all true penitents wicked men have but one spirituall eye by which they see the horrid pitfall of their misery as Cain Iudas c. but the penitent hath two with the one he sees his misery by sinne with the other his hopefull comfort by Gods mercie and thus his feare becomes filiall Psal 130. 4. Thou art mercifull and worthy to be feared drawing the Argument of his sonne-like obedience from that mercie which he feares to misse the wicked mans service if ever he have any springs from a terrour of judgement and wrath which is only servile the penitent beares not the image and superscription of a Pharisaicall Iusticiarie Luke 18. who begins with gloria patri instead of miserere mei his motto I thanke thee O God that I am not like other men but the portraiture of the poore Publican perplexed and knocking upon his breast Crying Lord be mercifull unto me a sinner The second degree is Sorrow which ariseth from the former apprehension of Gods anger and mans perplexed guilt standing before him arraigned and convicted in his owne Conscience for so many and so manifold rebellions and transgressions And here we must distinguish Sorrow which is two-fold first a worldly sorrow which is a dessembled hypocriticall repentance as in Ahab Iudas Esau c. Secondly the other is a godly sorrow for sinne proper onely to the godly man and the true badge of the penitent both which we see 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh salvation by repentance not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death the former arising from the mercy of God as being sorrowfull that he hath offended him as David Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight the gracious favours which were bestowed upon him as his exhaltation from a poore ruddy-faced Shepheard to sit upon a Princely throne his severall deliverances from the Beare the Lion the Champion of the Phlistines and the sundry treacheries practised against him by his Master Saul hunting him as a Partridge upon the mountaines establishing his kingdome c. with infinite more being called into Davids remembrance and made the matter of his retired meditations with his owne ungratefull ungracious rebellions doe cause his eyes to distill like a Lymbecke and his rocky-stony-pumise-dry heart to overflowwith the Teares of a truely-sorrowfullpenitent and now his heart being hot within him as at other times upon other considerations Psal 39. 3. He breakes silence and in the griefe of his soule complaines of the ill requitall with which he had recompenced the Lord of his mercifull kindnesse The like wee may see in that patterne of penitents the profuse Prodigall Luk. 15. The sinne-loden-citizen woman Luke 7. 47. Comming attended with shame and sorrow lavishly washing the feet of her Saviour with teares from her soules stillatory that must wash not onely her feet as was said to Peter Iohn 23. 9. but also her hands and her head this hath been is and must be the course of every saved sinner to retire and returne by weeping crosse thus breaking the heads of Dragons in the water washing away great sinnes by great sorrow What shall then be said of the preposterous course of the world doing all by contraries like that Nation who in a crosse emulation of their neighbours whose custome in curtese is to put off their Hats in saluting one another these because they will be contrary put off their shooes at their meetings so in this maine matter you shall see the wicked man play cart before horse and in stead of sorrow for his sinnes bragge and boast of them as if the Peacocks pride lay in his blacke feete or the Theeves glory in their halters to boast of strength to quarrell and drinke wine Hab. 2. 15. To boast of lying stealing cozening policie c. with the bloudy Poligamist Gen. 4. 23. I have slaine a man in my wounding and a young man in my hurt which Scripture although Catharinus thinke inexplicable and upon which Origen writ two whole bookes and with divers have diversly interpreted yet with Calvin it is most likely to be a bragge and an insolent boast of his bloody strength What is this else but even to be proud of that which should be and at length will be the matter of our shame and the confusion of our faces Phil. 3. 19. They glory in their shame The third degree in repentance after our humiliation is the earnest craving and begging of pardon grounded likewise upon Gods mercifull kindnesse a glympse of which the penitent sees though dimmely as the newly-cured blindeman saw men walke like trees or as Zebul Iudg. 9. 39. Tooke men to be but the shadowes of the mountaines yet truely Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him turne to the Lord the reason followes and he will have mercy upon him and will abundantly pardon the like Hos 6. 1. Come let us returne unto the Lord the reason moving for he hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up and this assurance of mercie and willingnesse to forgive armes the sinner with boldnesse to sollicite the throne of Grace so that hee which unfainedly repents beleeves and prayes for pardon Repentance and prayer being inseparable Companions Eccle. 3. 12. Examine thy selfe than with what boldnesse thou prayest filling heaven and earth with the Abba Father how thou commest to God as thy father in the name of CHRIST as they Redeemer by the power of the Spirit of Adoption as by Gods mercy in the assurance of thy faith interessed in all the promises being drawne hereto by the cords of love and the bands of mercie and this hath been the pathway in which all the high Saints and servants of God have traced and troden to their Celestiall home it being Gods owne precept Psal 30. 