serve for a taste by the paw you may judge of the Lion Oh! that this Reproofe might so pierce them that they might fall upon themselves and reprove themselves bitterly for their more then heathenish unnaturall unthankefulnesse Papists may condâ—mne us for our disregard of our Ministers This blinde generation of Papists shall rise up in judgement and condemne us Protestants yea many of us noted for our zeale For what cost doe they refuse to be at to maintaine their Priests and Jesuits in their bravery nay what fines would they not be willing to pay for the liberty of their Religion But alas We who professe a better and seeme zealous for it have no such principle of love in us Our Religion must stand alone and defend her selfe or else she may sinke or swim for us It s the mercy of God to our Kingdome to keepe the hearts of our Qâ—een and Kings of blessed memory and noblenesse of heart in the defence of the truth of God without toleration and imbezeling and long may the Lord so rule and dispose of their spirits For it s to be feared if they we were but brought to the triall who would give most for their Religion they for their Priests or we for our Ministers they would out-bid and outdrop us many of us even wealthy Gentlemen and others I will not tax all as much as Crownes or Royalls outbid brasse farthings The Lord shew us our disease and to what issue it would come if God prevented it not Vse 3 Thirdly this point is Exhortation to all who are convinced of this Truth People exhorted to honour and support the Minister That they practise this duty of love to the Minister of God If you would truly be free from all these aspersions as what good heart would not shake her lap of such dung Do not only abhor the treachery inconstancy basenesse and unthankfulnesse of hollow lovers Doe not onely abhorre the love of your selves lusts and appetites more then God or his Minister But especially learne this mystery of loving a Prophet for himselfe and in the name of a Prophet for his message sake Get an heart knit to him in a close band of amity which no sword can cut in two no time occasion or danger interrupt Let it not bee a love of teeth outward or outward signification but a child-like loyall reverend and sacred love without dissimulation Let the very joy of his message goe as dâ—epe into thy soule How that may be effected as these bad properties goe into the spirit of the contrary Lin not till the Minister of God have as well kindled a fire in thy heart of sound love and affection as set up a flashing light in thy mind of knowledge and understanding which may vanish though for a time thou seeme to rejoice in it Brethren if we desire your love pardon us this wrong for you shall fare the better If once this Epistle be written or engraven in thy heart with the pen of a Diamond the characters thereof will be indeleble It s no letter of inke and paper but written by an Adamant claw of the Spirit which knits you faster then Ionathan was knit to David This will make you close and faithfull and you will goe under a woods side into a wildernesse to renue your covenant No message can so pierce into your spirit as this If your Lawyer should by his skill and pleading win the day at Law for you if the Physitian should recover you of a deadly disease if your spokesman should prevaile in a great marriage of many thousands None would sticke so deepe nor deserve such love as the message of reconciliation and the cure of spirituall leprosie causing the flesh of thy soule to returne againe as the flesh of a little child This will make thee doe great things for the Prophet this will ingratiate and make him as one of a thousand unto thee Shall any thing now part him and me Act. 8. Thinke we that the Eunuch as speedily as Philip was snatcht from him carried him not away with him in his heart Should mony travell feare or danger ever have separated them Oh brthren let this example here of Naaman soke as oile into our spirits And before you depart hence beg it of God that he would teach you the obligation of a soule to his Minister And then we will give up our selves as Paul speakes first to the Lord and then to him in a league of faithfull amity Make but this sure that we have received his message Rom. 18. and then there needs no more That will be a principle within to dictate and direct the rest be the fruits greater or smaller so that love be the guide all shall be well The odds which Paul to Philemon speakes of Thou owest me thine owne soule And that which our Saviour speakes of To give a cup of cold water we know is very large and different yet where love is the roote both are accepted with God and all the steps which passe betweene Love may be trusted for the measure for shee hath an instinct which teacheth her what to doe shee can purge the heart of scantnesse and straitnesse and enlarge it with opennesse and freedome If Popish and ungrounded love be so full and free shall love truly rooted be barren Shall error bee more powerfull then truth No no The favour of love that comes from a soule redeemed with the pretious bloud of Christ excells all other respects whatsoever and carryes more demonstration with it And if love beare the sway a true Minister of Chrst will be as free to impart himselfe to the poorest and meanest of his congregation who can make him little requitall as to the richest and best yea although he be at some cost with them also as in some cases of distresse and visiting of the sicke it may be expected from him The loadstone which drawes his heart in pitty and compassion being the grace and necessity of the parties rather then his own advantage But to returne to the people in a word The duty urged give your hearts openly and freely next to God to his Minister for his worke sake Lately I read a story of the afflicted state of Belgia thralled under Philip of Spaine and Don Iohn of Austria his brother of whose tyranny the poore Province being weary they chose by common consent the Prince of Orange for their defendor and protector and meeting him in a solemne assembly at the Towne of Gaunt presented him with a golden heart opened with this Motto engâ—aven about it SINCERITY And truly brethren to apply this I say the true present of a soul won to God by the peace of reconciliation is an heart though not of gold yet more pretious even made of love and opennesse with sincerity of affection without this we cannot receive the Minister of Christ aright we may blear his eyes with false colours but God is not
