rather than over-ruled by power it laies by all dialogue dispute murmuring and desire of dispensation 3 In the measure of doing it will indeavour in all the Commandements and all duties no man so wicked but hee can do many things as Herod but hee cannot yield to all 4 In continuance and conclusion of that hee doth it holdeth on in doing things purely for a good end for Gods glory and not by fits and starts but perseveres to the end and the crown of the work In all which a wicked man comes short for whatsoever is forced or feigned must bee heavily entered on and more heavily ended besides whatsoever is from such an one is joyned with reigning sin which hales and tugs him backward and toils him out before hee bee half way in any good work 3 How often doth the Lord reject the sacrifice of the wicked their oblations their fasts their prayers their temporary yea miraculous Faith their almes and charity yea their confessing and Preaching of Christ as in the last judgement all which had they been fruits of sound grace they had been acceptable But God looks not so much to the matter of the work as the person working the manner of working and the end of the action Vse 1. Well as Satan goes away when hee can stay no longer and so his obedience is forced so doth sin from most men when they can keep it no longer and so that which seemeth obedience in them it is no better than the Devils obedience in this place Vse 1. Many refrain many sins for fear of Hell and the curse of God they dare not hold their sin any longer whereas they are as much in love with it as before as Moses his Parents kept him so long as they durst before they exposed him to the waters so dearly love men the children of their own corruption What thank is it for a Robber or Felon to leave robbing and stealing for fear of hanging If there were no Law nor Magistrate hee would to his own calling again because hee is no changeling So what thank is it for a man to avoid sin because of damnation here is no fear of God but fear of evil no love of God but self-love And yet this is the restraint of most men whom Conscience no whit bridleth Why do men abstain from open wronging of men by Robbing Stealing Murthering they will say for Conscience But then the same Conscience would keep them from all secret deceit lying and cousenage and then the same conscience would keep them from all other sins also as swearing drinking dicing carding gaming pride wantonness and the rest A good conscience in one thing is a good conscience in all 2 The like is the obedience of many sinners that are still in league with their sins Many filthy unclean whoremongers and harlots have left their sin but it is because it hath lest them they have broken their strength and either age or diseases in their bodies hinder them oh now they will pretend Conscience But they can as filthily speak and as merrily remember their mad pranks as ever they acted them they want onely a body no minde will or affection to commit over the same things again Many Prodigals have left their sin because their wealth hath left them and poverty feeds upon them Many quarrellers and swaggerers have left off such furious courses why perhaps they have gotten some maim or mischief or perhaps they fear whether they can do so again safely or no and this is all the conscience that hath calmed and quieted them but what obedience is this Is that an obedience to God for a Dicer or Gamester to forbear play or rather as it is his theeving when he wants mony to stake 3 In Gods service what makes men come to Church to hear and Pray Every man saith Conscience Yea but good Conscience works powerfully upon the Will what then means the unwillingnesse of men and heavinesse who are so far from apprehending their week-occasions as if they ask their own hearts they must tell them that on the Sabbaths of God were it not for fear of law and shame of men both which are often forgotten they would not come at all Here is obedience much like the Devils because they are of the Devils teaching The like of many servants and Childrens obedience whose comming to Church to hear their duty is meerly forced by the compulsion of Masters and Parents and hath as little comfort in it as the Devils obedience 4 The like is to bee said of late Repentance at the time of death when the sinner hath held his sin so long as hee can then hee would bee rid of it Indeed his sin leaves him but not the curse of it but hee is so far from leaving it as were hee to live over his daies again hee would put as much life into his sin as ever before Late repentance is seldome true ever suspicious Why do many rich men never do good while they live but live as unprofitable and hurtful as swine till they come to the knife but then when death is binding them they will give somewhat to good uses to the Poor for a Sermon c. Why what moves them Conscience they say But it is an accusing Conscience crying out against their oppression usury wrong cruelty and deceit and now this wicked Conscience would stop its own mouth by offering to God some trifle of that hee hath robbed For were it a good conscience why doth hee not leave some part of his wealth for God before it wholly leave him Were it a free-will-offering why comes it so late why doth hee not good while hee hath time Gal. 6.10 Surely God likes a living Christian for any man will bee a Christian dying Neither is it thank-worthy to give that which a man cannot keep And commonly such gifts do more good to others than the giver himself Which is not spoken to hinder men from doing good at their deaths but to provoke them to do good before that time And yet better late than never Let us examine all our obedience by this ground and bee sure that it differ from the obedience of Devils and wicked men And that by these rules 1 God loves truth in the inward parts and refuseth all that obedience which follows not sanctification of the Spirit duties without must flow from graces within Examine now thy inward change wee are his new creatures created to good works joyn that in thy actions which the Devil divorced the inner man with the outward the subjection of the soul with the obedience of the body 2 Examine thy love in thy obedience that because the love of God constrains thee thou doest what hee commands and whether thou preferrest the Commandement of God which is ever-joyned with his glory above all the World and thy obedience above thy profit credit case pleasure mens favour or dis-favour whether thou canst obey God against all these This was
shall gild no matters here for what shall gold or silver pearls or jewels doe when Heaven and earth shall bee on a light fire Here shall be no sanctuaries nor priviledged persons or places to hinder the course of justice hence shall be no appeals but every person shall receive an eternal sentence of every cause according to the truth and equity of it for else the Judge of all the world should not doe right Vse 1 To comfort Gods children Gods children who here have all sentences pass agaiâ—st them shall have justice at this day who in this world are herein conformed unto Christ for the most part causes and sentences passe against them and their light is darkned their innocency by the might and malice of the wicked troddeâ— down but then shall they be sure of the day God will cause their uprightnesse to break out as the Sun in his strength for when wickednesse shall ruin the sinner into Hell righteousnesse shall deliver their souls from death 2 To teach them to possesse their souls in patience when they see the confusions that are in the world to beware of revenge but commit all as Christ himself did to him that judgeth righteously Wee must be content for a while to see our righteous waies depraved our good repaied with evil by evil men and bee so far from thinking hence that there is no providence oâ— care in God over his Children as that wee must necessarily conclude hence this judgement day Observe the rule Eccl. 3.16 When thou seeest in the plaâ—e of judgement wickednesse and iniquity in the place of justice think in thy heâ—rt surely God will udge the just and the wicked for there is a time for every purpose and work and Chap. 5.7 If in a Countrey thou seest oppression of the pâ—or and the defraudâ—ng of judgement and justice bee not astonied at the matter for hee that aâ— higher than the highest regardeth it The same ground do the Apâ—stles â—ftâ—n lay to raise this same exhortation unto patience in induring wrongs as Phil 4.5 Let your patient mind bee known unto all men the Lâ—rd 〈◊〉 at hand Jam. 5.7 Bee yee also patient and settle your hearts for the câ—mming of the Lord dâ—aweth neer As if these holy men had said with one mâ—uth look not to havâ— your right here in this World as neither the wicked have their livâ—e but wait the appointed time as the Husband-man doth for the weâ—ks of Harvest and this time is the comming of the Lord before which tiâ—e neither is the full recompense of righteousnesse given to the Saintâ— not punishment rendred unto the wicked in the full measure of it Grow nâ—t weary of well doing though yee meet with nothing but discouragements not out of love with the practice of piety although the world haâ—e you fâ—r it as it did your head before you for in due season ye shall reap â—f yee faint not 3 This teacheth men carefully to look to all their works and waies that they bee just and justifiable The works and words of men which shall abide the tryal of that dâ—y must now be tryed before hâ—nd such as will hold water as wee say For there is a day of tryal when all those causes which they have by Mony Friends or wicked policy contrived and over-wayed in shall be brought about again into a clear light and put into the ballance of equity it self where they shall bee found too light And think seriously with your selves how those causeâ— words and actions will abide the tryal of that day which even for the present can bring no sound comfort to the heart but rather heaviness to the heart accusation and guiltinesse to the conscience fear in the thoughts and shame in the face if any man should know how impiously and injuriously they have been contrived how many Oppressions Wrongs Cruelties Usuries Revengeful sutes onely commensed to make men spend their goods and lose their peace how much of many mens estates would give a loud witnâ—ss against their owners but that men will not so long before hand trouble themselves with such thoughts Well look to thy self whosoever thou art If thy conscience now accuse thee or can accuse thee but thou wilt either stifle it or stop thine ears against the cry of it know that it hath a voice and will do good service to this Judge one day a thousand witnâ—sses cannot do more than it will do it will bring back old reckonings which Christ hath not reckoned for and set them in order before thee when thou that canst find none now shalt have leisure enough to look into them but all to the breaking of thy heart and increase of thy torment that thou didst not till too late look into thy reckonings Now to all such as mind hereafter to look into so main a business as this is The touchstâ—ne of this tryal is the word of God I will for the present commend onely one rule whereby they may discern wheâ—her their actions will abide the tryal that abideth them and that is this If the Word of God do now approve them they will then bee justifiable but whatsoever word or action hath passed from thee for which thou â—aâ—st not bring thy ground thence the same will cast thee in judgement This is that our Saviour telleth the Jews The word that I speak shall judge you at the last day Jâ—h 12 48. The strâ—ctneâ—s of thâ— l st jâ—dgement 1 In regard oâ— peâ—sons judged Thirdly This judgement of Christ shall bee most strict and accurate 1 In regard of the persons that shall bee judged who shall bee inquired into and brought to give accounts of themselves not onely generally as men or Chriâ—tians but in special according to the particular places and courses of life wherein they were set in this world For example publike persons must give account for themselves and others that have been committed unto them Magistrates for their People Ministers for their Flocks both of them how they entred how they ruled how they walked in and out before their people what faithfulness they used in discovering and discountenancing sin and ungodlinesse how diligent they have been to draw and force men to the keeping of the two tables how they have acquitted themselves from communicating in other mens sins and whether they have faithfully in their places denounced and executed the judgements of God whilest both of them have stood in the room of God In like manner private men must bee countable not onely for themselves but or all those that are under their charge as Fathers for the education of their Children Masters for the instructing and governing of their Servants and Family Tutors for their care or negligence towards such as are committed unto them for the rule of the Law is general and will take fast hold upon many a soul that think it enough to look to themselves that whosoever hindreth not that sin which hee can hinder
comes amiss to an idle person Besides discredit bad report and poverty come as an armed man upon such a one Prov. 6.11 3 To others 3 To others whether wee bee Masters or servants as knowing that in our Calling wee are to practise most Christian duties as love to our brethren patience truth fidelity uprightness as being ever under Gods eye 3 Be not busie in other mens Callings 3 Another point of Wisdome in our Callings is not to meddle with other mens business but follow our own close 1 Thes 4.11 Study to be quiet and to do your own business And every where the Apostle reproves busie bodies who going beyond their own bounds thrust their sickle into every mans harvest and being out of their own places and business intermeddle with that which no way concerns them And these are disturbers of peace and civil tranquillity kindling and blowing up contentions for lack of other work The same rule is for women also that they bee not gadders but house-keepers Tit. 2.5 4 In earthly business carry an Heavenly minde Phil. 3.20 4 In all earthly business study to carry an heavenly minde A Christian while hee converseth in earth must have his conversation in Heaven And know that in all the ways of this present life hee ought never to step out of the way to eternal life Neither shall a man bee a loser by this course seeing wee have an express promise that if wee seek Gods Kingdome first and principally these outward things should so far as they are needful for us without such carking care bee cast upon us 5 Intend most the most necessary duties of them 5 As all duties of the Calling must bee profitable in themselves and for the publike good so the most profitable must bee most intended and specially performed A Minister must read the Word but must apply himself more to Preaching as being more necessary A Magistrate must execute Justice upon transgressors of mens Laws but especially against open transgressors of Gods Law Masters of families must provide for the bodies and health of their family but especially for the good and salvation of their souls CHAP. XII Rules of Wisdome concerning a mans estate and first for adversity THe rules of Wisdome concerning a Christian mans estate are these One general Rule for all estates is to think the present estate best for thee First General Secondly Special The general rule for all estates is this Bee prepared for any estate contented in every estate and assure thy self the present estate whatsoever it is is best for thee though not ever in thy sense yet in Gods gracious and wise ordering of it This lesson the Apostle Paul had well learned Phil. 4.11 12. I can want and abound I can bee full and hungry I have learned in all estates to bee contented The special rules are either for prosperity or for adversity Rules for affliction Concerning adversity and afflictions these are the rules of Christian wisdome 1 Consider thou art not placed here in the world by God 1 God may as well be injoyed in Adversity as Prosperity to injoy the pleasures of the World but to injoy God which thou mayest do as well in affliction as in prosperity and to cleave to him in his service looking for nothing but afflictions as a Pilgrim going to thy Country the way whereunto lyeth through afflictions This ground not laid men count troubles a strange thing 1 Pet. 4.11 and start at the mention of them as the Apostles Joh. 11.8 when they heard Christ speaking of going into Jury where the Jews had lately sought to stone him And note it to bee a corruption of the heart to bee more grieved for thine own troubles than the troubles of the Church for private than publick evils 2 Lay up strength and comforts aforehand As first Humility 2 Lay up strength and comfort aforehand to over-master and tame the pride and rebellion of our hearts and to bring in contentedness to sweeten our troubles and our labour will be well spent for if wee can relish the hardest part of our life our whole life else will assuredly bee more sweet and joyful 2 Grow up in the knowledge of God which will make thee rise up in much comfort and will bring in comfort against that confused heaviness distrust and dangerous affections and passions which else in trouble might beat us down and off him 3 Get assurance of faith which will sweetly warm the heart in the sense of Gods love in Jesus Christ The fruit of which will bee first To inable us to trust our selves with God in any estate and bee assured the Lord is with us in fire and water in the midst of the Valley of the shadow of Death Secondly to depend on him for strength Psal 23.4 for howsoever Satan would make us beleeve our affliction is greater than it is or wee are for it yet wee shall assure our hearts that the Lord hath measured it out for our strength and not above Thridly 1 Cor. 10.13 to wait upon him for a good issue and seasonable deliverance who hath promised to turn it to the best This shall keep us from fainting distrust and despair Rom. 8.28 3 In all evils of punishment take occasion to set upon the evil of sin 3 In evils of punishment to set upon evil of sin and revenge upon that complain of it to God and men murmure and grudge at nothing else If affliction bee sharper than ordinary it is sure some sin or lust addes a sting unto it But this rule mortifies sin and unruly passions and will weaken the heart and make a man say with the Church Mic. 7.9 I will bear the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned 4 Make them no heavier than God maketh them by impatience 4 Make them no heavier thâ—n God hath made them frowardness and looseness of heart God sometimes layes on a little finger and the froward heart lays on the whole hand and loyns to make the burden heavier with faithless heaviness and distrust which is but an addition of new and worse troubles than the former How inconsiderately do many men load themselves with troubles too too light in themselves and on the shoulders of wise men who can make a vertue of necessity and step over a number of rubs which others stoop to remove and infinitely toil themselves How do many in smaller troubles as discourtesie of neighbours unruliness of children unfaithfulness of servants smaller losses and crosses in Family-matters give place to unquietness impatience and passion till their folly have by seeking to case their burden increased it from a dram to a talent And now how unmeet are they for the service of God How unprofitable in any Christian society How sowr and heavy in countenance disguised in speech Levius sit pationus Quicquid corrigere est nosas Horat. and impotent in their behaviour All which