15. Call upon mee in the time of trouble c. The fourth degree ushered by the former is newnesse of life springing Likewise out of the brazen mountaines of Gods constant mercies as continent Ioseph makes his advancement the argument of his chastitie Gen. 39. 8. Hee answered his Mistresse behold my Master woteth not what is with me in the house and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand there is none greater in this house than I neither hath he kept any thing from mee but thee because thou art his wife how then can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God Three things stay Ioseph from committing this sinne first the feare of God secondly the love of his Master in regard of his liberality thirdty the dutie of the wife toward her husband as learned Mercerus hath well observed Or first the reverence of Gods Majesty seeing and beholding all things secondly the consideration of his mercie and benefits received thirdly the feare of judgement as Pererius he knew all
comming a plaine testification of their calling which afterward increased as the sand of the Sea the daughter of Aegypt forgot her fathers house and the prophane barren Gentile bore children unto God The wise men come here among the Iewes as Apostles and teachers of their Rabbinicall Doctors that so long had held the chaire of Moses blind fat-bellyes that could not see so farre as the auncient Sybils or those strangers that so oft had tossed over those divine Oracles of this starre of Iacob and the mighty volumes of their Master Moses but Thou O God hidest those things from the wise and prudent of the world and revealest them to babes and sucklings even so it is thy will Thou pullest downe the mighty from their seate and exaltest the humble and meeke Luke 2. revealing that mystery that was hid from ages and generations Testified likewise Iohn 4. 27. he is found talking with a Gentle-woman shewing himselfe to be a Iesus a Saviour to her vers 10. If thou knewest the gift of God that is mee which am given of my Father 2 Cor. 9. 15. so called by the Apostle Thankes be unto God for his unspeakeable gift And if thou knewest mee which am the true immortall Ambrosia Nectar and aqua vitae of the Soule-sicke sinners The fountaine of living waters Ier. 2. 13. The fountaine of Israel Psal 68. 26. all this he is even to the Gentile Iohn 4. 26. I that speake unto thee am hee I am the expectation of you Gentiles The sides of the North which Satan challenged for his owne seate and Pontificiall throne Esay 14. 13 are become the Citie of the great King Iesus Christ Psa 48. 3. so that even as a stone though malleable is hardly brought to frame and square to his fit place in a building yet being laboriously hammered is durable and of long continuance so the Gentiles were a most crabbed wilde stocke to plant in a most crooked timber to hewe for Gods building yet being planted and brought to the faith they are most permanent gathered into the inclosed garden of Gods Church Reason 1. That they might shewe forth the wonderfull riches of Gods mercy the greater the sinner the richer the mercy that saves him as Gods mercy appeared more in calling one covetous Publican one incontinent Magdalene one Saul as bloody as Nero or Iulian one lost sheepe to be brought home Luk. 15. one prophane Gentile than in a multitude that needed no repentance It is a greater worke of Gods divine majestie to change a wicked man to a godly than of nothing to erect the glorious arches of thewhole world as Paul said of himselfe Where sin abounded there grace more abounded 1 Tim. 1. 16. For this cause I obtayned mercy that in me first Christ Iesus might shew forth all long suffering for a patterne to them which should hereafter beleeve on him to life everlasting As the Orator spake He that exalts his dejected adversary to his auncient place and dignities and not onely thus but amplifies his honours I not onely comparatively equall him with the best of men but judge him most like to God himselfe It is the glory of a King to passe by offences saith Eccles so is Gods mercy made great in pardoning the innumerable sinnes of the East the abhominations of the Gentiles In the East was the fall of our first Parents the unbeleefe of Eva the disobedience of Adam Gen. 3. the fratricide of Cain Gen. 4. Nimrods rebellion first Idolatry Magicke delivered and taught by those Phantasticke divels Incubus and Succubus with many more so that here is the magnifying of his mercy also of his glory As it is a great glory to a King to have strangers from remote parts of the world to bring presents and submit themselves to his scepter and governement So is it to have the raging Gentiles that so long had bandied themselves against the Lord and his annoynted to yeeld their necks under his yoake and those lands which like Ezechiels bloudy pots had nought but theyr scum in them full of Mephyticall stinckes like the five Cities or like the pot among the children of the Prophets in which was nought but death and the entoxicating poyson of abhominable villaines should at the last like Noahs sacrifice be a favour of rest in the nosthrils of Almighty God pots of holinesse like those in Zach. 13. last And so here is the mercy love and glory of God manifested in the calling of those long-loathed Gentiles Thus wee see Christs Kingdome according to his promises and prophecyes reaching from sea to sea and from the