was a type of the Messias 1. Sam. 15.28 it was begun in Dauid onely for Saul though he was king before yet was he no type of the Messias And for this second order which is all of Kings we shall see if we peruse the booke of God that Christ came of some as wicked kings as euer were for where from Salomon to the captiuitie there were 19. kings 13. of them were most wicked and some of them had such speciall blemishes spots vpon them as it is doubted whether they be saued or no Salomon had great enormities but there is no doubt of his repentance witnessed by his booke of retractions called Ecclesiastes Asa began well but in his old age he imprisoned the Prophet that told him of his sinne and in his sicknesse trusted more to the Physitian then to God 2. Chr. 16.10.12 Iehosaphat did the woorst act that could be 2. King 8.18 to marrie his sonne Iehoram to Athaliah the daughter of Iezabel whereby manie prouocations were committed and yet these were the best Iehoram he caused all Iuda to commit idolatry so as the Lord forsooke him and 2. Chro. 21.15 he died a miserable death his guts falling out of his belly not all at once but day by day which was more grieuous Ahazia his sonne was slaine 2. Chro. 22.9 by Iehu in the field and neuer any reuenged his blood Ioash his sonne 2. Chron. 23.3 was mightily preserued by Iehoiada the Priest from the hands of Athaliah Yet when the Priest was dead 2. Chron. 24.78 when the Prophets came to tell him he was a bused and misled by his Princes to idolatry he caused them to be slaine in the temple and himselfe Vers 25. was afterward killed by his owne seruants Amaziah his sonne fell to Idolatrie after a victory obtained of the Edomites and 2. Chro. 25.27 was traiterously slaine by his owne subiects Azariah his sonne 2. Chro. 26.21 because he vsurped vpon the Priests office was immediatly smitten with the hand of God that he came to be a Leper but some of those last Kings are not heere named by S. Matthew because hee meant to make a proportionable and euen number that should consist on foureteenes For Ahaz hee made all the altars like the altars of Damascus and 2. King 16.3 made his owne sonne passe through the fire according to the sacrifice and abhomination of the Heathen Iehoiakim hee contemned the threatnings of the Lord and caused the roule to be burnt Ier. 36.23 which Baruch had writ from the mouth of Ieremie he was therefore buried like an Asse as was prophecied by Ieremie 22.19 euen drawne and cast foorth without the gates of Ierusalem And for Zedechiah hee imprisoned the Prophet Ieremie and contemned the Lord therefore were his eies put out by the king of Babel Iere. 39.7.8 and he bound in chaines and led like a slaue into captiuity Out of which obserue that there is no priuiledge in the Princes chaire to keepe them from sinning neither yet that the maiestie of their places can protect them from the Lords vengance Vnderstand these words touching Christs descent legally as Deu. 25.5.6 and pag. 8. line 29. but that if their hearts bee lifted vp against God his hand shall fall vpon them to their distruction for the grace of the Lord must season their palaces else doe they stand but in slippery places And though our Sauiour Christ vouchsafed to come out of the loines of such wicked Kings it was not at all to giue anâ—e countenance to their offences or to embolden them in their sinnes but onely to open the fountaine of mercy to vs that wee may know he is able to sanctifie the vilest sinner Now for the third order which is of them who were caried away into captiuity note first the cause of the captiuity secondly the cruelty of it thirdly the mercy of the Lord in their deliuerance For the first which is the cause that Gods owne children and them of the blood royall should be caried into slauery it is set downe 2. Chro. 36.12 to be first for that the king rebelled against God and humbled not himselfe before Ieremy the Lords Prophet Secondly for that both Priest and people trespassed wonderfully set downe in two things principally First they polluted the house of the Lord with the abhominations of the heathen Secondly they mocked and misused the messengers of the Lord and despised his words vntill the wrath of the Lord rose vp against them and that there was no remedie but he was enforced to giue them to the bloud-thirsty Babylonians Wherein obserue what a fearefull thing it is to fall into idolatrie after our eies haue once beene opened and how nothing prouokes the Lord so much as the contempt of his embassage For if hauing once seene the goodnesse and power of God we decline from him and lay holde on other helpes and contemne the face and speech of his Ministers whom he hath made acquainted with his secrets and that wee waxe strong in our selues we doe but as Vzziah did 2. Chron. 