 The Prophet Esay cryeth out Woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips Chap.