great river to the ends of the World as the Angell said Of his Kingdome shall be no end not onely in regard of the stability and durance but also of the boundlesse interminable amplitude thereof The Ocean shall not bound his regiment His fame shall flie above the firmament Else where had beene those huge Nations which have bin converted to the faith some by Apostles c. to omit the rest our selves which long lay in the darknesse of superstitious Gentilisme and of late times by those famous Colonies in Virginia brought from worshipping of Divils mirabile dictu to worship the true God in spirit and truth the instruments of whose happy calling were our famous English If the mercy of God had not appeared how had wee and the most part of the world still remained in horrible blindnesse slaves to Satan and heires of eternall perdition Come unto us then miserably blinded Turkes Infidels and Pagans and we will tell you what God hath done for our soules we have tasted how true how gracious the Lord is the Sea of knowledge which Esay spake of is accomplished among the Churches of the Gentiles Ieremie said They should come unto God from the ends of the earth and it is fullfilled the concourse to the preaching of the Word foretold by Micah and Zacharie is verified Mic. 4. 1. Zach. 8. 20. This day are these Scriptures fulfilled in our eares Thus much for confirmation of the Doctrine the uses follow First to teach us to magnifie the glorious name of God who hath called us out of darknesse into the marveilous light of the saving knowledge of Christ If we should make a quare with David concerning the generall estate of man What is man that thou art so mindfull of him or of himselfe What am I and what is my Fathers house Why we were even a refused people in whom there was neither favour nor beauty without hope without God in the World children even whose profession was disobedience drowned in the sinke of abhominations Our religion if we had any was mere idolatry Quicquid humus pelagus coelum mirabile gignit Id dixere Deos colles freta flumina flammas What'ere the God of nature hath made strange In Sea in earth in hill floud fire
or skie The Gentiles from their lawfull use did change And made them gods in their Idolatrie Nay even the dropping cloudes and fire was the god of the Chaldes who having devoured all the other woodden deities was confuted by Canopis with a cauldron of water which quenched that furious Idol Nothing so base but they gave Gods honour unto it Rom. 1. 23. Changing the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible man c. Caesar as Tertullian upbraides them was so sacred that it was more tollerable to sweare forswear by all the Gods than by him Nay in all the whole course of their lives they were so abhominable and debauched that when the Scripture would aggravate and make a sinne seeme Hyperbolically great paint it in the true colours he sends us to the Gentiles for patternes being as truely Doctored in the acting of sinnes as the Iesuites in the art of poysoning As against distrust Math. 6. 32. For after all these things doe the Gentiles seeke They sought with all their might arising from a distrust of Gods providence For incontinent incest 1 Cor. 5. 1. It is reported that there is such fornication among you as is not named among the Gentiles that one should have his fathers Wife which is spoken as negative of the Gentiles to aggravate the hainousnes of it for we reade their common practice thereof in the Iliade of their abhominations as the wife of Seleucus a Gentile became after the wife of Antiochus his sonne Then were Nicholaitans in Ephesus Reu. 2. 6. a Church of the Gentiles in their common conversation not onely being dishonest but hating honestie in others in somuch as one Hermodorus was banished from Ephesus because he was an honest man â—s was Aristides out of Athens for no other cause but for his justice And so it was their opinion of honesty as Brutus opinioned vertue I honour thee vertue as something but thou art indeed nothing but an empty name No sinne so sensuall so sencelesse so unnaturall unreasonable but they have beene actors thereof And as the knowledge of CHRIST was preached to the Iewes by an Angell as to a people endued with reason so was it to the Gentiles by signes nor by voyce as to a foolish people with the Prodigall feeding themselves with the huskes of their base affections And as a burthen is easily stayed upon the backe of a Camell by reason of his bunch so the diveli kept those Gentiles easily in their blindnesse causing them for feare to worship him and offer him sacrifice as those soâ—tish Indians the Pigusians c. Then learne wee to magnifie the name of our God It is an honourable thing to speake of the workes of God Tob. 12. that was so mindfull of us when wee were not mindfull of our selves when our hearts like Ephraims Hos 7. 11. as a silly Dove deceived even then hee ranne to meete us fell on our neckes and kissed us with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1. 1. fearing to be too late in shewing mercy whereas in the execution of his justice and wrath Gen. 3. 8. hee walked slowly Vs that were Captaines in mischiefe hath hee called out of the fooles Paradise and inchanted castle of Satans baites and set us upon the Rocke that was higher than us the rocke of Salvation CHRIST IESVS So that wee may say with the Governour of the feast Ioh. 2. 