know cannot void the Covenant which hee is bound to make and having made to keep but his Covenant doth exceedingly aggravate his ignorance 2 Some make many faire promises of obedience but it is on the Rack and in the furnace or as Schollers under the Rod. O if I might but recover this sicknesse or be eased of this affliction I would then be a new man and redeeme my mis-spent time And yet many of these like Pharaoh when they have any respite find out wayes to shift and elude their owne promises and like melted metall taken out of the furnace returne againe unto their former hardnesse So a good Divine observes of the people of this Land in the time of the great sweate in King Edwards dayes I wish we could find even so much in these dayes of calamitie which wee are fallen into as long as the heat of the plague lasted there was crying out peccavâ— Mercie good Lord mercy mercy Then Lords and Ladies and people of the best sort cried out to the Ministers for Gods sake tell us what shal we do to avoid the wrath of God Take these bags pay so much to such an one whom I deceived so much restore unto another whom in bargaining I over-reached give so much to the poore so much to pious uses c. But after the sicknesse was over they were just the same men as they were before Thus in time of trouble men are apt to make many prayers and Covenants to cry unto God Arise and save us Ier. 2.27 Deliver us this time Judg. 10.15 they iâ—quire early after God and flatter him with their lips and own him as their God and Rock of salvation and presently start aside like a deceitfull bowâ— As Austin notes that in times of calamitie the very Heathen would flock unto the Christian Churches to bee safe amongst them And when the Lord sent Lyons amongst the Samaritanes then they sent to inquire after the manner of his worship 2 King 17.25 26. Thus many mens Covenants are founded onely in Terrours of conscience They throw out their sins as a Merchant at Sea his rich commodities in a Tempest but in a calme wish for them againe Neither doe they throw away the property over them but onely the dangerous pâ—ssession of them This is not a full chearfull and voluntary action but onely a languid and inconstant velleitie Contrary to that largenesse of heart and sixed disposition which Christs own people bring unto his service as David and the Nobles of Israel offered willingly and with joy unto the Lord. 1 Chron. 29.17 3 Since a Covenant presupposeth a power in him that maketh it both over his own will and over the matter thing or Action which he promiseth so far as to be enabled to make the promise And since we of our selves have neither will nor deed no sufficiencie either to think or to perform Rom. 7.18 2 Cor. 3.5 Phil. 2.12 Wee hence learne in all the Covenants which we make not to do it in any confidence of our own strength or upon any selfe dependance on our own hearts which are false and deceitfull and may after a confident undertaking use us as Peters used him But still to have our eyes on the aid and help of Gods grace to use our Covenants as means the better to stir up Gods graces in us and our prayers unto him for further supplies of it As David I will keep thy statutes but then doe not thou forsake me Psal. 119.8 Our promises of duty must ever be supported by Gods promises of grace when we have undertaken to serve him we must remember to pray as Hezekiah did Lord I am weak do thou undertake for me Isa. 38.14 Our good works cannot come out of us till God do first of all work them in us Isa. 26.12 He must performe his promises of grace to us before we can ours of service unto him Nothing of ours can go to heaven except we first received it from heaven We are able to do nothing but in and by Christ which strengtheneth us Joh. 15.5 Phil. 4.13 So that every religious Covenant which we make hath indeed a double obligation in it An obligation to the duty promised that we may stir up our selves to performe it and an obligation unto prayer and recourse to God that he would furnish us with grace to performe it As hee that hath bound himselfe to pay a debt and hath no money of his own to do it is constrained to betake himselfe unto supplications that he may procure the money of some other friend Lastly the finall cause of a Covenant is to induce an Obligation where was none before or else to double and strengthen it where one was before to be Vinculum conservandae fidei a bond to preserve truth and fidelity Being subject unto many temptations and having backsliding and revolting hearts apt if they be not kept up to service to draw back from it therefore we use our selves as men do cowardly Souldiers set them there where they must fight and shall not be able to run away or fall off from service III. This should serve to Humble us upon a twofold consideration 1 For the falsenesse and unstedfastnesse of our Hearts which want such Covenants to binde them and as it were fasten them to the Altar with cords as men put locks and fetters upon wilde horses whom otherwise no inclosure would shut in Our Hearts as Iacob said of Reuben Gen. 49.4 are unstable as waters Moist bodies as water is non continentur suis terminis doe not set bounds to themselves as solid and compacted bodies do but shed all abroad if left to themselves the way to keepe them united and together is to put them into a close vessell so the heart of man can set it self no bounds but fals all asunder and out of frame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles expression is 1 Pet. 4.4 instar Aquae diffluentis Hebr. 2.1 if it be not fastned and bound together by such strong Resolutions Sometimes men either by the power of the word or by the sharpnesse of some affliction are quickned and enflamed unto pious purposes like green wood which blazeth while the bellowes are blowing and now they think they have their hearts sure and shall continue them in a good frame to morrow shall bee as this day But presently like an Instrument in change of weather they are out of tune again and like the Camelion presently change colour and as Chrysostome saith the Preacher of all workmen seldom findes his work as he left it Nothing but the grace of God doth ballance and establish the heart and holy Covenants are an ordinance or means which he hath pleased to sanctifie unto this purpose that by them as Instruments Grace as the principall cause might keep the Heart stedfast in duty If then Isaiah bewail the uncleannesse of his lips and Iob suspect the uncleannesse and wandering of his
were much greater The not using of mercies is the being unthankfull for them And it is an heavie account which men must give for abused mercies Deut. 32.6 Amos 2.9.13 Luke 13 7. Heb. 6.7 Sins against mercy and under mercy are the first ripe fruâ—â— when the Sun shines hottest the fruits ripen fastest Amos 8.1.2 Ier. 1.11.12 God doth not beare so long with the provocations of a Church as of those that are not a people the sins of the Amorites were longer in ripening then the sins of Israel When judgement is abroad it will begin at the House of God II. We should be so much the more earnestly pressed unto this by how much it is the greater evidence of our conversion unto God and by how much more apt we are to call for mercies when we want them then with the Leper to returne praises when we do enjoy them Ten cried to be healed but there was but one that returned glory to God Vessels will sound when they are empty fill them and they are presently dumb When we want merâ—cies then with Pharaoh wee cry out for pardon for peace for supplies for deliverances but when prayers are answered and our turne served how few remember the method which God prescribes Call on me in the day of trouble I will hear thee and thâ—n shalt glorifie me Psal. 50.15 yea how many like Swine trample on the meat that feeds them and tread under foot the mercies that preserve them How many are so greedily intent upon the things they desire that they cannot see nor value the things they enjoy Omniâ— festinatio caeca est It is noted even of good King Hezekiah that he did not render according to the benefits which he had received 2 Chron. 32.25 Therefore we should be exhorted in our prayers for pardon and grace to do as the Church here doth to promise the Sacrifices of Thankfulnesse and obediene not as a price to purchase mercy for our good extends not unto God Psal. 16.2 but as a tye and obligation upon our selves to acknowledge and return the praise of mercy to him that gives it And this the Apostle exhorteth us unto that our requests should be made known unto God not onely with prayer and supplication but with Thankesgiving Phil. 4.6 1 Thess. 5. 17.18 1 Tim. 2.1 which we finde to have been his own practice Eph. 3 14.20.21 We should keep a Catalogue of Gods mercies to quicken us unto dutie as well as a Catalogue of our own sins to make us cry for mercy And unto this duty of Thanksgiving we may be excited I. By the consideration of Gods greatnesse Great is the Lord and therefore greatly to be praised Psal. 145.3 The praises of God should be according to his Name Ps. 48.10 Ps. 96.8 All things were made for no other end but to return glory to him that made them Because al things are of him therfore all must be to him Ro. 11.36 And this the very Figure of the world teacheth us For a Circular line ends where it began and returns back into its originall point by that means strengthning and preserving it self For things are usually strongest when nearest their originall and the more remote from that the weaker they grow As a tree is strongest at the root and a branch or bough next the trunk or stock and the further out it grows from thence the smaller and weâ—ker it grows too and the further it is from the originall of its being the nearer it is unto not Being So all creatures are hereby taught both for preservation of that being they have for supply of what perfections they want and in both for the setting forth of the greatnesse of their Maker out of whose infinite Being all finite beings are sustained perfected to run back unto God for whose sake they are and have been created Rivers come from the Sea and therefore run back into the Sea again The trees receive sap from the earth and within a while pay it back in those leaves that fall down to the earth again Now as God hath made all creatures thus to shew forth the glory of his greatnes so he will have them do it by these Principles and in that maner of working which he hath planted in them Inanimate and meere naturall creaâ—ures are bid to praise the Lord Psal. 148.8.9 but this â—hey do blindly and ignorantly like the arrow which flies toward the marke but understandeth not its own motion being directed thither by an understanding without and above it self And thus when every thing by the naturall weight and inclination of its own form moveth to the place where it may be preserved or draweth to it those further degrees of perfection whereby it may be improved and have more of being communicated to it it may truly be said to praise the Lord in that it obeyeth the Law which he planted in it and is by his wise providence carried back towards him to derive its conservation perfection from the same fountain from whence it s Being did proceed But now reasonable creatures being by God enriched with Internall knowledge and that knowledge in his Church exceedingly raised by his manifestation of himself as their utteâ—most blessednesse in the Word unto them He therefore requires that we should worke actively and with intention of the End for which he made us guiding all our aimes and inclinations towards his glory by that internall knowledge of his Excellency which he hath implanted in us and revealed to us And indeed all other creatures are in this sense said to glorifie God because the infinite power wisdom goodnesse and perfection of God which are in their beings and workings so notably relucent do become the object of reasonable creatures to contemplate upon and by that means draw forth admiration and adoration of him II. By the consideration of Gods goodnesse He deserves it at our hands He gives more to us then we are able to render unto him The Sun shines on the Moon with his own glorious light the Moon retâ—rns but a 〈◊〉 spotted light upon the world We can return nothing unto God but that which is his own 1 Chro. 29.16 and it goes not with that purity from us as it came unto us We cannot send forth a thought round about us but it wâ—ll returne with a report of mercy and that mercy calls for a returne of praise But above all the goodnesse of God mentioned in the text Taking away iniquity and receiving graciously this calls for the Calvâ—s of the lips to be offered as in the new Moons with Trumpets and solemnity Num 10.10 The beams of the Sun the more directly they fall on the body of the Moone doe fill it with the more abundant light so the more copious and notable Gods mercies are unto us the more enlarged should our praises be unto him Therefore true Penitents that have more tasted of mercy are more obliged unto thanksgiving Psal.