Gods book for the increase of knowledge and conscience Psal 1. â— Deut. 6 and add hereto meditation and prayer for these three saith Luther make a Divine all time thus spent is well redeemed As for lascivious and idle books shun them as rocks 2 Rejoyce in the good you know by another praise God for it pray for the increase of it But if you know any evil by any mourn for it and if you can by brotherly admonition amend it â—ob 31.1 â—sal â—59 â—7 3 Retrain your ears eyes mouth and hands from hearing seeing speaking or performing any wicked and vain thing knowing that death often entereth in at the windows S â—am 1.2 1 Stick to God as well in adversity as prosperity the one being as necessary as the other If you want necessaries humble your self for them if you have them bee humble with them and use them well lest you forfeit them â—at 5.23 â—sal 35.14 2 Seek Reconciliation with your Neighbour freely forgiving those that have offended you and earnestly desiring to be forgiven of all that have been offended by you â—at 23.25 â— 7.9 10 3 Study to approve both your heart to God and your Life to Gods Children in your particular calling and especially to such â—hes 5 â— 6. â— as to whom God hath joyned you as if a servant in obeying if a Master in ruling if an husband in loving if a wife in reverence for a good conscience a good name and good manners must go together T â—b 3.12 â— 1.11 â— 15 â— m. 1. â— 12. 1 Take heed of performing holy duties for fashions sake or without feeling and profit for this is hypocrisy or prophaneness 2 Thankfully requite at least with 1 Acknowledgement 2 Hearty affection 3 Prayer the good you get by any man for there is no member in the body but standeth in need of others mens gifts Cor. 11. â— 26 3 Think it the greatest work in the world to dye well which to do you must inure your self to dye before hand 1 by dying to your sins 2 Leaving the world in affection before it actually leave you 2 In your last leaving of it do it willingly yea Joyfully whensoever wheresoever or howsoever God shall call you V 1 Vow to God and keep it Eccl. 5.34 Psal 16.14 especially strive in performing the solemn vow of your baptism and the covenant which you renew in the Lords Supper 2 Vatiance and discord with men will not stand with your peace with God If you love God 1 Joh. 4 20 you will love men also for Gods image or else for his Commandements sake 3 Use the World as not using it and your prosperity and liberty to be bettered by them That is not gained 1 Cor. 7.31 Mat. 16.26 which is gotten with the loss of your soul and then is the soul exchanged with an handful of the world when it is not gotten and held 1 In Christ restoring it 2 With Christ the chief gain 3 For Christ the Lord of it W 2 Wait upon the Lord and he will direct your way becom his servant Psal 37.7 for this is the way to attain your truest liberty 2 Weep with them that weep Rom. 12.15 Jer. 13.17 Psal 69.9 and fellow-feel the afflictions of the brethren that are in the world Christ in Heaven accounteth the sufferings of his Saints his own and wee his members upon earth must do the same Religion and mercy are well matched by God and must not by man be divorced Ezek. 9.4 as for the miseries and sins of the age wherein you live mourn also for them and pray to God for remedy 3 Wish not a long life so much as a good life he hath lived long who hath lived well A short life in grace setteth into the everlasting life of glory The Analysis of Christs Temptations In Christs Temptations consider 1 The preparation parts three 1 Christs entring the lists here 1 Time Then 1 When he had been baptized 2 When he undertook his high office 3 When the Spirit had descended upon him The Sonne of God The Teacher of the Church 4 When hee had received testimony from heaven that hee was 2 Person Jesus 3 Guide of his way was lead of the Spirit Here 1 The Guide The Spirit 2 The manner was lead 4 Place into the wilderness 5 End To bee tempted of the Devil Here 1 Author The Devil 2 End it self To be tempted 2 His expectance of the enemy Here three things 1 How he was furnished Hee was filled with the Holy Ghost Luk. 4.1 2 His Company He was with the wilde beasts Mar. 1.13 3 His imployment 1 He was tempted within that time Luk. 4.2 with lighter on-sets 2 He fasted in his fast 1 time forty days forty nights 2 effect he was afterwards hungry 3 Entrance of the adversary where 1 The time Then when Christ had fasted and was hungry 2 The name of the adversary The Tempter 3 The manner of his entrance he came in an assumed shape externally 2 The Combate it self in three fierce on-sets First consist of an 1 Assault in it 1 The ground If thou be the Son of God 2 The inference Command these stones to bee made bread Here 1 Facility Command 2 Readiness of object these stones 3 Utility to be made bread 2 Repulse in it 1 The manner it was 1 reasonable 2 meek 3 modest 2 The affection negative But conjunction discretive 3 The matter a testimony of Scripture It is written 4 Parts of the testimony 1 Negative Man liveth not by bread only 2 Affirmative but by every word which proceedeth c. Second consists of 1 Preparation here 1 The time then 2 The place set down 1 In general the holy City Luke expresseth it to be Jerusalem 2 In special a pinacle of the Temple 3 The manner how Christ was conveyed thither in 2 things 1 Hee took him up 2 He set him on the Pinacle 2 Temptation in it 1 Assault in it 1 The ground If thou be the Son of God 2 The matter cast thy self down Here 1 The action Cast down 2 The agent thy self 3 The place whence from hence saith Luke where means of safety were 3 The argument to perswade him a testimony of Scripture in which 1 General consideration It is written 2 Special matter 1 As abused by Satan 2 In his right use here 1 Angels ministery keep thee 2 Who seals their commission Hee shall give his Angels charge 3 The limitation in all thy waies 4 The manner they shall bear thee in their hands c. 2 Repulse in it 1 Resistance Jesus said unto him 2 Reason 1 Scripture alledged for it is written to the contrary 2 in the allegation 1 who must not tempt thou 2 who must not be tempted The Lord. Thy God 3 action of tempting Third in it 1 Assault in it 1 preparation in it 1 choice of a fit place Here 1 what place
to carry our selves Nunquam minus solus quam cum solus as we may say with Scipio Wee are never less alone than when we are most alone and with our Saviour Joh. 16.32 I am not alone the Father is with me The faithful need never bee alone because they may ever be in conference with God then may they goe close to God and sharpen their prayers and meditate on his Word and VVorks to fit them better for their callings then may they enlarge their hearts to God in confessions and praises and thus he that is led by the Spirit into these solitary places is in safety because as the hills compass Jerusalem so doth the Lord his people while they are in his service thus shall Satan bee most disappointed who while hee hopes to make our solitariness his advantage wee shall by it draw nearer unto God and bee set so much the more out of his reach 4 Directions for solitariness Directions for solitariness 1 VVatch the benefit of time to spend it best in musing upon heavenly things and enjoy the sweet liberty of conversing with God 2 Know that no time must be spent in roving and ranging thoughts but must be redeemed from evil and unprofitableness and therefore choice must bee made of objects presented and as little time as may be spent in worldly and indifferent things and then with as little delight as may be Holy wisedome is ever diminishing the love of earthly things 3 Consider the danger of sin in thy solitariness when fear shame witnesses and counsellers are removed and that there are no open sins which are not secretly first hatched and warped and therefore if we muse on any sin let it be to overcome it and beware of secret allurements 4 Consider the slipperiness and business of the heart which is a wandring thing like a Mill ever grinding ever in motion still setting us on work with more Commandements than ever God did and therefore giving it leave to muse we must the better watch it To be tempted of the Devil This is the fift circumstantial point namely the end of Christs going into the wilderness Here consider two things 1 The Author of the temptation the Devil 2 The end it self to be tempted of him The Devil that is a wicked spirit the Prince and Captain of the rest as we may gather out of Matth. 25.41 A wicked spirit not by creation but by defection Full of wickedness whence Elimas the Sorcerer is called the child of the Devil Act. 13.10 because he was full of deceit and wickedness Full of malice a red Dragon full of poysons seeking nothing but destruction Full of craft an old Serpent more crafty than all the beasts of the field Full of power called the Prince and God of the world and the power of darkness the strong man keeping the hold Principalities powers c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word comes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trajicio calumnior and signifies an accuser calumniator or slanderer having his name from his continual practice For so he is called the accuser of the brethren which accuseth them before God day and night Satan accuseth man 1 To God Rev. 12.10 and no marvel seeing he durst accuse God himself as an envier of mans happy estate and careless of Christs estate here But especially he accuseth 1 Man to God as he did Job that he served God in Hypocrisie and upon affliction would curse him to his face chap 1. vers 9. 2 Man to man 2 To man stirring up strife and contention from one against another and by this means he worketh effectually in the children of disobedience Ephes 2.2 VVhere strife and envying is there wisdome is sensual and devillish Jam. 3.15 An example hereof wee have in Saul who when the evil spirit was entred into him all manner of accusations came against innocent David and were received that he was a Traytor and one that sought Sauls life c. 3 Man to himself 3 To himself when he hath drawn a man to many loathsome sins then he stretcheth them beyond all the measure of mercy aggravates Gods justice extenuates his mercy and all to bring the Sinner to despair Thus he accused Cain Achitophel and Judas whom hee brought to confess their sin but to deny Gods mercy Whence note 1 The miserable estate of wicked men that serve such a Lord and Master as the Devil is Satan◠best wages to his most diligent Servants who in stead of standing by them for their diligent service will stand against them to accuse them to God to men to their own Consciences will reckon up all their faults and deprave whatsoever was best intended While he can draw them along in his service hee will lye close like a crafty Fox and Serpent in one corner or other to devour their souls but afterwards will terrifie them and roar like a Lion on them setting in order before them the villanies to which he himself tempted them crying out on them as damned VVretches and making them often cry out so of themselves even in this life and for ever in the life to come And yet alas he is the Prince of this World to whom generally most men yeeld their subjection and homage yea the God of this world to whom men offer themselves and whatever they have or can make in sacrifice yea men sell themselves as slaves and bond-men to be ruled at his will How should this one consideration move men to get out of his power and out of the service of sin and come to Jesus Christ who is meek and merciful one that covereth sins acquitteth and dischargeth one that answereth all accusations and crowneth our weak endeavours which himself worketh in us in such sort as a cup of cold water shall not goe unrewarded 2 Note how expresly Satan hath stamped this quality as his own mark upon his Children who so lively resemble him as that they have his name also given them Tit. 2.3 and 2 Tim. 3.3 and 1 Tim. 3.11 For how quick and nimble are men to goe between man and man with Tales and accusations to cast bones of enmity Sometimes charging men openly or secretly with things utterly untrue and false as Ziba dealt with Mephibosheth 2 Sam. 16.3 sometimes blazing infirmities which love would have covered sometimes aggravating with vehemency of words facts or speeches which charity would give a favourable construction unto as Doeg pleaded against Ahimelec 1 Sam. 22.9 sometimes depraving the truth by adding to mens speeches and this cost Christ his life his enemies adding I will destroy this Temple and make another in three days made with hands or diminishing it by concealing that which might make for a man All which are Satanical practices who being the Father of Lyes would chase all truth out of the world Let all Gods Children labour to express Gods Image 7 Rules or means against false accusation in hating this hateful
must labour to espye Satans suggestion in it together with our own inclinations to swallow down all such temptations and forthwith to cast our eyes upon such Scriptures as may bee back-biasses to our natural motion Satan alloweth his servants stones for bread Vse 3. Note the cold comfort that Satan affords his followers when they need bread hee offers them stones as with Christ here Matth. 7.9 What man is there among you that if his Son ask him bread will give him a stone as if hee had said No Father that loveth his childe can bee so unnatural but Satan who cannot but bee an unnatural murtherer here for bread offers the Son of God a stone It is clean otherwise between God and his children for if Fathers which are evil can give good things to their children much more our heavenly Father giveth good things to them that ask him even things according to their need Your heavenly father knoweth that yee stand in need of all these things If they have need of Christ the bread of life he gives them this bread of life If they need the Holy Ghost hee gives the Holy Ghost to them that ask him that is not only beginnings of grace but increase of it in greater measure and a comfortable feeling and fruition If they need temporal mercies he gives them more than they ask as Salomon yea above all they are able to ask or think VVho would not think himself happy to bee Gods favourite rather than stand to the Devils wages who for bread will reach him stones Use 4. The way to get bread Gods way to get bread contrary to the Devils in three things is not at the Devils appointment to turn stones into bread or use unlawful means but 1 To fear and serve the Lord Exod. 23.25 If thou wilt serve the Lord thy God he shall bless thy bread and thy water the good land and all the fruits of it were promised to the Israelites so long as they were Homagers to God no good thing shall be wanting to such Psal 34.10 If we serve him we shall never need turn stones into bread even as Christ here did not who refusing Satans offer was refreshed of the Angels 2 To live in an honest and lawful trade of life painfully Gods ordinance is that in the sweat of thy brows thou must get thy bread the earth brings not forth so naturally now as at first yet at first Adam must Till the ground 3 In our lawful Calling to depend upon Gods blessing which maketh rich leaving all the success to God and this will make us content with that estate which God maketh our portion by good means Vers 4. But hee answering said It is written Man liveth not by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God IN this answer of our Saviour repelling the Tempter four things are to bee considered 1 The manner 2 The affection negative But. 3 The matter of it a testimony of Scripture It is written 4 The parts of this testimony 1 Negative Man lives not by bread only 2 Affirmative but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God The manner and quality of the answer appears in the whole answer that it was 1 A reasonable 2 A meek 3 A modest answer First it was a reasonable answer our Lord did not shake off the Temper without an answer though he deserved none but to shew that hee did not refuse the motion of a wilful mind but upon just ground he makes him a sufficient answer whence our Saviour would teach us that Doct. If we be to deal with our most deadly adversaries Christiâ—â— must be reasâ—â—able to most â—nreasonable â—dversaries Reasons suppose them as malicious as Satan to Christ yet we must doe nothing nor speak nothing of a wilful mind but take the guide of reason and the ground of conscience with us For 1 The will of man not ordered by reason is like a wilde Colt without a Rider most untamed and untractable most hateful to God and most hurtful to men and a note of man reserved to the Judgement of the Great Day to bee punished is to bee presumptuous and stand in his own conceit 2 Pet. 2.10 2 Reasonable men must have reason for their actions at the least for herein is a difference between the beasts and men they are lead by sense and appetite but men by reason from which if men depart they degenerate into beasts being lead with sensuality 2 Pet. 2 1â— 3 Our Saviours example carrieth us further that we should not only bee lead by reason in our affairs but by reason sanctified and renewed reason directed by the word and this not only here but in all his course of life Mar. 10 40. when he refused the unreasonable request of the Sons of Zebedeus hee gave a just reason saying It is not mine to give but shall bee given to them for whom it is prepared I must not give the chief seats in my Kingdom according to kindred and affection but according to my Fathers election When he rebuked Peter and called him Satan he giveth a reason for such unwonted sharpness For thou art an offence unto me thou savourest not the things of God thou wouldest hinder mans Redemption and Satan could have done no more Matth. 16.23 Acts 1.7 when the Disciples would know of Christ at his ascension when he would restore the Kingdom to Israel he denies their request and gives a reason It is not for you to know this my father hath put times and seasons in his own power yee have another task to bee witnesses to me c. intend this look to your Apostleship Vse This reproves the frowardness and unreasonable wilfulness of men and especially in their dealings with their adversaries taking violent courses not respecting conscience religion nor reason it self but standing upon their will and saying This I will doe let see who shall hinder me and let him undoe it if he can Now perswade this man Oh but let not passion guide you but shew your self a man cast away this impotent and womanish reason to such as are bruitishly destitute of reason I will because I will No hee is an enemy to all your perswasion his will out-runs his wit and reason his lust is his law his conscience and his religion But if any thing can reclaime such a man if he be not rather an Heathen than a Christian let him set Christs example here before him who would not be wilful without reason to the Devil himself in a most devillish motion and wilt thou to thy brother to thy neighbour yea to thy wife children c. Either set thy self to walk in thy Lords steps or get thee another Master Five reasons of Christs meekness to Satan Secondly this answer of Christ was a most meek answer Christ was omnipotent able with a book to have confounded the Devil hee might by his power have driven him back