naturall and beloved object The truth hath not made them free for if it had they would forsake all for it and buy it whatsoever it cost them but not sell it whatsoever they might have for it Besides they know not what spirit they are of while peace lasteth and the Gospel runnes in the streame of their liberties gifts services commodities and advantages who but they An humble and zealous Christian would almost tremble to heare their protestations their engagements for God and truth the cause of Christ and Religion who but they in their fastings and prayers deepe detestation of the sinnes of the times and mourning for the sorrowes of such as suffer But let the winde turne to another coast so that they see the enemies of truth lay hard to their free hold and they must either sadly suffer indeed for that they have professed or else bewray themselves to be hypocrites Then they shew upon what hinges their doore hanges and turnes even upon Selfe and self-selfe-love Then they wax stiffe for themselves then they cleave to the creature their ease and welfares their liberties and worldly contents Why this Alas They understood not their owâ— spirit and therefore it laid them in the suds ere they were aware Now their great declaiming against the sinnes of timeservers and selfe-loving hypocrites is turned to apologize for their inconstancy selfe-love and ends of their owne Moreover another cause is they sought not Christ simply and honestly for himselfe but for somewhat which might bee gotten from him to serve their owne turne by his meanes They know not how to licke themselves whole upon the Lord Jesus for any thing they lose for him and therefore they are loath to venture any more then they must quite make forfeit of If they knew whom to trust for amends or could beleeve that hundred fold requitall for God and his Gospel which is promised to all that lose any thing for him Oh! it would lithe their hearts exceedingly to suffer any thing for him To conclude they consider not what a poore bargaine they make of it when they sell the honour and glory of the Lord Jesus for the redeeming of a poore transitory content here below they consider not that they fish with a golden hooke for minums if they lose their hooke upon a shrag of triall and temptation they can never make amends againe for it by all they catch though the fish were fairer Conscience is no commodity to weigh in the balance against ease and carnall profits and pleasures as Elisha asked Gehazi Is this a season to purchase olives and vineyards and menservants or maidservants They consider not what poor and silly figleaves they sow together to cover their nakednesse when they pretend a necessity of serving God their owne way that way which will hold best agreement with their own ends to shun serving him his way of suffering which contradicts their self-self-love In all these respects and in many more let us not wonder at the wofull declension of these revolting times which leave the Lord Jesus himselfe to sinke or swim Nay further let us not be offended overmuch at such as at their first entry and onset upon Religion seemed so zealous as to chalenge all enemies of Christ and began to suffer for him But having born the brunt a while and felt the triall too hot and too heavy for them have with more shame and reproach revolted from him then ever they began to suffer with honour and commendation And sithence it fareth thus let all whom it concerneth Counsells to helpe this Exhortation to approve their faith and fidelity to the Lord Jesus as it doth concerne all who will not prove hypocrites now in these wofull daies strive for the holding up and preserving the entire honour and esteem of Christ his Grace his truth profession and Gospel both in their owne soules with sincerity and before men without shame or cowardize Consider poore soule by whose strength thou standest do not look too wisely upon next hand examples of staggerers and timeservers though perhaps thou hast admired them for their zeale and gifts know them by their fruits stagger not at their revolts But looke to Jesus the author and finisher of thy faith Heb. 12.2 who for the hope set before him and the love to thy soule and salvation despised the shame and endured the crosse Behold if examples do so much affect thee the patternes of those faithfull ones who in all ages have borne witnesse to Jesus and not esteemed their credits or goods or lives so that they might vindicate the glory of Christ and discharge the trust which in baptisme and much more in their conversion to God was committed to them to be faithfull souldiers and to contend for the truth against Divell and his instruments the world and their own fleshly selfe-love The Lord hath had in all ages some who have though it a businesse of importance to sticke to Christ and his honour whatsoever it cost them although thy strength be small the trialls of the malicious sharpe and fiery as darts yet if thou canst deny thine owne selfe humble thy soule be little in thine owne eies be above thine owne ends and sensuality Then that God who hath suffered thousands of subtill selfe-loving hypocrites to fall on thy right hand and thy left shall keepe thee safe in the midst under the covert of the wings and shadow of his Almighty power Psal 92.7 Counsells And to this end and purpose first get faith in Trialls more pretious then gold and looke not to suffer for Christ by thine owne strength but get strength from him whom thou sufferest for Get thee his innocency be sure thy cause be good joyne with it a good conscience two excellent banners to fight under and then by prayer beg from Christ that strength courage meeknesse simplicity selfe-deniall unashamednesse to confesse him and to suffer for him which becommeth one who hath received thy being of grace and the hope of welbeing of glory for ever from him Beleeve that hee who nayled all enmity of Satan and the gates of hell to his crosse hath risen by the might of his Godhead and is at his right hand will so provide that the remnant of their conquered and captivated malignity and malice shall never prevaile against thee If ever thou tookest hold of his strength to save thee from hell and from perishing trust him for strength to overcome all earthly enemies he can and will subdue them unto thee divert them disarme them disable them and give thee full redemption from them If ever hee built thee soundly upon his rocke feare not neither stormes nor sands nor tempests nor any assaults shall ever cause thy building to ruinate but thou shalt stand because built upon a rock Secondly be not heedlesse and carelesse of trouble but be well settled and informed in thy judgement concerning the weight and the importance of the truth of God Let
favour of healing so these thinke it were but reasonable that God should grant mercy to such a towardly and zealous childe or novice But as that Ruler hearing of their words to Christ came himselfe and abased himselfe cast off his merit and his building of a Synagogue professing himselfe unworthy under whose roofe Christ should come and so prevailed so must thou deale with the soveraignty of mercy if ever it be thine No no not the appearances of man can bind the Lord but his free love must overrule him The most poore despised impotent and silly wench among all thy brood may speed of mercy when the bravest wittiest and hopefullest of thē goes without Look at none despise none by the outward semblance Grace is free who knowes but thou mayst be an instrument of soveraignty to breed some savor of mercy even in that wife of thine which hath long beene most averse in spirit in that poore drudge of the kitchin who hath come last to prayers that child which of all the rest seemes of least capacity its not the easinesse of our heart to accept nor the rebellion thereof to refuse but the invinciblenesse of the Lords soule who cannot be pulled from his Elect and the efficacy of grace and powerfull mercy which carries the will of the creature before it not by compelling or necessitating of it but by a sweete perswasion and drawing it by his owne cordes to beleeve it making it of nilling willing and of willingable