Repentance and by consequence is incurable To speak against the Son of man that is against the doctrine Disciples ways servants of Christ looking on him only as a man the leader of a Sect as master of a new way which was Pauls notion of Christ and Christian Religion when he persecuted it and for which cause he found mercy for had he done that knowingly which he did ignorantly it had been a sin uncapable of mercy Acts 26.9 1 Tim. 1.13 thus to sin is a blasphemy that may be pardoned but to speake against the Spirit that is to oppose and persecute the doctrine worship ways servants of Christ knowing them and acknowledging in them a spiritual Holiness and eo nomine to do it so that the formal motive of malice against them is the power and lustre of that spirit which appeareth in them and the formal principle of it neither ignorance nor self-ends but very wilfulness and Immediate malignity Woe be to that man whose natural enmity and antipathie against Godliness do ever swel to so great and daring an height It shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Matth. 12.32 That is say some neither in the time of life nor in the point or moment of death which translates them unto the world to come Others not in this life by Iustification nor in the world to come by consummate Redemption and publick judiciary absolution in the last day which is therefore called the Day of Redemption in which men are said to finde mercy of the Lord Ephes. 4.30 2 Tim. 1.18 For that which is here done in the Conscience by the ministery of the Word and efficacy of the Spirit shall be then publickly and judicially pronounced by Christs own mouth before Angels and men 2 Cor. 5.10 Others Shall not be forgiven that is shall be plagued and punished both in this life and in that to come Give me leave to add what I have conceived of the meaning of this place though no way condemning the Expositions of so great and learned men I take it By This world we may understand the Church which then was of the Iews or the present age which our Saviour Christ then lived in It is not I think insolent in the Scripture for the words Age or World to be sometimes restrained to the Church Now as Israel was God's First-born and the first fruits of his increase Exod. 4.22 Ierem. 31.9 Ier. 2.3 So the Church of Israel is called the Church of the First-born Hebr. 12.23 and the first Tabernacle and a worldly Sanctuary Hebr. 9.1.8 and Ierusalem that now is Gal. 4.25 And then by the World to come we are to understand the Christian Church afterwards to be planted for so frequently in Scripture is the Evangelical Church called the World to come and the last dayes and the ends of the world and the things thereunto belonging Things to come which had been hidden from former ages and generations and were by the ministery of the Apostles made known unto the Church in their time which the Prophets and righteâ—us men of the former ages did not see nor attain unto Thus it is said In these last dayes God hath spoken to us by his Son Heb. 1.1 And Unto Angels he did not put in subjection the world to come Heb. 2.5 and Christ was made an high Priest of good things to come Heb. 9.11 and The Law had a shadow of good things to come Heb. 10.1 and the times of the Gospel are called Ages to come Ephes. 2.7 and the ends of the world 1 Cor. 10.11 Thus legal and Evangelical dispensations are usually distinguished by the names of Times past and the last dayes or times to come Hebr. 1.1 Ephes. 3.9 10. Colos. 1.25 26. The one an Earthly and Temporary the other an Heavenly and abiding administration and so the Septuagint render the Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 9.5 Everlasting Father which is one of the Names of Christ by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Father of the world to come The meaning then of the place seems to be this That sinnes of high and desperate presumption committed maliciously against known light and against the evidence of Gods Spirit as they had no Sacrifice or expiation allowed for them in the former world or state of the Iewish Church but they who in that manner despised Moses and his Law though delivered but by Angels died without mercy Numb 15.27 30 31. Hebr. 2.2 3 3. so in the World to come or in the Evangelicall Church though grace should therein be more abundantly discovered and administred unto men yet the same Law should continue stil as we finde it did Hebr. 2.2 3 4 5. Hebr. 6.4 5 6. Hebr. 10.26 27 28. neither the open enemies of Christ in the one nor the false professors of Christ in the other committing this sin should be capable of pardon This doctrine of Apostacy or Back-sliding is worthy of a more large explication but having handled it formerly on Hebr. 3.12 I shall add but two words more First that we should beware above all other sins of this of falling in soul as old Eli did in body backward and so hazarding our salvation if once we have shaken hands with sin never take acquaintance with it any more but say as Israel here What have I to do any more with Idols The Church should be like Mount Sion that cannot be moved It is a sad and sick temper of a Church to tosse from one side to another and then especially when she should be healed to be carried about with every winde Secondly We should not be so terrified by any sin which our soul mourns and labours under and our heart turneth from as thereby to be withheld from going to the Physician for pardon and healing Had he not great power and mercy did he not love freely without respect of persons and pardon freely without respect of sins wee might then be affraid of going to him but when he extendeth forgivenesse to all kindes iniquity transgression sin Exod. 34.6 and hath actually pardoned the greatest sinners Manasses Mary Madalen Paul Publicans harlots backsliders we should though not presume hereupon to turn Gods mercy into poyson and his grace into wantonness for mercy it self will not save those sinners that hold fast sin and will not forsake it yet take heed of despairing or entertaining low thoughts of the love and mercy of God for such examples as these are set forth for the incouragement of all that shall ever beleeve unto eternall life 1 Tim. 1.16 And the thoughts and wayes which God hath to pardon sin are above our thoughts and wayes whereby we look on them in their guilt and greatnesse many times as unpardonable and therefore are fit matter for our faith even against sense to beleeve and rely upon Isa. 55.57 58. Now followeth the Fountain of this Mercy I will leve them freely Gods love is
themselves for a Curse With which prayer I humbly conclude Commending your persons and your weighty affairs to his grace and rest Your most humble Servant in Christ ED REYNOLDS From my Study in Braunston August the 8. 1642. To the Reader CHristian Reader Understanding that my Sermon which was preached three years since before the Honorable House of Commons on the day of their solemn Humiliation was to be reprinted I thought fit to peruse transcribe and enlarge six other Sermons in which I had at mine own charge in the Country on the ensuing Fast days briefly explained and applyed that whole Chapter a portion only whereof was in the first handled and to send them forth together with it unto the publique Which I was the rather induced to do for these two Reasons 1. Because it hath pleased God in his righteous and holy providence to make me by a long infirmity unserviceable to his Church in the principal work of the Ministry the preaching of the Gospel which is no small grief unto me So that there remained no other means whereby my life might in regard of my function be useful to the Church and comfortable to my self then by inverting the words of the Psalmist and as he made His Tongue as the Pen of a ready Writer so to make my Pen the Tongue of an unready Speaker 2. I considered the seasonableness and sutableness of these Meditations unto the condition of the sad and disconsolate times wherein we live very like those which our Prophet threatned the ten Tribes withal throughout this whole Prophecy unto which this last Chapter is a kind of Vse and a most solemn Exhortation pressing upon all wise and prudent men such duties of Humiliation and Repentance as might turn threats into promises and recover again the mercies which by their sins they had forfeited and forsaken Which being restored unto them according to their Petition they are here likewise further instructed in what manner to return unto God the praises due to his great Name And these two duties of Humiliation and Thanksgiving are the most solemn duties which in these times of Judgments and Mercies so variously interwoven together the Lord doth so frequently call us unto Places of Scripture I have for brevity sake for the most part only quoted and referred thee unto without transcribing all the words and have usually put many paralel places together because by that means they do not only strengthen the doctrine whereunto they belong but mutually give light unto one another The Lord make us all in this our day so wise and prudent as to understand the righteous ways of our God towards us That we may not stumble at them but walk in them and be taught by them to wait upon him in the way of his judgments and to fix the desires of our soul upon his Name as our great Refuge and upon his Righteousness as our great Business till he shall be pleased by the dew of his Grace to Revive us as the Corn to make us grow as the Vine and to let the scent of all his Ordinances be over all our Land as the smell and as the wine of Lebanon It will be an abundant return unto my poor and weak endeavors if I may have that room in thy prayers which the Apostle Paul desired to have in the prayers of the Ephesians That utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to preach the mystery of the Gospel The Lord sanctifie all the ways of his Providence towards us that when we are chastened we may be taught and may be greater gainers by the voyce of his Rod then we are sufferers by the stripes The Contents Sermon I. Sect. 1. EPhraims blessings and judgments answerable to his name 2. When judgment purposed against obstinate sinners mercy proclaimed to penitent 3. How good and bad are alike involved in outward judgments Iudgments make no difference but of penitent and impenitent Penitent sinners in all kinds of trouble have a refuge to some promise or other 4. Conversion must be not meerly Philosophical or Political but Spiritual and that full and constant 5. Motives unto conversion mercy and judgment especially interwoven 6. Great preparation due in our addresses unto God The rule matter principle and power of Prayer How sin is taken away 7. When God threatneth judgments we must pray against sins 8. Iudgments may be removed in anger Repentance makes afflictions precious as sin doth corrupt blessings 9. No affliction comes in anger but with respect to sin 10. One sin generally unrepented of may undo a Kingdom we must pray against all and dye unto all 11. Sense of sin The wrath of God beyond the fears of man 12. Confession of sin full and free Our weakness can commit sin none but Gods power can remove it 13. What God worketh in us he also requireth of us Sin most dangerous in great men to themselves and the publick 14. How iniquity is to be taken out of the Land 15. God the author of good the orderer of evil 16. From conversion to salvation free-grace worketh 17. No work truly good but as derived from God 18. Patience in suffering evil in doing duty Humility the companion of Grace pride of emptiness Continual dependance on God Fidelity in services The misery of divisions 19. In temporal judgments pray for spiritual mercies No helps can avail us against Gods anger but his grace 20. Carnal prayers provoke God when men make Religion serve turns Piety the foundation of Prosperity 21. Iudgments are then truly sanctified when they make us more in love with grace Prayer the more heavenly the more prevalent Sermon II. Sect. 1. SPiritual ends of Legal Ceremonies and Sacrifices We return nothing to God but words for mercies 2. A renouncing carnal confidence in the Assyrian Horses Idols How the Church an Orphan 3. Penitents not only pray but covenant Circumcision a Covenant Circumcised in uncircumcision Gentiles converted are called Iews Iews unconverted Gentiles Baptism how the answer of a good conscience The Covenant perpetual 4. God bindeth himself to us by promise by oath We are his by his Soveraign Interest and our own voluntary consent 5. Fickleness of the heart in duty and sluggishness to it 6. Duties in combination strongest 7. Enemies combine Military oaths How Truth a Girdle doctrinally morally 8. Wicked men like Witches in covenant with the Devil doing service for wages 9. Prayer vain without obedience Gods Covenant to us ours to him 10. The material cause of a Covenant our persons our services in matters of necessity Expediency praise 11. The formal and efficient cause Knowledg willingness power of promise and performance 12. Danger of covenanting in the dark only and 13. On the Rack 14. When we promise duty we must pray for grace The final cause 15. The falseness and perfidiousness of the heartâ— how it is unstable as waters 16. Gods faithfulness and mercies Our Baptism
proposed against sinners that are obstinate God doth reserve and proclaim Mercy unto sinners that are penitent When a Consumption is decreed yet a Remnant iâ— reserved to return Isa. 10.22 23. The Lord will keep his Vineyard when he will burn up the thorns and the bryars together Isai. 27.3 4. When a day of fierce anger is determined the meek of the earth are called upon to seek the Lord Zeph. 2.3 When the Lord is coming out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their iniquity he calls upon his people to hide themselves in their chambers until the indignation be overpast Isai. 26.20 21. The Angel which was sent to destroy Sodom had withall a Commission to deliver Lot Genes 19.15 God made full provision for those who mourned for publick abominations before he gave order to destroy the rest Ezek. 9.4 6. Men in their wrath will many times rather strike a friend then spare a foe But Gods proceedings are without disorder he will rather spare his foes then strike his servants as he shewed himself willing to have done in the case of Sodom Gen. 18.26 Moses stood in the gap and diverted Judgments from Israel Psa. 106.23 Yea God seeks for such Ezek. 22.30 and complains when they cannot be found Ezek. 13 5. And if he deliver others for them certainly he will not destroy them for others How ever it go with the world and with wicked men it shall go well with the righteous there shall be a Sanctuary for them when others stumble and they shall pass through the fire when others are consumed by it Isa. 3.10 11. Isai. 8.14 15 16. Zech. 13.8 9. Reasons hereof are Gods Iustice he will not punish the righteous with the wicked he will have it appear that there is a difference between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Gen. 18.23 Mal. 3.18 Gods love unto his people He hath a book of Remembrance written before him for them that fear him and think upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I wil spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Mal. 3.16 17. Here is a climax gradation of arguments drawn from Love In a great fire and devouring trouble such as is threatened there Chap. 4.1 property alone is a ground of care a man would willingly save and secure that which is his own and of any use unto him but if you add unto this preciousness that increaseth the care A man will make hard shift to deliver a rich Cabinet of Jewels though all his ordinary goods and utensils should perish But of all Jewels those which come out of the body are much more precious then those which onely adorn it Who would not snatch rather his childe then his casket or purse out of a flame Relation works not onely upon the affection but upon the bowels Ier. 3â— 20 And lastly the same excellency that the word jewel doth add unto the word mine the same excellency doth service add unto the word sonne A man hath much conflict in himself to take off his heart from an undutiful sonne Never a worse son then Absalom and yet how doth David give a charge to the Commanders to have him spared How inquisitive after his safety How passionately and unseasonably mournful upon the news of his death But if any child be more a jewel then another certainly it is a dutiful childe who hath not onely an interest in our love by Nature but by obedience All these grounds of care and protection for Gods people in trouble are here expressed property they are mine preciousness they are jewels treasures ornaments unto me Relation they are sons usefulness they are sons that serve none could look on a thing so many ways lovely with the same eye as upon a professed and provoking Enemy Lastly Gods name and glory He hath spared his people even in the midst of their provocations for his Names sake Deut. 33.26 27. Iosh. 7.9 How much more when they repent and seek his face He will never let it be said that any seek the Lord in vain Isa. 45.19 But it may be objected Doth not Solomon say that all things happen alike unto all and that no man can know love or hatred by that which is before him Eccles. 