all but let him blind them bind them and lead them at his pleasure Others will defy and spit at Satans name but they have no word against him but do as a foolish and inconsiderate person that will quarrel with a man of might and defye him as though hee could make his party good but being without any weapon carries away the blows the smart of which makes him feel his folly which formerly he could not see Others are enemies to such as would teach them the use of this weapon men of valour and strength will pay liberally such as take pains with them to teach them the skill of their weapon and willingly take their directions but such cowards a number are in this field that as they dare not look an enemy in the face so have may resolved never shall weapon come in their hands they are enemies to such as would furnish them Others would fight with Satan and with the Word but in the wicked abuse of it making charms and exorcisms of sundry words of scripture highly taking Gods name in vain some write the Lords-prayer in Hebrew Greek and Latine some the words of some of the Gospels some the names of God and Christ But all this is sorcery and Magick and a fighting for the Devil yea a shooring in his own bow Others will have the Scriptures to resist with but they bee not ready nor at hand they bear many blows before they can recover their weapons when they get a Scripture against him for want of exercise and experience it is but as a sword in a childs hand who can neither well help himself nor yet much hurt another more than hee is like to hurt himself Doct. 2 Thou the Word of God is used aright The right skill of Gods word is to cut off temptations by it when a man hath skill thereby to cut off temptations and contain himself in his duty Psal 119.11 I have hid thy promise in my heart that I might not sin against thee Prov. 2.10 11 12. When Wisdome that is Gods Word entereth into thy heart and knowledge delighteth thy soul then shall counsel preserve thee and understanding shall keep thee and deliver thee from the evil way and from the man that speaketh froward things 1 The Word of God is the Law of God now what is the use of a Law Reasons but to keep a man within the bounds of godly life then he lives according to the Law when hee saith I must or must not do such a thing because the Law willeth mee so so hee is a good Christian that can say I must do this because Gods Word commandeth it or not do it because it forbiddeth mee 2 It is called A light to our feet and a Lanthern to our paths now what is the use of light but to shew a man the right way and direct him to avoid the wrong and keep him from falling 3 It is called the Oracle or testimony of God wherein hee testifieth what hee alloweth and what not and then wee life it aright when wee straiten all our paths according to this rule Use 1. Therefore let us keep us to Scriptures in all Satans temptations whereof wee may say as David said of Goliahs sword 1 Sam. 21.9 Oh give mee that there is none to that put off all Satanical suggestions with It is written Now it will not bee amiss to shew in some Instances how a Christian may by the Word furnish himself and cut asunder by this Sword every temptation though Satan bee never so instant in tempting him These instances are four 1 Temptations to despair 2 To presumption or prophanenesse 3 To pride and ambition 4 To injustice and wrong 1 In temptations to despair Satan overthrows many who want this sword of the Spirit In temptations to despair how the word senceth by these motions which wee must by it resist Object 1 What hast thou do to do with God or God with thee how is hee thy Father as thou professest seest thou not his hand against thee yea his wrath upon thee Answ Yet it is written that even when the whole wrath of God such as I cannot bear if I had all created strength was laid upon Christ hee remained the dear Son of God and could say My God my God and Rom. 5.8 God setteth out his love towards us seeing that while wee were yee sinners Christ dyed for us much more now being justified by his blood shall wee be saved from wrath Obj. 2. Satan being thus put off goeth on and saith Thy sins are infinite in weight and number thy debt is above ten thousand talents how can God save thee thou hast not a farthing to pay what is it justice thinkest thou for God to remit so many sins without satisfaction Ans It is written Isa 43.25 I even I am he that puts away thy sins for mine own names sake and not remember thine iniquities for ever and again Where sin hath abounded grace hath abounded much more and the Parable saith that the Master forgave all the debt to the hopeless Servant Obj. 3. Well if thou hast thy sins forgiven thee where is thy joy and peace of reconciliation the Kingdom of God is peace and joy but alas poor fellow thou art pensive and melancholy and God hath left thee without comfort Ans It is written Psal 97.11 that light is sowen to the righteous and joy to the upright of heart and they that sow in tears shall reap in joy Obj. 4. What speakest thou of joy why thy cross is imolerable sickness and diseases eat thee up poverty pincheth thee and reproach every where meets thee Ans But it is written Heb. 12.6 whom he loves he chastens and that no man knows love or hatred by all that is before him Eccles 9.2 Obj. 5. Thine are tedious afflictions durable and listing ones thou hast prayed thrice yea a long time to have them removed and art never the bitter why wilt thou goe on and still lose all thy labour why thou knowest not whether or when thou shalt be heard Ans It is written Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the time of trouble and I will hear thee and deliver thee and Hab. 2.3 If the vision stay wait for it shall surely come and shall not stay and The just shall live by faith and He that beleeveth maketh not haste Obj. 6. But wert thou not better to goe to this wise man or that cunning woman thou shouldst quickly recover thy health or stollen money or things that are lost thy loss is great and thou must use means for thine own Ans It is written Levit. 20.6 If any turn after such as work with Spirits or after South-sayers to goe a whoring after them I will set my face against such a person and will cut him off from among his people and it is written that Saul was cast off for this practice II. The second sort of instances is in motions to presumption or prophaneness
Obj. 1. But it is in vain to serve the Lord and what profit is there in his ways Word cutteth off temptations to presumption the worse the man is the better is his estate and the more godly the more crossed in the world Ans It is written It shall be well with them that fear the Lord not so to the wicked and again that the light of the ungodly shall be put out when the light of the godly shall rise brighter until perfect day and the end of the just is peace Obj. 2. What need so much fear of Condemnation seeing there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Ans It is written that such must walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh and that such must work out their Salvation in fear and trembling Obj. 3. But if thou beest predestinate what needest thou care and if thou beest not all thy care will not avail thee Ans It is written that I must study to make my election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 and that I must beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and bring forth fruits worthy amendment of life Obj. 4. But what needest thou be so strict shall none come to Heaven but such strict persons thinkest thou why God requires no such strictness Ans It is written that the Master is a hard man who will stand strictly for justice and that we must walk precisely Ephes 5.15 Obj. 5. But why shouldest thou respect these Preachers so much doest thou not see how they take upon them to disgrace thee for such and such courses and they are men as well as others no better many of them worse Ans It is written 1 Thess 5.12 Have them in singular love for their works sake and that our Saviour said He that heareth you heareth me and that the least Minister in the New Testament is greater than John Baptist who yet was greater than any Prophet Matth. 11.11 and that God did send two Bears and destroyed forty two of those wanton children that mocked and reviled the Prophet Elisha 2 King 2.23 Obj. 6. But thou art young thou mayest swear and game and swagger and be wanton these are but tricks of youth and sowing the wilde oats c. Ans It is written As a man sowes so shall he reap and remember that for all this thou must come to judgement Obj. 7. Oh but thinkest thou that God sees or takes notice of every thing or if he should hee is merciful and easily entreated and thou hast time enough to repent Ans It is written that all the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord and to him day and darkness are alike and that to abuse the patience of God is to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Obj. 8. Oh but thou hast now a fit opportunity and occasion to take thy delight the Husband is gone a farr journey Bathsheba is at hand and now it is twilight why shouldst thou deprive thy self of thy pleasure take thy time thou canst not have it every day Ans It is written Prov. 5.3 8. The end of a strange woman is more bitter than worm-wood and keep thy way farr from her and come not neer the door of her house and that neither fornicators nor adulterers shall enter into heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 and Ephe. 5.3 but fornication and all uncleanenesse and covetousnesse let it not once be named among you as becometh Saints III. The third rank of instances is in motions to pride and self-conceit The word cutteth off temptations to pride wherein sin hath great strength Obj. 1. You are a man rich and high well friended well monied why should you stoop to such a one this were a base thing indeed let him seek to you or doe you crush him Ans It is written God resists the proud 1 Pet. 5.5 and in giving honour goe one before another and pride goes before the fall and that the haughty eye is one of the six things which the Lord abhorrs Prov. 6.17 Obj. 2. But you are a man of knowledge wise and learned what need you be so diligent in hearing Sermons especially of such as are farr your inferiours you can teach them not they you Ans It is written Isa 5.21 Woe be to them that are wise in their own conceits and Christ hath said Hee that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10.16 and that Job despised not the counsel of his maid much less must I of the least Minister and that we know but in part and are to consider not who but what is spoken and that the same Spirit is mighty in one and in another Obj. 3. But you are a man of gifts and authority and these will carry you through all and you may rise and tread such and such under your feet who dare say any thing to you Ans It is written Matth. 18.6 Whosoever offendeth any of these little ones that beleeve in me it were better for him that a Milstone were tied about his neck and he cast into the midst of the Sea and He that doth wrong shall receive according to the wrong that hee hath done and there is no respect of persons Coloss 3.25 Obj. 4. But you may follow the fashions of the world in strange apparel ruffian behaviour monstrous tyres who may else how else should you be known to be a gentleman or a gentlewoman Ans It is written 1 Pet. 3.3 That even womens apparrelling must not bee outward as with broydered hair and gold c. but the hid man of the heart must be uncorrupt for Sarah and other holy women trusting in God did so attire themselves and again Fashion not your selves according to this world but bee renewed in the spirit of your mind Bee ever of the newest fashion there Obj. 5. But it is a small matter and of great credit to swear and curse and speak bigge words it is away to get reputation and bee respected as a man of spirit Ans It is written Levit. 24.16 Hee that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall be put to death all the Congregation shall stone him and Jam. 5.12 Above all things my brethren swear not neither by heaven nor earth nor any other oath but let your Yea be Yea and your Nay Nay IV. The fourth instance is in motions to wrong and injustice The word cutteth off motions to injustice Obj. 1. Thou art a great man thou hast Tenants thou mayest and must live by them they are thy Servants and thou must enrich thy self by them rack their rents bind them to sute and service they cannot resist thee Or thou art a Master keep thy Servants wages from him make thy use of it weary him poor Sneak what can he doe pay him at thy pleasure hee will endure any thing rather than lose thy work Ans It is written Jam. 2.13 Judgement mercilesse belongs to them that shew no mercy and those that grinde the faces of the poor shall one day bee
with sound comfort when all outward means doe fail if the heart can say to it self What if God doe not give me my desire by this means or that Faith in this word strengthneth the heart many ways I know God hath more words than one more blessings than one and man liveth by every word And faith strengthens the heart 1 By setting before the eye Gods power in this word how that one word of his mouth is enough to help us one word is able to create innumerable armies of Angels and Creatures one fiat is enough to make all Creatures and all this to come or goe or stand still as most dutiful servants to their Master Matth. 8. the Centurion coming to Christ for the health of his Servant desires him not to come within his roof for he was not worthy of that favour nor to send him any receit or physick to doe him good but only to speak the word and he was sure his servant should be healed A strong faith in a strong word It is but a word with God then how easily how presently how certainly will God doe me good if he see it good for me 2 By assuring the heart that his will is as ready to doe us good as his word is able and it sets the promise before us that nothing shall be wanting to them that fear God The former in the example of the Leper Matth. 8. Lord if thou wilt thou caâ—st make me clean and in the next words to shew he is as willing as able he saith I will be thou clean by which word proceeding out of the mouth of God his Leprosie was instantly cured his will was his word and his word was his work The latter in the example of Abraham whose faith set before his eyes Gods promise that in Isaac his seed should be called and that by Isaac he should be a Father of many Nations and therefore when at Gods word he went out to offer Isaac and Isaac asked him where was the Sacrifice he answered God will provide One eye was on Gods word commanding him to slay his Son another upon this other word that God was able to raise him up from the dead whence after a sort hee received him and that hee also would doe so before his promise should bee frustrate 3 By setting before the Christian heart the blessed issue and success of unwavering confidence in the word of God The Israelites going out of Aegypt and wandring in the Wilderness so many years by the appointment of Gods word he did supply all their wants by his Word and it became all things unto them which their hearts could desire 1 He paved them a way in the Sea and suddainly made the waters a wall unto them 2 He gave them bread from Heaven even Angels food and that in our text was by his word 3 He gave them water out of a rock and that by his word he bade Moses speak to the rock 4 Having no means for clothes his word kept their garments for forty years from waxing old But what need we goe out of our text in which the example of our Head and Lord may best confirm us for wanting bread in the Wilderness hee would not turn stones into bread but waited on the word of his Father till the Angels came and ministred unto him even so the adopted Sons of God treading in the steps of our Lord shall by vertue of the same word always find relief one way or other Who would have thought that ever Job should have swum out of that misery having lost all his Cattel substance and Children but because when the Lord was a killing him in his own sence hee trusted in him the Lord raised him and doubled the wealth and prosperity he had before Who would have thought that ever Daniel should have escaped the Lions denne and teeth being cast in amongst them or that Peter should have escaped Herods sword being bound in Chains and watched of Souldiers to be brought out to death next day But trusting in the Lord this word shut the mouthes of the Lions and opened the Prisons iron doors and brake in sunder the chains and so both of them were wonderfully delivered Surely this Doctrin well digested is full of comfort and quietness and would set the heart at rest and make all outward troubles easie If a man could once get his heart to trust in the word as David did Psal 119.42 it would sustain the soul in many troubles and bring in so sweet a contentment as the world is a stranger unto On the contrary whence is it that mens hearts fail them and they sink in their troubles but because they trust to the means and not to the Word of God at least not to every word of God If God crosse them one way they think hee hath no other way to doe them good Vse 3. If man live by every word of God then take heed of making that a means of living which God hath never warranted but see that what thou livest by proceed out of the mouth of God How doth hee live by every word of God that gets his living either in whole or in part contrary to Gods word Obj. But we see such as use no good means but maintain themselves in good estate by robbing stealing oppressing usury gaming false wares or weights it seems that even these creatures have a word of God to sanctifie them and put vertue in them to such persons or else they could not live by them Ans We must distinguish between the things themselves that are gotten and the unjust manner of getting them The creatures themselves are by a general word of God sanctified and set apart by God to feed and maintain good and bad as well the wicked as honest getters of them even as the Sun and Rain shines and falls upon the just and unjust And the unrighteousness of particular persons cannot alter Gods general decree But if wee consider the special manner of getting such goods that is not sanctified but condemned by the word of God 1 Because the person is not in Christ who restores our right unto us and then he is but an usurper and a bankrupt who builds his houses goes fine in apparel decks up himself and his and spends most liberally but it is all with other mens money He that knows not this thinks him a rich man but he that doth knoweth that he is not either thrifty or wealthy the Creditor comes and casts him into prison and makes his bones and body pay the debt 2 As his person so his course is accursed for the only way to get a blessing from God on the means is to use his own means who hath commanded first to seek the Kingdom of God and then other things and hath accursed all that wealth and maintenance of the body for which a man doth hazard or lose his soul 3 When a man doth live by bread against the word that