and effectuall to embrace it Sort. 4 Fourthly it must stop all the base cavills of men Oh! saith one I have spent the best part of seven yeares to obtaine a broken heart and cannot get it I see such and such can so melt and be so lowly upon the first hearing of the Word and grow to some measure of faith in short time as is incredible Surely if I had belonged to God I had long since been accepted Why Is not God the soveraigne giver or denier the furtherer or delayer of his owne grace Is not mercy his owne to give at his pleasure Is it not thank-worthy if thou get it at the eleventh houre even upon the Crosse with the theefe Esay 65.1 Is God tyed Is he not sometime found of them that seeke him not who never dreamt of him but walked in their ignorance and jolly in their lawlesse way And doth he not suffer some that seeke him with a Pharisaicall heart to goe without yea although they seeke him humbly and painefully doth not he know his owne best season Is thine eye evill because his is good doth he tie himselfe alway to one course God courses in the drawing home of his very divers No surely some he inclines to the meanes and breeds an hope a farre off others he holds under the meanes a long time in darkenesse the truth is he is tyed to no course to no persons seasons meanes or measures Turne thine impatience to humble selfe-deniall and adore God in his liberty goe to worke aright and ascribe to no meanes nor to thy selfe but his meere good pleasure and this will Sort. 5 prove the neerer way home though it seeme further about Fifthly doe not abuse this doctrine to forestall thy care in the use of meanes Doe not waxe out of measure wicked in shaking of all diligence to heare because God hath the whole strength in his owne hand to determine as he pleases But know that as the end so the meanes and the ordering thereof is in his hands Wouldst thou deny thy selfe all succors of the creature to feed and cherish thee because if the Lord have appointed thee to live Sort. 6 thou shalt live and if to dye no meanes shall sustaine thee Also doe not by this doctrine disorder the secret and revealed will of God but reverendly distinguish and observe both The one is that by which hee hath determined the ends Gods will double with the difference The other whereby he appoints the duties of men The one is unknowne to thee adore it but snare not thy selfe with it let not that forestall thy care and diligence in use of the meanes appointed by the revealed will Say not thus if I knew my selfe ordained to salvation I would apply my selfe willingly to them but how doe I know whether I belong to God Quest and shall not use the meanes in vaine to encrease my judgement Answ I answer thee Election is not revealed to any to encourage them to use meanes or beleeve But meanes of faith are offered to incourage to beleeve The knowledge of Election in such as attaine it flowes from faith not faith from it Fall thou to the meanes as God offers them which shall bee a signe unto thee of an humble and plaine heart and descant not upon that thou knowest not a signe of a froward rebellious spirit Thou art in the dungeon the Lord offers thee a ladder to come out cords and rags to hale thee up As Ebedmelec did to Ieremy Should Ieremy standing in his mire Jerem. 38.11 have felt more will to descant upon Ebedmelecs purpose in the casting in of rags and cords then desire to apply himself to the way of comming out might he not have lyen long enough there but if God have given thee the heart of Ieremy to tremble at the dungeon thou wilt not find leasure to quarrel with Ebedmelec what his meaning is unto thee but simply judge his meaning by his act his love by his cords and say thou mayst leave me here still with my cordes upon my shoulders but it seemes not so by thy offer for then thou mightst have spared this labor Therefore I obey thy charge and trust thee for drawing me up who gavest me thy cords and when I am drawne out then will I say now I know thy good will by the effect thereof Doe so in this case and prosper And so much for this second generall arising from the whole context And also for this time Let us pray c. THE SECOND LECTVRE VPON THE NINTH VERSE 9 So Naaman came with his horses and charets and stood before the dore of Elisha 10 And Elisha sent a messenger c. WEE come now beloved more closely to the words themselves Entrance upon the ninth vers and begin with this ninth verse as an introduction to the points following to the twentieth although it containe none of the five generalls which I intend chiefely to dwell upon yet it is the key to unlocke the doore of entrance upon all It containes the immediate occasion of the miraculous cure and conversion of Naaman Containing the Antecedents of the cure of Naaman and of those antecedent passages which lead unto it both the message of Elisha and Naamans entertaining thereof of which after But for this ninth verse sithence it hath in it some maine points of doctrine which depend upon the connexion of former verses we must open them first as all points gathered out of
discovery of Grace in the effects of that discovery and the end of it For the first of these The Spirit of Grace is all for Grace in the discovery of the mystery of it the amplenesse largenesse height depth and length of it to the poore soule that it may appeare in all the excellency and fulnesse freedome bounty unchangeablenesse and wel be teamingnesse thereof that no corner of it may lie hidden from the heart of a sinner so farre as may further him in the bottoming of the soule in mercy This is a singular and peculiar act of the Spirit tending to this end that the soule may not stagger about the sufficiency of Grace which God offers unto her but may behold the power of the Priesthood of Christ once offering up himselfe as a compleat and spotlesse sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of the elect needing no more to be offered able to procure from the Father endlesse wel pleasednesse and acceptance also a free offer of reconciliation and to create in the soule alone and of it selfe without any antecedent free will liking and cooperating of Selfe a most sufficient clearing of conscience from guilt and feare yesterday Heb. 10.3 Heb. 13.8 to day and for ever This cannot sinke into the heart of an hypocrite he cannot bee perswaded that there is enough in the Lord Jesus alone to discharge him in the Court of heaven the offer and promise are empty notions with him to sway all his strength upon neither dare hee rest thereupon with peace without a further addition of his owne feelings But the Spirit of Grace grounds the poore soule in this as the maine worke of all that so all the building may subsist thereon and makes sure retreat and refuge for her in the midst of her distresse that her foundation may not be shaken I wish that the method of that Epistle to the Hebrewes especially in the 7.8.9.10 Chap. might well be observed to the understanding of this act of the Spirit Secondly the Spirit of Grace doth not onely offer such a light to the soule but lets it in by her owne working into her setting the soule on worke to concurre with his revealing light and shewing it both that the Lord will conferre no lesse then all this Sufficiency upon a needing soule and therefore shee may without presumption take and partake them