10. The good wine was kept till now the firkins of the Iewes were but water to these beggarly rudiments See then and admire the infinite mercy of Almighty God to call thee beloved which wast not beloved to remove thee from under the regiment of Satan to draw thee out of his power as David did the Lambes from the Lyon and the Beare broken the shackles and manacles of that more than Aegyptian Babylonish or Turkish slaverie taken thee as Abraham out of idolatrous Chaldea Lot out of Sodome or a firebrand out of the fire and set thee in the glorious liberty of the new Ierusalem confirmed thy Charter to the Kingdome of Heaven Leape upon thy feete then with the Cripple at the beautifull gate of the Temple and praise thy God Acts 3. 8. Let him bee praised that hath brought thee home like the lost sheepe upon the shoulders of his Mercy sought thee out with the light and lanthorne of his Word perswaded thee by his Spirit called thee from thy banishment enfranchised thee Hee that was incarnate and made Man for thee grieved and wept for thee sweat water and blood for thee hung on the Crosse for the malice of Men and Divels for thee give then the glory unto him Here is a behold of stupefying wonder Psal 18. 43. A people whom I have not knowne shall serve me As soone as they heare of mee they shall obey me The Oxe hath knowne his owner and the Asse his Masters crib Esay 1. 3. I am found of them that seeke me not An admirable and surpassing miracle that those which did bandy themselves against the Lord and his Annointed should willingly put their neckes under his yoake O worke above all expectation Christ to ride upon the Asse-colt unused to the yoake Belial to bee turned to CHRIST Zoroastres into Moses Superstition into Religion Orgyes into mysteries sacriledge into Sacrifice dogs into Saints publicans and harlots to teach the way to heaven the scholler reading a lecture to the Master the one reading the most secret mystery of mans salvation wrapped in the sacred leaves of Gods eternall Counsell and that by a dumbe starre the other standing amazedly sottish at the lively voyce of Gods learned interpreters the one as it were striving whether faith the other whether unbeleefe should prevaile the nerer the Church the farther from God the poore receive the Gospell See then the unmeasurable riches of Gods free mercies hee will have mercy Vpon whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardens Ro. 9. It is not of him that runneth nor of him that willeth but of God that sheweth mercy Consider further that mankinde may be divided into a tripartite ranke First are those most remote and farre off from the covenant upon whom God in his unfearchable judgements hath not vouchsafed so much as an outward calling Gen. 9. 25. Cursed be Canaan a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren as Pagans Infidels c. which stand in the outmost Circle which delight in Atheisme as Vultures passe over sweete meadowes and fragrant groves to passe to loath some carryon these like Noah do not awake from their drunkennes hardnesse of heart c. Secondly are those which stand in the next Court within the visible Church and are as tares with wheate bad fish with good corrupted humors in a sound body Cain with Abel drosse with gold Vessels of dishonour with Vessels of honour 2 Tim.
2. Which may have the ordinary giftes of the Spirit they may prophecy with Saul and Cajaphas preach and doe miracles with Iudas speake like the Oracle of God with Achi tophel cry Lord Lord Math. 7. 22 challenge an interest in the free demesnes of heaven Math. 25. 11. Open to us and yet are sent packing to their hell home with a nescio vos I know ye not If ye aske the reason and cause of it Our Saviour CHRIST orally and oraculously returnes it Math. 11. 25. This mystery of Salvation is hid from some and revealed to others even So Father for so it seemed good in thy sight as in a Princes Proclamation It is our pleasure All the workes of these men failing in their end not done in faith to the glory of God and if God rewarded them it was temporally for temporall respects the good of mankind civill order and society not shewing any approbation thereof in respect of himselfe their mercy justice continency c. being without faith was sinne as Augustinâ— saith which indeed ariseth not from the act of compassion but from the privation of faith they may have these and many more honest civill moralities but they never have the inward calling the donation of faith the true knowledge of God I know my sheepe and am knowne of mine Iohn 10. 14. which knowledge is like the Sunne casting his beames upon us by whose reflection we looke upon and viewe the Sunne Gal. 4. 9. Seeing ye know God or rather are knowne of God If they have any it is a literall no saving or spirituall knowledge no true love of God for he never knew or loved them 1 Iohn 4. 19. We love God because he loved us first If these carnall Capernaites follow CHRIST doing his will in any thing it is more for his loaves than his love Ioh. 6. 26. all proceeding from some sâ—nister respect their praise or profit they never have the inward beautifying of the Church To be all glorious within Psal 45. 