alledge Scripture hee saith nothing against it but was silent he replies not and much less rails on him as a phantastical or precise person But reprove the Swearer the Drunkard the Gamester the unjust courses of men in their trades Sabbath-breaking in Masters or Servants and do it out of the Scripture as Christ did wee shall have the same measure that hee had returned from the Scribes and Pharisees who railed out-right on him He is too precise and severe wee can do nothing for him or What hath hee to do with our Government or Trades or He might finde other things to speak of Thus if Paul speak against Diana or whatsoever the craft-masters live by all the City is in an uproar against him It seems men are loath in their callings to meddle with the word of God or the directions of it else wee should have to deal with them It were too much to sit down silent and go on in sinne against the Word but to resist the word in termes or to rail upon the Preachers thereof goes one step beyond the Devil Vse 4. Take knowledge of the secret working of the Devil against the light and truth in such as spurn against it They cannot abide that truth and innocency should acquit it self but though they see nothing but meekness patience and innocency yet will side against it as though they had the greatest advantage and occasion What is the cause that men will take part with most abject and base persons and bring the curse on themselves in condemning the innocent and justifying the wicked in their horrible riots and misbehaviour but the hatred they carry against goodnesse Why did the Jews band themselves for Barrabas and seek to acquit him Was it because there was any cause of love in him knew they him not to bee a murtherer and a Rebel Yes It was hatred of Christ that made them stick to him and why hated they Christ but because he was the light Some there bee of that Jewish generation lest to whom if Christ be weighed with Barrabas he will seem too light Barrabas shall carry the credit and defence from him Not him but Barrabas Into the holy City We come to the second circumstance in the preparation to this second assault which is the place that Satan chuseth set down 1 In general the holy City 2 In special a pinacle of the Temple What holy City this was Luke expresseth chap. 4.9 He brought him to Jerusalem here called the holy City Jerusalem is called the holy City not because of any holiness in the place for no place as a place is more holy than other It is true that wee read in Scripture of holy ground as Exod. 3.5 Mount Horeb where Moses stood is called holy ground and Moses must put off his shooes But this was no inherent holiness in the place only for the present the presence of God appearing after a special manner makes a special holiness to bee ascribed unto it Neither is it called holy in respect of the people and Inhabitants for the faithful City was long before this become an Harlot Isa 1.21 and Christ not long after this Combate cryeth out against Jerusalem That shee had killed the Prophets and slain such as were sent unto her and proclaimeth a speedy desolation against her But it was so called 1 Because God had made choyce of this City to put his name there 2 Chron. 7.12 I have chosen this place for my self Hence was it called the City of God and Gods holy Mountain Dan. 9.16 and the holy Hill of Sion because God had chosen it and sanctified it for himself wherein himself kept residence and made it eminent above all the places of the earth 2 Because of the holy things which were there established even all the holy worship of God it was not lawful for the Jewes to sacrifice or eat the Passeover any where but in Jerusalem There was the Temple built on mount Moriah wherein I. There was the Sanctum seculare the utter Court of the Jews and Salomons porch which did rise up by fourteen stairs wherein Christ preached often and Peter healed the lame man Acts 3.3 and probably where Peter converted three thousand souls at one Sermon In this porch was the great brazen Altar for whole Burnt-offerings on which Altar the fire which at Aarons first offering in the Wilderness fell from Heaven Levit 9 2â— 24. was to be kept perpetually before the Lord the which when Aarons sons neglected and offered with strange fire they were burnt with fire before the Lord. In this Court was the great brasen Sea wherein the Priests washed themselves and the Beasts to be offered on that Altar especially their feet because they were to minister bare-foot before the Lord. Both of them holy representations of Christ the former of his Sacrifice who gave himself for a whole Burnt-offering the latter the fruit of it he being the Laver of the Church by whose bloud we are washed from the guilt and power of sin II. There was the inner Court which was called the Sanctum or the Sanctuary or the Court of the Priests whence the Jewes were barred There was here 1 The Altar of Incense for sweet perfume wherein the Priests were evening and morning to burn the holy Incense before the Lord as a sweet-smelling savour unto God and no strange incense might be offered thereon Exod. 30.9 While Zachary stood at the right side of this Altar offering incense to God the Angel Gabriel stood and fore-told the birth of John Baptist This was an holy type of Christ who offered himself on the altar of the Cross a sacrifice of sweet smell to God his Father and through whom God savoureth a sweet smell from all our duties 2 In this Court was the golden Candlestick with seven Lamps and seven Lights which were â—ed with most pure holy oyl night and day to lighten the whole inner Court And this was an holy type of Christ the light of the world enlightening all his elect with spiritual and heavenly light 3 In this Court was that golden Table on which the holy Shew-bread was ever to stand even twelve Loaves which were to be made of the purest flower of Wheat and were to bee renewed every Sabbath the old Loaves converted to the Priests use a holy type of Christ in whom alone the Church and every member setting themselves continually before God are nourished and preserved unto eternal life 4 In this Court was that costly and precious Veil of blew silk and purple and scarlet and fine twined Linnen made of broydered work with Cherubims the use of which was to separate the Sanctum from the Holy of Holies this veil at the death of Christ was rent from the top to the bottom A notable representation of the flesh of Christ which hid his Divinity but being rent asunder by his passion on the Cross the way to Heaven was laid open unto us III. There in the Temple
infers two contrary conclusions both contrary in themselves and both contrary to Gods word 3 Hee knows there is but one good and strait way to heaven that the Lord hath commanded us to walk in that way without turning to the right or left hand that hee hath placed the vertue in the mean and the refore hee cares not in which extream hee can thrust us so as wee keep out of that mean appointed Hee hateth nothing but vertue and grace which God loveth 4 Hee knowing the propensity and inclination of our corrupt nature which desires to know no mean but is rather disposed to any vice in extremity than to rest in obedience unto Gods Commandement fits us according to our inclination and casts us first in one extream then in another and holds us there where we best please our selves Hence wee account extreames vertues 5 Many are the by-waies that lead to hell on all hands there being but one truth and the Devil carrieth such incessant malice to man that hee cares not in which of them a man come to hell so he come at length Vse Beware then of Satans subtlety of his contrariety and extremities In matters of Gods worship his scope is to make a man either prophane and cast off all care of Religion or if men will not bee drawn from some devotion then hee seeks to make them superstitious in which extream hee holdeth the blinded and devout Papists who worship both false gods and the true God with a false and vain worship Act. 17. the Apostle having charged the Athenians with superstition hee addes this reason because hee saw an Altar to an unknown God The same of those who will worship God in devices which hee never commanded and place it in things which indeed hinder it And so some hate Popery but not prophaneness Satan aims also at the Minister to make him idle and negligent in preaching and is well pleased with that because where vision failes people perish But if hee cannot hold a man in idleness then hee seeks to get him to Preach either of pride or envy or flattery or for preferment or vainly and unsoundly and then the more hee preacheth hee likes him never the worse or maliciously against good men and good waies and then hee preacheth nothing else but what Satan if hee must needs preach would do In hearing the word hee would first have men slack of all conscience of doing or obeying that hearing their Masters will and not doing it their stripes may bee the more If hee cannot do that but sees a man make conscience of his waies then hee will make him scrupulous and make needlesse questions of every thing and to hinder his peace he will make more sins than ever God made In judging of ones own estate hee will make a man beleeve that God never elected such a wretch as hee hee never had truth of grace all is hypocrisy God never loved him so many sins so great falls such unworthinesse as never was in any childe of God On the contrary if faith withstand this temptation then comes pride in stead of former dejection and makes him think his election so sure as though hee take all unlawful liberties hee shall bee saved oh the Son of God cannot do amiss nor the Father hate him Sometimes to destroy boldness of faith hee will suggest that sin is so great in such and such circumstances as it cannot bee forgiven now the heart is heavy and lumpish and hath no cheerfulnesse in God But this being a little blown over he wil bring the same man by degrees to think what a fool he was for his sins now are not so great so dangerous as others bee nor himself so great a sinner and now the sadnesse of sin being shaken off hee grows merry and too too light forgetting all his former heaviness In the course of life hee gets beyond many in these extream courses In spiritual things numbers of men are held in a prophane and wicked scorning of religion of Preachers and Professors whose names they cannot abide Some of these are sometimes called out of the snare of the Devil and then Satan is in a contrary corner he will have them zealous but not according to knowledge If the Master will not send his servants to pluck up all the tares before harvest they will stand no longer in the field of the Church but grow resolute in schism and separation In Civil things how many examples of men have we extreamly covetous in their youth but prodigal and voluptuous in extremity in their age and so on the contrary and in divers other instances Rules to avoyd these extremities of Satan 1 Look we still to the word which pointeth us our way for the warrant of our actions and the manner of doing them and saith This is the way walk in it Isa 30.21 2 Watch we the fickleness of our nature which may be seen in the Barbarians Act. 28.4 6. who accounted Paul a God and a Murderer at one time 3 Consider we what it is that we are eagerly set upon and suspect it because our nature is to be in extreams and Satans hand is likely in it to set it forward Never are wee so violent for Gods Kingdom as for the world Cast thy self down In the scope of this temptation which was to presumption for the allegation following would perswade him that God would preserve him whatsoever he did though he threw himself from the pinacle wee learn this point of instruction that Doct. Satan doth incessantly labour to draw men unto presumption and vain-glory as here he did the Head And this presumption in a word is nothing else but a vain confidence that we are this or that or can doe this or that without any word or ordinance of God A vain hope without warrant is the very being of presumption 1 Sam. 4.3 Israel went to warre against the Philistims and were slain about four thousand men but they would make another on-set more warily as they thought than before they would send for the Ark from Shilo to save them and when it came into the Host all Israel gave a shout that the earth rang of it presuming that now they were safe enough But all this was done of their own heads and without warrant and therefore God discomfited them with an exceeding great slaughter of thirty thousand foot-men and the Ark wherein they were so vainly confident was taken the Priests Hophni and Phineas slain Eli breaks his neck and such a confusion there was that the Ark never came at Shilo more Numb 14. After the men were sent to search the Land of Canaan and had returned and told the Israelites that the Land was good and fat but the walls reached up to Heaven and there were Sons of Anak Gyants then the people murmured and distrusted But the sentence of the Lord passing against them that they should wander forty years in the Wilderness according to the forty days
foundations are sandy all other proofs liable to exceptions Why then should Protestant-Preachers who defend against Papists the sufficiency of Scripture to make Gods people perfect and hold it the rule and square of all doctrin cross their judgement by their practice for every place of Scripture alleadging a dozen or twenty testimonies of Doctors Fathers Councils nay prophane Poets and Heathens all which are darkness it self and without light further than they borrow from the Sun in the Scripture I am not so nice as that I think not there may be a sparing and sober use of humane testimonies in Sermons sometimes in cases of Grammar sometimes in matters of great controversy to shew the consent of the Ancient Church especially dealing with an Adversary that will claim all antiquity for him sometime by way of conviction to shame Christians by the heathen as the Lord did the Jews by Chittim and Kedar and the sluggard by the pismire Neither am I an enemy to Learning but would have a man well seen in natural Philosophy in humane literature in the writings of Fathers and Schoolmen and bee as a good housholder stored with things new and old But needlesly and for ostentation to give tongues unto dead men and in the message of God to put to silence the voice of God speaking in the Scripture to set up Hagar the handmaid above Sarah her mistresse is a fearful sin against God and his Word and a crying sin of these daies wherein for a man to tye himself close to the Scriptures without such flourishes and to scorn to send a rich Jewel to the Painter is to bring a blot on himself that hee is a man of no learning For what meaneth else that common cry that no man is against this manner of preaching but they that cannot use it Well hath hee learned his art that can most hide it here that God may have all the glory for hee is not commended here whom men praise but whom God alloweth The Apostolical teaching of Christ was not in words which mans wisdome teacheth but Gods hee is the best Scholar that can teach Christ plainliest and for my part if I would set my self to bee idle I would chuse that kinde of preaching which is counted so laborious The same I say for disputations and controversies in the Church and Schools never can we look for an end of them till wee tye the determination of them to the Scripture alone the right Judge A stratagem of Satan for Antichrist to flye the Scripture which should soon end controversies and hide his poyson in the infinite windings of Fathers Councils Traditions c. Well I know that God hath a secret work in punishing the unbeleeving world by the continuance of the man of sin till his time come but having well thought of the props on which hee standeth yet in the daies of such light there is none that doth him more service than this hiding of his mystery in such a thicket of uncertainties wherein it is impossible to come to any end or issue Wee may follow the fox from one burrough to another and from hole to hole because we are forced But whosoever looks to come to an end of controversies by following him from Father to Father from Council to Council from one Decree to another from one Tradition to another with infinite labour examining and scanning the words and syllables of ancient and latter times hee shall fall short of his expectation For all this while the determiner of the Controversy is not present but set aside And what other Reason can bee given that whereas the chase and pursute of that beast of Rome hath been continued with extraordinary speed and strength for above these hundred years last past and hee hath been followed into every hole wherein hee hid himself yet the controversies so beaten and canvased are in mans eye as far from composition or determination as at first not one of them yeelded up on either hand I say no other better reason can bee given but that wee are not agreed of the Judge of the cause and so long as they can hold them off the Scriptures they will not bee set down by any other authority Vse 3. Thirdly This Doctrin must provoke us to the diligent reading and study of the Scriptures for hereby wee shall come to bee stablished in the truth and able to discern the abuse of Scriptures by conferring them with themselves this is the best way to keep us from errors and sects and to finde out the true sense of Scripture Object But do not our adversaries read the Scriptures as diligently as wee and are not they as skilful to compare Scriptures and yet abide in errour and heresie Ans Here we must consider 1 The person that must read 2 The rules to be observed in reading 1 The person must be a religious and rightly affected person that must read the word with understanding Obj. So the Papists say that only religious persons ought to read the Scriptures Ans Every Christian ought to have the Book of the Law with him as the Jewes had before their eyes and in their hands continually Deut. 6.10 every Christian ought to have the word of Christ dwell plenteously in him Col. 3.16 every one ought to be ready to give a reason of the faith hee professeth to every one that will ask 1 Pet. 3.15 every one ought to attend to the sure words of the Prophets and Apostles as a light shining in a dark place for so the Apostle Peter writeth to all Christians and not only the Clergy Yet no Christian ought to read unprepared neither can every one read to profit but such as are qualified 1 With humility in the sense of our own simplicity and infancy in heavenly things becoming fools in our selves that we may subscribe to Gods wisdome in the Scripture and captivating all our own thoughts to the obedience of Christ Psal 25.9 God teacheth the humble Matth. 11.25 Thou hast hid those things from the wise and revealed them to babeâ— And what is the reason that Hereticks Sophisters and Papists of great learning read the Scripture but understand not but because they give not up their reason and human wisdom which is enmity to God and scorn to bee children delivered to bee taught and formed by our heavenly Master 2 With desire and love of Christ and his Truth the scope of all the Scripture is Christ and thou must desire to know and advance nothing but Christ crucified Prov. 4.13 Love wisdom and she shall keep thee When men come prepossessed with opinions to set up mens devises and traditions and wicked opinions according to which they must interpret Scripture and not examine them by the Scripture or if they bring a purpose to magnifie the Pope and advance his religion instead of Christs no marvel if like the Images they have eyes and see not read and understand not They love not Christ nor will have him to rule