from his hand It sheweth her that it is the endlesse matchlesse Grace of God that he can find in his heart to pardon her yea to cast love upon her not only when she seems zealous and affectionate for Self can make her beleeve that but even when she is basest in her owne eies and under the conscience of her guilt when she is in her bloud when her originall loathsomenesse her actuall wickednes of thoughts of words of wrath hypocrisie and the like doe lye as a burthen upon her yet then even then marke what I say he hath love in a corner of his heart for such an one such as he will have herselfe confesse to be causlesse on her part yea such as if he had no more aime at being knowne to be loving then to love for any amiable thing in the object he would never shew to any Nay more lest the Spirit of Grace should leave any thing behinde him he doth offer to create the gift of faith in the soule Esay 5â— 19 to claspe upon this gift of mercy and includes this gift in the offer as knowing that it were in vaine to offer the one without working the other And hereby he causeth the soule to lay hold upon his strength and ablity to save as having received a ransome sufficient which is no other saving the writing of his covenant in the fleshy tables of her heart Esay 27 4.5 prepared by himselfe for the nonce And moreover that all this hee hath done of his owne free will and motion without any former principle acting him to intend it or concurring with him to create it I say he hath done it of himselfe as judging it meet for himselfe to doe whatsoever we bee and for the glory of his Name No entreaty of men or Angels no difficult tearmes of perswasion caused it but it flowed naturally from him as most honourable to his Majestie to doe Fifthly the Spirit of Grace stayes not here but proceedes to accommodate the soule to embrace this power of God for to what end should the Lord be willing to do it in her for her except she also felt sutable inclinations wrought in her soul towards it And therefore he moves her sadly to digest this grace offered to count it no light nor strange thing no nor yet beyond the soules apprehension but as on the one side hee causeth it to be most weighty pretious and to be highly valued so on the other side he makes it familiar sweet clear and evident not a thing above the clouds nor under the earth farre fetcht but neere the soule put into her bosome Rom. 10. belonging to her not to bee rejected or thrust away from her except she will perish These together with the infinite benefite of receiving it and the endlesse losse in forgoing it as being the onely remedy doe marvellously stablish the thoughts upon it and ravish the affections with it so that layes a most sad charge upon the poore soule upon paine of forfeiting her peace for ever not to passe it by slightly deadly and formally but to view and meditate of it savourly deep y unwâ—ariedly with admiration till by this mirrour of beholding the Lord with open face she be transformed to the gloriousnes of this gracâ— and carried 2 Cor. 3. end yea left in the streame thereof by the Spirit of the Lord. This for the first of the three particulars The second is the effect of this presenting worke of the Spirit And that is union The second worke the effect hereof viz. Union Whereby the Spirit of Grace shewes the soule into what a condition she is translated by faith in the promise That is she is made one with the Lord Jesus thereby and really partaker of all his good things true peace contentment in blessings crosses all conditions freedome from all former garboiles feares enemies joy in God and his salvation never to be divorced from him any more This causes the soule to shake off that wearisomenesse of Selfe never settled that bottomelessenesse never grounded that inconstancy and vanity never at rest and why Because it had no reall good to fasten upon and to determine those restlesse desires of hearts But now the Lord Jesus himselfe both in his present grace and hope of glory to come runues in her streame or rather turnes hers into his so that looke what Selfe was to her before emptily and barrenly now Christ is in her stead Christ is the Selfe of the soule he is all in all to her acts her comforts her staies her quickens her guides upholds
dally with women Or you are too idle in your calling and runne up and downe needlesly Or you faile in compassion to the poore or doe small good with that you have you are hard and sore in dealings or make no conscience of keeping promise in all which respects the Gospel suffers and the Lord with your own credit and Ministery lye at the stake I beseech you if you love me as you professe to doe amend these I say obey him in all and be earnest with God and him to make thy love effectuall herein that thou maiest appeare not to love in word but in deed and truth And so much for this Exhortation And for the Minister one word let me adde Vse ult Ministers must love only for procuring obedience to the truth That which in the greene tree is not to be suffered how much lesse in the dry If people must not equivocate with their Minister much lesse may he with them Doe not seeke favour with the people and seeme to love them to any other ends save to draw them to obey thy Doctrine If thou wilt needs seem great with them improve al thine interest for God and their good Seeke not to idolize thy selfe in any mans heart and affections for thine own ends that thou mightst either magnifie thy person above other Ministers or get the reputation of some great person as Magus did or enlarge thine estate and preferments But in all let it appeare 2 Cor. 12.14 that thou seekest them not theirs and as a servant of Christ thou seekest to set up him though with thine owne abasement As thou usest thy selfe so will it appeare in thy course what thou aimest at and if once people smell what thou seekest thou shalt both draw flatterers enough as being meet covers for thy cup and deterre all that make conscience from honouring thee from the heart For why Under colour of serving thy Master thou tradest for thy selfe and discoverest thy self to bee a meer Sycophant not caring which end goes forward so thou canst worke thine owne ends Not much unlike those timeservers the Princes of Ioash who came and did him great homage but why To draw his heart from God to Idolls and their owne purposes and those leaguers in France in King Henry the fourth his time for the aliening of his heart from the Protestant Religion which proved the ruine of them both But of this in the next Argument Lastly here is Consolation to all such as second their affection to the Vse 4 Minister of God with entire and sincere obeying his voice Comfort Thou canst doe little for thy Minister perhaps but this thou doest thou obeyest him It s a signe unto thee that thy love is sincere unto him and which is better to the Lord himselfe to the message he brings nay it s a signe thy heart is in love with the truths of God his commands threats and promises It argues thou lovest all the Ministers of God without dissimulation or partiality a rate gift and hardly found for each man will have his owne Paul Cephas or Apollo Nay to conclude 1 Cor. 3.4 it s a signe that there are many graces in thee saith purging thy conscience humility and selfe-deniall all saving gaces This obeying is above all sacrifices and fat of lambes yea more to be rejoyced in then so many Jewells Could but I prove this in you my beloved who throng to heare and looke me in the face to pull out my words out of my mouth I should not need to comfort you or praise you Matth. 