with an everlasting former love not beginning at that instant discoverie thereof Vse 1 The Use heereof is first of all against those who measure Gods love and favour by their owne feeling because as God loved them before so hee loves them as well and as dearely still when he hideth his face from them as when hee suffered his loving kindnesse to shine most comfortably upon them Hee loved Christ as dearely when he hanged on the tree in torment of soule and body as hee did when he said This is my beloved sonne Mat. 3.17 in whom I am well pleased yea and when hee received him up into glory The Sunne shineth as cleerely in the darkest day as it doth in the brightest The difference is not in the Sunne but in some clouds which hinder the manifestation of the light thereof So God loveth us as well when he shineth not in the brightnesse of his countenance upon us as when he doth Iob 42.7 Iob was as much beloved of God in the middest of his miseries as he was afterwards when he came to enjoy the aboundance of his mercies I will love them freely c. The last Point which we gather from hence Observ as a speciall ground of comfort is this That this free love and favour of God is the cause of all other mercies and free favours whereby hee discovereth his love unto us 1. It is the cause of election Rom. 5.11 even so then as this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace So 2. For Vocation when the Apostle had shewed that the Ephesians were saved by Grace Ephe. 5.7 hee adds that in the ages to come hee might shew the exceeding riches of his grace In his kindnesse towards us through Christ Iesus hee afterwards sheweth when this grace began first to have being Ephe. 2.10 For wee are his workemanship created vnto good workes which God hath before ordained that wee should walke therein 3. Forgivenesse of sinnes In whom we have a redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sinns Ephe. 1.7 according to the riches of his grace So 4. For the grace of Love Wee love him 1 Joh. 4.19 because he loved us first 5. For Justification and Sanctification It is said that Christ hath loved us Rev. 1.5 why For he hath washed us from our sinnes in his owne blood and Saint Iohn saith He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father 1. Kings to fight against the world the flesh and the divell 2. Priests to teach instruct reprove and comfort our selves and others by the word of God and then to offer up the sacrifice of a broken heart in prayers and praises All comes from freedome of love 6. So every good Inclination comes hence For it is God which worketh in us Hos 5.14 Phil. 1.13 both to will and to doe of his good pleasure So 7. Every good Worke For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus unto good workes which he had before ordained that we should walke therein For by grace ye are saved saith he through faith Ephe. 2.8.10 So 8. For Eternall life the Apostle sheweth It is the gift of God Rom. 6.23 through Iesus Christ our Lord. This should teach us in the first place to bee humbled in that we are so miserable naughty servants doing so little worke nay nothing as we should yet should have so good wages 1 Cor. 4.7 Ephes 2.9 but God loves us freely c. It should rather humble us the more then puffe us up in pride in regard that there was nothing in us which might deserve any thing at Gods hand Vse 2 And hence also it followeth infallibly Ioh. 17.23 24. that if he loved us from everlasting with a free love in a sort as he loved Christ that therefore the effects of his love towards us shall never faile as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 11.29 The gifts and calling of God are without Repentance Faith and Repentance being fruits of his love wrought in us shall hold out therfore the weakenesse of these graces as they shall not hinder our salvation no more should they discourage us or hinder the comfort of our profession Because that Faith and Repentance which wee have is not any worke of ours but the worke of Gods free love in us therefore they shall bee continued and accepted For our Perseverance doth not stand in this that wee have strength in our selves to continue faithfull to God but because he out of his free love continueth faithfull to us and will never faile nor forsake them whom he hath once taken into his everlasting favour on whom hee hath set his everlasting free love as the Apostle speakes of Christ Who also shall confirme you unto the end 1 Cor. 1.8 9. that yee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ but upon what ground God is faithfull by whom wee were called unto the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. So that if any of the Elect should fall away God should be unfaithfull The case in Perseverance is not how faithfull wee are but how faithfull God is who guides us heere with his Counsell in all things Psal 73.24 and afterwards receiveth us into glory So in another place after the Apostle had prayed Now the very God of Peace Sanctifie you wholy 1 Thess 5.23 24. and I pray God your whole spirit and soule and body bee preserved blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ What maketh he the ground of this his Prayer Faithfull is hee that calleth you who also will doe it Vse 3 If then wee would have God to manifest his free love to us let us strive to be obedient to his Commandements and stirre up our hearts by all meanes to love him who hath so freely loved us Quest Now how should we manifest our love to God Answ How to manifest our love to God First in loving his Word as Psal 19. Psal 119. Secondly in loving his people 1 Ioh. 5.1 2. Thirdly in longing for and loving his second comming Revel 22.20 Now followeth the Reason of the discoverie of this free love shewed now in time to them For mine Anger is turned away from him Here is the third Branch of Gods answer to their Petition Mine Anger is turned away from him which is included and implied in the former I will heale their backsliding how could hee doe this if he were Angrie No he saith I will love them freely which argues that his anger was appeased God knoweth that variety of words and expressions are all little enough to raise up and comfort a doubting wounded galled soule which when it is touched with a sense of sinne and of his displeasure cannot heare words enough of comfort This God knowes well enough and therefore hee adds expression upon expression I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely for
iniquity for take away this and all other mercies follow after because this onely is it which stops the current of Gods favours which remooved the current of his mercies run amaine As when the clouds are gone the Sun shines out So let our sinnes bee remooved and Gods favour immediately shines upon us Therefore first Take away all iniquity and then we shall see nothing but thy Fatherly face in Christ You see what the care of Gods children is to seeke mercy and favour in the first place as David Psal 51.1 Have mercy on me O Lord this he begs first of all whereas God had threatned other terrible judgements as that the sword should never depart from his house c. yet he neglects all as it were and begs onely for mercy to take away iniquity For a sinner is never in such a blessed condition as he should be in untill he prize and desire mercy above all because though we be in misery untill then with sinfull Ephraim Hos 7.14 wee howle upon our beds for corne and wine preferring earthly sensuall things before all But that soule and conscience which is acquainted with God and the odiousnesse of sin that soule God intends to speake peace unto in the end desires pardon of sinne and mercy above all for it knowes that God is goodnesse it selfe and that when the interposing clouds are vanished God cannot shew himselfe otherwise then in goodnesse grace and mercy Take away all iniquity Quest Before I goe further let me answer one Question Ought wee not to thinke of our former sinnes shall God take them away altogether out of the soule Answ O no! Take them away out of the conscience O Lord that it doe not accuse for them but not out of the memory it is good that sinne be remembred to humbleus to make us more thankfull pitifull and tender-hearted unto others to abase us and keepe us low all the daies of our life and to make us deale gently and mercifully with others being sensible of our owne frailties As they are naught in the conscience so they are good to the memory Therefore let us thinke often of this what the chiefe desire of our soules to God should be for mercy to have sinne taken away In all the Articles of our Creed that of cheefest comfort is That of Remission of sinnes Wherefore are all the other Articles of Christ his Birth Death and Crucifying but that hee might get the Church and that the priviledges thereof might be Forgivenesse of sinnes Resurrection of the Body and life everlasting but Forgivenesse of sinnes is in the first place Quest But may some say How shall I know whether or no my sinnes be forgiven 1. By something that goes before 2. By something which followes after Answ There is somewhat which goes before viz. 1. An humble and hearty Confession as 1 Ioh. 1.9 1. By an hmble confession if wee confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse therefore whether I feele it or not if I have heartily fully and freely confessed my sins are forgiven God in wisedome and mercy may suspend the feeling thereof for our humiliation and for being over-bold with Satans baites yet I ought to beleeve it for I make God a lier else if I confesse heartily and acknowledge my debt to thinke that he hath not cancel'd the bond 2. When we finde strength against it Mat. 9.2 6. Secondly sin is certainely pardoned when a man finds strength against it for where God forgives he gives strength withall as to the man whom he healed of the Palsie Thy sinnes are forgiven thee take up thy bed and walke When a man hath strength to returne to God to run the way of his Commandements and to go on in a Christian course his sinnes are forgiven because he hath a Spirit of faith to goe on and leade him forward still Those who find no strength of grace may question forgivenesse of sins for God where he takes away sin and pardons it as we see here in this Text after prayer made to take away iniquity he doth good to us 3. Some peace of conscience The third evidence is some peace of Conscience though not much perhaps yet so much as supports us from despaire as Rom. 5.1 Therfore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ that is being acquitted from our sinnes by faith wee have peace with God so much peace as makes us goe boldly to him so that one may know his bonds are cancel'd and his sins forgiven when with some boldnesse hee dare looke God in the face in Jesus Christ A Iudas an Achitophell a Saul because they are in the guilt of their sinnes cannot confesse comfortably and goe to God which when with some boldnesse we can doe it is a signe that peace is made for us 4. By love to God Againe where sin is pardoned our hearts will be much inlarged with love to God as Christ said to the woman Luke 7.47 Her sinnes which are many are forgiven her because she loved much Therefore when we finde our hearts inflamed with love to God we may know that God hath shined upon our soules in the the pardon of sin and proportionablie to our measure of love is our assurance of pardon therefore wee should labour for a greater measure thereof that our hearts may be the more inflamed in the love of God It is impossible that the soule should at all love God angry offended and unappeased nay such a soule wisheth that there were no God at all for the very thoughts thereof terrifie him Againe where sinne is forgiven 5. By mercifullnes to others it frames the soule suetably to be gentle mercifull and to pardon others for usually those who have peaceable consciences themselves are peaceable unto others and those who have forgivenesse of sins can also forgive others those who have found mercy have mercifull hearts shewing that they have found mercy with God And on the contrarie hee that is a cruell mercilesse man it is a signe that his heart was never warmed nor melted with the sense of Gods mercy in Christ Therefore as the Elect of God saith the Apostle put on bowells of compassion as you will make it good that you are the Elect of God members of Christ and Gods children Therefore Their miserable condition who have not forgivenesse of sinnes let us labour for the forgivenesse of our sinnes that God would remoove and subdue the power of them take them away and the judgements due to them or else wee are but miserable men though we enjoyed all the pleasures of the world which to a worldly man are but like the liberty of the Tower to a condemned Traitor who though hee have all wants supplied with all possible attendance yet when he thinkes of his estate it makes his heart cold dampes his courage and makes him