9.1 2. And is it not certain and common that in publick desolations good as well as bad do perish Doth not the Sword devour as well one as another It is true God doth not always difference his servants from wicked men by temporal deliverances Troubles commonly and promiscuously involve all sorts But there are these two things considerable in it 1. That many times the good suffer with the bad because they are together corrupted with them and when they joyn in the common provocations no wonder if they suffer in the common judgments Revel 18.4 Nay the sins of Gods people do especially in this case more provoke him unto outward judgments then the sins of his professed enemies Because they expose his name to the more contempt 2 Sam. 12.14 and are committed against the greater love Amos 3.2 and he hath future judgment for the wicked and therefore usually beginneth here at his own sanctuary Ezek. 9.6 1 Pet. 4.17 2. When good men who have preserved themselves from publick sins do yet fall by publick judgments yet there is a great difference in this seeming equality the same affliction having like the Pillar that went before Israel a light side towards Gods people and a dark side toward the Egyptians God usually recompencing the outward evils of his people with more plentiful evidences of inward and spiritual joy A good man may be in great darkness as well as a wicked man but in that case he hath the name of God to stay himself upon which no wicked man in the world hath Isa. 50 10. The metal and the dross go both into the fire together but the drosse is consumed the metal refined So is it with godly and wicked in their sufferings Zach. 13 9 Eccles. 8.12 13. This reproveth the folly of those who in time of trouble rely upon vain things which cannot help them and continue their sins still For Iudgments make no difference of any but penitent and impenitent Sickness doth not complement with an honorable person but useth him as coursely as the base Death knocks as well at a Princes palace as a poor mans cottage wise men dye as well as fools Yea poyson usually works more violently when tempered with wine then with some duller and baser material In times of trouble usually the greater the persons the closer the judgments When Ierusalem was taken the Nobles were slain but the poor of the Land had vineyards and fields given them Ier. 39.6 10. Therefore in troubles we should be more humbled for our sins then our sufferings because sin is the sting of suffering That mercies
Thus when in one and the same time Mercies and judgements are intermixed then is the most solemne season to call upon men for repentance If we felt nothing but fears they might make us despair if nothing but mercies they would make us secure If the whole year were Summer the sap of the earth would be exhausted if the whole were Winter it would be quite buried The hammer breaks mettall and the fire melts it and then you may cast it into any shape â—udgements break mercies melt and then if ever the soul is fit to be cast into Gods mould There is no figure in all the Prophets more usuall then this to interweave mercies and judgements like those Elegancies which Rhetoricians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to allure and to bring into a wildernes Hos. 2.14 And this of all other is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Physicians call it the Criticall time of diseased people wherein the chief conjecture lieth whether they be mending or ending according to the use which they make of such interwoven mercies I have cursorily run over the first part of the Context the Invitation unto Repentance as intending to make my abode on the second which is the Institution how to perform it Therein we have first a General instruction Take unto you words Secondly a particular form what words they should take or a petition drawn to their hands Take away all iniquitie c. Of the former of these I shall speak but a word It importeth the serious pondering and choosing of requests to put up to God The mother of Artaxeâ—xes in Plutarch was wont to say that they who would addresse themselves unto Princes must use 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 silken words Surely he that would approach unto God must consider and look as well to his words as to his feet He is so holy and jealous of his worship that he expects there should be preparation in Our accesses unto him Preparation of Our persons by purity of life Iob 11. â—3 Preparation of Our Services by choice of matter Iob 9.1 Luk. 15.17 18. Preparation of Our Hearts by finding them out stirring them up fixing them fetching them in and calling together all that is within us to prevail with God The services which we thus prepare must be Taken from him They must not be the issues of our own private and fleshly hearts For nothing can go to God but that which comes from him and this phrase seemeth to import these three things 1. We must attend unto his will as the Rule of our prayers 2. We must attend unto his precepts and promises as the Matter of our prayers 3. We must attend unto the Guidance of his Holy Spirit as the life and principle of our prayers without which we know not what to ask And prayers thus Regulated are most seasonable and soveraign duties in times of Trouble The key which openeth a doore of mercy the slâ—ce which keepeth out an Inundation of judgements Iacob wrestled and obtained a blessing Hos. 12.4 Amos prayed and removed a Curse Amos 7.1.7 The woman of Canaan will not be denied with a deniall Mat. 15.24 27. The people of Israel will begge for deliverance even then when God had positively told them that hee would deliver them no more Iudg. 10.13 15. Ionah will venture a prayer from the bottome of the Sea when a double death had seised upon him the belly of the deep and the belly of the Whale and that prayer of his did open the doores of the Leviathan as the expression is Iob 41.14 and made one of those deaths a deliverance from the other O let the Lords remembrances give him no rest There is a kinde of omnipotencie in prayer as having an Interest and prevalence with Gods omnipotency It hath loosed iron chains It hath opened Iron gates It hath unlockt the windows of heaven It hath broken the bars of death Satan hath three titles given him in the Scripture setting forth his malignity against the Church of God A Dragon to note his malice a Serpent to note his subtiltie and a Lyon to note his strength But none of all these can stand before prayer The greatest malice the malice of Haman sinks under the prayer of Esther the deepest policy the counsell of Achitophel withers before the prayer of Daivd the hugest Army an hoast of a thousand thousand Ethiopians runne away like Cowards before the prayer of Asa. How should this incourage us to treasure up our prayers to besiege the throne of Grace with armies of supplications to refuse a deniall to break through a repulse He hath blessed those whom he did cripple he hath answered those whom he did reproach he hath delivered those whom he did deny And he is the same yesterday and to day If he save in six and in seven troubles should not we pray in six and seven Extremities Certainly in all the afflictions of the Church when prayers are strongest mercies are nearest And therefore let me humbly recommend to the Cares of this honourable Assembly amongst all your other pressing affairs the providing that those solemne dayes wherein the united prayers of this whole Kingdom should with strongest â—mportunities stop the breaches and stand in the gaps at which Iudgements are ready to rush in upon us may with more obedience and solemnity be observed then indeed of late they are It is true here and in other Cities and populous places there is haply lesse cause to complain But who can without sorrow and shame behold in our Countrey towns men so unapprehensive either of their brethrens sufferings or of their own sins and dangers as to give God quite over to let him rest that they themselvs may work to come in truth to Iehorams resolution Why should we wait upon God any longer to grudge their brethrens and their own souls and safeties one day in thirty and to tell all the world that indeed their daies work is of more value with them then their dayes worship multitudes drudging and moyling in the earth while their brethren are mourning and besieging of heaven I do but name it and proceed The second part of the Institution was the particular form suggested unto them according unto which their addresses unto God are to be regulated which consisteth of two parts a prayer and a promise The prayer is for two Benefits the one Remove all of sin the other Conferring of Good In the promise or Restipulation we have first their Covenant wherein they promise two things 1. Thanksgiving for the hearing and answering of their prayers 2. A speciall care for the Amendment of their lives Secondly the Ground of their Confidence so to pray and of their Resolutions so to promise Because in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy My meditations will bee confined within the
Repentance bodily fasting and verball praying is indeed but to flatter God and if we could to deceive him And God will answer such men not according to the prayer of their lips but according to the Idol of their hearts Ezek. 14.4 5 Secondly this teacheth us how to pray against sin It must be against all and in all respects In the Hebrew text there is a kind of unusuall transposiâ—ion of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word all is first Me thinkes it doth intimate an Intentnesse of the Church upon that point to have if it were possible all taken away at the very first If there bee one leak in a ship one gap in a wall one gate in a City unprovided for it is enough to sink a ship to drown a Countrey to betray a Citie One little boy thrust in at a window can unlock the doore for all the rest of the theeves It was but one Ionah that raised a tempest but one Achan that troubled a Camp and one sin generally unrepented of were enough to undo a Kingdome Do not say it is a little one and my soule shall live Even the· Philosopher telleth us that sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the smallest errors prove most dangerous How little soever it bee in its owne nature it becomes hainous by thy allowance It is as much treason to coin pence as twenty shilling pieces because the Royall authority is as much violated by the one as the other This then wee must first and principally remember to set our selves against all sin In Confession none to be dissembled in Supplication none to bee excepted in Conversion none to be reserved never give it over so long as any is left O Lord yet it works yet it lives yet it tempts yet it paines me Sin hath not done accusing of me let not thy mercy have done forgiving of sinne Sin hath not done rebelling in mee let not thy Grace have done subduing of sin When men kill Snakes or Vipers so long as they see them pant or offer to thrust out a sting they strike them still Sin like the thiefe on the Crosse when it is fast nailed and kept from its old tyrannie yet will as much as it can reviâ—e and spit out venome upon Christ. O therefore give it not over break the legs of it crucifie it clean through till it be quite dead None can pray or turne unto God in truth or hope to be delivered from judgements in Mercy so long as he holds fast any known sin Can any man looke to receive benefit by the bloud of Christ who hugs the villaine that shed it Is it not treason knowingly to harbour and entertainâ— a Traytor Whosoever loves and holds fast sinne lies unto God in every prayer that he makes This serveth to reprove and humble us for our hypocrisie and halvings with God in our conversions from sinne and confessions of it we are willing to pray for the pardon of them all wee would have none hurt us but when it comes to parting and taking all away this we cannot away with Some are fat delicate golden sinnes wee would faine spare these as Saul did Agag and hide them as Achan did his wedge Herod heareâ— Iohn gladly in many things but if hee restraine him of his Herodias hee must expect to be himself restrained Agrippa will be almost a Christian but altogether may chance bring a chaine with it Iehu will downe with Baal and his Priests but hee knowes not how to part with his Calves lest he venture his Kingdome Policy is ever entring Caveats against piety Thus men huck and stand upon abatements with Christ in the bargaine of Salvation not considering that the purchase of heaven is like the buying of the Sibyls Prophecie the longer wee stand off the dearer every day it will cost us the more tears the harder repentance the deeper sorrow the stronger cries These men know not the price of a soule nor the worth of a Saviour O if Christ should have served us so in dying for sinne as many of us doe serve him in turning from sin what a condition had our soules been in If he had dyed for some sinnes and not for others if he had been unwilling to save us to the uttermost as wee are to serve him to the uttermost if hee should have stopt before hee came to Consummatum est and left any one drop of that bitter Cup for us to drink after him would it not have caused our belly to swell and our thigh to rot and made us for ever uncapable of any other mercy then onely a lesse damnation Well beloved Christ expecteth that as hee dyed for all sin so we should die to all hee will be counted worthy of all acceptation before hee will bestow himself he will not suffer his Bloud and his Mercy to mingle with sin or to be a protection to it he cannot endure mingling of the holy seed with the prophane swearing by God and swearing by Malcham Samaritan Services to be for the Lord in one thing and for the world and flesh in another one step straight and another crooked one speech Ashdod and another Canaan to let our conversation be yea and nay a mungrill service In this I will do as you bid me but in that I wll not like the Jews that would buy Christs bloud with money but not take the money into the treasurie they were fearfull to defile their Chests but not to defile their Consciences This Christ cannot away with It is dangerous to say with the Pharisee This I am not and that I am not or with the young man This and that I have done and in the meane time to have one thing lacking to have one doore locked up still to keep Christ and salvation from us whosoever keeps a covetous heart for the world or a sensuall heart for the flesh or a proud heart for the Devill is unworthy of Heaven by his own Election and would not goe in thither if the doore were wide open he would not find there any fuell for these his lusts any Nabal or Cosbi or Diotrephes to converse withall And surely he that doth any one wickednesse with allowance in Gods construction is habitually guilty of all Iam. 2.10 Luk. 16.10 Ezeâ— 18.10.13 Therefore in this case as Samuel said to Iesse Are here all thy children If any be left wee will not sit down till he come So we must conceive in our confessions and abrenuntiations of sin that Christ asketh us Are here all If any be reserved I will not take possession till that be cast out there must not an hoof be left in Aegypt if God be to be served Gods Law as well as mans disallows Inmates in the same house he will not endure a divided heart he is heire of all things there lies no Writ of partition in his Inheritance