11.19 Wisdome is justified by her children your selves should praise you in the gates though I were silent Luke 1. And as the babe sprang in the wombe of Elizabeth when Mary came neare her so should your hearts leap in your bosomes while you heare me speake and as those two Disciples going to Emmeus Luke 22. so should you beare me witnesse this day and say Did not our hearts burne within us while he applied his doctrine But well may this use come in the last place for they are fewest whom it may truly concerne And so much for this second Argument of the Servants drawne from his love to the Prophet Now I come to the Third And that is couched closely but effectually in these words How much more when he saith unto thee 3. Argument The sincerity of the Prophet Wash and be cleane As if they should say Alas What seekes the Prophet in all this his charging thee to wash in Jorden What doth he expect a reward of thee Doubtlesse then he would not so effectedly have kept in and refused to talke with thee he would then have sought thy face as a Prince bringing great gifts flattered and fawned on thee for his owne vantage But now behold Explication of the ground he simply and sincerely tells thee Gods message looking at nothing else That which he urges is nakedly this that for thine owne good thou mightst wash and be cleane If he had sought from thee some great matter for himselfe though no doubt thou wouldest easily have yeelded to that also yet then he might with more colour have beene suspected But now since he hath no further reach then thy cure and welfare entirely desiring thy good and loath to see thee returne home with thy disease why shouldest thou not yeeld to him and wash Shall he seeme more heartily to wish thy happinesse then thou thine owne That were to be doubly blindefolded with passion neither to see his love nor to wish thine owne good This being their argument it affords us this observation Sincerity in a counsellor claimes acceptance That its a strong motive to all who are not perversly led by their own self-love to hearken to counsell when it shall appeare that he who gives it is sincerely affected to the party counselled without any respect to his owne advantage And in very deed it is that argument by which throughout the Scriptures the holy Ghost pleads audience 1 Sam. 12.3 Samuel being to urge the Israelites to repent and return againe into covenant with God and to contest with them for their Rebellion beginnes with this argument Behold here I am witnesse against me before the Lord Whose Oxe or Asse have I taken Whom have I defrauded or oppressed Of whose hands have I taken bribes to blinde mine eies q. d. If it were thus my mouth might be stopt in my conviction The Apostle Paul Act. 20.31.23.34 being to presse those Elders of Ephesus to tread in his steps and to conceale nothing of Gods truth from his Church urges his owne patterne I have coveted no mans silver gold nor apparell yea your selves know that these hands have ministred unto my necessities and to yours who have been with me and by this rule he bids them proceed pleading that golden speech of Christ It s a more blessed thing to give then receive The same Apostle 2 Cor.
generall texts satisfie not a scrupulous soule in so weighty a matter and flesh is ready to say what signe from heaven shewest thou us of these things We would see some sight or heare some voice to confirme the word Ah poore soule I may say of thee as the Scripture speakes of Samuel 1 Sam. 2. thus did he ere he knew the Lord so these are thy crotchets ere thou knewest the promise But afterward thou sawest more in that alone then in all other waies for the Promise and Testament of Christ 1 Sam. 2. is written with the finger of God by the penne of the Spirit dipt in the bloud of God But to utter what God is willing to have spoken I must say that he who might claime this absolute power over the soule to be beleeved upon his bare word yet seeing the sensuality of man and our wofull distrust is willing to allow us all the meanes of strengthening our soules in his promise both by such seales and witnesses as confirme it yea Miracles Sacraments and oaths annexed to his Covenant and especially by those properties of a promise and of him that makes it and all to conclude and set the controversie beyond questions And by this meane faith is wrought In the which course of God appeares his great love and wisdome for herein hee hath endeavoured to answer all our doubts and carnall objections we are not so ready to cast in feares as he by this meane casts them out For why O poore soule dost thou suspect the Lord will not satisfie thy desire in giving thee Christ Either it must bee because there is no ground or cause for which he should doe it The ingredients of a promise and this is answered by his freedome graciousnesse Or he is a God just and revenging sin but this is taken away by satisfaction made taken Or because he cannot and this is false for his power is omnipotent Or because he meant it not eternally But the promise is from election Or wills not in time But that he doth for he invites and beseeches us Or he is not wise enough to compasse it But that he is for he is wisdome Or he is untrue in his performance But that he is not for he is faithfull Or he may change but that he cannot for he is immutable So that let us but set perfection of nature and grace in him against that which is in us our distrust and unbeleefe and we shall see every sore hath his plaster each distemper hath his medicine And all these are included in a promise So that whosoever hath the gift of ripping up a promise aright should behold all Gods riches in it But is a great skill and the promises of God lye in the Scriptures as gold and jewells lye deep in the earth at least in the field of the Gospell and we are not aware of them nor acquainted with that fulnesse and perfection which is in them And many confesse one of these who will not acknowledge another grace comes in drop by drop else wee should looke upon a promise with other eyes then for the most part the most of us doe A word or two of each of the branches For the first Freedome true it is 1. Freedome there is nothing in thee to procure such mercy but he is of his owne accord for his owne sake Esay 63.4 cut off his plea thought thoughts of peace he hath done it for the glory of his grace even because he will shew mercy it better pleased him so to doe then the first creating of Adam for now by his fall he addes mercy to goodnesse and magnifies himselfe in many attributes more Justice Wisdome and Truth He seekes nothing else save the winning and binding of the soule to him for ever in covenant which else so treacherous an heart as ours would never have yeelded to So that thou maist well trust him in this respect if thy faith can but get in with the Lord for if he do it not for thine ends yet for his own he will so that thou canst set thine owne under his so that thy best prop will be the preciousnesse of his glory which he will not give to another and therefore thy unbeleefe shall not rob him of it 