is because Prayer sets God on worke Hos 2.21 22. and God who is able and willing to go through with his works sets all the creatures on worke 1 King 18.45 As we heard of Eliah when hee prayed for raine the creatures were set a worke to effect it Object Where it may be Objected O but raine might come to late in that hot Countrie where all the Rootes and Herbes might bee withered and dried up in three yeares space Yet all was well againe Answ the land brought forth her increase as formerly for faithfull Prayer never comes too late because God can never come too late if our prayers come to him 2 Chron. 15.2 we shall find him come to us Iehoshaphat we read was in great distresse when three Kings came against him yet when hee went to God by unfained and hearty fasting and prayer God heard him fought for him and destroyed all his enemies The Scripture sheweth also how after Hezekiahs Prayer 2 Chron. 19.6 14. against Senacheribs Blasphemies and threatnings the Lord sent forth his Angell and destroyed in one night of them 2 King 19.20.35 a hundred fourescore and five thousand of the Assyrians This is first for Reproofe of those who in Vse 1 their distresses set their wit wealth friends and all a worke but never set God a worke as Hezekiah did in Senacheribs case The first time hee turned him off to his cost with enduring a heavie taxation 2 King 18.14 and yet was never a whit the better for it for Senacherib came shortly after and besieged Hierusalem untill Hezekiah had humbled himselfe and prayed and then God chased all away and destroied them he had better have done so at first and so have saved his monie and paines too 2 Chron. 14.11 The like weakenesse we have a proofe of in Asa who when a greater Armie came against him of ten hundred thousand men laid about him Prayed and Trusted in God and so was delivered with the destruction of his enemies yet in a lesser danger 2 Chron. 16.2 against Baasha King of Israel distrusted God and sent out the Treasures of the house of God and out of his owne house unto Benhadad King of Syria to have helpe of him by a diverting warre against Baasha King of Israel which his plot though it prospered yet was hee reproved by the Prophet Hanani 2 Chron. 16.7 and warres thenceforth denounced against him This Asa notwithstanding this experiment afterwards sought unto the Phisitian before hee sought unto God Secondly This blameth that barrennesse and Vse 2 want of words to go unto God which for want of hearts wee often find in our selves It were a strange thing to see a wife have have words enough for her maids and servants and yet not to bee able to speake to her husband Wee all professe to bee the Spouse of Christ what a strange thing then is it to bee full when wee speake to men yet be so emptie and want words to speake to him A begger wee know wants no words nay he aboundeth with variety of expressions and what makes him thus fruitfull in words What makes a bold begger his necessity and in part his hope of obtaining These two make beggers so earnest So would it be with us if we found sufficiently our great need of Christ and therewith had hope it would embolden us so to go to God in Christ that we should not want words but wee want this hope and the feeling of our necessities which makes us so barren in prayer Prepare thy selfe therfore to prayer by getting unto thee a true sense of thy need acquaintance with God and hope to obtaine and it will make thee fervent in prayer and copious in thy requests Vse 3 Thirdly this is for Consolation though one should want all other meanes yet whatsoever their misery be if they can take words and can pray well Isa 38.3 they shall speed well If the misery be for sin confesse it and ask pardon for it and they shall have it and be cleansed from all unrighteousnesse 1 John 1.9 Words fetch the comfort to us though it be the blood of Christ onely that hath paid the debt Isa 53.5 The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND SERMON Hos. 14.2 Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us gratiously so will we render the Calves of our lips AS wee lost our selves in the first Adam so the mercie of God in the Covenant of Grace found out a way to restore us againe by the second Adam Jesus Christ in whom all the Promises are yea and Amen yesterday and to day and the same for ever And as the wisedome of God did freely find out this way at first comforting our first Parents with it in Paradice so this bowells of incomprehensible love of his hath so gon on from time in all ages of the Church comforting and raising up the dejected spirits of his Church from time to time and awakening them out of their drowsinesse and sleepie condition And many times the greater sinners he dealt with the greater mercies and tender bowells of compassion were opened unto them in many sweet and gratious promises tendering forgivenesse and inviting to Repentance as here in this Chapter and whole Prophecie is shewed what Tribe so wicked so full of Idolatry and Rebellion as Ephraim and yet here Ephraim and Israel are taught a lesson of Repentance as the tender Nurse feeds her childe and puts meate in its mouth so here the Lord puts words in the mouth of this Rebellious people Take with you words and turne unto the Lord. Object What needs God words hee knowes our hearts before we speake unto him Answ Why wee must bring words with us though God knowes our minde It s true God needs no words but we doe to stirre up our hearts and affections and because he will have us take shame unto our selves having given us our tongues as an instrument of glorifying him he will have our glory used in our Petitions and Thankesgivings and therefore in regard of our selves he will as was said have us take words unto our selves for exciting of the graces of God in us by words blowing up of the affections and for manifestation of the hidden man of the heart God will be glorified by the outward as well as by the inward man And Turne to the Lord. He repeats the exhortation of Returning That words and purposes must concurre in Prayer to shew that words must not bee empty but such as are joyned with a purpose of turning to God for otherwise to turne to him with a purpose to live in any sin is the extremity of prophane impudence to come to aske a pardon of the King with a resolution to live still in Rebellion against him what is this but mockerie as if one should come with a dagg to shoote him Such is our
God Doe good to us spirituall that needs no limitation because wee cannot more honour God then to depend upon him for all spirituall good things Thou art wiser and knowest what is good for us better then we our selves beggars ought to be no choosers therefore Doe good to us for the particulars wee leave them to thy wisedome O Beloved it is a happy and blessed priviledge to be under the conduct of so wise and All-sufficient a God who is good and as hee is good knowes best what is good for us We would have riches liberty and health I but it may bee it is not good for us Doe good to us Thou Lord knowest what is best doe in thine owne wisedome what is best Vse Which should teach us not to limit the Holy one of Israel in our desires of any outward thing whatsoever Especially desire forgivenesse and spirituall good things leaving the rest to his wise disposing Yet notwithstanding out of the sense of paine and griefe wee may pray either for the mitigation or remooving of a crosse if God bee so pleased because hee hath put in us selfe-love not sinnefull but love of preserving our nature therefore he permits us if it may stand with his good pleasure to desire the good of our outward man as Lord give us bodily health for we cannot else bee instruments of serving thee With reservation of Gods good pleasure wee may desire such and such things conditionally that when we see God will have it otherwise we rest contented sit downe quietly knowing that whatsoever health sicknesse or crosses hee sends it comes from his goodnesse and love and shall turne to our good at length if wee love God all shall worke for good Take away our iniquity and doe us good wee should make this petition for the Church and our selves pardon our sinnes and doe good to us to our persons to the state to the times wherein we live to the Church at home and abroad doe good to all How to know when blessings enjoyed come from Gods love Anâ— we may observe this from the order and know what good wee have it comes from God in love when it comes after forgivenesse of sinnes How then may wee take comfort of all the good things we have enjoyed having seene many good daies enjoyed many good blessings in health wealth good Magistracie Ministery Peace plenty and the like If all this goodnesse of God leade us to God and draw us neerer unto him after forgivenesse of sinnes grounded on the former evidences I spake of then they come in love But never let us thinke to have true comfort with a blessing or any good thing we enjoy till wee have assurance of Gods love and mercy in the forgivenesse of sinnes least God strip us naked of all the good things wee have and make us as naked as Dives in Hell who had not any thing that was good to refresh his body or soule So that all good things wee enjoy here without this will onely aggravate our condemnation Let us observe therefore how all our good things are joyned with spirituall good whether wee our selves are made better by them or not having our sinnes pardoned I beseech you let us renew our requests for forgivenesse of sinnes every day making our accounts even with God desiring grace to set our soules in a holy and sanctified frame with God that our selves may bee good our conversation good and that then he would doe good to us all other waies and sanctifie all other things This is the Method of Gods Spirit in setting us right onwards in our heavenly journey first to have forgivenesse of sins then sanctification to be better our selves and then to looke for peaceable and comfortable daies in this world if God see it good What can bee more Take away all iniquity and doe us good all manner of good Therefore since all good comes from God the first and chiefe good let us labour to have communion with him by all sanctified meanes that so hee may take away our ill and doe us every way good to our soules bodies conditions O what a blessed thing is it for a Christian to keepe a strict and neere communion with the fountaine of goodnesse who can doe more for us then all the world besides When we are sick on our death beds or when conscience is throughly awaked then to speake peace comfortably to us in this great extremitie is more worth then all this world Therefore let us labour to keepe communion with God that he may speake peace to our soules when nothing else can I beseech you therefore let us take heed how we breake or walke loosely with God seeing wee can have no further comfort of any good thing we enjoy then wee are carefull to keepe and maintaine our peace and communion with him at all times and when we run into arrerages with God then bee sure we lie not in sinne but say Take away all iniquity and doe good to us labouring to bee in such an estate as God may give us his holy Spirit both to make us good and sanctifie unto us all other good There bee good things which are are good of themselves and which make all other things good Thus by communion with God we our selves are made good and all other things likewise are made good to us all his waies being mercy and truth unto those who feare him Therefore resigne we our selves and all that we have unto his wisedome and disposing because oftimes there is good where wee imagine the worst of evills to be as it is sometimes good to have a veine opened Simile to be purged the Physitian thinkes so when yet the Patient impatient of Reasons issue thinkes not so But as the Physitian is wiser then the Patient to know what is best for him so God is wiser then man to know what is good for him who intends us no hurt when he purgeth us by affliction All our care therefore should be to annihilate our selves to come with empty poore soules to God Doe good to us In which case it is no matter what our ill bee if hee doe us good who hath both pardon and rich grace to remoove the evill of sinne and convey all grace unto us out of his rich Treasurie So will we render the calves of our lips Here is the Restipulation or promise they Returne backe againe to God for there is no friendship maintained without rendring when God hath entred into Covenant with us then there is a kinde of friendship knit up betwixt him and us he becomming our friend We must not therefore be like graves to swallow up all and returne nothing for then the inter-course betwixt God and us is cut off Therefore the same Spirit which teaches them to pray and to Take to them words teacheth them likewise to take unto them words of Praise that there may bee a Rendring according to Receiving without which we are worse then