of calamitie upon us all wisedome and learning and piety prudence are healing things Remember and O that God would put into the hearts of this whole Kingdome from the Throne to the Plow to remember the fate of a divided Kingdome from the mouth of truth it selfe O that we would all remember that misunderstandings and jealousies and divisions of heart are an high evidence of Gods displeasure and that through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts a Land is darkned and as it were infatuated when Manasse is against Ephraim and Ephraim against Manasse and every man eateth the flesh of his owne Arme. Isa. 7.9.21 O let us all remember what it cost Shechem and Abimelech what it cost Benjamin and the other Tribes even the losse of threescore and five thousand men remember Priamus and his children will laugh Babylon will clap their hands and wag their head no such time for Shishak the Aegyptian to trouble Jerusalem as when Israel is divided 2 Chron. 12.2 Let it never be said of Gods owne people that they are fallen into the curse of Midianites and Ammorites and Edomites and Philistines to help forward the destruction of one another O that God would give this whole Nation hearts to consider these things that he would put a spirit of peace and resolved unity into the minds of this whole people to be true to their owne happinesse and by how much the greater are the subtilties of men to divide them to be so much the more firmly united in prayers to God and in concord between themselves that they may not expose their persons estates posterities and which is dearest of all their Religion to the craftie and bloodie advantages of the enemies of the Protestant Churches who in humane view could have no way to overthrow them but by their own dissentions I have done with this point and shall conclude all with a very few words of the next which is drawn from the scope and connexion of the prayer suggested to the judgement threatned It is this When temporall judgements are felt or feared Gods people should pray for spirituall mercies Humane sorrows cannot overcome where the joy of the Lord is our strength Thus the Lord seems to have taught his Apostle he was under some pressing discomfort the messenger of Satan sent to buffet him he prayes for particular deliverance and God answers him non ad voluntatem sed ad utilitatem implying a direction unto all such prayers My grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 When thou feelest a thorn in thy flesh pray for grace in thy heart the buffets of Satan cannot hurt where the grace of God doth suffice so he directeth in time of plague and famine to pray and to seek his face 2 Chron. 7.14 to look more after his favour than our owne ease to be more solicitous for the recovering of his Love than for the removing of his Rod. This is a true character of a filiall disposition In the way of thy judgements even in that way wherein wicked men fling thee off and give thee over and quarrell with thee and repine against thee even in the way of â—hy judgements do we wait for thee and the desire of our soul is more to thy Name than to our own deliverance Isa. 26.8 true Diciples follow Christ more for his Doctrine than his loaves and are willing to choose rather affliction than iniquity The grace and favour of God is life Psal. 30.5 better than life Psal. 63.3 and therefore must needs be the most soveraigne Antidote to preserve and to bear up the soul above all other discomforts whereas if he be angry no other helps are able to relieve us Brasse and Iron can fence me against a Bullet or a Sword but if I were to be cast into a furnace of fire it would help to torment me if into a pit of water it would help to sinke me Now our God is a consuming fire and his breath a streame of brimstone Humane plaisters can never cure the wounds which God makes where he is the Smiter he must be the Healer too Hos. 6.1 All the Candles in a Countrey are not able to make day there till the Sunne come and all the contents of the world are not able to make comfort to the soule till the Sun of Righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings In a Mine if a damp come it is in vaine to trust to your lights they will burn blew and dimme and at last vanish you must make haste to be drawne upward if you will be safe When God sharpneth an affliction with his displeasure it is vaine to trust to worldly succours your desires and affections must be on things above if you will be relieved There is no remedie no refuge from Gods anger but to Gods grace Bloud letting is a cure of bleeding and a burn a cure against a burne and running into Goâ— is the way to escape him as to close and get in 〈◊〉 him that would strike you doth avoid the blow In a tempest at Sea it is very dangerous to strike to the shore the safest way is to have Sea-roome and to keep in the Main still there is no landing against any tempest of Gods judgements at any shore of worldly or carnall policies but the way is to keep with him still if he be with us in the Ship the winds and the Sea will at last be rebuked This then should serve to humble us for our carnall prayers in times of judgement such as the hungry Raven or the dry and gaping earth makes when we assemble our selves for Corne and Wine for peace and safety and be in the meane time carelesse whether God receive us graciously or no. God much complains of it when he slew Israel the raâ—k made him rore the rod made him flatter but all was to be rid of affliction It was the prayer of nature for ease not of the Spirit for grace for their heart was not right Psal. 78.34 37. The like he complains of after the Captivity they fasted and prayed in the fifth moneth wherein the City and Temple had bin burned and in the seventh moneth wherein Gedeliah had bin slain and the remnant carried captive but they did it not out of sinceritie toward God but out of policie for themselves and this he proves by their behaviour after their return If you had indeed sought me you would have remembred the words of the Prophets when Ierusalem was inhabited before and being returned would now have put them to practise But Jerusalem inhabited after the Captivitie is just like Jerusalem inhabited before the captivitie so that from hence it appears that all their weeping and separating was not for pious but politique reasons Zach. 7.5 6. And there is nothing under heaven more hatefull or more reproachfull unto God than to make Religion serve turns to have piety lacquey and dance attendance and be a drudge and groom to
in this place under severall considerations for we may consider it I. Ut materiam pacti as the matter of a Covenant or compact which we promise to render unto God in acknowledgment of his great mercy in answering the prayers which we put up unto him for pardon and grace It is observable that most of those Psalmes wherein David imploreth helpe from God are closed with thanksgiving unto him as Psal. 7.17.13 6.56 12 13 57 7 10 c. David thus by an holy craft insinuating into Gods favour and driving a trade between earth heaven receiving and returning importing one commodity transporting another letting God know that his mercies shall not be lost that as he bestows the comforts of them upon him so he would returne the praises of them unto heaven again Those CounCountries that have rich staple commodities to exchange and return unto others have usually th freest and fullest trafick and resort of trade made unto them Now there is no such rich return from earth to heaven as praises This is indeed the onely tribute we can pay unto God to value and to celebrate his goodnesse towards us As in the fluxe and refluxe of the sea the water that in the one comes from the sea unto the shore doth in the other but run back into it self again so praises are as it were the returne of mercies into themselves or into that bosom and fountain of Gods love from whence they flowed And therefore the richer any heart is in praises the more speedy copious are the returnes of mercy unto it God hath so ordered the creatures amongst themselves that there is a kinde of naturall confederacy and mutuall negotiation amongst them each one receiving and returning deriving unto others drawing from others what serves most for the conservation of them all and every thing by various interchanges and vicissitudes flowing backe into the originall from whence it came thereby teaching the souls of men to maintain the like spirituall commerce confederacie with heaven to have all the passages between them and it open and unobstructed that the mercies which they receive from thence may not be kept under and imprisoned in unthankfulnesse but may have a free way in daily praises to return to their fountain again Thus Noah after his deliverance from the flood built an Altar on which to sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving that aâ— his family by the Ark was preserved from perishing so the memory of so great a mercy might in like manner by the Altar be preserved too Gen. 8.20 So Abraham after a weary journey being comforted with Gods gracious appearing and manifestation of himself unto him built an Altar and called on the Name of the Lord Gen. 12.7 and after another journey out of Egypt was not forgetfull to returne unto that place againe Gen. 13.4 Gods presence drawing forth his praises as the returne of the Sun in a spring and summer causeth the earth to thrust forth her fruits and flowers that they may as it were meet do homage to the fountain of their beauty If Hezekiah may be delivered from death Isa. 38.20 If David from guilt Psal. 51.14 they promise to sing aloud of so great mercy and to take others into the consort I will teach transgressours thy way and we will sing upon the stringed instruments Guilt stops the mouth and makes it speechlesse Matth. 22.12 that it cannot answer for one of a thousand sins nor acknowledge one of a thousand mercies When Iacob begged Gods blessing on him in his journy he vowed a vow of obedience and thankfulnesse to the Lord seconding Gods promises of mercy with his promises of praise and answering all the parts thereof If God will be with me and keep me I will be his and he shall be mine If he single out me and my seed to set us up as marks for his Angels to descend unto with protection and mercy and will indeed give this Land to us and returne me unto my fathers house then this stone which I have set up for a pillar monument shall be Gods house for me and my seed to praise him in and accordingly we finde he built an Altar there and changed the name of that place calling it the House of God and God the God of Bethel And lastly if God indeed will not leave nor forsake me but will give so rich a land as this unto me I will surely return a homage back and of his own I will give the tenth unto him againe So punctuall is this holy man to restipulate for each distinct promise a distinct praise and to take the quality of his vows from the quality of Gods mercies Gen. 28. v. 20.22 compared with v. 13.15 Gen. 35.6.7.14 15. Lastly Ionah out of the belly of Hell cries unto God and voweth a vow unto him that he would sacrifice with the voice of thanksgiving and tell all ages that salvation is of the Lord Ionah 2.9 Thus we may consider praises as the matter of the Churches Covenant II. Ut fructum poenitentiae as a fruit of true repentance and deliverance from sin When sin is taken away when grace is obtained then indeed is a man in a right disposition to give praises unto God When we are brought out of a wildernesse into Canaan Deut 8.10 out of Babylon unto Sion Jer. 30.18.19 then saith the Prophet Out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry c. When Israel had passed thorow the red Sea and saw the Egyptians dead on the shore the great type of our deliverance from sin death and Satan then they sing that triumphant Song Moses and the men singing the Song and Miriam and the women answering them and repeating over again the burden of the Song Sing to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his rider hath he thrown into the Sea Exod. 15.1.20.21 When a poore soule hath been with Ionah in the midst of the seas compassed with the floods closed in with the depths brought downe to the bottom of the mountaines wrapt about head and heart and all over with the weeds and locked up with the bars of sin and death when it hath felt the weight of a guilty conscience and been terrified with the fearful expectation of an approaching curse lying as it were at the pits brinke within the smoak of hell within the smell of that brimstone and scorchings of that unquenchable fire which is kindled for the divel and his angels and is then by a more bottomles unsearchable mercy brought unto dry land snatched as a brand out of the fire translated unto a glorious condition from a Law to a Gospel from a cuâ—se to a Crown from damnation to an inheritance from a slave to a Sonne then then onely never till then is that soul in a fit disposition to sing praises unto God when God hath forgiven all a mans iniquities and
healed all the diseases of his soul and redeemed his life from destruction or from hel as the Chaldee rendreth it and crowned him with loving kindnesse and tender mercies turning away his anger and revealing those mercies which are from everlasting in election unto everlasting in salvation removing his sins from him as far as the East is from the West then a man will call upon his soule over and over againe and summon every faculty within him invite every creature without him to blesse the Lord and to ingeminate praises unto his holy name Psal. 103.1.4.20.22 And as David there begins the Psalme with Blesse the Lord O my soul and ends it with blesse the Lord O my soul so the Apostle making mention of the like mercy of God unto him and of the exceeding abundant grace of Christ in setting forth him who was a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious as a patterne unto all that should beleeve on him unto eternall life begins this meditation with praises I thank Christ Iesus our Lord and ends it with praises unto the King eternall immortall invisible the onely wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 1 Tim. 1.12.17 It is impossible that soule should be truly thankfull unto God which hath no apprehensions of him but as an enemie ready to call in or at the least to curse all those outward benefits which in that little interim and respite of time between the curse pronounced in the Law and executed in death he vouchsafeth to bestow And impenitent sinners can have no true notion of God but such And therefore all the verball thanks which such men seem to render unto God for blessings are but like the musick at a Funerall or the Trumpet before a Judge which gives no comfortable sound to the mourning wife or to the guilty prisoner III. Vt medium Impetrandi As an Argument and motive to prevail with God in prayer For the Church here Praies for pardon for grace for healing not onely with an eye to its own benefit but unto Gods honour Lord when thou hast heard and answered us then we shall glorifie thee Psa. 50.15 I shall praise thee saith David for then hast heard me and art become my salvation Psal. 118.21 It is true if God condemne us he will therein shew forth his owne glory 2 Thes. 1.9 as he did upon Pharaoh Rom 9.17 In which sence the strong and terrible ones are said to glorifie him Isay. 25.3 Because his power in their destruction is made the more conspicuous But we should not therein concurre unto the glorifying of him The grave cannot praise him they that goe downe into the pit cannot celebrate his name Ps. 30.9 88 10 11. The living the living they shall praise thee Isa. 38.19 This is a frequent argument with David whereby to prevail for mercy because else God would lose the praise which by this meanes he should render to his name Psal. 6.4.5.118.17 c. God indeede is All-sufficient to himself and no goodnes of ours can extend unto him Iob 22.2 35 7. Yet as Parents delight to use the labour of their children in things which are no way beneficiall unto themselves so God is pleased to use us as instruments for setting forth his glory though his glory stand in no neede of us though we cannot adde one Cubit thereunto He hath made all men in usuâ— profundarum cogitationum suarum unto the uses of his unsearchable Councells He hath made all things for himselfe yea even the wicked for the day of evill Prov. 16.4 Yet he is pleased to esteeme some men meete for uses which others are not 2 Tim. 2.21 and to set apart some for himselfe and for those uses Psal. 4.3 Isay. 43.21 God by his wisedome ordereth and draweth the blind and brute motions of the worst creatures unto his own honour as the huntsman doth the rage of the dog to his pleasure or the Marriner the blowing of the winde unto his voyage or the Artist the heate of the fire unto his worke or the Phisician the bloudthirstinesse of the Leech unto a cure But godly men are fitted to bring actually glory unto him to glorify him doingly 1 Cor. 10 3â— 31. Ephe. 1.11 12. And this is that which God chiefly takes pleasure in Our Saviour bids his disciples cast their net into the Sea and when they had drawn their net he bids them bring of the fish which they had then caught and yet we finde that there was a fire of coales and fish laid thereon and bread provided on the land before Iohn 21.6 9 10. Thereby teaching us that he did not use their industrie for any neede that he had of it but because he would honour them so far as to let them honour him with their obedience And therefore even then when God tells his people that he needed not their services yet he calls upon them for thanksgiving Psal. 50.9 14. This then is a strong argument to be used in praier for pardon for grace for any spirituall mercie Lord if I perish I shall not praise thee I shall not be meete for my Masters uses Thy glory will onely be forced out of me with blowes like fire out of a flint or water out of a rock But thou delightest to see thy poore Servants operate towards thy glory to see them not forced by power but by love to shew forth thy praises And this we shall never doe till sinne be pardoned God can bring light out of light as the light of the Starres out of the light of the Sun and he can bring light out of darkenes as he did at first but in the one case there is a meetnes for such an use in the other not Now we are not meete Subjects for God to reap honor from till sinne be pardoned till grace be conferred Then we shall give him the praise of his mercy in pittying such grievous sinners and the praise of his power and wisedome in healing such mortall diseases and the praise of his glorious and free grace in sending Salvation to those that did not inquire after it and the praise of his patience in forbearing us so long and waiting that he might be gracious and the praise of his wonderfull providence in causing all things to worke together for our good and the praise of his justice by taking part with him against our own sinnes and joyning with his grace to revenge the bloud of Christ upon them A potsheard is good enough to hold fire but nothing but a sound and pure vessell is meete to put wine or any rich depositumn into IV. Vt principium operandi As a principle of Emendation of life and of new Obedience Lord take away iniquity and receive us into favour then will we be thankfull unto thee and that shall produce amendment of life Ashur shall not save us neither will we ride upon horses c. A thankefull apprehension of the