2. Strength Secondly satisfaction is made and taken therefore he hath ground enough to settle his graciousnesse upon Justice could not cry it down by revenge rather then it should a satisfaction made by the bloud of an onely Sonne the bloud of God and man shall stoppe the cry of it upon this both made by Christ and taken by our Judge lo he turns wrath into mercy and his bosome is set open and unlocked as a fountaine 2 Cor. 5.20 21. He offers us reconciliation because hee hath made him sinne and curse who knew none that we might bee his righteousnesse And this is called the Lords strength Esay 27.4 that is the bottome whereupon mercy maintaines herselfe against all quarrell of justice and this hath taken away the dint of it so that hee truly professeth anger is not in me therefore come in not to an enemy 3. Omnipotence but to a father feare not Thirdly he is omnipotent He can doe what hee will His power ushers and attends his love as an handmaid Esay 57.14 The high and lofty one who inhabiteth eternity yet lookes downe that he may be strong with the humble and contrite ones His power is no crushing power save of our enemies and all that hate us But a releeving power an outstretched arme of salvation Not to destroy but to build up Esay 63.1 He that commeth from Edom dyed red with the treading of the winepresse of wrath is glorious in his apparrell travells in the greatnesse of his strength and is mighty to save Be the thing never so difficult to us with him nothing is impossible Can the Lord say they spread a table in the wildernesse The answer is can he not What is it which he cannot doe Except it be to deny himselfe and that nothing no not thy unbeleefe can bring him unto This power of God cannot be severed from the former satisfaction 4. Eternity Prov. 22.8 Fourthly he meant it from eternity as I said in the first of these he set downe with himselfe the frame and way of his owne grace long before Adam was or sinned the disease was foreseen the remedy fore provided It s a secret which lyes deep and hidden in the bosom of eternity though not farre above us in point of participation in this life yet in comprehension we must not looke to reach it here We may cry out O depth unsearchable and past finding out But till we come to heaven Rom. 9. end and behold it in the face of God being made one with him we cannot gage it our happinesse is that it is really so great that we cannot 5. Willingnesse Fifthly he wills it most cordially in
questions Prayers confessions and the like who doth not wish himselfe in their case except it be some errant blocke who discovers his brutishnesse all are ravisht to see such early beginnings The Lord knowes the fittest way to worke upon men Sooner will a young novice by his active spirit of the cure stir up others then some solid and grave Disciples because the spirit of the one is more stirring active and drawing than the other Fourthly there is in the cure of the soule converted to God Reas 4 such an irresistible power and impotencie From that irresistible power of Grace in the soule especially in the first turning home of it that there is no choaking quenching or damping of it It resembles her originall Seed leaven mustard-seed are things of an active and encreasing nature Leaven in a little while will sowre all the lump Hence are those expressions of the Saints Thy Word was in mee as coales of fire in my bosome Can a man carry them there and not be burnt I would have kept in thy words saith David but such was the nature of them that they would not be concealed I had no rest nor peace till I had uttered them to Congregations Peter could not hold Christ in his bosome till he had uttered himselfe to Nathaniel That woman of Samaria had fire in her bosome when she went to tell her kindred citizens the news of Christs discourse The love of God workes in the breasts of his Saints as it first wrought in his owne he having conceived it once could not cease till it had discovered it selfe to poore sunken Adam and hee would rather chuse to make his onely Sonne a Masse shame then he would not expresse it Even such is the same love having once wrought in them it is as the new wine in the caske which must have vent or else it will breake It is like Josephs affection to Benjamin all must be had out from him Gen. 45.14 and he must utter himselfe to him and fall upon his neck with a kisse and teares The newer any thing is the more forcible So is it with love The Apostle hath a sweet word to expresse it The love of Christ constraines us 2 Cor. 5. The word signifies 2 Cor. 5.14 gathers us up together as a beast hemmed in a Pinfold hath an appetite after liberty so the spirit of love finds it selfe straitned till it breake out And 1 Cor. 13. love is bountifull and working 1 Cor. 5. full of affection hopeth all things endureth all things and the like The fifth God is the God of order and loves sutablenesse of Reas 5 Age and Temper youth naturally is hot and full of expressions God is the God of order it is comely for young ones to be so their lusts were so before grace therefore grace must be so also I restraine not this heat to meere youth for if God do convert elder ones as Naaman there is a spirituall youth or first age even in them also grace at the first is most operative be the yeares what they may be but especially when grace falls upon tender yeares as for the most part that is the season ere the soule be sapped in lewd customes then it quickens those hot spirits which it meets with to singular expressions Reas 6 Lastly by this spirit the Lord provides matter and argument of convincement For the due convincement of such as after may wax luke-warme and loose and inward checke for time to come if at any time his people shall revolt from this grace of first conversion The Lord knowes our mold and fashion just Psal 103. We seem at our first setting forth to the journey so trimme and so prepared that no troubles nor difficulties shall daunt our resolution But by that time wee have travelled a while what with the ill way what with ill weather bad successe and what with our owne weary and crazie spirits within we waxe unto ward and stagger whether we should goe forward or no. The Lord knowes how many waies this first spirit of the cure flagges and wanzes in us sometimes the abundance of iniquity causes the love of many to waxe cold this degenerate formall world is ready to quench our spirit the presidents of many zealous and painfull professors who are turned drunkards uncleane worldlings Epicures and sinfull wretches 2 Pet. 3. ult do shake us The errour of the wicked puls us from our stedfastnesse feare of some men flattery of others but especially a cursed heart on the one side giddie presuming venturous on the otherside slavish fearfull and distrustfull distempers us so that although we keep from grosse evils yet we are far from that frame of zeale closenesse and watching which we have found onely peace from Now when it falls out thus and that crosses debts ill marriage care of children and other disguisements come upon the necke of the other then is the Lord faine to step in and take us to taske to upbraid us and cast us in teeth with our first spirit of cure our early first love sweet affections covenants humble feare watchfull care diligent paines zealous spirit Luk. 23.31 What was this