13. the rich habiliments and garments wherewith as Isaac decked his beloved Rebecca and the King of Persia religious Mordecai CHRIST Iâ—SVS bespangleth his spouse These be the foolish Virgins which a long time had their lives blossoming as if their soules had bin the maidenly bride of CHRIST when in the end they were unvailed and found the speckled adulteresses and uncleane concubines of Satan Math. 25. This is the man boldly intruding himselfe into the marriage supper not having on a wedding garment his faith but figge leaves notable to cover his nakednes Math. 22. These walke like friends in the Church of God together But many are called and fewe are chosen In the third ranke are they which out of the brazen mountaines of Gods election flowing out of the rivers of his endlesse mercy which are not onely within the skirts and territories of his regiment as the former but they are inwardly sanctified called and culled out of the whole heape and masse of Mankind by a lively Faith engraffed and planted into the mysticall body and have as neare an union and communion with their head CHRIST as the branch hath with the vine the members with the head or the husband with the wife Ephes 5. 30. We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones these are built upon the sure foundation the rocke of safety and horne of salvation Luke 1 69. He is the corner stone upon which their whole building is coupled Eph. 2. 20 No other foundation can any man lay than that which is already laid which is IESVS CHRIST 1 Cor. 3. 11. and These are living stones built upon him 1 Per 2. 5. Othoniel delivered the Israelites from Chushan and is therefore called their Saviour Iudg. 3. 9. but they fell againe into the hand of Moab Ehud rescued them from the Moabites and they became servants to the Canaanites Iudg. 4. 2. A Physitian may cure a man of one disease and he may after fall into another or the same and dye of it But CHRIST hath them sure Iohn 10. 28. I give my sheepe eternall life and they shall never perish hee hath washed away theâ—r sinnes and made a passage to heaven a perfect and sure rocke of safety upon which these are placed Antiquam generis labem mortalibus agris Abluit obstructique viam patefecit Olympi Poore mortals sicke he washed hath from auncient staine Originall And opened wide Olympus path that barred was and shut to all So that here the gates of Hell and Luciferiall powers of darknesse may shoote their darts of poysoned malice as against CHRIST the head Math. 4. so against these the members to be retorted upon themselves as from a tower of brasse for â—hee that keepeth Israel doth neither slumber nor sleepe and though the two first parts be cut off and dye the third will the Lord fine as Silver and Gold Zach. 13. 9. And from this consideration ariseth a Cordiall a Caveat and a dolefull Madrigall First it affords a comfortable cordiall to the Christian that he is one of those secret ones inwardly called separated from the world and endued with power from above This is the summum bonum and chiefe dignitie and blessednesse of all other So that it may be said of him as a certaine heathen of a wise man of a wise man He is onely lesse then God And as another spake of the vertuous He that hath vertue hath with her as a dowrie all good things As the Lord of hoastes and of the whole earth and all that therein is Psal 24. 1. accounteth it his greatest dignity and title of honour to be stiled The Lord God of Israel of his Church Luk. 1. 67. as thence receiving his greatest honour So is it the chiefest honour of a man to be an Israelite a limme and member of that Society of the Communion of Saints It is indeed the worlds felicity to build pillars with Absalom towers with Nimrod to call our lands after our owne names to engrosse rich revenewes Parsonages and patrimonies for our posterity to build our nests on high and to covet an evill covetousnes to our houses while The stones cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber answere it Hab. 2. 9. worse than the King of Sodome Gen. 14. 21. Give me the soules and take the goods to thy selfe But we say to the spirituall king of Sodome the divell give us the goods and take our soules to thy selfe This is our hope and our posterity praise our doing selling our Saviour for thirty pence our heaven for a messe of pottage and our soules laied in the banke for a quid dabitis What will ye give me Ps 4. 6. Who will shew us any good O miserable mucke-worme that sellest thy soule and thy solace thy heaven and thy happinesse for these faile-friends which in the time of neede cannot so much as cure the aking of
engraven us upon the palmes of his hands verse 16. sometime in the tendernesse of hennes to their Chickens Mat. 23. 37. which how tender it is we see in the continuall care that she hath in hatching feeding and to her power in defending her young and yet all these are but shadowes in regard of substantiall and everlasting love which CHRIST IESVS the heavenly Henne hath over his beloved ones his love is as himselfe infinite for whatsoever is in God is God his mercy his justice c. and all those backe-parts of the mighty IEHOVAH Exod. 34. 6. When he is called mercifull what is he but mercy it selfe in the abstract saith Savanorola if they were al gathered together that are in heaven and earth and it be demaunded of them how they have been saved they all stand as a cloud of witnesses to testifie Gods free mercies and to say with the Church Psal 115. 1. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give the praise Now consider further that the mercifull kindnesse of God is 1. Generall 2. Speciall The generall is his providentiall care over all his creatures in creating preserving sustaining and maintaining of them Psal 36. 6. Thou O Lord wilt save both man and beast Mat. 5. 45. He maketh the Sunne to rise on the evill and the good and sendeth raine upon the just and unjust Iohn 5. 17. My Father yet worketh and I worke with him meaning in his generall care in the supporting of the creature this is called Psalme 51. 