because they feele peace So here those that feele mercy will bee mercifull those that have felt love will be loving to others Pro 12.10 A good man is mercifull to his beast but the mercies of the wicked are cruell Those therefore that are hard-hearted and unmercifull hardening themselves against the complaints of the miserable there is for the present no comfort for them that the Spirit of God hath wrought any change in their hearts for then it would stampe the image of God upon them they would be mercifull to the fatherlesse widow and distressed persons What shall wee thinke then of a generation of men who by griping usury and the like courses have made many widowes miserable Let such professe what they will whilest they are thus hard-hearted they have not the bowels of Christ God is so mercifull that you see as the Jewes call them hee hath hedges of the commandements that is he hath some remote commands which are not of the maine and all to hedge from cruelty as Thou shalt not kill the Dam upon thâ— west Exod. 23.19 Thou shalt not seeth a kid in his mothers milke What tends this too nothing but to shew the mercy and bowels of God and that hee would have us to abstaine from cruelty He that would not have us Murther would have us keepe aloofe of and not be mercilesse to the very dumbe creatures birds and beasts therefore let us labour to expresse the image of our heavenly Father in this Vse 5 Againe we should use this as a plea against dejectednesse at the houre of death in regard of those we leave behind us not to bee troubled what shall become of them when wee are to yeeld up our soules to God but know that hee hath undertaken to be the Father of the Fatherlesse and of the Widow Therefore for shame for shame learne as to live so to die by faith and as to die by faith in other things so to die in this faith that God as he will receive thy soule so he will receive the care of thy posterity Canst thou with affiance yeeld up thy soule unto God and wilt thou not with the same confidence yeeld thy posterity Thou art an Hypocrite if this distract and vexe thee when yet thou pretendest to die in the faith of Christ Canst thou yeeld thy soule and yet art grieved for thy posterity no leave it to God he is All-sufficient Psal 24.1 The earth is the Lords and the fullnesse thereof We need not feare to put our portion in his hands he is rich enough The earth and all is his Therefore when we are in any extreamitie whatsoever relie on this mercy of so rich and powerfull a God improove it for it is our portion especially in a distressed condition Were it not for Faith wrought by the blessed Spirit of God he would loose the glory of this Attribute of mercy Now Faith is a wise power of the soule that sees in God what is fit for it singling out in God what is fit for the present occasion of distresse Is a man in any extremity of misery let him looke to mercy Is a man oppressed let him looke to mercy to be revenged of his enemies is a man in any perplexity let him looke to mercy joyned with wisedome which is able to deliver him Religion is nothing else but an application of the soule to God and a fetching out of him somewhat as he hath discovered himselfe in the Covenant fit for all our exigents as there is somewhat in God and in the Promises for all estates of the soule Faith therefore is wittie to looke to that in God which is fit for its turne Satans pollicie in our extremity how to retort it Let us therefore take heed of Satans policie herein who in our extreamity useth this as a weapon to shake our Faith Tush as it is in the Psalme God hath forsaken and forgotten him Hath he so nay because I am in extremity and deferted above others rather God now regards me more then before because Heb. 12.6 hee scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth So retort Satans fierie darts backe againe For indeed that is the time wherin God exalts and shewes himselfe most glorious and triumphant in mercy where misery is greatest Where sinne abounds Rom. 5.20 there grace abounds much more so where misery abounds mercy superabounds much more Therefore let us be as wise for our soules as Satan can be malicious against them what hee useth for a weapon to wound the soule use the same as a weapon against him To end all let Faith in Gods mercy answer this his description and let it be a description ingrafted into us at such a time Doth God care for the fatherlesse meane persons who are cast down afflicted why then I will trust that God who doth so being in this case my self If he wil help in Extremitie trust him in Extremitie Habak 3.17 If hee will helpe in distresse trust him in distresse if he will helpe when all forsake trust him when we are forsaken of all What if a streame bee taken away yet none can take away God from thee what if a beame be taken away thou hast the Sun it selfe what if a particular comfort be taken away so long as God who comforteth the abject and is mercifull to the distressed Fatherlesse and Widowes continues with thee thou needs not feare A man cannot want comfort and mercy so long as the Father of mercies is in covenant with him If he sinne he hath Pardoning mercy for him if weake he hath Strengthening mercy if in darknesse he hath Quickning mercy if we be dull dead and in danger there is Rescuing mercy and if subject to dangers wee may fall in Psal 32.10 there is for that Preventing mercy Therefore there is mercy ready to compasse Gods children about in all conditions when they are invironed with dangers yet God is neerer to guard their soules then the danger is to hurt them Therefore let us take the counsell of the blessed Apostle Phil. 4.6 7. Be carefull for nothing but in every thing by Prayer and supplication with thankesgi-let your requests be knowne to God and what then will God grant that I pray for perhaps hee will not But yet The Peace of God which passeth all understanding shall guard your hearts and mindes through Christ Iesus As if he should say in nothing be overcarefull let your care bee when ye have used the meanes to depend upon God for support in the event and issue of all If God denie you what you pray for he will grant you that which is better he will set up an excellent inward peace there whereby he will stablish the soule in assurance of his love pardon of sinnes and reconciliation whereby their soules shall be guarded and their hearts and mindes preserved in Christ so they become impregnable in all miseries whatsoever when they have the Peace
Lebanon IT was a good speech of S. Austin those that are to petition great persons they will obtaine some who are skilfull to frame their Petitions least by their unskillfullnesse they provoke Anger insteed of carrying away the benefit desired So it is here with Gods people being to deale with the great God and not being able to frame their owne petitions God as we heard before doth it for them and answers them gratiously with the same mercies which he had suggested them to aske his answer being exact to their petitions I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely c. wherein God exceeds all Physitians in the world whatsoever for they have nature to helpe them Physicke is the mid-wife of Nature helping it to doe that which it cannot doe of it selfe Physick can doe nothing to a dead man but God is so great a Physitian that hee first gives life and after that spirituall Life is in some degrees begun by little and little he heales more and more I will heale their backslidings We have an error crept in amongst some of the meaner ignorant sort of people who thinke that God sees no sinne when he hath once pardoned men in Justification who falsely smooth themselves in this wicked sensuall conceit thinke they can commit no sinne offensive to God as though God should frame such a Justification for men to blindfold him and cast dust as it were in his eyes or justifie men to make them loose and idle No it is false as appeareth by this place for how can God heale that he sees not He sees it not to be revenged on them for it but hee sees sinne to correct it and to heale it He sees it not after a revengefull wrathfull justice to cast us into Hell and damne us for it but he sees it after a sort to make us smart and lament for it and to have many times a bitter sense of his wrath and forsaking as men undone without a new supply of comfort and peace from Heaven Let a man neglect Sanctification daily sorrow and confession of sinne and now and then even craving new pardon for sinnes past casting all upon a fantasticke conceit of faith in their justification what followes but Pride Hardnesse of heart Contempt of others and neglect of better then themselves and pronenesse out of Gods judgement to fall from ill to worse from one error to another In this case the heart is false and deceitfull for whilst it pretends a glorious faith to looke back to Christ to live by faith and lay all on him by justification it windes it selfe out of all taskes of Religion sets the heart at liberty neglects Sanctification and Mortification of lusts and beautifying the image of God in them giving too much way to the flesh Therefore away with this false and selfe-conceited opinion which drawes poyson out of that which God speakes to confirme and stablish us That hee sees no iniquity in Iaakob c. Whence from these Hyperbolicall speeches they thinke that God seeth not that which we our selves see But hee heales our backslidings therefore hee sees them for how can he heale a wound if he see it not He sees it but not to their destruction who are freely justified by his grace But we will leave this point it being too much honour to them to spend time in confutation of it and will rather say unto it as Isay speakes of a menstruous cloth get thee hence Isa 30.22 Now as God is a most gratious God never weary of well doing and comforting his people because it is his nature to be mercifull So hee hath suteable expressions of it hee goes on with mercy upon mercy loving kindnesse upon loving kindnesse Hee had promised before I will heale their Backeslidings take in summe all their Apostacie all shall bee healed But this is not all hee answers all the accusations and doubts of Satan who is still objecting against us our unworthinesse miserie wretchednesse to have such favours conferred on such filthy creatures Therefore hee takes of all with this which followeth as they had prayed Receive us gratiously So the answer is full and suitable to their request I will love them freely Put case they out of conscience of their own guilt should see no worth in themselves or cause why they should bee respected yet I see reason in mine owne love I will love them freely Quest But may some say How can God love freely Answ Aske thy selfe doth not a father and a mother love their child freely what doth the child deserve of the father and mother a great while Nothing but the mother hath many a weary night and foule hand with it Hath God planted an affection in us to love our children freely and shall not God much more who gives this love and plants it in us bee admitted to love freely But indeed there is absurdity and infidelity in distrust For it is against reason to deny the mighty God that which wee have in our selves If hee did not love freely how could hee love at all what could hee fore-see in us to love us for before hand the very manhood of Christ deserved not the grace of union it was freely given I will love them freely That which first of al we observe hence is this much Observ That God loves his people freely So Rom. 5.8 9. Saith the Apostle God commendeth his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us much more being justified by his blood wee shall bee saved from wrath through him The like wee have in Ezekiell saith God Ezek. 36.22 Therefore say unto the house of Israell thus saith the Lord God I doe not this for your sakes O house of Israell but for mine holy Names sake which ye have profaned among the heathen whether ye went Adam when hee had sinned that maine great sinne what did hee fly from God run away Gen. 3.12 13. and when God called to him and debated the matter with him he accused God and excused himselfe Yet for all this God pittied him and cloathed him and made him that promise of the blessed seed What desert was there here in Adam nay rather the quite contary yet God loved him freely The same may bee said of Saint Paul for the time past a persecuter what deserving was therein him none at all yet hee found Gods free love in his conversion Act. 9.15 for saith God to Ananias Hee is a chosen vessell unto mee to beare my name before the Gentiles Heere was no deserving in Saint Paul Act. 9.5 but Gods free election which in time tooke place and so wee may say of the Prodigall having spent all Luk. 15.20 his Father pardoned all and loved him freely Reason 1 The Reason hereof is 1. Because it is his name and nature to bee gratious Exo. 34.6 and to loue freely and whatsoever is Gods nature that hath a freedome in the working