after Ier. 30.17 Paul thought low thoughts of the world and the world thought as basely of him The world saith he is crucified unto me and I unto the world Gal. 6.14 Before conversion the world is an Egypt unto us a place of Bondage After Conversion It is a Wildernesse unto us a place of Emptinesse and Temptations Secondly the Backwardnesse of man towards grace we goe not to God till we are brought to extremities and all other Helpes faile us The poore Prodigall never thought of looking after a Father till he found himselfe in a fatherlesse condition and utterly destitute of all reliefe Luke 15.17 18. Thirdly the right disposition and preparation unto mercie which is to be an Orphan destitute of all selfe-confidence and broken off from all other comforts When the poore and needy seeketh water and there is none I the Lord will helpe him Isai. 41.17 God will repent for his people when he seeth that their power is gone Deut. 32.36 when there is dignus vindice nodus an extremity fitt for divine power to interpose Christ is set forth as a Physician which supposeth sicknesse as a fountaine which supposeth uncleanesse as meate which supposeth emptinesse as cloathing which supposeth nakednesse He never finds us till we are lost sheep when we have lost all then we are fit to follow him and not before Fourthly The Roots of true Repentance Nos pupilli Tu misericors The sence of want and emptinesse in our selves the apprehension of favour and mercy in God Conviction of sinne in us and of righteousnesse in him Iohn 16.9 10. Of crookednesse in us and of glory in him Isay. 40.4 5. Hereby roome is made for the entertainment of mercy where sinne abouds grace will more abound and the more the soule findes it selfe exceeding miserable the more will the mercy of God appeare exceeding mercifull Rom. 5.20 and hereby God sheweth his wisedome in the seasonable dispencing of mercy then when we are in greatest extremity As fire is hottest in the coldest weather God delights to be seene in the mount at the grave to have his way in the sea and his paths in the deepe waters Mercies are never so sweet as when they are seasonable and never so seasonable as in the very turning and criticall point when miserie weighs down and nothing but mercie turns the scale This teacheth us how to fit our selves for the mercy of God namely to finde our selves destitute of all inward or outward comfort and to seek for â—tonely there Beggers doe not put on Scarlet but ragges to prevaile with men for reliefe As Benhadad servants put on Ropes when they would beg mercy of the King of Israel In a shipwrack a man will not load him with money chaines treasure rich apparell but commit himselfe to the Sea naked and esteeme it mercy enough to have Tabulam post naufragium one poore plank to carry him to the shore It is not exaltation enough unto Ioseph except hee be taken out of a prison unto honour Secondly we should not be broken with diffidence or distrust in times of trouble but remember it is the condition of the Church to be an Orphâ—n It is the way whereby Moses became to be the son of Pharaohs daughter when his owne Parents durst not owne him the mercy of a Prince found him out to advance him and when he was nearest unto perishing he was nearest unto honour In the civill Law we finde provision made for such as were cast out and exposed to the wide world some Hospitals to entertaine them some liberties to comfort and compensate their trouble And a like care we finde in Christ The Jewes had no sooner cast the man that was borne blinde out whose Parents durst not be seen in his cause for feare of the like usage but the mercy of Christ presently found him and bestowed comfort upon him Iohn 9.35 This is the true David unto whom all helplesse persons that are in distresse in debt in bitternesse of soul may resort and finde entertainment 1 Sam. 22.2 Lastly we should learne to behave our selves as Pupils under such a Guardian to be sensible of our infancy minority disability to order or direct our owne waies and so deny our selves and not leane on our owne wisedom to be sensible how this condition exposeth us to the injuries of strangers for because we are called out of the world therefore the world hateth us and so to be vigilant over our waies and not trust our selves alone in the hands of temptation nor wander from our Guardian but alwaies to yeeld unto his wisdome and guidance Lastly to comfort our selves in this that while we are in our minority we are under the mercy of a father A mercy of Conservation by his providence giving us all good things richly to enjoy even all things necessary unto life and godlinesse A mercy of protection defending us by his power from all evill A mercy of Education and instruction teaching us by his Word and Spirit A mercy of Communion many waies familiarly conversing with us and manifesting himselfe unto us A mercy of guidance and government by the laws of his family A mercy of discipline sitting us by fatherly chastisements for those further honours and imployments he will advance us unto and when our minority is over we once are come to a perfect man we shall then be actually admitted unto that inheritance immortall invisible and that fadeth not away which the same mercy at first purchased and now prepareth and reserveth for us Now it followeth Verse 4. I will heale their back-sliding I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him In the former words we have considered both Israels Petition in time of trouble and the Promise and Covenant which thereupon they binde themselves in In these and the consequent words unto the end of the 8. verse we have the gracious answer of God to both promising â—oth in his free love to grant their petition and by his frâ—e grace to enable them unto the performance of the Covenant which they had made The Petition consisted of two parts 1. That God would take away all iniquity 2 That he would doe them good or receive them graciously To both these God giveth them a full and a gracious answer 1. That he will take away all iniquitie by Healing their back-sliding 2 That he would doe them good and heape all manner of blâ—ssings upon them which are expressed by the various metaphors of fruitfulnesse opposite to the contrary exprâ—ssions of judgement in former parts of the prophecie I will heale their back sliding This is one of the names by which God is pleased to make himsele knowne unto his people I am the Lord that healeth thee Exod. 15.26 and returne O Back-sliding children and I will heale your back-slidings Jer. 3.22 Now God Healeth sin four manner of waies First By a gratious Pardon burying covering not imputing them unto us So it
seems to be expounded Psal. 103.3 and that which is called Healing in one place is called forgivenesse in another if we compare Mat. 13.15 with Mark 4.12 Secondly by a spirituall and effectuall Reformation purging the conscience from dead workes making it strong and able to serve God in new obedience for that which Health is to the body Holinesse is to the soul. Therefore the Sun of righteousnesse is said to aâ—ise with Healing in his wings Mal. 4.2 whereby we are to understand the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit conveying the vertue of the blood of Christ unto the conscience even as the beames of the Sunne doe the heat and influence thereof unto the earth thereby calling out the herbs and flowers and healing those deformities which winter had brought upon it Thirdly by removing and withdrawing of judgements which the sinnes of a people had brought like wounds or sicknesses upon them So Healing is opposed to smiting and wounding Deut. 32.39 Iob 5.18 Hos. 6.1 2. Ier. 33.5 6. Fourthly by comforting against the anguish and distresse which sinne is apt to bring upon the conscience For as in Physick there are Purgatives to cleanse away corrupt humours so there are Cordials likewise to strengthen refresh weak and dejected Patients and this is one of Christs principal workes to binde and heale the broken in heart to restore comforts unto mourners to set at liberty them that are bruised and to have mercy upon those whose bones are vexed Psal. 147 3. Isai. 57.18 19. Luke 4.18 Psal. 6.2 3. I am not willing to shut any of these out of the meaning of the Text. First because it is an answer to that rayer Take away All iniquity The All that is in it The Guilt the staine the power the punishment the anguish whatever evil it is apt to bring upon the conscience Let it not doe us any hurt at all Secondly because Gods works are perfect where he forgives sinne he removes it where he convinceth of righteousnesse unto pardon of sinne he convinceth also of judgement unto the casting out of the prince of this world and bringeth forth that judgement unto victory Matth. 12.20 Their Back-sliding Their praier was against All iniquity and God in his answer thereunto singleth out one kinde of iniquity but one of the greatest by name And that first to teach them and us when we pray against sinne not to content our selves with generalities but to bewaile our great and speciall sinnes by name those specially that have been most comprehensive and the Seminaries of many others Secondly to comfort them for if God pardon by name the greatest sinne then surely none of the rest will stand in the way of his mercy if he pardon the Talents we need not doubt but he will pardon the pence too Paul was guilty of many other sinnes but when he will magnifie the grace of Christ he makes mention of his great sinnes A blasphemer a persecutor injurious and comforts himselfe in the mercy which he had obtained against them 1 Tim. 1.13 Thirdly to intimate the great guilt of Apastacie and rebellion against God After we have known him and tasted of his mercy and given up our selves unto his service and come out of Egypt and Sodome then to looke back againe and to be false in his Covenant this God lookes on not as a single sinne but as a compound of all sinnes When a man turnes from God he doth as it were resume and take home upon his conscience All the sinnes of his life again Fourthly to proportion his answer to their repentance They confesse their Apostasie they had been in Covenant with God they confesse he was their first husband Hos. 2 7. and they forsooke him and sought to Horses to Men to Idols to vanitie and lies this is the sin they chiefly bewaile and therefore this is the sinne which God chiefly singles out to pardon and to heale them of This is the great goodnesse of God toward those that pray in sincerity that he fits his mercy ad Cardinem desiderii answers them in the maine of their desires lets it be unto them even as they will I will love them freely This is set downe as the fountaine of that Remission Sanctification and Comfort which is here promised It comes not from our Conversion unto God but from Gods free love and grace unto us And this is added first to Humble them that they should not ascribe any thing to themselves their Repentance their prayers their covenants and promises as if these had been the means to procure mercie for them or as if there were any objective grounds of lovelines in them to stirre up the love of God towards them It is not for their sake that he doth it but for his own The Lord sets his love upon them because he loved them Deut. 7.7 8. not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you Ezek. 36.22.32 He will have mercy because he will have mercy Rom. 9.15 Secondly To support them above the guilt of their greatest sinnes Men think nothing more easie while they live in sinne and are not affected with the weight and hainousnesse of it then to beleeve mercie and pardon But when the soule in conversion unto God feeles the heavie burden of some great sinnes when it considers its rebellion and Apostacie and backesliding from God It will then be very apt to think God will not forgive nor heale so great wickednesse as this There is a naturall Novatianisme in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sinnes of Apostacie and falling after repentance Therefore in this case God takes a penitent off from the consideration of himself by his own thoughts unto the height and excellencie of his Thoughts who knowes how to pardon abundantly Isay. 55.7 8 9. Ier. 29.11 Ezek. 37.3 Nothing is too hard for love especially free-love that hath no foundation or inducement from without it self And because we reade before Hos. 8.5 That Gods Anger was kindled against them therefore he here adds that this also should be turned away from them Anger will consist with love we finde God Angrie with Moses and Aaron and Miriam and Asa and he doth sometimes visit with rodds and scourges where he doth not uâ—terly take away his loveing kindenesse from a people Psal. 89.32.33 A man may be angrie with his wife or childe or friend whom he yet dearly loveth And God is said to be thus Angry with his people when the effects of displeasure are discovered towards them Now upon their Repentance and Conversion God promiseth not onely to love them freely but to clear up his Countenance towards them to make them by the Removall of Judgements to see and know the ftuits of his free love and bounty unto them When David called Absolom home from banishment this was an effect of love but when he said let him not see my face this