26.16 lift vp our hearts to destruction and force the Lord to take his cuppe of indignation in his hand and to holde it as well to the mouth of the king as to the people for where all conspire to worke mischiefe all shall be ouerwhelmed with the same madnesse as Ieremy speaketh chap. 25.18 For the second which is the miserie they sustained being captiues it is to be seene first in their vsage before they came to Babylon set downe 2. Chr. 36.17 they tooke both young and old men and women and though they fled to the Sanctuarie for succour yet were they there stabbed with daggers they burnt the house of God and tooke the precious vessels of it to abuse in their superstition when they come to Babel Now to see the temple on fire and yong and old slaine without mercy had beene enough to haue rent their hearts in peeces to see the worship of God thus defaced and themselues reserued but as an after pray to the enemy But now secondly comming thither namely to Babel to behold such grosie idolatry and to heare such high reproches as no doubt were giuen against the God of Israel as Psal 137.3 Come sing a song to the God of Iuda that hath forsaken you and Beholde heere be the people whom the Lord hath spued out besides the bondage wherein themselues were kept how could they but straine foorth teares of bloud and send foorth deepe sighes from a mournfull spirit Yea their case was so desperate and miserable as Ezech. 37.11 their raising vp againe and restitution was made of the Lord as great a matter and as hard as to put life into a company of dead bones for their the Lord saith These drie bones are the house of Israel neither yet did this their captiuity last but a while but they were wintred and sommered there full 70. yeeres as was foretold by the Prophet Ieremy chap. 25.11 that
them and prompt him with excellent and effectuall words of prayer Yea this must be the comfort of vs all that though wee fight to the bloud for the Lords cause not one droppe of it shall perish but as the Lord doeth keepe our teares so much more will hee keepe our bloud in a bottell Psal 116. â— that wee may bee made precious white in the bloud of the Lambe Now for the second point which is the meanes how the spirit helpeth our infirmities that is by stirring vp prayers and grones Obserue first that no man can pray of himselfe vnlesse he be taught of God secondly that the holy Ghost doth minister vnto vs that power in prayer which no man is able to bring and performe of himselfe howbeit we may not construe the words as if the holy Ghost himselfe did pray but onely that he suggesteth vnto vs fit words and matter and prompteth vs to pray For the first vnderstand that it is not postible for any man of himselfe to pray vnlesse he be helped and renewed in his spirit for prayer must be made in the mediation of Christ which flesh and bloud neuer thinketh of nay which flesh and bloud doeth but mocke at And this disabilitie in prayer and vnaptnesse to performe it is euen true of them that be enlightned and called to the faith vnlesse also they be impulsed and driuen on by the spirit Howbeit by this so excellent an instrument as the spirit the Lord doth poure into our hearts such a constant and stedfast assurance of his loue as we come and humble our selues before him boldly and beate our breast and pray from the booke of our conscience confidentlie vnfolding the whole heapes of our miscries before the Lord yea we come vnto him hauing euen a sight and contemplation of his maiestie and we stand not vpon words but a broken and contrite spirit maketh vs speake plainely the interpreter of our meaning being the holy Ghost so as wee in this exercise conferre with God and speake as it were with the mouth of Christ who maketh our supplications as sweet as incense in our and his Fathers nostrels So as it is no such slight matter nor so easie a worke to pray aright for of thy selfe thou art speechlesse and canst not vtter one word vnlesse the spirit vntie the strings of thy tongue and though happely thou speake yet is thy vnderstanding senslesse that thou knowest not what to aske vnlesse the spirit teach thee nay were thou neuer so well taught if the spirit make thee not acquainted with Christ Reuel 8.3 that he may present thy praiers to God all else is in vaine and fruitlesse Further in that the holy Ghost is said to make request for vs wee are admonished vnlesse it bee for weake Christians and babes in Christ that are not growne in the word of grace vnto whom a booke of prayer is allowed as a Catechisme that they that bee old schollers in the schoole of Christ ought to striue and indeuor to grow from praier to praier aswell as from faith to faith that as their iudgements are increased in knowledge so their hearts may increase in feruencie and affection toward God and that they may bring foorth their hidden treasure of the Lords spirit in enabling them to conceaue a praier and to pray as their present necessities shall require For this is that the Lord looketh for that as he said by the Prophet Zacharie 12.10 that he would in the last times powre out the spirit of deprecation and of prayer vpon the sons of men so men should endeuour to bee familiar in this dutie without booke and not content themselues to praie either a stinted prayer or a stinted time but as it is said Hebr. 6.1 wee must leaue the beginnings and be led forward and striue to perfection For if notwithstanding such plentie of foode these many yeeres there be still such leannesse in thy soule that thou art not able to feed thy selfe nor to expresse and vtter thy necessities in a corner before the Lord how canst thou looke for any blessing that hast beene so sluggish and hast so carelesly