Reason 2 2. Because no creature can deserve any thing at Gods hands 1. Because by nature wee are all Gods enemies and therefore what can enemies deserve nothing but wrath and vengeance 2. If we have any graces they are the gift of God and therefore wee deserve nothing by them they being of his owne gift So saint Iames speakes Iam. 1.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from the Father of lights with whom is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning And Saint Paul saith That of him and through him and to him are all things Rom. 11.36 what should follow heereupon To whom be glory for ever Vse 1 This in the first place serves for reproofe of our adversaries of the Romish Church who say that God loves us for something foreseene in us which is good or for somewhat which in time wee would doe to deserve favour at his hands but both are false the cause of love is free from himselfe for when wee have done our best Luk. 17.10 yet saith the Holy Ghost wee are unprofitable servants Vse 2 Secondly It is for reproofe of Gods owne deare children who because they finde no deserving in themselves are therefore discouraged at the sight of their owne unworthinesse whereas quite contrary the sight of our owne unworthinesse should make us the more fit subjects for Christs free love which hath nothing to doe with them that stand upon deserving Many of Gods deare children are troubled with temptations doubts and feares of Gods love and favour towards them because they expect to finde it in the fruits of Grace and not in free Grace it selfe If wee would have any sound peace let us look for it in free Grace Therefore the blessed Apostle in the entrance of his salutations in his Epistles still joyneth Grace and then Peace to shew us that if wee looke for sound Peace wee can no where finde it but in Grace Wee would finde Peace in the Grace that is in us but it is labour in vaine for wee shall never finde it but in free Grace Vse 3 Hence wee may also bee comforted in the certainety of our salvation for that grace and love and favour whereby wee are saved is in God not in us Now whatsoever is in him is immutable and sure So saith the Apostle Neverthelesse the foundation of God standeth sure 2 Tim 2.19 having this seale the Lord knoweth them that are his and let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity Where speaking of election which comes from the free love of God hee makes that a sure foundation to build on if there bee a reformation to depart from iniquity wee may be comfortably assured of our salvation And as it is with Election so is it with all the other fruits of God love Vocation Rom. 3.24 Joh. 13.1 Adoption Iustification and Perseverance the foundation of God fastly sealed in the way of holinesse stands good and sure in all Vse 4 This further teacheth us Thankfulnesse unto God who hath so freely loved us for if there were deserving on our part what place were left for thankfulnesse We know one who deserves nothing and hath small matters bestowed upon him at least will be thankfull for such favours But when one is so farre from deserving any thing that by the contrary hee deserveth all plagues and punishments hath yet many and aboundant mercies bestowed freely upon him this doth exceedingly provoke especially a generous spirit to a suitable thankfulnesse as much as may be Vse 5 And let it likewise breed Confidence in us to God in all our miseries both for pardon of sinne helpe in distresse and comfort in sorrowes because he loves us freely and did love us whilst we were enemies make therefore upon all occasions the Apostles use of it For if when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God Rom. 5.10 by the death of his sonne much more being reconciled wee shall be saved by his life I will love them freely In the next place from hence we observe another point which necessarily followeth upon the former Observ That God did not then begin to love them when he said I will love them freely but to discover that love unto them which hee carried unto them from all eternity For instance hereof Saint Paul was beloved of God ere God manifested his love unto him as hee testifieth of himselfe that the discoverie of this free love was Gal. 1.15.16 when it pleased God who seperated me from my mothers wombe and called mee by his Grace to reveale his sonne in mee c. So Ephes 1.3 4. The Apostle blesseth God in his salutation unto them who had blessed them with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places in Christ But whence fetcheth hee the ground hereof According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and unblameable before him in love Ephe. 1.4 Wee need not multiply places more to prove it our adversaries would faine seeme to cleere God onely in all and so shrowd their arguments under such needlesse pretences shift of all places name wee never so many with their strong heads distinctions and sophismes But God will one day give them no thankes for their labour the will of God how unequall soever in our eyes who cannot with our shallow conceits sound the depth of such misteries being ground enough to justifie all his actions whatsoever Wee will therefore come to some Reasons of the point Reason 1 Because Whatsoever is in God manifested in time is eternall and everlasting in him without beginning and ending for wh tsoever is in God is God 1 Joh. 4.8 Joh. 14.6 God is not loving but Love and he is not onely true but Truth it selfe hee is not wise onely but Wisdome it selfe And therefore his love discovered in time must needs bee from all eternity Reason 2 Secondly Jf God did then first begin to love us when he manifested his love unto us then there should be a change in God because hee should love them now that hee did not formerly love As wee see those who loved Paul after his Conversion loved him not before there was then a change in the Church in which case if God should so love hee should bee changeable and so be like unto man Reason 3 And then againe Christs Prayer Iohn 17. makes it cleere that the love of God beginneth not with the manifestation thereof for Christ there knowing all the Fathers secrets as comming out of the bosome of the Father intimates the contrary where he makes one end of his prayer for them to be Ioh. 17.23 That the world may know that thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me Now how he loved Christ is also shewed a little after For thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world Joh. 17.24 Therefore the Saints and Children of God are loved
mine Anger is turned away from him The soule which is touched with the sense of wrath and defiled with the staines of sinnes dreadfull impressions receives all this cheerefully and more too therfore in such cases we must take in good part the largenesse of Gods expressions For mine Anger is turned away from him To unsold the words therefore Anger is the inward displeasure which God hath against sinne and his purpose to punish it Anger of God what accompanied with threatnings upon his purpose and execution upon his threatnings The point to be observed in the first place is Observ That there is Anger in God against sin Wee need not stand to proove the point it is so manifest to every man the Scripture is copious in it if wee consider either judgements executed upon sinners threatnings against sin or the Saints complaining of it as Psal 74.1 Iob 42.7 Psalme 6.1 Psalme 90.11 Psalme 38.1 3. Isa 63.6 with many the like places proove That there is Anger in God against sinne wee will rather see the Reason of it Reason Because there is an Antipathie betwixt him and sinne which is contrarie to his pure nature Sinne as it opposeth God so it is contrarie unto him and indeed sinne would turne him out of his soveraigntie For what doth a man when hee sinnes wittingly and willingly but turne God out of his governement and causes the divell to take up Gods roome in the heart when a man gives way to sinne then the divell rules and he thinkes his owne lusts better then Gods will and his owne carnall reason in contriving of sinne above Gods wisedome in his Word therefore hee is a proud Rebell Sinne is such a kinde of thing that it labours to take away God for it not only puts him out of that part of his throne mans heart but for the time a man sinnes hee could wish there were no God to take vengeance of him Can you wonder therefore that God is so opposite to that which is so opposite to his Prerogative royall as sinne is The effects of Gods Anger against sin The truth is God is Angry with nothing else but with sinne which is the onely object of his Anger That which foolish persons make a trifle and sport of Psal 14.1 Swearing filthie speaking and lying is the object of Gods Anger For this offence of sinne 2 Pet. 2.4 he did not spare the Angels of Heaven but tumbled them thence never to returne againe Gen. 3.23 Sin also thrust Adam out of Paradice and made God angry with him and the whole world Gen. 6.13 2 Pet. 3.12 so as to destroy it with a flood of water and will at last make him burne and consume up all with a deluge of fire Yea it made him in a sort angry with his owne deare Sonne when hee under-went the punishment of sinne as our Surety so that hee cried out My God my God Mat 27 46. why hast thou forsaken me If God thus shewed his anger against sinne in punishing it in Christ our Surety who was made sinne for us and yet had no sinne in himselfe how will he punish it much more in those who are not in Christ those who stand in their owne sinne and guilt what will become of them So that God is angry with sin and with nothing else The second thing we gather from this where he saith My Anger is turned away from him Gods Anger being taken especially for judgements is Observ That Gods Anger is the speciall thing in Afflictions They come from his Anger as hath beene shewed therefore hee saith I will take mine Anger from you whereby hee meanes judgements the effect of his Anger For in the Scriptures Anger is ordinarily taken for the fruits and effects of Gods Anger which are terrible judgements as we may see Deut. 29.20 and so in many other places Quest Judgements then are called Gods Anger Answ That the least crosse if set on by Anger prooves as the most terrible Because they issue from his Anger and displeasure for it is not the judgements but the Anger in them which lies heavie upon the soule when they come from Gods Anger they are intollerable to the conscience else when we suffer ill knowing that it is not from Gods Anger but for triall of our graces or for exercise we beare it patiently Therefore God saith mine Anger is turned away from him for this unremooved imbittereth every crosse though it be never so small Let Gods Anger be upon a man and he will make a conceit a very light thing to be as a heavie crosse unto him and vexe him both in body and state more then mightier crosses at some other time shall Will you see this in one instance where God threatneth his owne deare people thus And the Lord will smite thee with the botch of Aegypt Deut. 28.27 and with the Emrods and with the scah and with the itch whereof thou canst not be healed What is a scab and an itch and the like such a terrible judgement which in these daies is set so light by O yes when it comes with Gods displeasure when the least scratch is set on fire by Gods anger it shall consume us it prooves incurable as there it is threatned whereof thou canst not bee healed When the vermine came in Gods Anger upon that hard hearted King all Pharoahs skill and his Magitians skill could not beate them out Exod. 8.9 because as they confessed this was the finger of God Let any thing come as a messenger of Gods Anger it comes with vengeance and sticks to the soule like a fretting leprosie Levit 14.45 46. which when it entred into a house many times could not be gotten out againe with pulling out stones or scraping them till the house were demolished So when Gods Anger is raised and kindled against a person you may remoove this and that change place and company and use of helpes yet it will never leave fretting till it have consumed him unlesse it be removed by Repentance if it be never so small a scratch or itch al the Physick in the world shal not cure it For as the Love of God makes all other things in God comfortable unto us so it is his Anger which makes al his Attributes terrible as for his Power the more he loves me the more he is able to doe me good But otherwise the more he is Angry and displeased the more his other Attributes are terrible If he be Wise the more hee will find out my sinnes if hee bee Powerfull and angry the more he can revenge himselfe on me is he Angry and Just the more woe to me So there is nothing in God when he is Angry but it is so much the more terrible for this puts a sting in every thing which when it is remooved out of malignant creatures armed with a sting then they are no more hurtfull The sting of every evill and