1. Loving kindnesse or benignity extending it selfe to the very Ravens Psal 147. 9. Luke 12. 24. The speciall mercy is that by which hee loves his owne in CHRIST redeemes sanctifies and saves them by his free grace 1 Tim. 4. 10. He is the Saviour of all men especially of those that beleeve this he exerciseth toward us both in giving and forgiving both which Moses describes at large Exod. 34. 6. Mercifull in which he doth as it were clothe himselfe in the affections of man Ier. 31. 10. His bowels are troubled for Ephraim Matth. 9. 36. His bowels even earned in compassion to see the multitude wandring as sheepe without a shepheard how pathetically he perswades the reformation of his Church Cant. 6. 7. Returne returne O Shuâ—â—mite returne how passionately he deplores Ierusalem Luke 19. 42. If thou haddest knowne even thou in this thy day the things which belong to thy peace in a word he rejoyceth in his owne mercie but sorrowes for our miserie Gracious which intimates a forwardnesse to doe us good he is never weary in doing it Iam. 1. 5. he gives liberally to all Slow to anger full of patience Gen. 6. 3. How long did he wait the repentance of the old world in his mercy stopping the course of his deserved vengeance Psal 95. 10. Fourty yeares long did he suffer the murmuring Idolators and Adulterers in the wildernesse Psal 106. 43. Many a time did they provoke him to anger by their Counsels yet Is 30. 18. he waits that he may have mercie Aboundant in goodnesse and truth noting his disposition by kindnesse to win men the immutable constancie of his promises which is the inexhaustible fountain of his mercies he reserves them for thousands his goodnes is not like the morning dew dispierced and exhaled by the Sunne nor like the Coffers of the greatest Potentate which may be drawen dry but a Lamp which is fed by the oyle of Immortalitie and which makes up the measure he forgives iniquity transgression and sinne no marvell than if David call them in his experience the multitude of his tender compassions in which he tenderly embowelleth his chosen as the womb enfoldeth nourisheth the new conceived Embryo where he shewes mercies he shewes them by multitudes if the royall heart of Alexander thought it not honourable to give small things how much more than shall the all-sufficient God give that exceeds him as much as the maine Ocean the least riveret he is ready to forgive Isa 55. 7. Father of mercies and God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. Very pittifull and full of mercy Iam. 5. 11. The heighth length bredth and depth thereof passeth all understanding Eph. 3. 18. All these compassions and mercifull kindnesses may be reduced to a sixe-fold ranke First preventing Mercies whereby hee did us good when we knew not keeping us from many sins which otherwise we had committed many and many have we coÌ„mitted against him but far more should we have done if his mercie had not prevented us acknowledg than Gods mercy toward thee even in those sins which thou hast not coÌ„mitted If thou seest one which is debtor to me for a sin and I forgave him know also that thou art a debtor to me because I prevented thee from the like because there is in every mans corrupted brest since the fall of Adam the Seminarie and seed-plot of all iniquitie springing from the bitter root of that originall Corruption the match and tinder the fuell and fountaine of every actuall transgreson so that there is no enormitie which the most debauched wretch hath committed but thou hadst acted the like if grace had not preuented boast not thy selfe then in this but with devoute Bernard extoll the mercie of the Almighty Secondly are his sparing mercies experienced in his longanimitie and patience in which thou mayest say I have sinned and thou heldest thy tongue I have transgressed and thou hast spared me when thou lookedst upon Zimri and Cosbi slaine in the act of uncleannesse Ananias and Saphira the old world Sodome and Gomorrha Iulian Herod with thousands more the dierfull spectacles of Gods powerfull Iustice hast thou not sufficient cause to glorifie that God that hath so long suffered thee to wallow in the puddles of thine iniquitie and hath not sunke thee downe to the pit of perdition but still waites that hee may have mercie Thirdly his pardoning mercies else what benefit were it to be long spared and at last paid home as it shall be with every impenitent though he enjoy the sun-shine of Gods patience yet in the end the wrath of God shall burne as an Oven as Tophet against him though now he see the hand of Gods justice behind his backe clouded and vailed in his daily continued mercies yet the conclusion will prove a tragicall Catastrophe though he passe with a slow pace yet he goes in order though with leaden feet yet with Iron hands but this feare is taken away by these pardoning mercies by which in the bloud of Christ he makes us as cleane as if he never had been poluted Psal 32. 1. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Fourthly are his renuing mercies by which he gives not onely remission of sinnes but also the grace of renovation by which they become new creatures trees of righteousnesse bearing and abounding in the fruits