Isa 40.26 Lift up your eyes aloft and behold who created all these things This use David maketh Psal 8. When I see the heavens the earth and the works of thy hands then said I Lord what is man that thou art so mindful of him and concludes the Psalm thus How excellent is thy name through all the World And why 1 The invisible things of God his Power and Divinity and Eternity were made visible to the very Gentiles by things created Rom. 1.20 And shall wee either not look on them or so look upon them as they to make us inexcusable shall wee onely injoy the natural use and no spiritual or Divine use from them 2 Consider that God for this purpose hath made the Countenance of man not as the Beasts groveling on the Earth but erected unto Heaven and he hath made the eye of man not as the Beasts but as Anntomists observe hath given it one muscle which they want whereby hee can turn his eye directly upwards with admirable quickness that it should not so fix it self upon any thing below as the Covetous eye doth but by occasion of things below turn it self upward to their Creator Yea hee hath compassed our eyes with brows and lids and fences from dust and earth that though wee look sometimes on the earth yet the least dust or earth should not get into them 3 Let us labour to use our senses in beholding Gods works as they in Joh. 2.23 that saw the works of Christ of whom it is said Many beleeved in the name of Christ seeing the works that he did So let the works which wee see God hath done bee at least inducements to beleeve him so much the more Fourthly God made our senses in respect of our brethren both to benefit them and our selves by them 1 Our eyes to behold their misery to pity them to releeve them Turn not thine eyes from thine own flesh Herein the unmerciful Priest and Levite were condemned by the pitiful Samaritan Our ears to hear the cry of the poor Prov. 21.13 Hee that turns his ear from the cry of the poor himself shallery and not bee heard Numbers never make this use of their ears but God hath a deaf ear for them 2 Our eyes to see the good example of our brethren to imitate them to glorify God for them Our ears to hear their Godly Counsels Admonitions Reproofs and so bee bettered by them 3 Our eyes to see and consider their danger to pull them out of their infirmities the fire and to cast out the more of their eyes Our ears to hear what is fit to bee spoken of them to defend their good names if they bee traduced For God hath given us two ears not rashly to receive every information but to reserve one for the party lest hee be condemned unheard unconvinced Fiftly and Lastly God made our senses in respect of ourselves not only to bee faithful keepers of the body but diligent factors and agents for our own souls as 1 That our eyes should ever bee looking homewards and to the end of our way as quick and expedite travellors and not fix themselves upon everything wee see here below This is done by heavenly conversation 2 Our ears should bee bored to the perpetual service and obedience of our God as our Lord himself was Psal 40.7 Thou hast bored mine ear alluding to that Ceremony in the Law Exod. 21.6 If a servant would not part from his Master his ear must bee bored and nailed to the Post of the house and thus hee became a perpetual Servant hee was nailed and fixed to that house and service So wee must yeeld an obedient ear as Solomon calls it unto the Counsels Will and Commandement of our Lord and Master Jesus Christ 3 Our eyes were made to bee Conduits of tears for our own sin and misery and for the sin and wretchednesse of other men Psalm 139.136 Davids eyes gushed out rivers of tears because men keep not the word how wept hee then for his own sins that wept so for others Good Lot his righteous soul was vexed in hearing and seeing the unclean conversation of the Sodomites Thus should our senses bee so far from conceiving pleasure in sinful obects as these must bee the continual grief of our souls And can wee indeed look upon our selves and not see something which is a brand of our sin or can wee behold any Creature and not see some express Prints and marks of our sin and vanity upon it Surely this one meditation would be effectual to keep us from casting our eyes upon unlawful objects and so from making our selves a prey to the Devil Vse 2. This serves to reprove such as fail in this watch of the senses for who doth not yet some far more dangerously Such as have in their houses Popish Pictures and Images which are alluring harlots corrupters of the heart which is an opening of the door to the Devil a sign of a man willing to bee seduced Experience shews that when a man is in love with such Images hee easily falls out with Gods Image in himself and Gods Children 2 Such as delight in lascivious Pictures and filthy portraytours of naked men or women in whole or such parts as may stir the corruption of the heart which should bee beaten down by all means Wee need bring no Oyle to this flame Yet the Devil hath gotten such pictures in request in this wanton age wherein every thing is almost proportional 3 Such are far from this watch of their senses as so attire and disguise themselves or lay open their nakedness to insnare the senses of others Let them not say they think no hurt in it unless they can bee sure that no other think hurt by it 4 Such as like the Images have ears and hear not eyes and see not care not to hear the Word or read it never taste Gods goodness in it neither doth the breath of heavenly life ever pass through their noses 5 Such as frequent wicked company and delight in the ungracious actions and speeches that they hear and see or can digest them without reproof or dislike manifested The Devil hath a thorow-fare among such companies who are conspired against God and goodness Add unto these such as read or have in their houses Lascivious and wanton books teachers of lewdness Adde also Stage-Players and their beholders that cast open all gates and walls to the Devil 6 The Covetous eye whereof Solomon saith Ecc. 4.4 his eye is not satisfied with Riches neither doth hee say For whom do I thus labour In that Satan would draw Christ to the love of the World and thereby makes no doubt but to insnare and cast him down wee learn that Doctr. 2 The love of the World easily maketh a man a prey and spoil to the Devil Satan well knew that if hee could get Christ to fall down to the World hee would easily fall down to him Where by the World I
heads to a Kingdome 2 King 10.8 Herod for a Kingdome kills all the male Children Nay it were to be wished that only Kingdoms could draw men to mischief for then should not Ahab murther Naboth fâ—r a field nor Judas betray his Master for thirty pence nor Christians and Protestants lye and swear and forswear and transgresse for a peice of bread How many executions have we for thirty pence or thirteen pence Which shews how degenerate men are from Christ whom all the kingdoms in the world not the greatest things in them could move in the least manner and as it were indirectly to dishonour his Father Nay what shall wee say of them that profess they not no man else can trade and buy and sell to live without some lies and dissembling sometimes These may carry the name of Christ but the mind of Christ is farre from them Others think and say What need men be so nice to stand upon so small scruples as not to accept so good offers and promotions in the world which have some condition or other annexed which their Conscience cannot without offence swallow What may not he call a little evil good and a little good evil that so he may raise his own estate and doe himself and others much good And thus he is every where accused of indiscretion But to these we object Christs example who would not be moved with all the world to doe that he was not warranted for in the Scripture And for the imputation of indiscretion we alledge Moses example who when he was at age saith the text refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter and chose rather to suffer with the people of God And to all such alledgers wee say in one word Either was Christ farre wide in refusing so great an offer or else are they Use 2. As we must prefer the glory of God above the world so wee must promote it by our best means The Magistrate by procuring and stablishing that whereby God may be most glorified not administring justice by affection or reward or sparing Offenders by a cruel mercy who should bee made examples to others or not encouraging the godly All this dishonours God highly The Minister must use his gifts not for any private end but for Gods glory as a good servant that gains all for his Master And every private man must so carry his course of life his trade his speeches as God may bee honoured in all things his light in all things must shine that our heavenly Father may be glorified therefore in every thing whether it will carry the commendation not only of truth and honesty but of Christianity and religion To stir us up to this duty see some motives 1 All Creatures in their kind doe glorifie God and keep their standing the Sun the Starres the heavens declare the glory of God Psal 19.1 The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse the master of his crib Isa 1.3 The Crane Swallow and Turtle know their times Jer. 8.1 What a shame for Israel then not to acknowledge their Benefactor but come so farre behind the unreasonable Creatures VVhat a shame for Christians to come behind the Israelites who partake in farre greater mercies and means than they did 2 Hereby wee manifest our selves to bee the servants of God in resisting the dishonour of God and standing out for our Lord against Satan wicked men hypocrites whose whole desire is to obscure and darken the glory of God and as farre as they can with violence to tread it under foot Especially having vowed in our Baptism so to doe He is a Coward that seeing the readiness and alacrity of the enemy is not by it provoked to stout resistance especially standing in a good cause and sure of victory Can a child endure his father to be dishonoured and wronged by word or deed and put it up Can Gods child seeing a son honours his father 3 Our time is but short we are in our last conflict the time of our full deliverance and introduction into heavenly glory is at hand the Crown is in our eye almost upon our heads already and therefore let us encourage our selves a while to be instant for the glory of God which is our last scope and chief expectation even as a Traveller that sees the Evening come upon him is so much the quicker till he attain the place he desires so we having the evening of our life approach and our last hour should set our selves forward with more speed and alacrity towards our home holding on our right way which is the glorifying of God in all things 4 We have a cloud of examples before us 1 Of holy men who have endured Martyrdom and rejoyced in the flames that they were worthy by their so exquisite torments to glorifie God as Christ told Peter that by such a death he should glorifie God 2 Of holy Angels who spend all eternity in magnifying Gods holiness and glory Isa 6.3 one cries to another Holy holy holy is the Lord the whole world is full of his glory and Luke 2.14 Glory be to God in the highest heavens And shall not we approach to the Angelical life which is the happiest of all creatures 3 Of the blessed Son of God our Head whose whole life was nothing else but a seeking of the glory of his Father And should not the members imitate the Head Have wee so many faithful guides in so dangerous a way and should we be so cold and slow in the imitation of them 5 Our glorification is individually knit to our glorifying of God as 1 Sam. 2.30 Him that honoureth me will I honour Yea Christ claims his glory on no other condition but this but that he had glorified his Father on earth Joh. 17.4 As among men great benefactors are well pleased with small testimonies of thankfulness where ability wants to perform much so the Lord accepts our small obedience and study of glorifying him that hee plentifully remunerates it Means to come to glorifie God in some good measure 1 Pray for wisdome and a sound judgement Phil. 1.10 That yee may discern things that differ being filled with the fruits of righteousness to the glory and praise of God For every thing will not please and glorifie God 2 Renounce thy own glory in doing things Joh. 8.49 50. How can yee which receive honour one of another seek the honour that cometh of God Certainly Christ sought not his own praise but the praise of him that sent him 3 Observe Gods wisdom in his Word and Works his Power Justice and Mercy his benefits and corrections on thy self and others in all things praise him Hee that praiseth me glorifieth me Psal 50.23 4 Honour God in an honest and Christian conversation gracious speeches and an unspotted life honour the Gospel hereby stop the wickeds mouthes and glorifie God 1 Pet. 2.12 II. The manner of this answer of Christ Avoyd Satan which differeth somewhat from Christs other answers being
idlely or laying themselves to sleep and take a nap some part of the Sermon or sitting unmannerly in prayer-time without all reverence that should they come so and behave themselves towards their Prince they should bee taught a lesson for their rudenesse Is this to confesse a mans own basenesse and the humble conceit hee hath of himself Is this the fruit of acknowledging Gods infinite Majesty Surely that soul which feelingly sees it self to deal with God will make the body either kneel as a Petitioner or stand as a servant ready to hear and know and do the will of his Lord. And him onely shalt thou serve Doct. God must not onely bee worshipped but also served The distinction is easily observed For a man may in heart and gesture honour another to whom hee owes but little service And this word in the Hebrew is taken from Servants who besides inward reverence and outward worship owe to their Masters their strength labour and service yea frank and cheerful Obedience And suppose any man have a Servant who will bee very Complemental and give his Master cap and knee and very good words yet when his Master commands him any thing hee will not do it here is honour but no service and denying service hee plainly shews that his honour is but dissembled and hypocritical So as this service to God as to earthly Masters stands 1 in fear and reverent inward affection 2 in dutiful and ready obedience in all holy and civil actions For 1 These two God in the Scriptures hath every where joyned together Reasons and therefore no man may separate them Deut. 5.29 Oh that there were in them such an heart to fear mee and to keep my Commandements Josh 24.14 15. Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in uprightnesse else chuse you for I and my house will serve the Lord. Eccl. 12. ult Let us hear the end of all Fear God and keep his Commandements which is all one with fear God and serve him 2 This service is a fruit of fear and a true testimony of it for fear of God is expressed in service and if a man would make true trial of his fear hee may do it by his service It is a note and branch also of our love unto God all which the holy Prophet Moses declareth Deut. 10.12 when hee expresseth that walking in all Gods waies is a consequent of fear and the service of the Lord a fruit of love And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God and to walk in his waies and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God 3 Hee justly calleth for our service in regard of the relation that is between him and us as hee is the Lord our God and Master and hath authority over us to whom wee owe simple obedience and wee are his servants to whom wee owe of right our whole strength and service Now hee becomes our Lord and wee his servants not onely by right of Creation and preseâ—vation but by expresse Covenant that as the Jews servants were said to bee their Masters money so wee are not our own but bought with a price 1 Corinth 6.20 Our wages are set and our Promise passed our earnest-penny received and no other Lord can lay claim unto us 4 There is no Creature exempted from the service of God all Creatures in their kind serve him and much more ought man to whom hee hath appointed all creatures to serve him and hath exempted him from the service of them all to serve himself alone All the Saints ever gloried that they were the Servants of God The honourable mention of Moses is that hee was faithful in all the house of God as a servant And David saith often Lord I am thy â—ervant keep thy servant c. Paul Peter Jude the servants of God The Angels professe themselves our fellow-Servants and are called Ministring spirits sent forth for the heirs of Salvation Adam in innocency was not exempted from this service but must serve God in dressing the Garden as a servant his Lord and Master Nay Christ himself the second Aâ—am was not onely stiled the beloved Son but the righteâ—us servant of God Isa 53.11 5 Our Talents our gifts our strength our work our wages all are his received from him and for him and therefore must be returned again unto him in his service Quest What is this service which God requires at our hands Answ The service of God is either Legal or Evangelical The former stands in a perfect conformity with the whole Law of God when the creature can present unto God a personal and total righteousness Of this kind is the service of the blessed Angels Of the same kinde was Adams in innocency Of the same was Christs service when hee was made obedient to the death that by the obedience of one many might bee made righteous This is that by which wee shall serve God in heaven when wee shall once again recover perfect sanctification and the whole Image of God which we have now lost This now wee cannot attain unto yet wee must ever carry it in our eye as our scope and aim Evangelical service is when the heart being regenerate by Gods Spirit and purified by Faith hath Christs obedience imputed unto it which is accepted as its own perfect obedience and now indeavours to obey God sincerely in all things In a word that is Evangelical service which is perfect in Christ begun and inchoat in us in him compleat in us sincere and upright which is Christian perfection And to know this service the better wee will set down the conditions of it I. It must bee willing and free a free-will offering for hereby it is distinguished from the service of Devils and wicked men who are all subject unto the power of God and do him service in executing his will whether they will or no but one thing it is to bee subjected another to subject ones self the one is fâ—â—â—an inward principle even the Spirit of Goâ— which reneweth the will and makes it of unwillingly willing and pliable the other is onely by some outward force The service of the godly resembles the Angels in Heaven who are said to have wings by which their will and readiness is figured in doing the bests of God David had not such wings to flye swiftly yet hee would run in the way of Gods Commondements so fast as the burden of flesh would suffer him This condition our Lord and Saviour commends unto us in his own example when hee professeth it is his meat and drink to do the will of his father 2 It must bee hearty and sincere Rom. 1.9 whom I serve in my spirit not in body and ostentation but in soul and sincerity not in hypocrisy and coldnesse but in soundnesse and fervency not co-acted or compelled but chearfully and without dispute The Apostle requires love out of a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5