and pleasant So that we have here to consider 1. The favour and blessing that he promiseth to be as the dew to Israell 2. The excellency of it in divers particulars 3. The order wherein it is promised Before we come to the wordes themselves if we remember and read over the former part of the prophecie we shall find it full of terrible curses all opposite unto that here promised to shew Observ Wee can never be in so disconsolate a state but God can alter all That God hath a salve for all sores He hath a right hand as well as a left Blessings as well as Curses Mercie as well as Iustice which is more proper to his nature then that Therefore let Christian soules never be discouraged with their condition and state whatsoever it is Reason Eccles 7.14 For as there are many maladies so there are many remedies opposite to them as Salomon saith This is set over against that c. Jf there be a thousand kinds of ills there are many thousand kindes of remedies For Zach. 1 19 20 21. God is larger in his helpes then we can be in our diseases and distresses whatsoever they are therefore it is good to make this use of it Vse To be so conceited of God as may draw us neerer unto him upon all occasions Againe We see here how large the Spirit of God is in expressions of the particulars I will be as the dew unto Israell and hee shall grow as the Lilly and cast forth his rootes as Lebanon his branches shall spread and his beauty be large c. Whereunto tends all this largenesse of expression God doth it in mercy unto us who especially need it being in a distressed disconsolate estate Therefore they are not words wastfully spent we may marvaile sometimes in Isaiah and so in some other Prophets to see the same things in substance so often repeated though with variety of lively expressions as it is for the most part the manner of every Prophet Surely because it is usefull and profitable the people of God need it There is nor never was any man in a drouping sinking condition but he desires line upon line word upon word promise upon promise expression upon expression Object One would thinke is not a word of God sufficient Answ Yes for him but not for us we have doubting and drouping hearts and therefore God adds Sacraments and Seales not onely one Sacrament but two and in the Sacrament not onely Bread but Wine also to shew that Christ is all in all What large expressions are here thinks a prophane heart what needs this As if God knew us not better then we know our selves Whensoever thou art touched in conscience with the sence of thy sinnes and knowest how great how powerfull how Holy a God thou hast to deale with who can indure no impure thing thou wilt never find fault with his large expressions in his Word and Sacraments and with the variety of his promises when hee translates out of the booke of nature into his owne booke all expressions of excellent things to spread forth his mercy and love Is this needlesse No we need all he that made us redeemed us preserves us knowes us better then we our selves he who is infinite in wisedome and love takes this course And marke againe in the next place how the Holy Ghost fetcheth here this comfort from things that are most excellent in their kinde They shall grow as the Lillie that growes fairely and speedily And they shall take roote as Lebanon to shew that a Christian should be the excellentest in his kinde he compares him in his right temper and state to the most excellent things in nature To the Sunne to Lions Trees of Lebanon Cedars and Olive Trees for fruitfullnesse and all to shew that a Christian should not be an ordinary man All the excellencies of nature are little enough to set out the excellency of a Christian he must be an extraordinary singular man Saith Christ What singular thing doe yee He must not be a common man Therefore when God would raise his people he tells them they should not be common men but grow as Lillies be rooted as Trees fruitfull as Olives and pleasant beautifull as the goodly sweet-smelling trees of Libanus How gratiously doth God condescend unto us to teach us by outward things how to helpe our soules by our senses that when we see the growth fruitfulnesse and sweetnesse of other things we should call to mind what we should be and what God hath promised we shall be if we take this course and order formerly prescribed Indeed a wise Christian indowed with the Spirit of God extracts a quintessence out of every thing especially from those that God singles out to teach him his duty by when he lookes upon any plant fruite or tree that is pleasant delightfull and fruitfull it should put him in minde of his duty I will be as the dew te Israell c. These sweet promises in their order follow immediately upon this that God would freely love them and cease to be angry with them then he adds the fruits of his love to their soules and the effects of those fruits in many particulars whence first of all we observe Observ Gods love is a fruitfull love Wheresoever he loves he makes the things lovely we see things lovely and then we love them but God so loves us that in loving us he makes us lovely So saith God by the Prophet I have seene his wayes and will heale him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners Ezek 16.2 3. Isa 5 7 18. And from this experience of the fruitfulnesse of Gods love the Church is brought in rejoycing Jsa 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soule shall be joyfull in my God for hee hath cloathed mee with the garments of salvation hee hath covered mee with the robe of righteousnesse as a bridegroome decketh himselfe with ornaments and as a bride adorneth her selfe with her jewels Thus he makes us such as may be aimeable objects of his love that he may delight in Reason For his love is the love as of a gratious so of a powerfull God that can alter all things to us and us to all things he can bring us good out of every thing and doe us good at all times according to the Churches Prayer Doe good unto us Vse Wherefore seeing God can doe us good and since his love is not only a pardoning love to take away his anger but also so compleat and fruitfull a love so full of spirituall favours I will be as the dew unto Israell and hee shall grow up as the Lillie c. Let us stand more upon Gods love then we have formerly done and strive to have our hearts inflamed with love towards God againe As the Prophet David doth Psa 116 1. I love the Lord because hee hath heard my voice and
and alter our former lewd courses our sinnes are not yet forgiven For wheresoever God takes away sinne and loves freely there also he gives the best fruits of his love bestowes the dew of his grace to worke upon and alter our natures Christ came not by blood alone to die for us but by water also to sanctifie us He will not onely love freely but he will be as the dew where he loves freely therefore if we have not sanctifying grace we have not as yet pardoning grace For we know the Prophet joynes them both together Psa 32.1 1. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile If we retaine a guilefull false spirit our sinnes are not forgiven we see both these are put together Vse 2 And seeing all these good things come from God it is necessary to take notice of what hath beene said of Gods goodnesse that we doe not rob God of his due glory nor our selves of the due comfort that we may draw thence The Egyptians had the river Nylus that overflowed the land every yeere caused by anniversary winds which so blew into the mouth of the river that it could not discharge it selfe into the sea whereupon it overflowed the bankes and left a fruitfull slime upon the ground so that they needed not nine as other Countries because it was watered with Nylus Hereupon they did not depend upon Gods blessing nor were so holy as they should but were proud of their river as is intimated by Moses unto the people Deut. 11.10 11. But the land whether thou goest in to possesse it is not as the land of Egypt from whence yee came out where thou sowest thy seed and wateredst it with thy foot as a garden of herbes But the land whether yee goe to possesse it is a land of hills and valleyes and drinketh water of the raine of heaven a land which the Lord thy God careth for c. They having more immediately raine from Heaven saw Gods hand in watering it whereas the Egyptians did not And what makes a Papist to be so unthankfull He thinks he can with his owne industry water his owne ground with somewhat in himselfe What makes another man thankfull on the other side Because he knoweth he hath all things by dependance from the first cause for as in nature Act. 17.28 In God wee live moove and have our beeing much more in grace we have all our nourishment spirituall being Mal. 4.2 mooving and life from the dew of Heaven all our heate is from the Sunne of Righteousnesse which makes a Christian life to be nothing else but a gratious dependance Phil. 4.13 I can do all things saith Saint Paul big and great words O! but it is through Christ that strengthens me These things must not be forgotten for a child of the Church is a child of grace by grace he is what he is he hath all from Heaven Eze. 29.9 Suitable to the former place is that in Ezekiel And the land of Aegypt shall be desolate and waste and they shall know that I am the Lord because hee hath said the river is mine and I have made it He shall be desolate because he boasts and brags of his river and depends not upon God for the sweet showers of the former and the latter raine they boasted because it was a fat fruitfull countrie which the Romans called their granary But wee must looke for all from Heaven God by his Spirit will be as the dew You know in Paradise there were foure rivers that watred the Garden of God that sweet place That the head whence all blessing come is in Heaven and made it fruitfull but the heads of all these rivers were out of Paradise So it is with the Church of God Psal 46.4 There is a River the streames whereof makes glad the Citie of God as the Psalmist speakes many pretious comfortable graces the particulars whereof follow but where is the head-spring of that river it is in Heaven We have all from God through Christ the Mediator So though we have of the Water and Dew yet notwithstanding the head and spring of all is from without the Church in Heaven in Christ in the Mediator And therefore in all the excellent things we enjoy in the Church let us looke to the Originall first cause Christ by his Spirit He is as the Dew to his Church Vse 3 This affoords likewise an Vse of Direction Quest How to come to have grace to sanctifie and alter our natures Answ How to have grace to sanctifie our natures Doe as the Church doth heere desire it of God Lord teach me to see and know my sinnes Lord Take away all iniquity and receive me gratiously Heale my soule for I have sinned against thee O love mee freely Turne away thy angry face from my sinnes and be as the Dew unto my barren soule my dead soule O quicken it make good thy promise come swiftly come speedily come unresistably like raine upon the mowen grasse Psal 72.6 as showers to water with the dew of grace and fructifie my drie parched soule Thus we should be earnest with God for grace for our selves and for the Churches abroad for our Church and State at home Therefore let such an use be made of it generally as God and not other forraigne helps may especially bee trusted in for it is the onely way to destruction to let God alone and to trust to this bodie and that bodie for in this case many times God makes those we thus trust in our destruction as the Assyrians and Babylonians were the ruine of the ten Tribes But begin alwaies first in Heaven set that great wheele a working and he will make all things comfortable especially for our soules then we shall not onely finde him to make good this promise I will be as the Dew unto Israell but the residue which follow after He shall grow as the Lillie c. Those unto whom God is Dew a double blessing he will make them grow and so grow as they shall grow up as the Lillie Thistles and nettles and ill weeds grow apace also but not as Lillies but Gods children are Lillies and then they grow as Lillies Quest Answ Christians grow like Lillies How doe Christians grow like Lillies First for beauty and glory There is such a kinde of glory and beauty in that plant that it is said by our Saviour 1. In regard of beauty and glory Mat. 5.29 That Salomon in all his royalty was not arrayed like one of these because his was a borrowed glory from the creature but the Lillie hath a native beauty of its owne Againe 2. In regard of sweet fragrant smell the Lillie hath a sweet and fragrant smell so have Christians a sweetnesse and shining exprest in their conversation as we have it a little after His smell shall bee as Lebanon c. And