was the continuation of Anger but at last when he admitted him into his presence and kissed him here that Anger was turned away from him too 2 Sam. 14.21.24.33 These words then containe Gods mercifull answer to the first part of Israels prayer for the Taking away of all Iniquity which had beene the fountaine of those sad Judgements under which they languished and pined away Wherin there are two parts 1. The Ground of Gods answer His free love 2. A double fruit of that love 1. In Healing their Backsliding In removing his Anger and heavie Iudgements from them We will breifly handle them in the order of the Text. I will Heale their Backsliding When Gods people do returne unto him and pray against sin then God out of his free love doth heale them of it First he teacheth them what to aske and then he tells them what he will give Thus we finde Conversion and Healing joyned together Isai. 6.10 They shall returne even to the Lord and he shall be intreated of them and shall heale them Isai. 19.22 Return Backsliding children I will Heal your Backslidings Ier. 3.22 Men if they be injured and provoked by those whom they have in their power to undoe though they returne and cry peccavi and are ready to aske forgivenesse yet many times out of pride and revenge will take their time and opportunity to repay the wrong But God doth not so His Pardons as all his other Gifts are without exprobratâ—on as soon as ever his servants come back unto him with teares and confession he looks not upon them with scorn but with joy his mercy makes more haste to embrace them then their repentance to returne unto him Luke 15.20 then out comes the wine the oyle the balme the cordials then the wounds of a Saviour doe as it were bleed afresh to drop in mercy into the sores of such a Penitent O though he be not a dutifull not a pleasant childe yet he is a childe though I spake against him yet I remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him Jer. 31.20 The Lord greatly complaines of the inclination of his people to backsliding and yet he cannot finde in his heart to destroy them but expresseth a kinde of Conflict betweene Iustice and Mercy and at last resolves I am God and not man I can as well heale their backsliding by my Love as revenge it by my justice therefore I will not execute the fiercenesse of mine anger but I will cause them to walk after the Lord Hos. 11.7.10 Yea so mercifull he is that even upon an hypocriticall conversion when his people did but flatter and lie unto him and their heart was not right towards him nor they stedfast in his covenant yet the Text saith he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity not as to the justification of their persons for that is never without faith unfained but so farre as to the mitigation of their punishment that he destroyed them not nor stirred up all his wrath against them Psal. 78.34.35 for so that place is to be expounded as appeareth by the like parallel place Ezek. 20 17. Neverthelesse mine eye spared them from destroying them neither did I make an end of them in the wildernesse Now the Metaphoricall word both here and so often elsewhere used in this argument leadeth us to looke upon sinners as Patients and upon God as a Physician By which two considerations we shall finde the exceeding mercy of God in the pardon and purging away of sinne set forth unto us Healing then is a Relative word and leades us first to the consideration of a Patient who is to be healed and that is here a grievous sinner fallen into a Relapse Healing is of two sorts The healing of a sicnesse by a Physician the healing of a wound by a Chirurgian And Sinne is both a sicknesse and a wound The whole head sick the whole Heart faint from the soale of the foot even unto the Head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Isai. 1.5.6 A sicknesse that wants healing a wound that wants binding Ezek. 34.4 A sick sinner that wants a Physician to call to repentance Matth. 9.12 13. A wounded sinner that wants a Samaritan so the Iewes called Christ Iohn 8.48 to binde up and poure in wine and oyle Luek 10.34 Diseases are of severall sorts but those of all other most dangerous that are in the vitall parts as all the diseases of sinne are and from thence spread themselves over the whole man Ignorance pride carnall principles corrupt judgement diseases of the Head Hardnesse stubbornesse Atheisme Rebellion diseases of the Heart Lust a dart in the Liver Corrupt communication the effect of putrified lungs Gluttony and drunkennesse the swellings and dropsies of the belly despaire and horrour the griefe of the bowels Apostacie a Recidivation or Relapse into all An Eare that cannot heare God speake Ier. 6.10 An Eye quite dawbed up that cannot see him strike Ier. 44.18 Isai. 26.11 A palate out of taste that cannot savour nor relish heavenly things Rom. 8.5 Lips poisoned Rom. 3.13 A Tongue set on fire Iam. 3.6 Flesh consumed bones sticking out sore vexed and broken to pieces Iob 33.21 Psal. 6.2 51.8 Some diseases are dull others acute some â—â—upifying others tormenting Sinne is All. A stupifying palsie that takes away feeling Ephes 4.19 A plâ—guâ— in the Heart which sets all on fire 1 King 8.38 Hos. 7.4 Let us consider a little the proper passions and effects of most diseases and see how they suite to sinne First Paine and distemper This first or last is in All sinne for it begets in wicked and impenitent men the pain of guilt horrour trembling of heart anguish of conscience fear of wrath expectation of judgement and fiery indignation as in Cain Pharaoh Ahab Felix and divers others Gen. 4.13.14 Exod. 9.27.28 1 King 21.27 Acts 24.25 Isai. 33.14 Hebr. 2.15 Rom. 8 15. Hebr. 10.27 And in Penitent men it begets the pain of shame and sorrow and inquietude oâ— spirit a wound in the spirit a prick in the very heart Rom. 6.21 Ezek. 16.61 2 Cor. 7.10 Prov. 18.14 Acts 2.37 Penitency and Paine are words of one derivation and are very neare of kin unto one another Never was any wound cured without paine never any sinne healed without sorrow Secondly c weaknesse and Indisposednesse to the Actions of life Sinne is like an unruly spleen or a greedy wenne in the body that sucks all nourishment converts all supplies into its own growth and so exhausts the strength and vigor of the soul making it unfit and unable to do any good When ever it sets about any duty till sinne be cured it goes about it like an arm out of ioynt which when you would move it one way doth fall back another It faints and flaggs and is not able to put sorth any skill or any
Thus we have taken a view of the Patient Sick weake pained consumed deformed wounded and sore bruised without power or help at home without friends abroad no sense of danger no desire of change patient of his disease impatient of his cure but one meanes in the world to helpe him and he unable to procure it and being offered to him unwilling to entertaine it who can expect after all this but to hear the knell ring and to see the grave opened for such a sick person as this Now let us take a view of the Physician Surely an ordinary one would be so farre from visiting such a Patient that in so desperate a condition as this he would quite forsake him As their use is to leave their Patients when they lie a dying Here then observe the singular goodnesse of this physician First though other Physicians judge of the disease when it is brought unto them yet the Patient first feels it and complaines of it himselfe but this Physician giveth the Patient the very feeling of his disease and is faine to take notice of that as well as to minister the cure He went on frowardly in the way of his heart saith the Lord and pleased himself in his owne ill condition I have seene his way and will heale him Isay. 57 17.18 Secondly other Patients send for the Physician and use many intreaties to be visited and undertaken by him Here the Physician comes unsent for and intreates the sick person to be healed The world is undone by falling off from God and yet God is the first that begins the reconciliation and the stick of it is â—n the world and not in him and therefore there is a great Emphasis in the Apostles expression God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself not himself unto the world He intreats us to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.19.20 He is found of them that sought him not Isai. 65.1 and his office is not onely to save but to seeke that which was lost Thirdly other Physicians are well used and entertained with respect and honour but our Patient here neglects and misuseth his Physician falls from him betakes himself unto Mountebanks and Physicians of no value yet he insists on his mercy and comes when he is forsaken when he is repelled I have spread out my hands all the day unto a Rebellious people Isai. 65.2 Fourthly other Physicians have usually ample and honourable rewards for the attendance they give but this Physician comes onely out of love heales freely nay is bountifull to his Patient doth not onely heale him but bestows gifts upon him gives the visit gives the physick sends the ministers and servants who watch keep the Patient Lastly other Physicians prescribe a bitter potion for the sick person to take this Physician drinketh of the bitterest himself others prescribe the sore to be launced this Physician is wounded and smitten himself others order the Patient to bleed here the physician bleeds himselfe yea he is not onely the Physician but the Physick and gives himselfe his own flesh his own blood for a purgative a cordiall a plaister to the soul of his Patient Dies himselfe that his Patient may live and by his stripes we are healed Isai. 53.5 We should from all this learne First to admire the unsearchable Riches of the mercy of our God who is pleased in our misery to prevent us with goodnesse and when we neither felt our disease nor desired a remedy is pleased to convince us of our sinnes Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity To invite us to repentance O Israel returne unto the Lord thy God To put words into our mouth and to draw our petition for us Take with you words and say unto him take away all iniquity c. To furnish us with arguments we are fatherlesse thou art mercifull To incourage us with promises I will heale I will love To give us his Ministers to proclaime and his Spirit to apply these mercies unto us If he did not convince us that iniquity would be a downfall and a ruine unto us Ezek. 18.30 we should hold it fast and be pleased with our disease like a mad man that quarrels with his cure and had rather continue mad then be healed Ioh. 3.19 20 21. If being convinced he did not invite us to repentance we should run away from him as Adam did No man loves to be in the company of an Enemy much lesse when that enemy is a Iudge They have turned their back unto me and not their face Jer. 2.27 Adam will hide himselfe from the presence of the Lord Gen. 3.8 and Cain will goe out from the presence of the Lord Gen. 4.16 Guilt cannot looke upon Majestie stubble dares not come neere the fire If we be in our sins we cannot stand before God Ezra 9.15 If being invited he did not put words into our mouthes we should not know what to say unto him We know not wherwith to come before the Lord or to bow before the high God if he do not shew us what is good Mic. 6.6 8. Where God is the Judge who cannot be mocked or deceived who knoweth all things and if our heart condemne us he is greater then our heart and where ever we hide can finde us out and make our sinne to finde us too Gal. 6.7 1 Iohn 3.20 Num. 32.23 where I say this God is the Judge there guilt stoppeth the mouth maketh the sinner speechlesse Matth. 22.12 Rom. 3.19 Nay the best of us know not what to pray as we ought except the Spirit be pleased to help our infirmities Rom. 8.26 When we are taught what to say If God do not withdraw his anger we shall never be able to reason with him Iob. 9.13 14. Withdraw thine hand from me let not thy dread make me afraide then I will answer then I will speak Job 13.21 22. If he doe not reveal mercie if he doe not promise love or healing if he do not make it appeare that he is a God that heareth prayers flesh will not dare to come neere unto him 2. Sam. 7.27 We can never pray till we can cry Abba father we can never call unto him but in the multitude of his mercies As the earth is shut and bound up by frost and cold and putteth not forth her pretious fruits till the warmth and heat of the Summer call them out so the heart under the cold affections of feare and guilt under the darke apprehensions of wrath and judgement is so contracted that it knows not to draw neere to God but when mercie shines when the love of God is shed abroade in it then also is the heart it selfe shed abroade and enlarged to powre out it self unto God Even when distressed sinners pray their prayer proceeds from apprehensions of mercy for prayer is the childe of faith Rom. 10.14 Iaâ— 5.15 and the object of faith is mercy Secondly The way to prize this mercie is to grow
acquainted with our own sicknesse to see our face in the glasse of the law to consider how odious it renders us to God how desperately miserable in our selves The deeper the sense of misery the higher the estimation of mercy When the Apostle looked on himselfe as the cheif of sinners then he accounted it a saying worthy of all Acceptation that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners 1. Tim. 1.15 Till we be sicke and weary we shall not looke after a Physician to heale and ease us Matth. 9.12.11 28. till we be pricked in our hearts we shall not be hasty to enquire after the means of Salvation Acts 2.37 Though the proclamation of pardon be made to All that will Revel 22.17 Yet none are willing till they be brought to extreamities as men cast not their goods into the sea till they see they must perish themselves if they doe not Some men must be bound before they can be cured All that God doth to us in conversion he doth most freely but a gift is not a gift till it be received Rom. 5.17 Iohn 1.12 and we naturally refuse and reject Christ when he is offered Isay. 53.3 Iohn 1.11 because he is not offered but upon these termes that we deny our selves and take up a Crosse and follow him Therefore we must be wrought upon by some terrour or other 2 Cor. 5.11 When we finde the wrath of God abiding upon us and our souls shut under it as in a prison Iohn 3.36 Gal. 3.22 and the fire of it working and boyling like poison in our consciences then we shal value mercie and cry for it as the Prophet doth Heale me O Lord and I shall be healed Save me and I shall be saved for thou art my prayse Jer. 17.14 Things necessary are never valued to their uttermost but in extremities When there is a great famine in Samaria an Asses head which at another time is thrown out for carrion wil be more worth then in a plentifull season the whole body of an Oxe Nay hunger shal in such a case overvote nature and devour the very tender love of a mother the life of a childe shall not be so deare to the heart as his flesh to the belly of a pined parent 2 King 6 25 28. As soone as a man findes a shipwrack a famine a hell in his soul till Christ save feed deliver it immediately Christ will be the desire of that soule and nothing in Heaven or earth valued in comparison of him Then that which was esteemed the foolishnesse of preaching before shall be counted the power of God and the wisdom of God then every one of Christs ordinances which are the waters of the Temple for the healing of the Sea that is of many people Ezek. 47.8 and the Leaves of the Tree of Life which are for the healing of the Nations Revel 22.2 and the streames of that Fountaine which is opened in Israel for sin and for uncleannesse Zach. 13.1 and the wings of the Sun of righteousnesse whereby he conveyeth healing to his Church Mal. 3 2. shall be esteemed as indeed they are the Riches the Glory the Treasure the feast the physick the salvation of such a soule Rom. 11.12 Ephes. 3.8 2 Cor. 3.8.11 2 Cor. 4.6.7 Isai. 25.6 Revel 19.9 Luke 4.18 Hebr. 2.3 Iames 1.21 Iohn 12.50 Acts 28.28 And a man will waite on them with as much diligence and attention as ever the impotent people did at the poole of Bethesda when the Angel stirred the water and endure the healing severity of them not onely with patience but with love and thankfulnesse suffer reason to be captivated Wil to be crossed high imaginations to be cast down every thought to be subdued conscience to be searched heart to be purged lust to be cut off and mortified in all things will such a sick soul be contented to be dieted restrained and ordered by the Counsell of this heavenly Physician It is here next to be noted that God promiseth to heale their Back-slidings The word imports a departing from God or a turning away againe It is quite contrary in the formall nature of it unto faith and Repentance and implies that which the Apostle calls a Repenting of Repentance 2 Cor. 7.10 By faith we come to Christ John 6.37 and cleave to him and lay hold upon him Heb. 6.18 Isay. 5â— 2.6 but by this we depart and draw back from him and let him goe Heb. 10.38.39 By the one we prize Christ as infinitely precious and his ways as holy and good Phil. 3.8 2 Pet. 1 4. by the other we vilifie and set them at nought stumble at them as wayes that doe not profit Matth. 21.42 Acts 4.11 1 Pet. 2.7 8. Iob. 21.14.15 For a man having approved of Gods wayes and entred into covenant with him after this to goe from his word and fling up his bargaine and start aside like a deceitfull bow of all other dispositions of the Soule this is one of the worst to deale with our sinnes as Israel did with their servants Ier. 34.10 11. dismisse them and then take them again It is the sad fruit of an evil and unbeleeving heart Heb. 3.12 a And God threatneth such persons to leade them forth with the workers of iniquity Psal. 125.5 as cattell are led to slaughter or malefactours to execution And yet we here see God promiseth Healing unto such sinners For understanding whereof we are to know that there is a Twofold Apostacy The one out of Impotency of Affection and prevalency of lust drawing the heart to look towards the old pleasures thereof againe and it is a Recidivatton or Relapse into a former sinfull condition out of forgetfulness and falsness of heart for want of the fear of God to ballance the conscience and to fix and unite the heart unto him Which was the frequent sin of Israel to make many promises and Covenants unto God and to break them as fast Iudg. 2.18.19 Psal. 106.7 8 9.12 13. And this falling from our first love growing cold and slack in duty breaking our engagements unto God and returning again to folly though it be like a Relapse after a disease exceeding dangerous yet God is sometimes pleased to forgive and heal it The other kind of Apostacy is proud and malicious when after the Tast of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come men set themselves to hate oppose persecute Godliness to do despight to the spirit of grace to fling off the holy strictness of Christs yoake to swel against the searching power of his word to trample upon the blood of the Covenant and when they know the spiritualness and holiness of Gods wayes the innocency and piety of his servants doe yet notwithstanding set themselves against them for that reason though under other pretences This is not a weak but a wilful and if I may so speak a strong and a stubborn Apostaâ—y A sin which wholly hardneth the heart against