and a good Conscience and faith unfeigned And when the Lord bids David seek his face Davids heart answereth I will seek thy face Psal 27.8 Those that serve bodily Masters must not serve with eye-service but as the servants of Christ Eph. 5.6 how doing the will of God from the heart and ver 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in simplicity of heart What man can abide a servant that deals deceitfully with him if he know that hee outwardly pretends service but his heart is not with him but he dissembles Love Truth Faith and Reverence No more can God Men cannot see into the hearts of their servants but the Lord doth and cannot bee deceived The fountain of all our Obedience must bee a pure and sincere heart or else if the well-head be corrupt share all the waters that issue thence 3 It must bee ruled and squared by God himself Hinc obedâ—re ad audire for God must bee served as hee will bee served and not as wee think good for God knows what is best and what pleaseth him best All Obedience is to go by rule not our own or others but Gods As the eyes of the hand-maid is upon the hand of her Mistrisse so in our service must our eyes bee upon Gods direction Ps 123.2 which is implyed in that phrase Luke 1.75 That wee should serve him in righteousnesse and holinesse before him all the daies of our life An earthly servant must not take up his own work nor do other mens business but depend upon his own Masters mouth and direction Now God ruleth his whole service in respect of the 1 matter 2 manner 3 end I. For the matter Whatsoever I command that do onely saith the Lord. Thou shalt not do that which is good in thine own eyes but what I command thee And so wee are taught to pray Thy will be done II. For the manner It must bee 1 Absolute 2 Total I. Absolute without all condition on our part whereas all service to men must bee conditional The reason hereof is because God being holiness it self can command nothing but what is most just and holy but men may II. Total both objective and subjective 1 It must bee total in respect of the object all Gods Commandements all which call for our obedience Partial and delicate service when wee list or at leisure as the retainers of great men on feast-daies is not that which liketh him but a constant diligence in all his Commandements and a conscionable indeavour in all General service was holy Davids aim Psal 119.6 Then shall I not bee confounded when I have respect to all thy Commandements Not that wee can perfectly serve him unlesse wee were perfectly sanctified but that we must make conscience of all Gods Commandements even the least 2 It must bee total in respect of our selves we must be wholly imployed in his service in all our parts and powers the whole heart and all the strength is here challenged Wherein there is a notable difference between the service wee owe to God and that to men Wee are to bee serviceable to men only in part not wholly for the soul and Conscience are not subject to men which God especially taketh up and looks for Gods priviledge it is to bee the father of spirits for although wee take our bodies from our Parents yet our souls are immediately from God Men therefore have no power and authority over our souls but God hath power both over soul and body and is the Lord of our conscience and spirit and therefore of due must we subject our selves wholly in his service III. God ruleth his service in respect of the end which is twofold intentionis termini 1 The proper aym and end of our service must be 1 Gods glory directly If all our service of men must be for God as we saw it must much more must Gods immediate service 2 The good of our brethren and of Gods Church which we must not scandalize but build up for God will be served in our service of men 2 Wee must serve our God without end he requires such an heart in his people as to fear him always Deut. 5.29 and 6.13 Thou shalt serve the Lord and cleave unto him Wee allow not our servants to cast up our work and make holy-day at their pleasure much less most Gods servants think it lawful at any time to give any service to Satan Sin Lust the World or any Creature against the Will of the Lord. Vse This should provoke us to tender unto God this service with heart and good will thus squared by God for the matter manner and ends of it The Apostle Ephes 6.5 6 7 8. perswadeth servants to obey their Masters according to the flesh by three arguments all which are much more strong to perswade our service to our Master in heaven First saith he it is the will of God Gods institution and the ordinance of Christ It is enough for a servant to know that such a thing is the ordinate will of his own Master The second reason of the Apostle is taken from the honour of their service that in serving men they served the Lord Christ which was an honourable thing Now we serve a great Lord and as good as great If a servant were bound to a wicked and froward Master he must obey him in all lawful things How much more are we to yeeld service to so good a Lord who can command nothing but that which is most just holy and honourable Hee sets us not about any base or ignoble service to work in brick or clay as Pharaoh commanded the Israelites but our work is the practice of piety and righteousness of prayer and praise And besides it is most beneficial to our selves for what gaineth he by our service our goodness reacheth not to him to adde a grain to his perfection Psal 50.9 10. I will take no Bullock out of thy house for all the beasts of the forest are mine and the sheep on a thousand mountains If I were hungry I would not tell thee But it is our honour and profit as when a noble man takes a poor Sneak near him to serve him such a mean man is more honoured and pleasured than the noble man to whom he retains The third reason of the Apostle is drawn from the expectation of reward or wages which if their Masters should fail God would not fail to repend unto them knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doth that same he shall receive of the Lord. Now if the Lord so liberally reward faithful service done to mean and even wicked men how rich and royal a reward gives hee to the faithful service of himself It gifts then may move us to serve God the Lord truly saith All these doe I give thee and more also my Christ my Spirit my self and life eternal No man gives such wages no servant ever had such a pay-master To these might be added sundry other motives
as 1 To serve God is to reign and to be a King over the world fleshly lusts c. and to suit with Saints and Angels 2 God hereby becomes our protector maintainer and revengeâ— a David often prayeth Lord save thy servant teach thy servant revenge the cause of thy servant c. 3 Servants of unrighteousness meet with the wages of unrighteousness 4 All our comfort in crosses and afflictions stands in our service of God and a good Conscience or else we have none 5 To fear and keep his Commandements is the whole duty of a man and that which makes him fâ—lly happy Notes of a good servant of God 1 Labour to know the will of the Lord which hee hath revealed in his Word as David prayed Psal 119.125 For in the Scripture hee hath laid but our work for us and let us expect our calling to every business there let us be ready to hear not lightly absent nor present for custom but conscience 2 Let us serve him in affection and be glad to doe any thing to please him and grieve when we fail either in doing that wee should not or in not doing that we ought or not in that manner that may please the Lord. 3 Be ever imployed in his work How know I a mans servant but by his labouring in his Masters business Yee are his servant to whom yee obey Rom. 6.16 and Joh. 15. Yee are my Disciples if yee doe whatsoever I command you If I see a man spend his time in the service of sin of lusts of games pleasure the world c. I know whose servant he is certainly he is not in the service of God hee is not in Gods work 4 Intend thy Lords profit and glory A good servant knows his time and strength is his Masters and hee must bee profitable to him and seek his credit It will be with every servant of Christ as with Onesimus Phileus 11. being converted howsoever before grace he were so unprofitable and pilfering as he was unfit for any honest mans house and much more the house of God yet now he profits the Lord and credits him and takes not his meat and drink and wages for nothing 5 A good servant sets forward his Masters work in others hee will provoke his fellow-fellow-servants and not smite and hinder them as the evil servant did he will defend his Lord he will venture his life for him he will stand also for his fellow-servants while they are in their Masters business he will be a law to himself if there were no Law no Discipline he will not idle out his time his eye is upon the eye of his Master his mind upon his account his endeavour to please him in all things Vers 11. Then the Devil left him and behold the Angels came and ministred unto him HAving by the assistance of God now finished the two former general parts of this whole History which stood in the 1 Preparation and 2 The combate it self we proceed to the third and last which is the issue and event of all which affordeth us the sweet fruit and comfort of all our Saviours former sufferings from Satan and of our labours and endeavours in opening the same In this issue two parts are to bee considered 1 Christs victory 2 His triumph His victory and conquest in that the Devil left him His triumph in that the Angels came and ministred unto him In both which shine out notably the marks of his Divine power which even in all his lowest abasements did discover it self to such eyes as could see it and gave shew of a person far above all that his outward presence seemed to promise as for example His conception was by the Holy Ghost His birth as mean and base as might be but graced with a Star and the testimony of Angels and his Circumcision with Simeons His Baptism performed by John in Jordan but graced by his Fathers testimony and the Spirits descent in a visible shape of a Dove His civil obedience causeth him to pay tribute but hee sends for it to a Fish His person was called Beelzebub but Beelzebub confesseth him to be the Son of God At his Passion what greater infamy than to be hanged between two Theeves What greater glory than to convert and save one of them At his apprehension they that took him fell backward to the ground Joh. 18.6 In death he trod upon Deaths neck and being shut up in the Grave he opened it So here he is carried and recarried in the hands of the Devil but as one weary of his burden hee is forced to leave him on the plain field and to give up the bucklers because a stronger than hee is come This is the great mystery of God manifest in the flesh 1 Timothy 3.16 In the victory of Christ consider three things 1 The time when the Devil left him Then 2 The manner hee departed from him 3 How long hee left him and that is in Luke for a season Then This particle may have reference to three things 1 When the temptations were ended saith Luke namely all those which his Father had appointed him to indure at this time in the Wilderness For as the Son of God knew how much to suffer so Satan would not give over till hee had spent all his powder and had exercised all his malice in these most hellish Temptations wherein hee used all his skill strength and malice if he might possibly in this seed of the woman overthrow all the Sons of men and in the Head kill all the members Whence wee may Doct. Observe The obedience of the Son of God who stood out resolutely and departed not the field at all nor expected any rest till all the Temptations for this time were ended Christ could have confounded Satan in the beginning of the temptations and so have freed himself from further molestation but he continues and abides all the trial to the end And why Reason 1 His love to his Father made him submit himself to the lowest abasement even to the death of the Cross and refuse no difficult service for which his Father sent him into the World of which this was a principal The speech of David was most proper to this Son of David Behold here am I let the Lord do with mee even as hee will In his greatest agony hee said Not my will but thy will be done For he that loveth God his Commandements are not grievous to him 2 His love to his Church made him stand out the uttermost peril in this dangerous combate Eph. 5.25 Christ loved his Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and exposed himself for it and made himself liable to all wrongs and dangers for it as a loving Husband steps between his Wife and danger 3 Hee persisted in the Combate to teach us to hold out after his example in temptation and to expect freedome from temptation when wee have indured all but not before It is absurd to expect the
late years to bring in woful changes to remove the Gospel and give away our Kingdom Liberties Freeholds and lives to strangers Remember that admirable year of eighty eight and that no less admirable threatning and deliverance in one thousand six hundred and five forget not the raging and devouring plague in which there was no peace or safety to him that went in and out Remember the furious fire in many great places of the Land burning up whole Towns and Villages the general diseases and distempers in mens bodies which have been as universal as our provocation hath been the change of our seasons the breaking out of waters drowning the earth the infection of the air many barbarous Conspiracies against the life of so innocent and merciful a King and the hot contentions of many brethren in our own Church All which are remarkable signs of Gods displeasure if not fore-runners of a lamentable change But he that considereth how all these things are forgotten and worn away unprofitably without all wholsome use or reformation cannot but think that the Lord if timely repentance hinder not will take some other course and so speak as hee will be heard for the truth never fayls which you have heard at large one Judgement is ever a fore runner of another unless repentance cuts them off O that God would put it in the hearts of high and low to seek the continuance of our happy peace in our seasonable seeking of God by repentance and not seeking still to provoke him by wilful impenitency Vse 2. Let us not expect an end of temptation and trial while we are here below seeing Satan goes away in respect of temptation and molestation but for a season If Satan be gone he will return yea although he cannot prevail he will not cease to be an enemy and the longer our peace hath been let us think our change the nearer None of Gods children but the Devil is sometimes departed from them but the experience of them all shews that he never stayed long away from any of them and therefore let us be wise although Godâ— goodness have kept him a great while from us not thereby to grow secure but as fore-casting his coming again aim our selves for him 1 Nâ—t mistaking our present estate which is a pilgrimage and not a paradise of ease and pleasure 2 Considering that evils fore-seen lose a great part of their bitterness and they are so much the weaker against us as we are stronger by our providence and fore-sight of them 3 Neither may we think much that after one or two or three assaults Satan hath not done with us but comes again as he did against our Lord for wee servants are not better than our Master nor better than our fellow-fellow-servants who have been often assaulted as David first to Adultery and after that to Murder and after that to pride in numbring the people and after that Satan came again and again And Paul was often bulleted by Satan yea after hee had prayed thrice he got no release but a promise of sufficient grace 4 Neither may we conceive it strange that after some sleighter temptations we should be urged with fouler for Satan commonly keeps his strongest till the last as hee did to our Lord. Many say never were any so foulely tempted not so often as they their flesh trembles and their hair stands an end to think what foul temptations Satan suggesteth with great instance But can there bee a fouler temptation than to worship the Devil himself yet the Son of God was tempted to it Therefore resist as he did and the sin is not thine but Satans who shall bee damned but thou shalt be saved in the day of the Lord. Satan still cometh with more malice and worst at last contrary unto God who is best at last Vse 3. In that Christian life is mixed with peace and trouble learn wee not to fix both our eyes upon any present prosperity nor use it as a perpetuity but hold it as a moveable which passeth and moveth from one to another We have now a sweet sense of God but this may be over-cast he may hide himself and we be troubled we may now have the joy of our faith and presently our souls be clouded with unbelief distrust and dreggs of infidelity All Gods graces are still in sight often soyled by their contraries And for temporal things our health is conflicted with sickness our good name wounded with disgraces and defamations our friends mortal and were they not so yet mutable often becoming our greatest enemies our wealth winged and leaves us when we have most need of comfort our life it self commutable with death which is the turning of us out of all that wee loved dearest excepting God himself Let us therefore fix our eyes upon those eternal good things and that eternal peace and that Kingdom which cannot bee shaken For the things which are seen are temporal but the things not seen are eternal And then whatsoever I lose it is but a moveable my inheritance is sale and sure Vse 4. Hence wee may see how like wicked men are unto their father the Devil in their courses Satan seems to goe from them but it is but for a season and so do their sins but for a season by a counterfeit repentance As we may see in two or three instances 1 Some upon some good motions and exhortations by Gods Word and Spirit are struâ—k with some sense of their estate their conscience is checked and they resolve to take a new course and perhaps enter upon it as the Devil were quite gone But he comes again he went but for a season and sets them as deep in their usury deceit gaming and wicked fellowship as ever before the dogge returns to his vomit and the sow to her wallowing in the mire the evil spâ—rit that seemed to be gone is returned and hath brought with him seven worse Devils because he found his house fit for him 2 Some about the time of receiving the Communion are very devout will make a shew of religion of prayer of repentance of charity and love they will not swear much that day perhaps not play but read and it may bee sing Psalmes A man would think for so doe they that the Devil is quite gone But it is but for a season their righteousness is but as a morning dew their unrighteousness returns and they become as disordered in their courses as malicious in their lives the next day as ever they were before A fearful case that with Judas they receive the sop and the Devil withall 3 Others in the time of sickness are very penitent will confess all promise amendment plead for pardon crave good prayers and vow to God if hee restore them to become new men and women and now the Devil they hope is quite gone But no sooner their sickness breaks but the Devil comes again and brings all their former sins back again and they are well contented