good 1. To know Gods free grace First labour to know God and his free Grace in Jesus Christ 2 Pet 3.18 Grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ they goe both together the more we grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the Grace of God in him the more grace and rootednesse wee shall have For that which the soule doth cleerely apprehend it fastens upon in that measure it apprehendeth it Cleerenesse in the understanding breeds earnestnesse in the affections and fastnesse too So the more wee grow in knowledg the more we roote our selves in that we know And therefore the Apostle prayes for the Ephesians that they might have the Spirit of Revelation c. That they might know the height breadth depth and length of Gods love that passeth knowledge Ephes 3.14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ of whom the whole family of Heaven and Earth is named that he would grant you according to the riches of his Glory to bee strengthened by his Spirit in the inner-man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love in the sense of Gods love to us and so of our love to him againe for we are not rooted in love to God till we be rooted in the sense of Gods love to us that you may bee able to comprehend with all Saints the height and breadth c. 1. Labour to know the Promises And withall labour to know the gratious Promises of Christ for we are knit to him by vertue of his word and Promises which like himselfe are Yea and Amen JEHOVAH yesterday to day the same for ever 2 Cor. 1.20 So al his Promises made in him they are Yea and Amen in themselves firme and firme to us in him They are Yea and Amen that is they are made and performed in Christ in whom they are sure to be performed and thereupon they are firme too God made them who is JEHOVAH and they are made in Christ that is JEHOVAH So God the Father JEHOVAH he promiseth and he makes them good in Christ JEHOVAH who is unchangeable But this is not enough 3. Our hearts must be stablished on that which is firme wee must labour to have our hearts stablished that they may rely firmely on that which is firme For if a thing be never so firme except we rely firmely on it there is no stability or strength from it Now when there is strength in the thing and strength in the soule that strength is impregnable and unconquerable strength In Christ they are Yea and Amen in whom he stablisheth us annoints us seales us and gives us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts How doth God stablish us upon the Promises How God doth stablish us The rest which followeth is an explication of this when he gives us the earnest of the Spirit and seales us to be his in token he meanes to make good the bargaine then we are established But we are never firmely established till we get the assurance of salvation Then as the Promises are Yea and Amen in themselves so we are stablished upon them when we are sealed and have the earnest of the Spirit Let us labour therefore to grow in the knowledge of Gods love in Christ to know the height breadth depth and length of it and to grow in all the gratious Promises which are made in Christ who is Amen himselfe as his Promises are and then when we are sealed and annointed by the Spirit we shall be so stablished that nothing shall moove us Therefore let us use all meanes for the establishing of growth in us the Word and Sacraments especially For as Baptisme admits us into the house of God so by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper the blessed food of the soule wee are strengthened In the use of these meanes let us make suite unto God to make good his gratious Promise unto us that wee shall grow as Lillies and take roote as the Cedars in Lebanon Let us know that we ought every day to labour to be more and more rooted do we know what times may befall us We have need to grow every day to grow upward and in breadth and in depth If wee considered what times we may live to it should force us to grow every way especially in humility that roote and mother or graces to grow downeward in that to grow in knowledge and faith untill wee be filled with the fullnesse of God Object A poore Christian ofttimes makes this Objection O I doe not grow therefore I feare my state I am oft shaken therefore this Promise is not fulfilled to me Answ To this I answer Christians may be deceived for they doe grow ofttimes in firmenesse strength and stability though they doe not spread out they may grow in refinednesse that that which comes from them may bee more pure and lesse mixed with naturall corruption Pride Selfe-love and the like This is a temptation that old men are subject too especially in whom the heate of nature decayes who thinke withall that grace decayes But it is not so for ofttimes when grace is carried with the heate of nature it makes a greater shew being helpt by nature The demonstration but not the truth of grace is thus helpt Therfore this clause of the Promise is made good in old Christians they are every day more and more rooted firme stable and judicious and more able in those graces which belong to their place and condition Therefore they should not be discouraged though they be not carried with the streame and tide of nature help'd with that vigour that sometime was in them They grow in judiciousnesse mortifiednesse in heavenly-mindednesse and in ability to give good counsell to others This is well for we grow not in grace one way but divers waies not onely when wee grow in outward demonstration and in many fruits and actions but when wee grow in refinednesse and judiciousnesse as was said then wee are said to grow likewise Yet notwithstanding it should be the indeavour of all to grow what they can in grace when if they grow not so fast as others let them know that there are severall ages in Christ A young Christian cannot be so planted and so deepely rooted as another that is of a greater standing This should not discourage any seeing there are babes in Christ as well as strong men Therefore where there is truth of heart with indeavour to grow better and better and to use all meanes let no man be discouraged Remember alway this for a truth that we may grow and we ought to grow and the children of God ordinarily have growne more and more both in fruitfullnesse and stedfastnesse every way but not with a like growth in measure or time Therefore labour to make use of these Promises and not to favour our selves in an ungrowing
more rooted affection then anger for hatred is a rooted offensive displeasure against persons and things and so rooted as that nothing in the world can roote it out Anger may be appeased it is appeased in God and it may and must bee in men But hatred is implacable aiming at the annihilation of the thing so hated 3. When wee hate sinne chiefly in our selves Againe where true hatred and indignation is there the neerer the ill is to us the more we hate it c. As we hate it in it selfe so we hate it the more the neerer it is to us as a Toade or any venimous thing the neerer it is to us we loath and abhorre it the more So certainely whosoever hates and abhorreth sin as sin as it is a hatefull thing to a renewed soule so he hateth sinne more in himselfe then in others because it is neerest in his owne bosome Every man hates a snake more in his bosome then a farre off because it is more likely to doe him harme there Therefore those that flatter their owne corruptions and are violent against others as Iudah against Thamar she shall be burned Gen. 38.24 bring her foorth and burne her when himselfe had gotten her with childe So many are severe in punishing of others as if they were wondrous zealous but what are they in their owne breast doe they reforme sinne in their owne hearts and lives he that truely hates sinne hee hateth his own sinnes more then others because it is neere him 4. When we hate sinne most in our families c. And so in proportion he that hates sin truely will hate it in his owne family children and servants more then in others abroad It was a great fault in David that he cockered up Adoniah and others in his owne house whilst he was more strict abroad Can men thinke to redresse and hate sinne in the common-wealth and yet suffer it in their families true hatred is most conversant in its strength neere hand Those who suffer deboystnesse and prophanenesse in their families and never checke it in their children and servants they hate not sinne whatsoever countenance they may take upon them of reformation abroad it commeth out of by-respects and not out of true hatred 5. When wee hate the greatest sin in the greatest measure Againe he that hateth sinne truely as sinne will hate the greatest sin in the greatest measure because he hates it as it is hatefull Now in the nature of things the greatest sin deserveth the greatest abhomination and aversation from it Therefore he who truely hateth sinne he hates the greatest sinne most of all Those therefore that are very nice in lesse matters and loose in greater things It is but Hipocrisie for hee who truely hates sinne as sinne where the greatest sinne is thither he directs the edge of his hatred which is the strongliest carried a-against the strongest ill And such a one will not respect persons in evill but wheresoever he findeth it if he have a calling there will be an answerable hatred of it Therefore if one be a Minister of the Word of God he will doe as good Micaiah did 1 King 22. and will not balke Ahab for his greatnesse And like good Iohn Baptist hee will tell Herod of his faults because he hates sinne as sinne therefore where he hath a calling to it he will hate it proportionably in the greatest measure 1 Sam. 2. Good Ely in this case was too indulgent over his sonnes but we must love no man so neerely 6. If we can endure Reproofs for sinne as to love the ill in them Againe a man may know that he truely hates sinne if he can endure admonition and reproofe for sinne Hee that hates a venemous plant which troubleth the ground will not bee displeased if a man come and tell him that he hath such a plant in his ground and will helpe him to dig it up surely he cannot bee displeased with the partie So here if a man doe truely hate sinne will he be angry with him that shall tell him that he is obnoxious to such an evill which will hurt him dangerously and damne his soule if it be not helpt surely no therefore let men pretend what they will those who swell against private reproofe they doe not hate sinne as sinne Caution Onely adde we this Caution A Reproofe may be administred with such indiscretion out of self-selfe-love and with a high-hand as that a man may dislike the carnall manner of reprooving But if it be done in a good manner he that hates reproofe because he loveth himselfe and his sinne pretend what he will he hates not sinne 7. Such will not be flattered in their sins So if a man love to be flattered in his sinne it is a signe he hates not sinne truely For there is naturally a great deale of self-selfe-love in man which makes him that he loves to be flattered in his sinnes whereupon he comes to be abused to his owne destruction especially great men Now it is a signe of an ill state of soule to bee subject to be abused by flattery and to hate instruction saith Paul Am I your enemy Gal. 4.16 because I have told you the Truth 8. If we hate to talke of or mention it and shun occasions Againe we may know what our hatred to sinne is by our willingnesse or unwillingnesse to talke of it or mention it or to venture upon the occasions thereof Where hatred is there is outward aversation we flie from what we hate and shunne to frequent places where we may receive offence Whatsoever hath an Antipathie to nature that we hate and runne away from Therefore those that present themselves to the occasions of sinne upon no calling say what they will they feed sinne and live according to the flesh those that hate a thing will never come neere it if they can choose Therefore those that present themselves willingly to places infected where there is nothing religious but scorning of Religion your common representations of abhomination pretend what they will their intent is to strengthen their owne corruption against the good of their soules this is the issue Those that hate sin will hate all that which may leade to it the representations of sinne also Can a man hate sinne and see it acted wickednesse is learned when one seeth it acted as one of the Ancients saith well therefore let us by these and the like tryals take notice what our hatred to sinne is Onely this our zeale hatred A limitation for expressing of our hatred to sinne and indignation to sin must have a mitigation and be regulated least like an exorbitant river it exceed the bounds therefore not to follow the Schoole niceties in the exactnesse of differences we will touch the marke a little how this zeale and hatred to sinne in reproofe especially must be qualified wherein we must consider divers things First Our calling