entertained the spirit of God in this acceptable time If any sudden calamitie hang ouer thy head or any secret sinne presse thy conscience how canst thou thinke to be releeued nay thou canst not but iudge thy selfe vnworthie to be helped if thou art vnable without a booke before thee to vtter thy griefe and to pray for helpe Thou must know thy temptations are particular and thy sinnes are particular and a generall confession is not a proper salue for any particular sore but as in this and this sinne thou hast offended God so particularly for this this sin thou must call for mercy And what if that speciall grace thou prayest for be not in thy booke then thou goest away emptie for thou art not likely to obtaine that thou dost not aske for For howsoeuer the Lord doth ofttimes preuent vs with his mercies and giueth before wee aske yet when he shall perceiue such negligence in vs that we desire but as it were a common and generall head-peece to shield vs from all assaults and doe not arme our selues in euery part especially knowing our old enemie the diuell lieth at all aduantage this maketh the Lord weary and vnwilling to helpe vs who otherwise easily inclineth his eare to the praiers of the faithfull When it is said With gronings that are vnspeakeable we are by this to comfort a distressed conscience that if afflictions doe come so fast vpon vs as the waues one in the necke of another and our spirits be so ouer whelmed and cast downe that we are not able to conceiue a praier for the anguish of our soules in this case if our hearts doe but bleed and grone though no word be vttered yet is it a praier precious and acceptable in the Lords sight We read of Ezechiah Esa 38.14 that he was not able to speake one word but did chatter like a Crane and mourne like a Doue in his sicknesse hee was so opprest with sorrow in the bitternesse of his soule yet was this a praier and a praier heard of God and himselfe deliuered and fifteene yeeres added to his life So oftentimes our praiers are so peppered with salt and fire that is our soule is so anguished and our spirits so appalled that either we speake abruptly or only knocke our selues on the breast Luk. 18.13 as did the Publican yet this soundeth in the Lords eares and commeth pleasantly before him for words in praier are but to make vs vnderstand what we aske the Lord vnderstandeth our meaning without words yea knoweth our wants better then our selues And as the mother pitieth her child when it is fallen sicke and is able to tell where the paine lieth and to aske such things as it wanteth but when the disease is growne so fore that for extremitie it cannot vtter the paine by speech but lieth
in a holy conuersation Heere will be obiected since workes are so precisely vrged what say wee to the faith of the theefe vpon the crosse what workes did he and by this example many betray their soules in presuming of the like grace Wee answer that this was a particular priuiledge giuen to that theefe euen as a pardon may bee giuen to a man vpon the gallowes and if any embolden himselfe heereupon perhaps the rope will be his hire and it is not good to put it vpon the Psalme of Miserere and the necke-verse for sometime he proueth no Clarke And for this theefe the Lord neuer did it but to one that none might presume and yet hee did it to one and did saue one in the exigent of his life that none might despaire Secondly this was a worke reserued for the manifestation of the power of the Sonne of God that he should beleeue in his fellow sufferer and desire him to saue him that when the Pharisees denied him to be the Sonne of God yet a poore wretch and a theefe should confesse it Thirdly we must not regard the shortnesse of his confession but consider the time and circumstance when and before whom this confession was made euen then when no man durst defend the innocencie of the Sonne of God when the Pharisees left him when all his Disciples were scattered and when Marie his mother that stood a farre off and knew him to be the Sonne of God and yet spake nothing in his defence whereby she finned against the first table She was his mother and saw him put to death vniustly and yet would not testifie of his innocencie whereby she bore false witnesse against him so sinned against the ninth commaundement being her sonne she did not comfort him vpon the crosse and so sinned against the fift commaundement yet when all these either doubted of his diuinity or despaired the poore theefe did confesse him to be that Christ the Sonne of God who â—â—d Paradise to dispose Lastly know that he was such a wretch that he neuer knew God before and therefore was it no maruell though he committed felonie but as soone as the Lord knockt at his heart first he confesseth Christ to be God and to die an innocent Luk. 23.41 We suffer righteously but this man hath done nothing amisse wherein he wrought a worke of the first table secondly he reprooued his fellow who raned on Christ wherein he wrought a worke of the second table So as this example of the theefe is no warrant to deferre or trifle off our repentance till the last houre for hee wrought as soone as hee was called If therefore the Lord hath offered vnto vs the riches of his mercie let vs in the