them to God his Father so as being now redeemed and bought with a price they are no longer their own but the Lords that bought them 1 Cor. 6.20 3 Because when he hath thus dearly purchased his Church he contracteth himself in spiritual Marriage with her and so becometh her Lord Hos 2.18 I will marry thee for ever unto my self yea I will marry thee unto me in righteousnesse in judgement in mercy and in compassion Ephes 5.23 As the husband is the wives head so is Christ of the Church So as if a man bee a Lord of that which is given him of that which he hath redeemed and ransomed of her whom he had married into his bosome in all these regards by as good right is Jesus Christ the Lord of his Church and every member of it Object But how can Christ be a Lord and a servant too Isa 42.1 Behold my servant I will leaâ—e upon him and hee took upon him the form of a servant Phil. 2.7 Ans Christ considered as Mediator is after a special manner both his Fathers servant and yet the Lord of his Church In all the work of mans Redemption he served and obeyed his Father being sent of his Father for this end he was subject to the death he prayed unto him gave him thanks learned obedience by the things he suffered not as God equal to his Father but as our Mediator and Surety and yet by all these things he became our Lord and the King of his Church And herein the Apostles travel as in their main scope to prove that Jesus Christ whom the Jews put to death hath shewed himself the Lord of glory and the true Messias Acts 2.34 Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that Jesus which they crucified Lord and Christ. Object But how can Christ be the Lord of all seeing many yea the most will not obey him Ans Doth a King cease to be the Lord of all his Country because some which were his subjects are gone out in rebellion against him besides howsoever it standeth with his glory and grace to suffer with patience the vessels of wrath yet at length he shews his power against them in bringing forth his whole displeasure upon them Vse Hence in that Christ is in general Lord of all we learn that all Creatures are his and therefore we must never use any of them without leave from him or without return of praise and thanks unto him none of them are sanctified to our use without the Word and Prayer And if wee have leave from him we ought in sobriety to use them 1 Cor. 10.26 Eat whatsoever is sold in the shambles making no question for conscience sake Hence followeth it also that he having an absolute power over all hee may doe with his own what he will who shall hinder a Potter to frame one vessel to honour another to dishonour which I speak because many cannot endure to hear of a decree of reprobation who must frame their judgement to his will who cannot but be just and good and leave off to reason with God Hence also he may make one rich another poor at his pleasure The rich and poor meet this Lord maketh them both Secondly in that Christ is in special Lord of his Church sundry things are to be noted as first That none can have Christ to be a Jesus that is a Saviour who have him not for their Soveraign and Lord whosoever thou art that challengest him for thy Saviour see thou acknowledge him thy Lord. Quest How may a man have Christ to be his Lord A man hath Christ his Lord by four things Ans By the practice of four duties 1 By preserving in the heart a fear and reverence towards his person Malac. 1.6 If I be a Lord where is my fear Lordship requires subjection Psal 45.11 He is thy Lord and reverence thou or bow unto him Now this fear must proceed from love for if any man love not the Lord Jesus let him be accursed and wheresoever this love is it must needs bee attended with a fear to displease him 2 By professing him to bee thy Lord as servants by their livery or cognisance speak and proclaim to all men to whom they belong so if Christ bee thy Lord thou must not bee ashamed of him but bee ever speaking of him commending his goodness thou must glory of such a service accounting it thy greatest honour that thou art become his servant thou must defend his name where ever thou hearest it called into question thou must suffer with him and take part with him in affliction 1 Pet 4.13 an unfaithful servant is hee that can bee dumb in his Masters dishonour but especially if his Master be assaulted and in danger then to forsake him when hee hath most need of him 3 By acknowledging thy self to bee countable unto him for all thy waies and for all thy receites Make account to be countable of all to this Lord of all The servant not being at his own hand must go about no business but his Masters whatsoever matter of trust hee receiveth from his Master it is not his own hee is faithfully to discharge himself of it by a true and just account Thus therefore must thou reason the case with thine own heart what am I now in my Masters work had I commandement from him did his word or warrant set mee about the business which is now in my hands Again what gifts have I received of body minde wealth authority credit I am to be countable for all all the Talents I have are his If I gain nothing I am unprofitable If I gain I must be profitable unto him By absolute obedience unto his will revealed To this Lord only must be given absolute obedience Thus himself being to give his Law beginneth thus I am the Lord thy God thou shalt do thus and thus other Lords and Kings must bee obeyed in him yea disobeyed for him if they command contrary unto him onely hee must ever by Kings themselves bee obeyed absolutely in all the parts of his will revealed Which may bee considered in three heads 1 It is his will that wee beleeve in him Joh. 6.40 The will of Christ reduced to three â—eads This is the will of him that sent mee that every one that seeth the Son and beleeveth in him not onely beleeving his word to bee true but leaning upon him only for thy salvation If a Master should promise a servant that if hee will but beleeve him and seek to please him hee will provide for him for ever it would adde cheerfulness to such a servant and hee would think none of his Masters commandements burdensome but yet wee having larger and surer promises are slow of heart and hand to beleeve or yield obedience 2 It is his will that wee shew forth this faith of our hearts in the fruits of sanctification 1 Thess 4.3 This is the will of God even
governour accuse him with matter of death falsly witnesse it against him moved the people to ask Barabbas and cry Crucify him they are content that his blood bee upon them and their children as it is at this day and this is that which Pilate in his own defence said unto Christ Joh. 18.35 Am I a Jew Thine own Country-men and High Priests delivered thee unto mee as if hee had said I bear thee no hatred or displeasure I am no Jew who best know what thou hast done being a Jew also but thine own nation deeply accuse thee unto mee Whence may be noted sundry instructions First That the lower degrees of murther such as are envy hatred Lowest degrees of Murther condemned and uncharitable proceedings are esteemed murther it self before God for the Jews slew Christ in that they delivered him of envy to the Romans to bee slain The Law of God which condemneth the least injury against the person of our Neighbour doth it in these words Thou shalt not kill The Apostle John speaketh of a mental murther He that hateth his brother is a man-slayer 1 Joh. 3.15 hee hath secretly in his heart slain him already And yet how openly do men testify the malice of their hearts so far as they dare by cursed reviling and murthering speeches that they may shew themselves Murtherers with witness but alas little know they what they do for if the least and lowest degrees of provoking and rancorous speeches as to call the brother fool deserve to be punished with Hell fire Matth. 5.22 what deserve those venemous and spightful speeches which numbers without all conscience accustome their Tongues unto let such consider that the Apostle rangeth Raylers in the rank with Adulterers Buggerers and such beastly persons as shalâ— never enter into the Kingdome of God 1 Cor. 6.20 Others there are even a generation of rough Ishmaels men of a word and a blow whose fists are against every man who instead of seeking peace and pursuing it devise how to quarrel and contend they care not with whom and this is counted courage and man-hood but is indeed a satanical practice and an high degree of Murther which for the most part endeth in the highest to the destruction of others with themselves Secondly Note that it is no less sin to sin by instruments As great a sin to sin by others as by our selves than by our own hands the Jews were as deep if not deeper in this sin as the Romans Calaphas the High Priest was as far in it as Pilate that read the sentence the one gave wicked Counsel the other followed it the receiver partaketh as deep in the sin and punishment as the Theef himself Ahab murthered not Naboth but because hee consented to Jezabel giveth her his ring and concealeth her wicked intent therefore the Lord asketh him if hee had killed and gotten possession 1 King 21.9 as for Jezabel there was another reckoning for her behind David slew not Vriah with his own hands but writing to Joab to put him in the forlorn hope and recoyle back from him that hee might bee smitten by the enemy and dye therefore the Lord asked him wherefore hast thou killed Vriah with the sword 2 Sam. 11.15 12.9 Communication in sin â—undry waies This teacheth us to take heed of setting sinners a work or any way of casting in our lot with them either by 1 Commanding 2 Counselling 3 Countenancing 4 Provoking 5 Flattering 6 Silence 7 Winking at as Ely 8 Defending any sin or sinner for accessories are before God as principals which is the rather to bee considered of because men willingly deceive themselves in this behalf Many Masters will not work themselves upon the Sabbath day but their servants must for them in whom they sin as heinously as if they set their own hands to work for they ought by Gods Law to see that their servants nay their beasts rest on the Sabbath as well as themselves Many Parents may hence also see their great sin who themselves perhaps will not Swear Lye Drink to drunkenness but all these and worse they do in their children over whom they watch not whom they correct not not use good means to reclaim them Many men will not themselves revile or persecute Gods children but can well enough bear it in others without much offence to themselves or defence of the other even when they have a calling often to do it Paul so soon as hee was converted accused himself for keeping the garments of those that stoned Stephen And the truth of grace would make them listen to the Counsel which Pilates wife gave her Husband have nothing to do with that just mâ—â— have no hand no tongue no ear no foot to stir against Christ in his members if thou doest not mean one day dearly to buy it Horrible ingratitude of the Jews noted Thirdly Note The extream wickedness and unthankfulnesse of the Jews whose sin is here aggravated in that they persecute to the death a just and innocent man one that was sent unto them by God that came unto them as unto his own among whom hee had performed all his great works had given sight to their blind healed their sick dis-possessed their Devils raised their dead and all this most freely and cheerfully and yet such was their ingratitude that when hee came to his own his own received him not this chief corner-stone was refused of the builders this chief shepheard was smitten even in the house of his friends Adde hereunto that they persecute such a worthy and the Lord of all with such indignity and despight as they not onely reckoned him among sinners but preferred a Murtherer before the just and holy one of God and wherefore what had the righteous man done which of them could accuse him of sin or might not hee have taken his enemies book upâ—â— his shoulder and have bound it as a crown unto him Job 31.35 yes verily The Apostle hath told us in the words before what Christ had done hee had gone about and spent all his life in doing good unto the Jews but they returned him evil for good to the grief of his soul and therefore as David lamenteth the death of Abner How dyed Abner his hands were not bound nor his feet chained but as a man falleth before wicked men so did hee fall 2 Sam. 3.35 that is Abner was a valiant and worthy man and so would have acquitted himself if hee could have met his enemy face to face and had not been wickedly and trecherously slain by Joab even so Christ continued a worthy person although according to the Counsel of God hee fell before wicked men through malice and envy and as David amplified both the sin and the punishment of such a wretch as so cowardly slew Abner when hee said know yee not that this day a great Prince is fallen in Israel even so the sin of the Jews was hereby heightned that a great Prince fell
are eaten up with dissolutenesse and profaneness casting away sobriety and watchfulness so as their Master cometh unexpected and in an hour they know not How doth it theâ—â—fore stand every man in hand to awake from his sleep and stand up from the dead with wisâ— Virgins to prepare and trim theâ—â— Lamps with oyl before hand and so wait for the coming of the Bride groom to take heed of every â—iâ— thought word and deed to watch narrowly their own lives to provo â—â—hemselves to the best duties What is not sin a fearful thing which made the Son of God cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Is not the greatness of them like the mountaiâ—â— and the number of them â—ike the sand of the Sea-shoar which is numbâ—â—lâ—sâ— Is it not a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God whose wraâ—h and justice against the least sin all Creatures in Heaven and earth 〈◊〉 stand undâ—â— â—â—t be oppressed and shaken in peeces Is not the night past and the day â—â—me the Sun of righteousnesse risen so as if ever wee mean to 〈…〉 of this deadly sleep and walk as the children of light it is more than t me Wouldst thou be taken lying or swearing or gaming or drinking or rayling or breaking the Sabbath or stealing or whoring wouldst 〈◊〉 have thy Master finde thee in any of these practices and distempâ—â— oâ— no I mâ—an to repent But he cometh suddenly as a Thief in the n ght and this sâ—dâ—aâ—â—â—oming at least to thee in particular may cut off all thy purposes f â— it is just with God that they who take not his time of repâ—ntance shall never attain to their own What will now be the issue of thy delays surely thou â—adst better been a Dogge or a Toad or the vilest Creature of all the Creation than a secure sinner overtaken in thy wickednesse The second thing that hindereth this expectation of the last Judgement as carefully to be avoyded as the former are the cares of this present life and the greedy desire and thirst after the world which by this consideration also may be abated For if this day of Judgement whether general or particular to thy self were to morrow what were thy Gold Silver Plate Jewels worth to thee they were all one with the stones in the street Tell me now whether thou wouldst not then esteem Christ and his merit thy chiefest commodity or if thou couldst but conceive with thy self the truth and say to thy soul I shall certainly shortly come to answer the Judge of all the world câ—uldst thou goe on to lade thy Conscience with iniquity for so short a possession of vanishing profits No thou wouldst begin to husband thy time which worldlinesse hath hitherto ingrossed thou wouldst not suffer thy soul to bee so surcharged with earthlinesse as to forget treasuring in Heaven making ready thy account and the finishing of thy reckoning thou wouldst not suffer the thorny cares of this life to choak all the seed of thy salvation neither could it be that the Oxe or Faâ—m should so still fill up thine eyes as that the supper of the King should be despised Buâ— in truth men live generally as though there were no Judgement to come or as though they had stricken a covenant with it to passe over them for when we preach and men hear or read of the Judgement to come who trembleth at it as Felix an Heathen did to hear Paul dispute of it When we teach that the Judge is at the door who seeth all the facts of men and drawâ—th them into bills of remembrance and of them all is drawing a bill of inditement who feareth more who sinneth lesse who is it that smiteth his thigh or saith what have I done Who forsaketh his wilful ignorance his contempt of the Word his abuse of Gods Servants his Blasphemies his pride uncleannesse unlawful games or lawful unlawfully used his Sabbath-breaking his swearing his oppression his usury or the like Wee like Lot fore-warn men of the evil to come but men like Lots cousins and kinsmen entertain our words as a jest we are as though we mocked and so they sit out the summons to their further danger yea more than this when the Lord thrusteth his fearful judgements into the eyes and sences of men as fore-runners of this general men shut their eyes and will not see the brightnesse of them nor the danger of sin by them nor the special anger of God bewraying it self and broken out in them but still live as they did in the days of Noah and will lay none of these things to heart till it bee too late The second thing whereby every man must addresse himself to this judgement is to use the best means that he may happily passe through it And the only means is set down by the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.31 If wee would judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord. Judging of our selves afore-hand standeth in four things Now this judging of our selves before hand standeth in four things First in arraigning our selves before Gods Judgement Seat that is when by serious consideration we summon our selves before this Judge to whom we are to be countable This is the memento that Salomon giveth the young man who is set upon his pleasure Remember that for all this thou must come to judgement And if the young man must sawce his pleasures with this remembrance much more the older had need as being in the ordinary course of nature nearer it than they some of the ancients have so acquainted and accustomed their hearts to this meditation that one of them professeth of himself that wheresoever he was or whatsoever he was doing he thought he heard always this voyce in his ears Arise yee dead and come unto judgement Secondly in examining of our selves and this is when we search and fanne our selves when wee sift the secret corners of our hearts and enquâ—re narrowly and without partiality What have I done that look as the Kings Attorny sifteth out and exaggerateth every circumstance of the Crime agâ—inst a Traytor at the Bar to make his offence as foul as can be so should wee become the King of Heaven his Attorney against our selves not â—â—ssening or minâ—ing and much lesse excusing hiding or defending any 〈◊〉 labour to see our sin in every circumstance and make it as vile as wee can at our hearts may be convinced and beaten down in the sence of our misery For this purpose lay thy life and every particular action of it tâ— the Lâ—w of God that as a straight line will shew thee all thy crookednesse and 〈◊〉 â—hee in by such circumstances as whereby thou shalt not content thy sâ—â— wâ—th a câ—nfession in grosse that thou art a sinner but shalt confesse thy sin t◠〈◊〉 â—â—t of measure sinful But many a Christian is like a desperate Bankcrupt who being afraid to look into his reckonings goeth on till he be clapt up