of faith and repentance sanctified in their soules bodies and spirits not like the blacke Apostata who after his cleansing is repossessed with seven spirits worse then the former or the Dog returning to his vomit or the Sowe to wallow in her myre and which is more fully made plaine in the fifth which are his corroborating mercies whereby hee continues in the state of grace not falling and backsliding with Adam in the state of mutabilitie but as mercy brought him to it so it continueth and keepeth him in it Sixtly and lastly are his crowning mercies whereby he shall perfect his worke begun in us and performe his Kingdome promised to us where there shall be no hurtfull thing but wee estated in the paradise of eternall happinesse shall have our Vnion and Communion with Christ and the heavenly Hierarchie of the high and holy Saints for ever such a measure of Beatitude Isa 64 4. As eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man 1 Cor. 2. 9. This unmeasurable extent of Gods mercies serves first to urge upon us the drift of the Prophet in this place viz. To praise God for his mercy the whole worke of our salvation goes under this Title 1 Pet. 2. 10. Which in time past were not the people of God but are now the people of God which had not obtained mercie but now have obtained mercie to what part soever we looke the whole frame of it is made of mercy if wee begin at Gods election the foundation and ground-worke of all and passe downe to the last period of all which is glorification and aske from what roote each part sprung this onely Mercie must answer all Mercie in chusing mercie in sending CHRIST in calling justifying sanctifying strengthening preventing preserving and the admitting of us to an Inheritance immortall and undefiled 1 Pet. 1. 4. all from mercy so that the burden of our song must still be with David Psal 132. 1. For his mercie endureth for ever In the parable of the profuse prodigals returne the whole streame of his Fathers carriage toward him is nothing but mercy when he was yet a farre off his father saw him had compassion on him ranne to meete him fell on his necke kissed him c. In the whole worke there is nothing but mercie Luke 15. 20. c. So that light and darkenesse God and the Devill hot and cold and not in a line of greater opposition then mercie and merit in the worke of mans salvation which Antichristian Doctrine is like a Centaure halfe man halfe horse or like that brood of Nilus halfe frog halfe earth or the minotaure halfe bull halfe man contraries in a remisse degree may admit intention and remission as heate and cold in tepide luke-warmenesse but in the highest degree they cannot So though we graunt with Saint Augustine good workes to bee necessary in regard of their presence not of their efficiency and with Bernard that they are the way to the Kingdome Yet in the case of Iustification Rom. 3. 28. Rom. 4. 6. and Rom. 6. 23. Considered in their highest degree even to the very sufferings of Martyrs Rom. 8. 18. they can no more stand with mercy then Dagon of the Philistines is able to confront the holy Arke of IEHOVA 1 Sam. 5. 3. By which wee see the Papist like an unskilfull Empiricke in Physicke make a Potion for a sicke soule as he that went into the field to gather herbes but found a wilde Gourd and put it into the pottage while the eaters cryed out Death in the pot 2 Kings 4. 39. So doe they temper the soules-salving herbe of grace with the poysoning Gourd of humane merrit dealing with the Church of God as unkindly as unnaturall Parents or Nurses giving their children a stone for bread and a Scopion for a fish as the Philistines with Isaacks wels stopping them with earth Gen. 26. 15. Choaking and damming up the fountaine of Grace which ought to be open to the house of Iacob Zach. 13. 1. Changing the reward of favour and promise Col. 3. 24. into their owne of debt Nay further it is the corrupt and dangerous conceite of many who would not bee accounted popish but seeme to magnifie the free mercies of God which yet will be saved by well-doing good meanings and good prayers like the children of the Iewes who marrying with the Ashà odites spake halfe in their language Neh. 13. 24. which is an impeachment to their sufferings which trode the wine-presse cleane Isa 63. which will not give to others nor communicate this his glory with others Isa 42. 8. It is onely mercy without merrit that must lift a man from the gates of despaire when the angry brow of the Almighty is bended against him for sinne as we see in David Psal 51. c. and our Saviour Christ standing in the gappe of Gods wrath being but our surety and pledge yet his soule was heavy unto death trickling down those thicke drops of blood in his miraculous sweat in the Garden thou mayest for a while with David cast the darke cloud of security over thy sins to hide them as the fish Sepia casts up a blacke liquor to hide her selfe but woe be to them that seeke in deepe to hide their counsell from the Lord their workes are in secret and they say who sees it Isa 29. 15. Eccles 23. 18. Hee that searcheth Ierusalem with a lanthorne will find thee out and rouze up thy slumbering Conscience and then so heavy is the sinne of conscience that without any more evidence it passeth Iudgement upon it selfe Pro. 18. 14. A wounded spirit who can beare even none but God In all other troubles miseries and molestations we wrastle with men or divels but here impar congressus weake man with his Maker brittle clay with it's Potter sinfull man with holy God which is of purer eyes then to looke upon evill Hab. 1. 13. and a consuming fire Heb. 12. 29. In other things man is a friend and favourite to himselfe as Peter perswades CHRIST to pittie himselfe but here he is his owne enemy and often in the rage of his conscience his owne executioner as in Iudas and Pilate Iere. 20. 4. Rehold I will make thee a terrour to thy selfe thy memorie reason every sense and faculty of thy soule is a Gorgonian-hell-â—urie to torment thee Now in this case when a mans bones is full of the sinnes of his youth Iob 20. 11. His heart broken with one breaking upon another Iob 16. 14. His conscience upon the racke his God writing bitter things against him Iob 23. 26. Then comes the mercy of God to comfort him all other comforts of workes merits satisfactions c. are miserable comforters Iob 16. 2. And will consume as a rotten thing and as a garment that is moth-eaten the soule of a Christian is like Noahs Dove which finds no safety