acceptable time embrace it and not abuse his long suffering by growing more leane and ill-fauoured by these many yeeres wee haue had of religious peace and plentie but let vs returne vnto him while he is in the way before darknesse too fast ouer-grow our soules and before death snatch vs away into the graue For the similitude which is vers 26. obserue onely that it agreeth not in all points for the soule is the cause of the life of the body but so are not good works the cause of faith but only an effect and fruit of it for faith giueth life to good works and faith worketh by loue in the person instified for we must as hath bene said first be good before we can do good and we are made good spiritually by our regeneration in Christ and we being ingrafted into him then we do good so as the meaning only of the Apostle is by this similitude to shew that when a dead man being dead can speake which is impossible then faith which hath no workes and so is but a dead faith shall iustifie and saue vs. 1. IOHN chap. 3. vers 9.10 verse 9 Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seed remaineth in him neither can he sinne because he is borne of God verse 10 In this are the children of God knowen and the children of the diuell who so doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother THE Apostle in the beginning of this chapter first setteth downe that God the Father by his euerlasting loue in his Sonne hath bestowed vpon the faithfull this priuiledge to be called the sonnes of God in the sonne of God Christ Iesus Secondly that this dignity to bee the sonne of God and so to be called is not to be discerned by the men of the world because they haue not knowen the Sonne hauing not his spirit for spirituall things cannot be discerned by them that haue nothing but fleshly policy Thirdly as this cannot be discerned of the world so it is impossible our selues should sufficiently conceiue of it while we remaine in the tabernacle of this life because there is another glory we expect vers 2. Fourthly he setteth downe an effect inseparable from this adoption As many as are the sonnes of God and haue this hope of future glory they striue to reformation of life not to be equally pure but to bee like pure to the Lord Iesus This hee prooueth first from the institution of the law God neuer ordained the law neither after our creation nor after our redemption but to bee kept and the reason is thus The breach of the law is a disparagement swinge and sinne it perfect strength Thirdly the godly eâ—e said not to sinne be 〈◊〉 he laboureth to walke in all the commandements of the Lord. Now he that walketh in the right way may somtime fall but if hee doe heâ— striueth to regaine it by greater carefulnesse and speedier passageâ— but the wicked goe cleane out of the way as if heauen stood at hell gate Lastly because in the godly there is a combat for there is two men in them in the inward man they would faine please God and by the outward as Saint Paul saith they are made captiue to sinne Rom. 7.23 but in a meere naturall man there is nothing but flesh and so no combat for where all is one there is no diuision and if there be any strife in him it is betweene his conscience and himselfe in iudgement conuincing him that it is sinne and not betweene his conscience and his affection misliking it as it is sinne for this is easily seene by his often relapse into the same sinne Now for the reason hee doth not sinne because the holy Ghost which is the seed of our second birth remaineth in him neither can he sin and this is proued by two places of scripture first Rom. 8.1 where the Apostle proueth these two graces inseparable iustification from sinne and sanctification from sinne thus There is no condemnation to him that liueth a spirituall man this is proued vers 5. by contraries They that liue after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh but he that is borne of God cannot doe so for then
doe thy will for thy law is written in my heart And they bee such of whom Esay 50.5 saith the Lord hath opened their eares therefore they are not rebellious But otherwise it is with the hypocrites for though their eares be opened yet they are rebellious and though the word of God be in their stomackes yet like dogges they cast it vp againe and doe not shew themselues pliable to the grace of God He walketh thorow drie places This is the second part spoken of at first namely that when Satan is gone out of a man he hath a restlesse kind of desire euery place is to him as a wildernesse vnlesse he may returne whence he came for he walketh through drie places that is his operation and power being interrupted in that man all other places are as irkesome and vnpleasant Out of this generally obserue that whether Sathan be really cast out or onely so dispossessed as the power of his subtill illusion is made lesse that is whether the iudgement be onely enlightned or with the light of iudgement the affections be also changed which is the effectuall casting out it doth so prouoke Satan distemper him as he will assault that man more fiercely than he did before in his time of ignorance And if he be cast out by a true enlightning then he is more busie than with hypocâ—iâ—â— for being Sathan that