4.7 her oyle was increased till she had enough for her creditors and her self CHAP. XX. Rules of Wisdome for our own necessary actions in respect of their first Order Secondly Subject THe fourth sort of rules for actions Rules for necessary actions 1 Ground Thou wâ—â—â— sent inâ—o this World f r necessary business respecteth such as concern our selves and these are either necessary or indifferent actions Wee wâ—re sent inâ—o this world to do some necessary business which wee must intend and not waâ—e our time in impertinent things The master that sent his servants into the Vineyard sent them in to work Do we think that God sent man into the World to sport and play for his recreation sake or idleness yea or to eat and drink and onely to get what to maintain himself by No but for something beyond all these else his end were not beyond the brute-beasts Or can wee think that God hath given men gifts of reason understanding judgement and means of nature and grace for the culture of all these onely to enjoy outward things to feed their pleasure and appetite which they might fully injoy without all their gifts No but the master gave his servants talents to traffick withall to make their Lord and themselves gainers Wee must therefore acknowledge some thing to bee absolutely necessary unto which all other things are necessary but respecttively and carry our selves unto every thing accordingly If wee would know what that is which is absolutely necessary our Saviour tells us Luke 10.42 One thing is necessary namely to know how a man may come into Gods favour and bee saved and all earthly things are respectively necessarie so far as they conduce to this To know the vertue of Christs death and resurrection is absolutely necessary all things are to bee counted but dross and dung unto this Phil. 3.10 But in all necessary actions 2 For the order the most necessary things m st bee done fiâ—st the rule of Wisdome requires that the most necessary action be done first and most Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand shall finde to do do it with all thy might Nothing in the world is so necessary as to repent us of sin past and the reason for it is the present time to day Nothing so necessary as amendment of life for time to come therefore do it now Delaies in all things are dangerous in this often deadly And this most necessary business must bee done most Well said Augustine Deficit in necessariis qui redundat in superfluis August hâ—e must needs fail in necessaries who over-flowes in superfluities How then can men answer the wasting of their lives and time in pleasures recreation eating drinking buying selling and seldome finde in their hands the business which ten is unto eternal life A good rule therefore it is often to examine our selves thus What am I doing And whether in all inferiour things do I aim aâ— the chief in earing I must not forget the bread of life In recreation and pleasure I must châ—â—fly affect the pleasures of Gods house In buying and seâ—ling I must specially help forward my purchase of eternal life In my earthly calling I must express the calling of Christianity 3 For the subject The most necessary actions of evil men are evil This is the way to do the one necessary thing most of all 3 Most necessary actions in evil men are evil the best actions of the unregenerate are sins And therefore it is most necessary to bee a good man The truth hereof appears because a man may do what God commands and omit and forbear a work prohibited and yet sin in both For example Aristides practised justice most strictly yet herein hee sinned because it was no work of faith Alexander conquering Darius violated not the chastity of Darius his wife and daughters but forbare this prohibited and sinful action yet therein hee sinned because hee forbare not of good conscience But wee must know that this sin lyeth not in the substance or matter of the work which is materially good but in the vice of the doer and manner or end of doing Neither are these sins in themselves but onely by accident CHAP. XXI Rules for necessary actions in respect of the meanes and the order of the two Tables 4 For the means The best action may not be thrust on by evil means Rom. 3.8 NO action is so necessary as it must bee thrust on by evil means Wee must not do the least evil for the greatest good which was Lots sin to procure good by evil neither yeeld to a less evil to prevent a greater in evils of sin In civil things it is a most necessary thing to preserve life but not with a lie usury sabbath-breaking or going to Witcheâ— Life is not so necessary as without separation to cleave to that which is good In spiritual things to preach the word is so necessary 1 Cor. 9.26 as Paul cries Wo unto himself if hee do not because the flock of God depends upon him But if I may not preach unless I wound my conscience by compounding with hereticks and blending truth with errour I must never preach but leave the care of the Church to God who without my lie will provide for the good of it Thus Elijah fled and left his Ministry because hee could not exercise it unless hee would have received Baals ceremonies and flattered with the Baalites And if hee had not thus forsaken his place hee had forsaken the Church Great Athanasius chused rather to leave his Church than to yeeld any thing to the Arrians Act. 20.29 Saint Paul knew that after hee went from Ephesus grievous Wolves would come in not sparing the flock And yet because hee could not stay to preach unless hee would have restored some pharisaical observations and unless for peace sake hee would have yeeldâ—d to the rites and image of Diana he left the place because he must not do the greatest good by any evil meanes Never let any think to thrive by means which God hath accursed and upon which himself cannot pray for a blessing For the order of the two Tables All necessary actions must bee done according to the order of the Tables ever esteeming the duties of the first Table more necessary than they of the second This is Christs own rule Matth. 22.38 This is the first and great Commandement Duties of the first table must bee done first and the second is like to this both in respect of the necessary binding and of the end for even these are a worship of God if they bee performed in faith and for his commandement sake Wherefore else did the Lord deliver two Tables whereas hee might have put all into one but that hee would prefer and claim the first place to duties that immediately concern his worship From whence Divines gather that rule of Antinomy and truth that when the two Tables are opposed and both
wickedness with tears pray for pardon promise amendment beg prayers of others as Pharaoh one would think them very penitent themselves think they are so also but the Moon changeth not so often as these spiritual lunaticks who hence may know that the evil spirit hath taken possession of them because they are never long in a good minde These few notes instead of many I thought good to set down to help men that are desirous to see how secretly Satan worketh in their souls and how hee can cunningly most forceably keep possession when hee seemeth most to disclaim it that thus they comming to perceive the disease may run out of themselves to seek for remedy Which what it is wee are now in the next point to declare The third point in the words to bee considered is The mighty power of Jesus Christ who onely could heal those that were thus oppressed and enthralled by the Devil and here consider 1 The ground 2 The proof or manifestation of it The ground was because God was with him How God was with his Son and how with his Servants It will bee objected that God is said to have been with many of his servants who yet had not this power as with Joseph Joshuah Moses and others Answ God was indeed with them onely by manifesting his presence in some powerful or loving effect which hee wrought in by or for them But never was God present with any of his Saints as hee was with his Son who had not the vertue onely and power of the God-head effectually and energetically working with him which was all they had but the god-head it self was after a sort bodily with him yea the fulnesse of the God-head was not only with him but in him bodily Col. 2.9 as elsewhere God is said not onely to bee with Christ but in Christ reconciling the world unto himself 2 Cor. 5.19 So as hee of himself performed the works which proceeded from him which they did not and his actions as from himself were divine Quest Why then doth not the Apostle more shortly and plainly say that Christ was God as that God was with him Answ Hee might indeed have so said as truely but for the time spareth the weakness of his hearers contenting himself to deliver Doctrin as they were able to receive it in great wisdome by little and little instilling into their minds the knowledge of Christ and by degrees laying such grounds and foundations as whereby themselves might more easily rise to that high point of Divinity which the Apostle calleth a great mystery namely God manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.26 Secondly For the proof or manifestation of this Divine power of Christ Christ powerfully treadeth Satan under his feet â—n overthrowing the power of Satan and treading him under his feet is evident in the Scripture The first promise that ever was made to man fallen is That this seed of the woman should bruise the Serpents head According to which prophecy hee not onely put Satan to flight in his own person Mat. 4. but took also his strongest holds where hee had strongly fortified himself in the persons of others as every where the History of the Gospel recordeth Hee rebuked the unclean spirits and made them cry for grief and anger Mark 9.25 Hee forced them to silence and would not suffer them to confess him Mar. 1.25 By his very word hee chained and bound them whom no bolts could hold nor any other means subdue such was his power and glory though men saw little of it that the Devils could neither fly from him nor yet abide his presence A whole legion of them ran to meet him a far off and worshipped him Mar. 5.6 most submisly intreated him that hee would not torment them and earnestly sued unto him that seeing they could no longer inhabit the man they might have power over the swine By all which examples and many more that might bee added appeareth what command Jesus Christ hath over the Devils and that by his onely word hee healed all those that were oppressed by them Quest It is true that Christ hath this power and glory in himself How the power of Christ foyleth Satan for us because God is with him but how commeth this power to bee so saving and soveraign unto miserable creatures who are held under the power of the Devil and that most justly Ans In healing all our diseases Mat. 8.16.17 among which this cute is numbred wee must knit and combine those two things which in Christ were inseparable namely his glory and his grace the latter of which makeeth the former soveraign unto us and appeareth in two actions in removing from us the next causes of all our diseases namely our sins For as the Physician in working a cure first removeth the distempered humours of his patient which are the matter of the disease so doth our heavenly Physician imply that this is the beginning of his cure and therefore often his first word is Thy sins are forgiven thee and his last word is goe and sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee 2 By taking our diseases upon himself which 〈◊〉 Physician doth or can do but this Lamb of God taketh away the sins of the world by taking them upon himself for he bare our infirmities Col. 2.22 and carried our sorrows and sins in the body of his flesh even to the cross where they were fastned with him buried them in his grave yea cast them into Hell and there left them by which most glorious triumph of his the snares and letters wherewith wee were chained to death and the Devil are broken and our souls as a bird are escaped Christ onely by his Pâ—opes power casteth out Devils Hence note 1 That no man can cast a Devil out of a possessed party or ever did as a principal efficient cause but as an instrument and that onely by this power of the Lord Jesus to whom all power in heaven and earth is given and to whom all the honour of this power must bee ascribed for what power can countermand Satans but onely Gods I grant Satan may give place to beelzabub and depart his habitation for his greater advantage and forsake a body to get faster hold upon the soul or to delude many beholders but such hostile conquest over Satan argueth a mighty power of God which all the Devils in hell cannot resist Secondly That whosoever finde themselves any way molested of Satan must hasten themselves to Jesus Christ who onely can batter down the holds of the Devil In all thy spiritual captivity repair unto Christ and work their deliverance Feelest thou thy self held under any spiritual captivity or bondage doth the Law of evil present with thee toyl thee with heaviness and unchearfulness to any thing that is good seest thou in any measure Satans secret trains working against thy salvation Oh come unto Christ not faintly as the Father of the possessed child Mark
9.22 Master if thou canst do any thing help us but with confidence as the Leper Master if thou wilt thou canst make mee whole Matth. 8.2 or as the Centurion onely speak the word rebuke these dumb and deaf spirits within me and thou who only canst make the dumb to speak the deaf to hear the blinde to see and the lame to leap for joy set mee at liberty work my inlargement chase away these spiritual enemies and thou that art the Son set mee free and I shall bee free indeed In cases of sorcery and bodily oppressions by Satan what to do Again art thou in any affliction of body or mind or goods or name yea bee it in the case of Sorcery or Witchcraft against thy self or any of thine or whatsoever belongeth unto thee look up unto Christ hee can command Fire Water Windes Seas Diseases Death the Devils themselves and if hee see it good for thee he can check all thy grievances hee is of no lesse power now in his glory at his Fathers right hand than he was in his humility upon earth and yet when hee was at lowest hee could command Legions of Devils nay Legions of Angels as at his apprehension much more can hee now command and rebuke the former and pitch the latter round about them that fear him so as without his will all the Devils in Hell cannot make one hair of thy head to fall The superstitious sorcery of such as attempt by amulets and words to drive away Devils and Diseases Thirdly Hence are overthrown sundry superstitious and wicked opinions and practices very rife in the world As 1 Such Popish minded persons as think that by certain words and amulets Devils may bee driven away diseases healed c. And for this they alleadge that in the New Testament onely by naming Jesus such cures were effected To which I answer that it is too gross a conceit to think that there can be any vertue in words to dive away diseases much less Devils or to conceive that by the pronouncing of words but by the vertue and power of Christ working by the Apostles and miraculously put forth with those words both diseases and Devils gave place and so the parties were healed Popish charming 2 Such as think that by the applying of consecrated things as they call them Devils are scared away as by holy Water Salt hallowed Candles reliques of Saints the sign of the Cross Images fashioned in such or such a place All which howsoever very ordinary in the Church of Rome yet indeed are no better than sorcery and charming and the very practices of those who while they will drive the Devil from others plainly prove that themselves are spiritually possessed by him in that they will cast out Devils by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils They object for these reliques that a souldier that was to be buried was revived by touching the dead bones of Elisha 2 King 13.21 But this was a Miracle wrought by the finger of God to confirm the truth preached by that worthy Prophet and is not to be ascribed to the touching of the bones which in themselves nor at any other time had any such vertue They alledge also the example of the Woman having the bloudy issue who was cured by the touching of Christs garment whereas that disease was cured not by the Corporal touching of his skirt but by the Spiritual touching of himself which was by the hand of her faith and therefore our Saviour said be it unto thee not according to thy feeling but according to thy faith They alledge also Acts 19.12 That from Pauls body were brought to the sick Napkins or Handkerchiefs and the diseases departed from them and the evil spirits went out of them Which things had no such power in them but only that it pleased God by such weak means to produce Miracles for the confirmation of that holy Doctrin preached by â—aul And therefore the text ascribeth these Miracles not to the garments of Paul but to God himself who by the hands of Paul wrought them vers 11. Wâ—â—â—ce we may conclude that whosoever use any such means as these shew thâ—mselves not only superstitious and wicked but most foolish and ridiculous to think that any bodily substance whatsoever can work upon or violence a substance which is not bodily such as the Devils is It will be alledged that experience sheweth that such means as these prevail to these intents and purposes which wee grant to bee true but that is by Satans subtilty who often dissembleth a flight as though he were forced by an exorcist to depart or else indeed goeth away that men might be confirmed in their impiety and grow more mad upon such wicked and unlawful means 3 Others who when Gods hand is any way upon them or theirs Against such as leave him with whom God is and run to the Witch with whom the Devil is especially if they conceive it as they are prone enough a case of Sorcery or Witchcraft leave the help of him with whom God is and run to one with whom the Devil is that is the Wizzard or Witch commonly called the Cunning man and Woman or the Wise man and Woman Which because it is so common a sin and so bold as men and women doe not so much as Saul who changed his garments that he might not bee known I will by some reasons prove this conclusion that although a man knew that a Cunning man or Woman so called or a Wizzard could and would help him yet ought hee not to seek or admit of such help were his case never so desperate 1 Besides expresse places of Scripture against it as Deut. 18.10 Levit. 19.31 Levit. 29.6 It is a departure from God to the Devil Isa 8.19 Should not a people inquire at their God from the living to the dead 2 King 1.16 Because thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron was is not because there was no God in Israel and indeed the seeking to such is a service and homage to Satan which he often and for most part being very skilful in Natural things recompenseth with cure of the disease Augustine Hence did the ancient Fathers call this seeking unto them a renouncing of Christianity and an Apostacy from God 2 All help is to be sought of God and in those lawful means which hee hath appointed and promised blessing unto But for words Amulets Characters which are Diabolical Sacraments or good prayers as they call them of the limbs of the Devil whose warrant have they or what power but from the Devil for God never put any such efficacy either into their nature by Creation or by any Divine institution since and therefore their work is from the Devil on his part by Satanical operation and on the Seekers part by Satanical faith and illusion Obj. But they use good means of Physick also Ans Seldome or never but if at any time