prayers of his people as he did the seed of Isaac Gen. 26.12 with an hundred fold encrease As Gods word never returns empty unto him so the prayers of his servants never return empty unto them and usually the câ—op of prayer is greater then the seed out of which it grew as the putting in of a little water into a Pumpe makes way to the drawing out of a great deale more Isaac and Rebecca had lived twentie yeares together without any children and he grew now in yeares for he was forty yeares old before hee married hereupon he solemnly prayes to God in behalfe of his Wife because shee was barren and God gave him more then it is probable hee expected for hee gave him two Sonnes at a birth Gen. 25.21 22. As the cloud which riseth out of the earth many times in thinne and insensible vapours falleth downe in great and abundant showres so our prayers which ascend weak and narrow returne with a full and enlarged answer God deales in this point with his children as Ioseph did with his brethren in Egypt he did not only put corne into their Sacks but returned the money which they brought to purchase it Gen. 42.25 So he dealt with Solomon he did not onely give him wisdome and gifts of government which he asked but further gave him both riches and honour which he asked not 1 King 3.13 The people of Israel when they were distressed by the Ammonites besought the Lord for help he turnes backe their prayers and sends them to their Idols to help them they humble themselves and put away their Idols and pray againe and the highest pitch that their petitions mounted unto was Lord Wee have sinned doe unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee onely deliver us we pray thee this day Iudg. 10.15 and God did answer this prayer beyond the câ—â—tents of it hee did not onely deliver them from the Enemy and so save them but subdued the Enemy under them and delivered him into their hands he did not only give them the relief they desired but a glorious victory beyond their desires Iudg. 11.22 God deales with his servants ar the Prophet did with the woman of Shunem when he bid her ask what she needed and tell him what she would have him doe for the kindnesse she had done to him and she found not any thing to request at his hands he sends for her again and makes her a free promise of that which shee most wanted and desired and tells her that God would give her a sonne 2 Kings 4.16 So many times God is pleased to give his servants such things as they forget to ask or gives them the things which they aske in a fuller measure then their owne desires durst to propose them David in his troubles asked life of God and would have esteemed it a great mercy onely to have beene delivered from the feare of his Enemies and God doth not onely answer him according to the desire of his heart in that particular and above it too for he gave him length of dayes for ever and ever but further setled the Crowne upon his head and added honour and majesty unto his life Psal. 21.2 3 4 5. And the Reasons hereof are principally two 1 We beg of God according to the sense and knowledge which we have of our owne wants and according to the measure of that Love which we beare unto our selves The greater our love is to our selves the more active and importunate will our petitions be for such good things as we need But God answers prayers according to his knowledge of us and according to the Love which hee beareth unto us Now God knowes what things we want much better then we doe our selves and he loves our souls much better then we love them our selves and therefore he gives us more and better things then our own prayers know how to ask of him A little childe will beg none but trifles and meane things of his father because he hath not understanding to looke higher or to value things that are more excellent but his father knowing better what is good for him bestowes on him education traines him unto learning and vertue that he may be fit to manage and enjoy that inheritance which he provides for him so wee know not what to aske as we ought Rem 8.26 and when we do know our spirits are much straitned we have but a finite narrow love unto our selves But Gods knowledge is infinite and his love is infinite and according unto these are the distributions of his mercy Even the Apostle himselfe when he was in affliction and buffetted by the messenger of Satan and vexed with a thorn in his flesh besought the Lord for nothing but that it might depart from him but God had a farre better answer in store to the Apostles prayer and purposed to do more for him then he desired namely to give him a sufficiency of grace to support him and to magnify his strength in the infirmitie of his servant 2 Cor. 12.9 When the Prophet had encouraged men to seek the Lord and to turne unto him and that upon this assurance that he will not only heare petitions for mercy and forgivenesse but will multiply to pardon that is will pardon more sinnes then we can confesse for with him there is not only mercy but Plenteous redemption Psal. 130.7 he further strengthneth our faith and encourageth our obedience unto this duty by the consideration of the thoughts of God to wit his thoughts of love mercy and peace towards us My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are wâ— wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Esa. 55.7.8.9 He can pardon beyond our petitions because his thoughts of mercy towards us are beyond our apprehensions See the like place Ier. 29.10 11 12. 2 God answers prayers not alwayes with respect to the narrow compasse of our weak desires but with respect to his owne honour and to the declaration of his own greatnesse for he promiseth to beare us that wee may glorifie him Psalme 50.15 Therefore he is pleased to exceed our petitions and to do for us abundantly above what we ask or think that our hearts may be more abundantly enlarged and our mouthes wide opened in rendring honour unto him When Perillus a favorite of Alexander begged of him a portion for his daughters the King appointed that fifty Talents should be given unto him he answered that ten would be sufficient the King replied that tenne were enough for Perillus to ask but not enough for Alexander to grant So God is pleased many times to give more then we ask that we may look upon it not only as an Act of mercy but as an act of honour and to teach us in all our prayers to move God as well by his glory as by his mercy So Moses
to kill we doe first preferre unto some fat pasture And sometimes God gives over punishing not in mercy but in fury leaving men to goe on quietly in their owne hearts lusts that they who are filthy may be filthy still Psal. 81.12 Hos. 4.14.17 Esay 1.5 Ezek. 24.13 God was exceeding angry with Israel when hee gave them their hearts desire and sent them Quailes Num. 11.32.33 Many men get their wills from Gods anger by murmuring as others doe theirs from his mercy by prayer but then there comes a curse along with it Now therefore when our own sword doth devour us when our Land is through the wrath of the Lord of hoasts so darkened that the people thereof are as fuell of the fire no man sparing his brother every man eating the flesh of his owne arme it is the sad character which the Prophet gives of a Civill Warre Esay 9.19 20. Let us take heed of Gods complaint In vaine have I smitten your Children they receive no correction Ier. 2.30 Let us make it our businesse to recover God It is he that causeth Warres to cease in the earth Psal. 46.10 And it is he who powreth out upon men the strength of battell and giveth them over to the spoylers Esay 42.24 25. A sinfull Nation gaines nothing by any humane Treaties policies counsels contributions till by repentance they secure their interest in God and make him on their side God being prevailed with by Moses in behalfe of Israel after the horrible provocation of the Golden Calfe sends a message to them I will send an Angell before thee and will drive out the Canaanite And presently it followes when the people heard these evill tidings they mourned Exod. 33.2 3 4. What were these evill tidings To have an Angel to protect and lead them to have their enemies vanquished to have possession of a land flowing with milk and honey was there any thing lamentable in all this yes To have all this and much more and not to have God and his presence was heavy tidings unto Gods people And therefore Moses never gave God over till he promised them his own presence again with which he chose rather to stay in a wildernesse then without it to goe into the land of Canaan If thy presence goe not along carry us not up hence Exod. 33.13 14 15. Secondly we should from hence learne whatever our spirituall wants are to looke up to heaven for a supply of them Neither gardens nor woods nor vineyards nor fieldes nor flowers nor trees nor corne nor spices will flourish or revive without the Dew and concurrence of heavenly grace Christ alone is all in all unto his Church though the instruments be earthly yet the vertue which gives successe unto them comes from heaven 1. The beauty of the Lillies or as the Prophet David cals it the beauty of holinesse ariseth from the Dew of the morning Psal. 110.3 He is the ornament the attire the comelinesse of his Spouse For his people to forget him is for a mayd to forget her ornaments or a spouse her attire Ier. 2.32 The perfect beauty of the Church is that comelinesse of his which he communicates unto her Ezek. 16.14 Of our selves we are wretched miserable poore naked our gold our riches our white rayment we must buy of him Revel 3.18 He is the Lord our righteousnesse whom therefore we are said to put on Rom. 1â— 14 He hath made us Kings and Priests unto our God Rev. 5.10 and being such he hath provided beautifull Robes for us as once he appointed for the Priests Exod. 28.2 Revel 4.4.6.11.7.9 This spirituall beauty of holinesse in Christs Church is sometimes compared to the marriage ornaments of a Queen Psal. 45 14. Revel 18.7 8.21.2 Sometimes to the choyce flowers of a garden Roses and Lillies Cant. 2.1.2 Sometimes to a most glorious and goodly Structure Rev. 21.11.23 Sometimes to the shining forth of the Moone and the brightnesse of the Sunne Cant. 6.10 Revel 12.1 All the united excellences of the creatures are too low to adumbrate and figure the glories of the Church 2. The root and stability of the Church is in and from him he is the root of David Revel 5.5 Except he dwell in us we cannot be rooted nor grounded Eph. 3.17 All our strength and sufficiency is from him Phil. 4.13 Eph. 6.10 1. Pet. 5.10 The graft is supported by another root and not by its owne This is the reason of the stability of the Church because it is founded upon a Rock Matth. 16.18 not upon Peter but upon him whom Peter confessed upon the Apostles onely Doctrinally but upon Christ personally as the chiefe corner stone elect and precious in whom whosoever beleeveth shall not be confounded or by failing in his confidence be any wayes disapointed and put to shame Eph. 2.20 21. 1 Pet. 2.6 This is the difference between the righteousnesse of Creation and the righteousnesse of Redemtpion the state of the world in Adam and the state of the Church in Christ. Adam had his righteousnesse in his own keeping and therefore when the power of hell set upon him he tell from his stedfastnesse there was no promise given unto him that the gates of Hell should not prevaile against him being of an earthly constitution he had corruptibility mutability infirmity belonging unto him out of the principles of his being But Christ the second Adam is the Lord from Heaven over whom death hath no claime nor power and the righteousnesse and stability of the Church is founded and hath its originall in him The powers of darknesse must be able to evacuate the vertue of his Sacrifice to stop Gods eares unto his intercession to repell and keep back the supplies and influences of his spirit to keep or recover profession against his ejectment in one word to kill him againe and to thrust him away from the right hand of the Majesty on high before ever they can blow downe or overturne his Church As Plato compared a man so may wee the Church unto a tree inverted with the root above and the branches below And the root of this tree doth not only serve to give life to the branches while they abide in it but to hold them fast that none can be able to cut them off Ioh. 10.28 29. 3 The growth and spreading abroad the branches of the Church is from him whose name is the branch Esay 11.1 Zach. 3.8 Unto him are all the ends of the Earth given for a possession and all the Kingdomes of the world are to be the Lords and his Christs In regard of his first dispensation towards Israel Gods first born so the Land of Canaan is peculiarly called Immanuels Land Esay 8.8 But in regard of his latter dispensation when he sent the rod of his strength out of Sion and went forth Conquering and to conquer and gave commission to preach the Gospell unto every creature So the whole world is now under the
makes the name smell better then sweet ointment Eccles. 7.1 Sixthly He promiseth That they who dwell under his shadow shall returne Which words admit of a double sense and so inferre a double promise and a double duâ—y first we may by an Hysteron Proteron understand the words thus when Israel have repented and are brought home to God again they shall then have security defence protection refreshment under the comforts of his grace against all the violence of temptation as a spreading tree doth afford a sweet shade unto the weary Traveller and shelter him from the injuries of the heat Iob 7.2 Isa. 4.6 Mich. 4.4 Zach. 3.10 Whereby is signified the secure quiet and comfortable condition of Gods people under the protection of his providenâ—e and promises And as he promiseth such a condition so should we in all troubles not trust in an arme of flesh or betake our selves to meer humane wisedome and carnall counsels which are too thinne shelters against Gods displeasure or the Enemies of the Church But we must flie unto him to hide us we must finde spirituall refreshment in his ordinances promises and providence get his wing to cover us and his presence to be a little sanctuary unto us and the joy of the Lord to be our strength Psal. 57.2 Psal. 91.1 Isa. 26.20 Nehem. 