I am a man of uncleane lips c. for mine eyes have seene the King the Lord of Hostes Thus when once he had communion with God he began to loath himselfe So if we would hate evill let us labour more and more to be holy and to increase in that divine affection of love For in what measure wee love that which is good in that measure we hate the evill As it is Psal 97.10 Yee that love the Lord hate evill Insinuating that all that love the Lord hate evill All those that are neere unto God they hate all sin the more they grow into communion with God the more they grow in the hatred of all that is contrary Let us therfore never talk of love to God and of Piety and such like for if there be any grace or communion with God we hate all sin in that measure as God hateth he who hath no zeale to reforme that which God hateth he hath no love at all 2. Wee must set before us what sinne is in itselfe Againe the way to stir us up to hate sin in our selves and others out of that hatred to reforme it is to set before us what it is in it selfe that it is the loathsomest thing in the world worse then the Divel himself for it is sin which makes him a Divell That Corruption Pride Worldlines and Profanesse which we cherish is worse then the Divell himself because this made him a Divell Let us make sin therfore as loathsome as we can and then we shall hate it And let us present it to our soules as the most dangerous thing of all the ill of ills which bringeth all other evills upon us This may appeare more ugly in our sight in that the foulenesse thereof could not bee expiated but by the death of the Sonne of God And consider what great torments he hath prepared for that which we so cherish this proud sinfull and carnall disposition of ours so opposite to all goodnesse God hath appointed to punish it with eternall seperation from his presence It maketh God hate his owne creatures Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire Mat. 25.41 prepared for the Divell and his Angels 3. Wee must consider the dangerous condition of unrepenting sinners And to stir us up to reforme sin in all that belong unto us we must consider the dangerous condition that they live and die in in whom this not reformed Eternall torments and seperation is from God These things may help to work in our hearts a hatred of sin and from this hatred a Reformation of it with zeale and indignation Therefore let us labour more and more for this temper of soule that we may be like God and carry the Characters of the Children of God in us There is no affection will distinguish us from Hypocrits more then hatred which commeth of love which is the first borne and breeding affection of all others For why doe we hate any thing but because it is opposite to that we love why doe we hate ill but because it is opposite to God and to Christ whom we love amongst others take we along this consideration with us that it is the Speare which wounded our blessed Saviour and that it is that he hates most which we love most Consider the Holinesse of God that he would punish it in his owne sonne ere it should not be punished 4. Wee must consider it is the bane of all our comforts And consider that it is the bane of all our comfort this which we so cherish and that it imbitters all things to us We cannot rejoyce no not in the good blessings of God whilst we are guilty of sinne Psal 66.18 neither can we pray comfortably whilst our hearts regard it In this case that which should rejoyce the heart communion with God Psal 50.16 is terrible to us What have I to doe to take his name in my mouth when I embrace such sinnes The day of judgement is terrible also for how can a man thinke comfortably thereof if therewith hee expect a heavie doome for his sinnes he liveth in So we may say of the day of death none of these can be thought upon without terror when therewithall it commeth to ones minde the cutting off from their sinnes 2 Cor. 5.11 and the terror of the Lord against all sinne whatsoever It should be the joy of our hearts to thinke of these happy times therefore there must needs be a great deale of sinne and Atheisme in our hearts when we cannot thinke comfortably of them For either wee believe not these things and so are plaine Atheists or else if we beleeve them wee are exceeding foolish to loose future joyes for the poore pleasures of sinne for a season 5. We must grow in the love of grace and goodnesse Let us labour to grow in grace more more for the more we grow in the love of God and of of good things the more we shall hate sin for whatsoever may be said for the growth of love cherishing of it to good things the same may be said for the hatred of ill in a contrary sense The last helpe shall be to place and drive our affections a contrary way 6. Change the object to its right opposite to translate and place them on a contrary object when they are stirred up to evill attempts As when Hatred is stirred up direct it to its proper object sinne when Love is irregular thinke with our selves that God hath not planted this affection for this object but to carry me another way J must love God above all and all that hee loveth for his sake Hath God put Love and Hatred into my heart to hate my brother whom I should love and to love the Divell and hate God O no! I should love God above all and my brother as my selfe and hate the Divell and all his workes whom J have renounced in my Baptisme therefore in distempers of the affections make a diversion and turne them the right way As Physitians use to doe when the distempered blood runs dangerously one way If they cannot stop that they open a veine to drive the course of the blood another way So it is Christian pollicie when the affections run dangerously one way then to reflect thus upon our selves I but is this the end why God hath placed this affection in me Certainely no he hath planted this affection in me for another purpose Therefore I will hate that which I should hate sinne in generall and my owne sinne most of all which makes me hate my brother This should be our daily taske and study to take off the affections where they should not be placed and to fix them where they should be placed and there to let them goe amaine the faster the better restraining them where they should not runne out Thus we ought to temper our selves and to worke in our selves as much as may be a sound
of aversation abhorring hatred griefe and the like Thus hath he framed the soule for these maine ends without which affections the soule were as Mare mortuum that dead sea The affections are the wings and the winde of the soule that carrie it unto all which it is carried unto especially when the winde of Gods Spirit blowes upon it then it is carried out of it selfe for of it selfe it cannot love or hate as it should but God must raise the affections and lay them downe againe Wee have not the managing of our owne hearts grace teacheth us to doe all The particular then here is indignation and hatred What have I now any more to doe with Idols So that the proper affection in Gods children which should be conversant about that which is ill and sinnefully ill is hatred and indignation here is hatred with indignation the extent of the affection Reason 1 The reason whereof is when Gods children are once converted they have a new nature put into them like unto Christ whose Spirit they have what he hates they hate Hee hates all sin and nothing but sin hee hates the Divell himselfe for sin and no further Reason 2 Then againe when once they are Gods children they have a new life put into them which hath antipathie to all that is contrary to it Every life in any creature hath antipathie to every enemy thereof There is antipathie in Doves to Birds of prey and in the Lambe to the Wolfe because they are enemies to the life and being of them So in the soule of a Christian so farre as grace is renewed there is an antipathie aversation and abhorring of that which is contrary What have I to doe with sinne in any kinde when grace hath altered the disposition of a mans heart then sinne and he are two two indeed in the most opposite tearmes that may be what have I any more to doe with my former delightfull sinnes we are two now for we were before nothing but sinne And indeed where this hatred is not there men may leave sinne because sinne leaves them but this is not enough God would have us to hate it with indignation what have I now any more to doe with it Quest But how should we come to have this true hatred of sinne as Ephraim should have Answ 1. Helps to hate sinne Amongst those helpes formerly named this is a maine one to represent to the soule as the soule is quicke and nimble in such apprehensions the odiousnesse of sinne that it is a truly hatefull thing and therefore that our affection of hatred cannot be better set nor imployed upon any object then that of sinne For let us consider that it is not onely ill in it selfe defiling the soule and hindering communion with God but it is also the cause of all ills being the ill of ills as God is the good of goods For our troubles and terrors of conscience wee may thanke sinne and for all that we suffer every day in our conditions of life what is all but the fruite of our owne wayes Wherefore suffereth living man Lâ—m. 3.39 â—â—r 4.18 saith the Prophet man suffereth for his sinne Thine owne inventions have brought these things upon thee therefore they are bitter unto thee they shall pierce thy bowels Shall we not therefore hate that which is the cause of all mischiefe to us If we had an enemy especially if he were a soothing false enemie that under pretence of love should seeke our bane and ruine and joyne with our worst enemies would we not hate such an enemy Sinne is the greatest enemy which we have in the world and doth us more harme then the Divell himselfe for it betrayeth us to the Divell and under pretence of favouring and pleasing our nature betrayes us It is a false deceitfull enemy which commeth not in an ugly shape but closes with the soule in a kinde of conjugall love Dalilah like inticing and alluring us whereby it hath the more advantage and strength in that it appeares in a lovely pleasing and not in an imperious commanding manner therfore it should be the more hatefull to us Shall we not hate such an enemy as alwayes dogs us and hinders us hinders us from doing any thing well and puts us on to all that is ill It is such an enemy that we cannot goe about to pray or doe any good thing but it hangs upon us and clogs us in all our performances If a man knew that such a one as made love to him and all his were his great grand enemy aiming at his destruction would a man ever love such a man thy baâ—e false revengfull covetous worldly heart it joynes with Sathan without which hee could not hurt thee Shall a man cherish that which betrayes him to his worst enemy the Divell and then should he cherish that which makes a breach betwixt him and his best friend If a man saw one so maliciously evill towards him as to sow dissention by all meanes hee could betwixt him and his best honourable friend by vvhom hee vvas maintained in all things vvould not a man hate such a one vvhat doth sinne else but breed division and emnity betvvixt God and us and further vvhen it hath mooved us to doe ill it cryeth for vengeance against us at Gods hands Conscience soundly avvakened is alvvayes clamarous to pull somevvhat from God against us Are not sinners justly called fooles either men must be Atheists to deny all or else if they cherish sinne they must needs be fooles and starke mad if they confesse this that they joyne vvith that vvhich is their chiefe enemy Therefore learne to be vvise to salvation make not vvith Salomons foole a sport of sinne Pro. 10.23 of svvearing of defiling our selves and others seeing God threatneth damnation unto such And then againe avoide all parly and intercourse with sinne in the first suggestions or with wicked persons that may draw us away Use sinne ruggedly and harshly as they doe here what have I to doe with Idols doe but intertaine parly with it and it is of such an insinuating nature that it will incroach daily and spread over the soule suddenly betraying it to the Divell Therefore use it hardly in the first beginnings and avoid Satan in the first suggestions if we love the peace of our soules as Ephraim here what have I any more to doe with Idols for as we say in the case of honesty They come to neare that come to have the refusall They should not have so much hope from a chast person there should be such a modest carriage as should not give any one the boldnesse to adventure in that kind So if a man carry himselfe remotely from sinnfull courses he shall have a great deale of peace from wicked men who dare not so much as adventure to draw away such a one they know he is resolved Therefore constant resolution against all sinne and wicked men will breed a great