is an enemy he is an enemy to God because he disthronized and threw him out of heauen and he doth therefore most oppose himselfe against Gods children because he cannot assault the person of God and yet we see how hee assaied it to God in the flesh Luk. 4.2 Againe as hee is an enemie to God so he is said to be the Prince of the world and therefore would draw all to be vnder his seepter Ioh. 16.11 and he can finde no rest in a Papist nor in an Atheist for he knoweth there is a canker alreadie growen vpon their consciences which onely must be seared by the hot iron of the Lords wrath 1. Tim. 4.2 for they are already so hardned in prophanesse and so rooted in the obstinacie of their errour that he is sure enough of them But his labour and rage is to assault professors such as haue a true knowledge of the true God and especially such as beare true affections toward God and whom hee seeth to yeeld obedience to the Gospell of Christ A liuely example and figure of this we haue in Pharaoh who while the children of Israel Exod. 5.7 continued in Egypt onely oppressed them with heauy burdens but then most fiercely and deadly pursued them when they were gone out of Egypt Euen so let euery of vs assure our selues that the further wee be from the regiment and dominion of Sathan and the more excellent seruants of God we be the more will Satan buffet vs and vexe vs. This is that Christ forewarned Peter of saying that Sathan desired to winnow him like Wheate Luk. 22.31 And why him aboue the rest of the Disciples First because he was one whom Iesus loued secondly on the confession of whose faith hee said hee would build his Church And this is the condition of all true Christians that when Sathan is effectually to be cast out and distodged it cannot be but by violence for he will not onely winnow vs that we shall feele the fanne to grate vs but euen the flaile to bruise vs. Example whereof we haue in the dumbe man in the Gospell Mark 9.18 who before Sathan would leane his fort and habitation was so tormented that he fomed raged and was euen rent in peeces so as hee is not to bee encountred with a false alarme or with one hand but in this combat betweene vs and him we must prepare our selues to great temptations and carie Iob before vs as our patterne Iob 1.7 in the subuersion of whose faith and constancie in the loue of God the diuel tooke more delight than in compassing the whole earth yet was he faithfull to the end whereby he obtained the crowne of life Further obserue hence the wisedome and policie of Sathan that his purpose is alwaies to be some where yea and hee foreseeth his future place before he will leaue his former habitation as Math. 8.32 he would not go out of the men whom hee possessed before hee had libertie to goe into the swine and would bee in them rather than no where For Sathan being by nature a destroier seeketh oftentimes by the losse of goods and substance to draw mens faith and feare from God as hee assaied in Iob chapter 1. vers 15.16.17 by his oxen taken by the Shabeans by his sheepe deuoured with fire and by his Camels led away by the Caldeans to driue him to impatiencie against God But yet because the shaking of a mans estate in substance pierceth not the soule so deepely not withdraweth not the heart so swiftly from God as the sinne and corruption seated in himselfe therefore his trauell is to keepe the cup foule within and to haue still some foule blood lurking in our veines which in time may breake forth to some distemper not but that thou must expect when thou art called to feele thy sinnes and hast withall this grace to see some comfort of Gods mercy to bee so haled and pulled betweene these two as thou shalt haue many perplexed feares many troublesome garboiles and infinit great temptations when sinne is to be cast out of thee and seeing so many difficulties thou shalt stand appalled to be restrained from the loose custome of thy former sinnes But as the siege is great which is against thee so must thy encounter and resistance be fierce against him and not done percunctorily or slowlie as the sluggard riseth in the morning Prouerb 6.10 with a little raising of his head and folding of his hands to sleepe againe thinking that if thou beest not so euill in thy life nor so malicious in thy heart against God as others that then thou art good enough and hast sufficiently profited in the schoole of Christ for thy luke-warmth in religion is lothsome to the Lord Reu. 3.14 and a strong stirrop for Sathan to get vp to thy soule againe And therefore consider and thou shalt find whether he bee truely or hypocritically cast out of thee consider whether thou feele not foule and grosse temptations to beset thee for if Sathan labor not mightily in this thou art not called for if thou be a despiser of the word or nourishest any such enormous fault as seemeth sweet to thy taste Sathan hath thee at commandement what needeth he tempt thee when thou temptest thy selfe Not that he that falleth into temptations and fulfilleth them is the best Christian but hee that hath no tubbes set in his way to stumble at and findeth euery thing plaine and easie may know he liueth in the broade way that leadeth not to heauen Math. 7.13 for hee that is most vexed and hath