8.10 When the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the laâ—d for their iniquity when flood and fire storme and tempest the fury of anger the strength of battell are powred out upon a people when a destroying Angel is sent abroad with a Commission to kill and slâ—y Ezek. 9.5 6. when death the King of Terrours rideth up and down in triumph stripping men of treasures lands friends honours pleasures making them an house in darkness where Master and Servant Princes and Prisoners are all alike to have then an Ark with Noah a Zâ—ar with Lot a Goshâ—n in Egypt to have one arme of this Olive tree spread over us to have one promise out of Gods word one sentence from the mouth of Christ promising Paradise unto us is infinitely of more value to a languishiâ—g spirit then all the Diadems of the earth or the peculiar treasure of Princes 2. If we take the words in the order as they lye Then the mercy here promised is that when God shall restore and repaire his Church they who dwell under the comforts of it should return and be converted to the knowledge and obedience which should be there taught them when the branch of the Lord is beautifull and glorious and the fruit of the earth excellent and comely then he that remaineth in Ierusalem shall be called holy Isa. 4. â— 3. then every vessell in Iudah and Ierusalem shall be inscribed Holinesse unto the Lord Zach. 14.20 21. then the heart of the rash shall understand knowledge and the tongue of the slammerers shall speak plainly Isa. 3â— 2 â— 4. And this should bee the endeavour of every one who liveth under the shade of this tree under the puritie of Gods Ordinances under the pious government and constitution of such a Church or family as is here described especially in such times when on the one side the world is so much loosned and estranged from us and on the other side Reformation in the Church is so much desired to convert and turn unto the Lord. All endeavours of Reformation in a Church are miserably defective when they come short of this end which is the ultimate reason of them all namely the repentance and conversion of those that dwell undâ—â— the shadow of it When God promiseth to give unto his Church the glory of Lebanon and the excellency of Carmel and Sharon the consequence of this beauty and Reformation in the Church is The eyes of the blinde shall be opened the cares of the deafe shall be unstopped the lame shall leap the dumb shall sing the parched ground shall be a poole the thirâ—â—ie land springs of water Isa. 35.2 7. The Woolf the Leopard the Lion the Beare the Aspe the Cocatrice shall be so turned from the fiercenesse and malignity of their natures that they shall not hurt nor destroy in all the holy Mountain but a little childe shall lead them all Isa. 11.6 9. It is a great happiâ—esse and advantage to live under the shadâ— of a godly goverment many men have reason to blesse God all their dayes that they were in their childhood trained up in such a Schâ—ole where Piety was taught them as well as Learning where they had meanes as well of Conversion as of Institution That they lived in such a Family where the Master of it was of Ioshuahs minde I and my house will serve the Lord Iosh. 24.15 Salvation comes to a whole house when the governor thereof is converted Luk. 19.9 Act. 16.33 34. I shall never look upon a Church as Reformed to purpose till I finde Reformation work conversion till piety and charity and justice and mercy and truth and humility and gentlenesse and goodnesse and kindnes and meeknesse and singlenesse of heart and zeal for godlines and mutuall edification and the life and power of Religion are more conspicuous then before When thâ— very head-stone was brought forth and the last work in the building of the Temple â—as finished yet the people must then cry Grace grace unto it Zach. 4.7 intimating that Reformation is never indeed consummate till tâ—e blessing of God make it effectuall unto those uses for which it was by him appointed Church Reformation should be like Pauls Epistles which alwayes close in duties of obedience Seventhly he promiseth That they shall revive as the corne and grow as the vine in which two expâ—essions are set forth two excellent and wholsome consequents of Affliction 1. The Corne though it dye first and suffer much from frost hail snow tempest yet when the Spring comes it revives and breaks through it all so God promiseth to his Church in the saddest condition a Reviving againe and that it shall be brought forth into the Light Ezek. 37.12 Mic. 7.9 2. The Vine when it is pruned and lopped will not only Revive and spread againe but will bring forth the more fruit and cast forth the more fragrant smell so God promiseth unto his people not only a reviving out of their afflictions in which respect haply it was that Christ was buried in a Garden to note that death it selfe doth not destroy our bodies but only sow them the dew of Herbs will revive them again 1 Cor. 15.42 44. buâ— further a profiting by afflictions that we may say with David it was good for as when wee finde it bring forth the peaceable fruits of Righteousnesse after we have been exercised therein And as he promiseth these things so we should learn to turn these promises into prayer and into practise when we seem in our own eyes cast out of Gods sight yet we must not cast him out of our sight but as
the Chaldee paraphrast and from him the best interpreters with our Translators have supplyed it thus Ephraim shall say and so it is Gods confirmation of the promise which penitent Ephraim had made and his undertaking for him that he should indeed be enabled to performe his Covenant What have I to doe any more wiâ—h Idols It is Interrogatio cum Indignatione an Interrogation not onely importing a negative I will not any more have to doe with them but also a vehement detestation of them and indignation against them as that of David to Abishai 2 Sam. 16.10 and that of Elisha to Iehoram 2 Reg. 3.13 and that of the Devill to Christ Matth. 8.29 With Idols The Originall word signifieth likewise sorrows and griefe of minde a fit word to expresse their sinne and repentance What have we to doe with these Idols and sorrows any more They can produce no good they can heare no prayers they can work no deliverance they can bring nothing but evill and anguish to us and therefore we will not follow or seek unto them any more Here then is a solemne detestation as of all their other sinnes so of that especially which had most dishonoured God most wounded their own consciences and procured most sorrow unto themselves with Gods confirmation of it Then next follow severall promises of speciall mercies 1. Of hearing and answering their prayers I have heard or answered him or as others render it I will beare him 2. Of fatherly care and providence over them I have observed him or fixed mine eyes upon him I have strictly considered his condition that I might proportion my mercies thereunto It is a symbole first of vigilant care and most intent and sollicitous inspection and providence The eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him upon them that hope in his mercy to deliver their soule from death and to keep them alive in famine Psal. 13.18 19. Secondly of direction and counsell I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt goe I will guide or counsell thee with mine eye Psal. 32.8 Thirdly of honour and exaltation He withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous but with Kings are they on the throne yea he doth establish them for ever and they are exalted Iob 36.7 Lastly it is an expression of hearing prayers God is said to have his eye open unto the supplication of his servants to hearken unto them in all that they call upon him for 1 King 8.52 and the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his eare open unto their cry Psal. 34.15 The Church had before professed her selfe to bee an Orphan that stood in need of tuition and protection and here God promiseth to cast his eye and to place his affection upon her to look to her to be her Tutor and guardian to govern her with his speciall providence and wisedome to take notice of her wants and supply them to take notice of her desires and fulfill them to take notice of her condition and accordingly in all respects to provide for her 3. Of refreshment from the heat and violence of temptations or any kinde of afflictions by the Metaphor of a firre tree which being ever green and casting forth a large shade doth afford much comfort and reviving to the weary travellour 4. Because the firre-tree though comfortable in regard of the shade is yet unfruitfull therefore he further promiseth to be a roote of blessings and all kinde of spirituall graces unto them From me is thy fruit found that is from me is or shall be thy fruit as Mal. 2.6 1 Pet. 2.22 Zeph. 3.13 though the word found may here seem to imply and direct unto an inquiry after the foundation and originall of the fruit here mentioned Though all thy fruit of good works and new obedience may seeme to proceed from thy selfe and to bee thine owne yet if thou be carefull to inquire after the root of them thou wilt finde that they come from us though they grow upon thee and that thou bringest them forth only by the help supply and vigour of my grace bestowed on thee Thou dost them but the power and strength whereby thou doest them proceeds from me These words then are the summe of Gods answer which he makes unto the Covenant of his people They return the calves of their lips God heares and accepts them They renounce carnall confidenec in men in horses in Idols and when they look off and turne away from these then God looketh upon them with a fatherly eye of care providence councell and protection I have observed him They will not say any more to the work of their hands yee are our Godâ— nor any longer make lies their refuge and God enables them to do as they have said and affordeth comfort and refreshment unto them as the shade of a firre-tree unto a weary travellor Lastly they believe and acknowledge that when they are fatherlesse and destitute of all help there is mercy in God to comfort and provide for them and this God makes good too Mercy of protection I am as a green firre-tree and mercy of bounty and benediction from me is thy fruit found by the one defending them against their feares by the other enabling them unto their duties Thus God doth enlarge and proportion his mercy to the uttermost extent of Israels prayer or promise and when they have no help or comfort out of him he himselfe becomes All in All unto them making a thorough compensation for every thing which they part with for his sake and causing them to finde in him alone all that comfort and satisfaction to their desires which in vaine they sought for in other things The parts are these two generals First Gods promise enabling Israel to perform theirs Ephraim shall say What have I to doe any more with Idols Secondly Gods speciall regard to their prayers I have heard him To their persons and observed him illustrated by two Metaphors the one importing protection and defence I am as a green firee-tree the other grace benediction from me is thy fruit found Ephraim shall say This is Gods speech and promise setting to his seale and gracious ratification to the Covenant that Israel made ver 2.3 without the which it would have been null and evanid for as man by believing setteth to his seal to the truth of God Ioh. 3.33 so God by assisting setteth to his seal to the purpose of man but with this great difference mans seal is but a subscription and confession of that which was firm before for all Gods promises are Yea and Amen and faith doth not put certainty into the promise of God Rom. 3.3.4 2 Tim. 2.13 but into the heart of man concerning the promises Rom. 4.16 2 Tim. 1.12 But Gods seale is a confirmation and making efficacious the promise of man which otherwise would vanish into a lie all our sufficiency is from him we can neither
it intrinsecally or in the nature of the thing impossible but accidentally and by reason of naturall corruption which is enmity against it a burthen may be very portable in it selfe which he who is a creeple is not able to beare the defect is not in the Law but in us Rom. 8.3 Secondly that of this Impossibility there may be made a most excellent use that being convinced of impotency in our selves we may have recourse to the perfect obedience and righteousnesse of Christ to pardon all our violations of it Gal. 3.21 24. Thirdly being regenerated and endued with the spirit of Christ the Law becomes Evangelically possible unto us againe yea not onely possibly but sweet and easie Rom. 7.22 1 Ioh. 5.2 Ma. 11.30 Though impossible to the purpose of Iustification and legall Covenant which requireth perfection of obedience under paine of the Curse Gal. 3.10 in which sense it is a yoake which cannot bee born Act. 15.10 A Commandement which cannot be endured Heb. 12.20 yet possible to the purpose of acceptation of our services done in the obedience of it The spirituall part of them being presented by the intercession and the carnall defects covered by the righteousnesse of Christ in whom the father is alwayes well pleased Fourthly if any wicked man presume to harden himselfe in the practice of sinnes under this pretence that it is impossible for him to avoid them because God hardneth whom he will Though the Apostolicall increpation be Answer sufficient Who art thou that replyest against God yet he must further know that he is not onely hardned judicially by the sentence of God but most willingly also by his owne stubborne love of sinne and giving himselfe over unto greedinesse in sinning and thereby doth actively bring upon himselfe those indispositions unto duty so that the Law being impossible to be performed by him is indeed no other then hee would himselfe have it to be as bearing an active enmity and antipathy unto it Sixthly The mercy and Free-grace of God in the promises is unto wicked men an occasion of stumbling while they turn it into lasciviousnesse and continue in sinne that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 Iud. ver 4. and venture to make work for the blood of Christ not being led by the goodnesse of God unto repentance but hardning themselves in impenitency because God is good Rom. 2.4 There is not any thing at which wicked men doe more ordinarily stumble then at mercy as gluttons surfet most upon the greatest dainties venturing upon this ground to goe on in sinne because they cannot out-sinne mercy and to put off repentance from day to day because they are still under the offers of mercy making mercy not a sanctuary unto which to fly from sinne but a sanctuary to protect and countenance sinne and so by profane and desperate presumption turning the very mercy of God into a judgement and savour of death unto themselves Deut. 29.19 20. Num. 15.30 pretending liberty from sinne that they may continue in it and abuse God by his owne gifts Lastly the threatnings of God set forth in his Word and executed in his judgements upon wicked men are great occasions of stumbling unto them when they are not thereby with Manasses humbled under Gods mighty hand but with Pharoah hardned the more in their stubbornnesse against him There is such desperate wickednesse in the hearts of some men that they can even sit down and rest in the resolutions of perishing resolving to enjoy the pleasures of sinne while they may To morrow we shall dye therefore in the meane time let us eat and drink 1 Cor. 5.32 This evill is of the Lord why should we wait for the Lord any longer 2 Kings 6.33 There are three men in the Scripture that have a speciall brand or marke of ignominy set upon them Cain Dathan and Ahaz The Lord set a mark upon Cain Gen. 4.15 This is that Dathan and this is that Ahaz Num. 26.9 2. Chron. 28.22 and if we examine the reasons we shall finde that the sinne of stubbornnesse had a speciall hand in it Cains Offering was not accepted upon this he grew wroth and sullen and stubborn against Gods gentle warning and slew his brother Dathan and his Companions sent for by Moses return a proud and stubborn answer we will not come up we will not come up Ahaz greatly distressed by the King of Syria by the Edomites by the Philistimes by the Assyrian and in the midst of all this distresse stubborn still and trespassing more against the Lord. It is one of the saddest symptomes in the World for a man or a Nation not to be humbled under the correcting hand of God but like an anvile to grow harder under blowes and a most sure argument that God will not give over but goe on to multiply his judgements still for he will overcome when hee judgeth and therefore will judge till he overcome In Musicall Notes there are but eight degrees and then the same returnes againe and Philosophers when they distinguish degrees in qualities doe usually make the eighth degree to be the highest but in the wrath of God against those who impenitently and stubbornly stand out against his judgements wee shall finde no fewer then eight and twenty degrees threatned by God himselfe I will punish seven times more and yet seven times more and againe seven time more and once more seven times more for your sinnes Levit. 26.18 21 24 28. thus wicked men doe not only stumble at the Word by way of scandall but also 2. By way of Ruine because they are sure in the conclusion to be destroyed by it for the rock stands still the ship only is broken that dasheth against it Gods Word is and will be too hard for the pride of men the more they resist it the mightier will it appeare in their condemnation The weak corn which yeelds to the wind is not harmed by it but the proud Oake which resists it is many times broken in pieces The soule which submits to the Word is saved by it the soule which rebels against it is sure to perish Therefore since the Word comes not to any man in vaine but returnes glory to God either in his conversion or in his hardning It greatly concerneth every man to come unto it with meek penitent docile tractable believing obedient resolutions and to consider how vaine and desperate a thing it is for a Potsherd to strive with a rod of Iron for the pride wrath of man to give a chalenge to the justice and power of God for briars and thornes to set themselves in battell against fire As our God is a consuming fire himselfe so his law is a fiery Law Deut. 33.2 his word in the mouths of his Ministers a fire Ier. 5.14.23.29 If we be gold it will purge us if thorns it will devour feed upon us This is the condemnation saith our Saviour That light is come