done in the greene tree and shall it not be done in the dry What shall first beginnings shame thee Didst thou begin in the spirit if yet thou didst so and wilt thou now end in the flesh Oh! is there not enough in that never dying spirit of an immortall hope of salvation to carry thee on in thy poore course with equalnesse of affection Say the edge be a little blunted what is metall gone too is the steele worne out of the backe That first spirit of sound joy in God should by this day have bred in thy belly a welspring of water flowing to eternall life Oh! for shame strengthen the weary hands Heb. 12.13 and feeble knees and correct the crooked that it turne not out of the way Thus the Lord charmes a declining spirit by an experiment of her owne and brings her backe with sorrow and shame to her former temper So much for Reasons Use 1 Now for Use first is the spirit of a true Convert thus zealous for God This then teacheth us a difference of cures and that all are not alike for there are many to be sure farre from this temper and frame of spirit Instruction with an item Not every cure hath such a stroake in the soule of a man thus to change qualifie and act his spirit to and for the Lord. And all to teach us to try our spirits and to be afraid to rest in any base counterfeit cures which afford none of this life and operation Who doth not now a dayes boast himselfe to have gotten this through cure Counterfeit cures very common in the world true cures rare If once baptized and professe the Gospell it is treason in these dayes to put a difference betweene men Alas yee poore wretches
a new body of people not defiled with this scurffe and live among them Ezek. 9. rather then to take these Coleworts of ours to feede upon aad this refuse remnant and scraps of that royall feast which we were wont to make him whiles the savour of his grace continued among us Large I might be in urging particulars but by the Paw judge of the Lion and let this shaâ—p reproofe in Gods feare warne so many of us as in whom every sparke of old spirit is not extinct to looke about us 1 Thes 5.25 that we nourish this marke of Grace in us and quench it not And so I goe on to speake of that Use of Admonition And Use 4 first to warn all in whose hearts any spark of this Spirit of Grace Branch 1 and Zeale to Gods truth hath beene bred Admonit Admonition to the people of God to nourish the spirit of first conversion in themselves that they nourish and nurse it in themselves continually That they waxe not confident in their first beginnings because their edge was quick at the first as if they were past danger or as if this grace would grow up in them without their owne industry and watchfulnesse Alas poore soules you have but saluted Religion with the upper lip Tender spirits and keene edges may be soone damped and dulled you have a great journey to goe a world of worke to doe a wofull heart of secret poyson still to subdue which will not easily yeeld it is not your affections which will beare you out against a sad body of death and a nature of old Adam many crosses feares bad examples and errours of the wicked abide you and early or late will shake your frame and try what metall you are made of Doe not prophecy to your selves a shot-free ease and to walke without feare of bullets and darts in this world The Devill seemes to be sad that he hath lost you but of all other people he watcheth you a mischiefe and would bee gladdest if he could pay you home you are his objects of fury and set in the forefront of his battery if the dint light upon any it is likest to seise first upon you And thousands who have given as great hope of as sound and close a spirit to God and have opposed sinne base formall courses as much as you have yet revolted to Satan and he hath laid seven times as many irons upon them as at first to secure himselfe from a second escape Tremble to thinke of it Matth. 12.45 Seeke to improve this first Grace of yours this zeale and affection to the Gospel and against all enemies of sincerity with a wise steddy and full resolutenesse of heart to undergoe any brunts pursuits discouragements offences by false Hypocrites or other affronts which may come in the way It is not possible but this Age affecting nothing more then a contrariety to power of good and upright walking with God must needs put you to it daily and try you throughly with the infinite many trials which it hath devised to ferret out the good from themselves that they and their hypocrisie might predominate and all soundnesse be abandoned Lie not therefore as two irons on both sides the loadstone let not your soules play booty with God in this weighty businesse stagger not be not now haled by the false flatteries of this painted harlot or scared by the terrours and threats of a frowning tyrant for the world is both but seeke to be insensible of her If she finde that love of Gods truth wanzeth in thee and thou coudst beteame to be at more ease and elbow-roome in the world or that thou fearest trouble or beginst to strew and garnish thy false heart with any other lust she hath enough she is sure of thee Rather set before thine eyes the wofull end of all decliners All that come rolling down the hill faster then they ever got up Caveats against a declining course in sundry particulars They shatter themselves and breake their bones without hope of setting againe their end is commonly worse then their beginning Loath each step of a base heart going this way and allaying this spirit with her owne mixtures If first heate chill it will die a thousand to one if that which should inflame all the whole course be it selfe cold how great is that coldnesse Discerne it in the first approach whether it be by casting on cold water or not laying on more fuell If the love of the world pleasures merry company a loose heart tickle thee of if thou grow scanter in meanes as in prayer hearing meditation or fasting lesse watchfull and timorous suspect thy selfe betimes Stumble Stumble not at the infirmities of the religious but cover and interpret them mercifully take no occasions of offence nourish every thing which might breed in thee a better opinion of holinesse and entertaine no suspitions against it let not her fare the worse for the errours of them that professe no nor for the revolts of time-servers Harbor not in thy spirit any secret distemper of pride self-selfe-love selfe-conceit fullennesse frowardnesse carnall wisdome earthly mindednesse These will creepe in and tickle as a Viper under colour of some lawfulnesse or other but they will eate out the very bowels and heart-heate of the spirit of grace Nibble at none of the Devils baits Behold not too wisely the errour of the wicked and the streame of evill without feare or checke lest this cause the love of many to waxe cold Matth. 24.13 Matth. 24.13 Daily ply the meanes and lay on fewell arme thy selfe by prayer against the course of decliners as David did Ps 101.3 Pal. 101.3 Nourish humility and simplicity of spirit next to faith above all Inure thy selfe to deny much for God that so he may grow dearer to thee and thou to him Spend not nor waste thy zeale needlessely and rashly upon objects of lesser weight but reserve thy selfe till a better warrant and call a stronger and more weighty object to pull thee forth lest thou faile in the hottest of the attempt as those mostly doe whose zeale is unballanced Be not wedded to thy selfe for the spirit of grace doth not so well befit him who abounds in his owne sense Compare Num. 23. with Exod. 32.19 Moses was a man who in his own matters was very meek and calm and therfore his zeale in breaking the Tables and indignation against that Idolatry became him the better Esteeme and value each sinne by the nature of it not the cry or outside of it The losse of thy spirit perhaps seemes not so hideous to thee as some open sinne which thou seest in others as to oppresse or be drunke but it is worse not onely because it is the seed of thee but because although thou shouldest never breake out so farre yet it is the decay of thy frame and temper of goodnesse A burning Ague is not so dangerous as a