he will regard us or not The spirit it is said makes requests for the Saints and God knoweth the meaning of the Spirit Rom. 8.27 because it makes request according to the will of God The same Spirit that stirrs us up to amend our lives and fly Idolatrous courses the same Spirit stirs us up to pray to God according to the will of God and then God heares the desires of his owne Spirit Of all judgements in the world this is the greatest to pray and not to be heard for when wee are in misery our remedy is prayer now when that which should be our remedy is not regarded what a pittifull thing is that Now here is an excellent blessing set downe to pray and for God to heare I will heare him and observe him Because then God and Ephraim were of one minde and joyne in one therefore God cannot but heare and regard Ephraim being of his minde to love and to hate what hee loves and hates Luk. 16. As soone as ever the Prodigall began to hate his former courses the Father came out to meete him Psal 32.3 and so of David I said I will confesse my sinnes to God I said that is in my heart I resolved to confesse to God and thou forgavest mine iniquity God heard his resolution We cannot else entertaine a full purpose to goe to God unlesse there be a cessation from sinne the Prodigall for all his contrition was afraid to bee shaken of his Father for his dissolute life O! but the Father provides a banquet so it is when we turne to God and resolve a new life to cast away our Idolatries and former abhominations presently God heares us and observes us and is ready to meet us There is an excellent place even touching Ephraim himselfe Ier. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe thou hast chastised mee and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoake turne me to thee and I shall bee turned thou art the Lord my God c. Is Ephraim a deare sonne is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will have mercy upon him If Ephraim beginne to bemoane himselfe for his folly presently followes that Gods bowels are turned to him so it is said of Ephraim here after hee had renounced Jdols Gods bowels are turned towards him I have heard him and observed him Which yeelds us a sweet and comfortable consideration to turne to God from all our sinfull courses because God is so ready to forgive and to forgive great sinnes What if our sinne be Jdolatry the grand sinne of the first Table yet if Ephraim say what have I to doe with Idols though it be spirituall adultery yet if Ephraim beginne to renounce Idolatry God will say I have heard him and observed him Jf your sinnes were as red as crimson saith God I will make them white as wooll c Crimson sinnes double dyed sins Isa 1 1â— it is no matter what they are if wee come to God there is more mercy in him then sin in us Jf Ephraim say what have I to doe with my former evill courses God will heare him and observe him It is never better with a Christian then when he hath renounced all wicked courses though he thinkes himselfe undone if he leave his former Dalilah delights but there is no such matter for we shall finde a hundred fold more in God Mat. 19.29 as Christ speakes Whosoever leaves father or mother brother or sister house or kindred for me shall have a hundred fold in this world that is they shall have it in contentment and grace in peace of conscience and perhaps in the things of this life in another kinde What lost Abraham when he obeyed God and forsooke his fathers house God was all-sufficient for him he grew a rich man And what lost hee by giving Isaake to God he received his sonne againe of whom there came an innumerable seed And what lost holy David in waiting for the time that he should come unto the Kingdome without making haste he came quietly to the possession of the crowne whereas Ieroboam who made more haste after God had told him he should raigne hee was cursed in his government and none of his posterity came to good There is nothing lost by depending and waiting upon God and renouncing of carnall confidence We think naturally we are undone O! there is no such matter as David speakes When my father and mother forsaketh me Psal 27.10 yet the Lord taketh me up Iohn 9. As we know in the Gospell when the blinde poore man was excommunicated and cast out after he had spoke somewhat stoutely to the Pharisees will ye also be his Disciples yet then Christ takes him presently into his company being expelled by them what lost he by this So when Jsraell had lost all their flesh-pots in Aegypt they had no losse for God provided them Manna from Heaven and what lost they by that they had Angels food instead of their garlicke and onyons I have observed him That is I will have a speciall eye to him I will looke to him in all conditions and states whatsoever God never slumbers nor sleepes like the Master of the house in the Parable Luk. 11.5 who when the poore man came for bread all the rest being asleepe is awake and raised up by the importunity of the poore man So the great Master of the family of Heaven and Earth that governes all hee wakes day and night and never sleepes herein going beyond the care of the dearest friends we have in the world for they must have a time to sleepe the mother though she love the childe as her owne bowells yet notwithstanding shee must have a resting time and perhaps in that time the childe may miscarry but God alwayes observes his eye is alwayes upon his children they are before him written in the palmes of his hands Isa 49.16 he hath them in his eye as in Exodus you have there God brought in observing the children of Israell I have seene Exo. 3.7 I have seene the affliction of my people Israell they thought themselves neglected of God but he tells Moses I have seene I have seene I know it very well hee adds knowledge to sight So there is no affliction in this world to Gods children but God in seeing sees as before he heares the groanes and sighs so he sees the most intimate inward affliction whatsoever that afflicts the soule as they were grieved in very soule at the tyranny of Pharoah Oh but God in seeing hee sees whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sunne This is a consolation when one thinks that no man sees and regards alas what shall become of me Why should any man say so that hath God to go too who is all eye and all eare God heares and sees his eares
the Prophet begins to shew the divers effects these right wayes of God have in two sorts of people the godly and wicked 1. That the just shall walke in them 2. That the Transgressors shall fall therein Who be just men The just shall walke in them who be the just men here spoken off Such are just men who give to every one their due that gives God his due in the first place and man in the second place whereby it is framed The just shall walk in them that is they shall proceed and goe on in them till they be come to the end of their race the Salvation of their soules And more particularly They respect all Gods Commandements Just men first are such who have a respect unto al Gods commandements Psa 119.6 Though in their disposition they find some more hard to them then others yet they doe not allow themselves to breake any but strive so much the more earnestly and constantly to observe them as they finde their natures opposite to them Now Hypocrites howsoever they doe many things in shew yet like Herod and Iudas their hearts run in a wrong channell they allow themselves to live in and like of some sinne The young man in the Gospell had not a respect unto all Gods Commandements Mat. 19. though Christ loved his aimiable parts to this purpose Iames saith Iam. 2.10 Whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet off end in one point he is guilty of all That is hee who alloweth himselfe in any one sinne he is guilty of all Aske Iudas is murder good he would have said no but he was covetous and allowed himselfe in it and so drew upon him the guilt of all the rest God is he who forbids sinning against them all he who forbids one forbids all and being rightly turned to God the same authority makes us leave all it is not sinne but the allowance of it that makes an Hypocrite Againe they doe things to a good end They doe things to a good end the Glory of God and the good of man For want heereof the almes prayers and fasting of the Scribes and Pharisees because they did nothing out of love to God or man but for vaine glory and carnall respects are condemned of Christ So some are brought in at the last day saying Lord Lord have we not in thy name prophecied Mat. 7.22 and in thy name cast out Divels and in thy name done many wonderfull works and yet Christ professeth not to know them but calleth them workers of iniquity They had Gifts and Calling and delivered true doctrine c. But heere was their failing They prophecied in his name but not for his Name Their actions were good in themselves and for others but the end of them was naught and therefore both they and their workes are condemned Yet this is not so to be understood but that Gods children have some thoughts of vaine glory which accompanieth and creepeth into their best actions but they doe acknowledge this for a sin confesse it and desire the Lord to pardon and subdue it and then it shall never be laid to their charge Because having of infirmities is not contrary to sincerity but allowing of them and living in them in which case the Lord is more pleased with our Humiliation for our sinne then the motions to vaine-glory did offend him Thirdly a desire to grow in grace and to become better and better is a signe of uprightnes A desire to grow in Grace Christian Righteousnes as it sees still need so it still desires more grace and lesse sin because hee who hath a true heart seeth both the want and worth of grace and feeleth his want A man feeles not the want of Faith Humility and Love till he have it in some sort as it is said Philip. 3.15 As many as are perfect are thus minded to wit so many as are upright all is one By love of the Brethren 1 Joh. 3.14 Lastly this just uprightnesse is knowne by love of the Brethren By this we know we are translated from death to life because we love the Brethren Contrary to which is that disposition which envieth at all things which suites not with their humours Jam. 2.2 as Iames speaketh of those who preferre men and have their persons in admiration in regard of outward things despising inferiours Vse 1 If therefore we will ever be counted righteous persons let us keepe these rules set downe here have a respect to all Gods commandements doe all things to the glory of God desire to grow in grace and love the Brethren Vse 2 And so it is also for Consolation unto such who are thus qualified for unto them belongeth all the promises of this life and of that to come They are in a blessed estate 1 Cor. 3.22 for all things are theirs because they are Christs therefore it is their bounden duty having an upright heart to rejoyce in God as the Prophet speakes Rejoyce in the Lord yee righteous Psal 33.1 Psal 52. ult for praise is comely for the upright None have cause to rejoyce but upright men 1. Because they of all others have title and right to joy 2. Because they have command to doe it seeing Heaven is theirs all the promises are theirs and they are heires of all things it is a comely service and the worke of Heaven Object Against this some object O but I find many sinnes passions and infirmities in my selfe how then can I joy in God Answ To this we answer briefly that the passions and infirmities of Gods servants are not contrary to Christian uprightnesse and righteousnesse for Saint Iames saith Jam. 5.17 that Elias was a man subject to like passions and infirmities as we are yet he was a righteous man though a man subject to the like passions as we are Therefore the passions of Christians are not contrary to Christian but to legall Righteousnesse But we are not under the Law but under Grace Rom. 6.15 The first Covenant of works bids us have no sinne The other Covenant bids us allow no sinne this much is for that Question what is meant by just men It remaines now that we should further enquire into that mysterie how it is that just men walke in the wayes of God and prosper therein when yet wicked men called Transgressors fall therein But this being a mistery by your patience wee will take time to unfold what we have to speake heereof the next time if God bee so pleased The end of the fifteenth Sermon THE SIXTEENTH SERMON HOS 14.10 The wayes of the Lord are right the just shall walke in them but the transgressors shall fall therein GODS children have their times of deadnesse and disertion and againe their times of quickning and rejoycing weeping doth not allwayes remaine unto them for their portion Psal 30.5 but joy commeth in the morning in the worst times the Saints have alwayes