of that habit and savour of grace which makes the sound heart desire and resolve to be be good whether any other in the world be so besides himselfe or not The life of the child was so deare to the true mother that although it went against the edge yet she chose rather the false mother should have it then it should be slaine And therefore it was adjudged to her as her owne So is it here A true heart would cose any losse rather deny it selfe to the death then the life of religion should be indangered because it is bred in her bosome So then you see brethren Positives comming from life cannot be assembled by the heart which is dead and unsound An hypocrite for his humour would have the the child religion into his possession for his credit not for love of the life of it for he will starve and kill it for lacke of good keeping only the true mother that bare it and knowes the price of it will nurse and nourish it with her breasts Try thy selfe by this Any Ape will imitate somewhat in a man but he can neither laugh nor speake for lack of Reason Fourthly trie this spirit of Grace by the object Grace strikes at the root By the object the order and equality thereof falshood at the branches onely The zeale love and grace of the spirit is chiefly and mainly against the chiefe corruption of the heart then of life and it is first earnest for the maine most weighty matters of God and then for second things Not first for the latter and then for the former Againe it is orderly equall not preposterous and disproportioned Great are the cries of many Separators from our Communion against corruptions abuses in our Church But you shall scarce marke any order in their spirits They begin not at home are not zealous against the abuses of their owne soules see not the pride and desperate selfe-love of their owne hearts The glory of God in their owne Reformation they will not looke at Separatists frō our Church how blind in the discovery of their owne corruptions but suffer themselves to swarme with all base evils see no want of Charity Mercy Compassion Discretion in themselves If they would see their owne beames they might the better discover others But alas if there were no Church abuses to speake of their occupation would cease And why speake they of these abuses Not as becomes them in patience and innocencie to wait for a blessed redresse but to overthrow the Church quite and pull downe the very frame and foundations of it yea to raze it to the ground which never did any of those who are ten times more judicious then the best of them attempt or intend And so they bring an aspersion upon others to be as giddy and rash as themselves who yet as much abhorre it as they do those abuses If the Spirit of Grace of a sound humble and tender heart cleaving to the Word close to the Ordinances could be found in them If Christ and the worke of Faith and Regeneration were as great objects in their eye as outward administrations of the Church we might hope better of their persons then now we can So I might instance in other particulars Many men have zeale affections in them but how do they improve them Surely not upon the reall things of the Gospell but upon personall objects censuring such as equal not themselves in their supposed grace judging men for their ignorance infirmities errors Whereas the spirit of Grace looks inward 1 Cor. 13. it is mercifull long-suffering meeke loving hopeth all things endureth all things it judgeth her selfe in secret and leaves others to stand or fall to their owne Master So likewise the Spirit of Grace is free as the Apostle saith from all partiality and hypocrisie A false spirit cleaves to this Minister or to that for some by-respects Cephas Apollo Paul Rom. 14 4. Iam. 3.17 1 Cor. 3.22 shall goe for his money and accordingly is carried in such affection sometimes above the clouds sometimes lower then the earth in likes and dislikes But a sound spirit loves all the faithfull Ministers of Christ with sutable tendernesse of heart though the measure be as the peculiar relation stands and holds the same affection constantly to all for Christs sake The badge of their Master procures honour to them in his heart whether old young neere farre off the gifts and graces of God though lying diversly are the object of his love Not only will a faithfull Minister be for God in Pulpit but out of it also not zealous in publique and in private as another common person A good heart will not affect a strict closenesse upon the Sabbath and then upon other dayes loose or carelesse in the duties of the second Table using all sorts of companies taking all liberties breaking promises paying no debts running up and downe with neglect of calling and family this is no spirit of grace but of corruptiom guilded over with some file of zeale without substance Fifthly the carriage of the spirit of Grace discernes it from the spirit of unsoundnesse For you shall commonly find The carriage of it that although a false heart will be as earnest zealous and forward as an honest yet one fly or other of selfe reflection will bewray whence it comes even from pride and seeking it selfe It cannot beteame and afford the Lord the cleere and entire honour of the action except in the dressing it licke her owne fingers As a rat behind the painted cloth so doth falshood discover it selfe herein It is as oyle in the hand which cannot be held in If it be in a Preacher you shall find it thus Truly you must pardon mee I was put to it upon a sudden but I trust to your patience why Oh! to draw on praise and admiration Oh saith another I could not satisfie my self in what I did Another will aske How did you taste my doctrine to day even as feast-makers cannot bid their friends welcome be merry but there must be a tang of folly You must pardon us for our poore cheere when yet they know they abound so here Others cannot bring forth a point but it must be with a preface I am to speake to you of a speciall point and I doubt it will search the most of us to the quicke Sundry miscarriages of an unsound heart discovered a point that few of you have heard till now and many there are so full of themselves that if they heare any man of worth praised for his worth they are upon thornes till they can set another copie of their own by the other to blemish it I was the first man saith one that first brought the Gospell into the town I was the man who hunted out such a drunkard and brought such an Adulterer to shame I do such and such good to the Ministery to the poore and the like I have