Pena damni is an aggravation of the misery and materiall poynt of the torments of the damned Luke 13. 28. Yee shall see Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdome of God thou mayest justly heere say with David being the man whom the King will honour 1 Sam. 18. 18. in the acknowledgement of Gods free mercy and truth toward thee Who am I and what is my life or my fathers family in Israel that I should be not onely sonne in law but even lawfull heire to the King of Kings to enjoy the same glory with those famous Patriarks and Worthies what shall then become of all those that neglect so great Salvation who being invited to this heavenly banquet of mortall Ambrosicall junckets do still lie groveling in the myeric and nastie sinkes of Iniquity eating the filthy dust of the earth with the Serpent Gen. 3. 14. selling themselves with Ieroboaâ—â— to doe wickedly soules and bodies with Esau to hell for a messe of Pottage or with Demas for a few of the transitory temporals of the world but if wee expect the same happinesse with the Fathers wee must go the same way and tread in the same steps not expecting to enjoy the poysonous pleasures of sinne and the felicity of Gods chosen with Moses Heb. 11. 25. refusing to be called the sonne of Pharaoes daughter chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasure of sinne for a season esteeming the rebuke of CHRIST greater riches then the pleasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of reward knowing if he had the one he must misse the other thus our Saviour CHRIST endured the Crosse dispised the shame for the joy that was set before him Heb. 12. 2. Thus the Christian Hebrewes in the Primitive Church suffered with ioy the spoyling of their goods the reason is rendered they knew in themselves that they had in Heaven a better and more enduring substance Heb. 10. 37. or as David Psal 106 5. That I may see the good of thy chosen and reioyce with thine inheritance Heere is propounded vnto thee that double pathway of Hercules the one the straight foot-path of Vertue which ascending may seeme hard and difficult Non est a terris mollis ad astra via Faire vertues war hard and vneasie is that leades from Earth to endlesse happinesse The other is broad easie and even which is the inchanted way of sinfull pleasure Facilis discensus Averni The often-troden path of fi lt hy Vice is easie plaine and leades from Paradice Thus tracing the Patriarkes in the footing of holy Duties Religion and Pietie there is layd vp for thee a Crowne of immortality but traversing thy steps in the pleasing wayes of voluptuousnesse thou shalt be sure to finde nothing but horrid paines tumultuous horror fiery chaines scorching darknesse tormenting Divels and a full draught of the scalding Cup of the vnmeasurable wrath of an angry incensed and revenging God who is a consuming Fire Heb. 12. 29. Seeing the Fathers received the Promises assuredly having the mercies of God confirmed and performed vnto them by their Faith Heb. 11. 33. even to their severall deliverances even that from Babels Captivity which long expected inlargement was vnto them as a dreame Psal 126. 1. and preventing his servants beleeving on him as David with blessings abundantly Psal 21. 3. So will hee deale with vs if wee have Faith Ephes 3. 20. For hee is able to doe for vs exceeding abundantly above all that we aske or thinke promising to heare our Prayers even while we aske or speake as hee did with Cornelius Act. 10. 4. or Daniel chap. 9. 23. While they are yet speaking I will heare Isa 65. 24. So by Faith wee must receive the Promises Hence wee see the apparent reason and cause why so many after so long Preaching of the Word receiving the Sacraments and frequenting Gods holy ordinances which he hath made as the instruments to worke and nourish Faith in vs and the Conduit-pipes to convey his Graces unto us doe still receive so little profit remayning obdurate and hardened in prophanenesse Idolatry ignorance c. and are not healed of the sinne-wounds of their Soules nor obedient to the heavenly vocation that the Minister may justly take vp his complaint with the Prophet I have laboured in vaine and spent my strength in vaine Isa 49. 4. When men goe from the word of Exhortation as Caine from Gods owne admonition Gen. 4. 7. Worse then hee came or as Iudas from CHRIST fuller of Sathan than before Ioh. 13. 27. Our hearts are not opened Act. 16. 14. Our eares not boared our eyes not illuminated but like the deafe Adder or like the poore Begger wanting his hands that hee can receive no almes or like an empty vessell cast into the Sea which can receive no liquor because the orifice is shut Even so vnbeliefe frustrates the promises of God wee may aske pray and receive nothing because wee want Faith Iam. 1. 6. the Word is vnprofitable vnto vs For because of the vnbeliefe CHRIST did but few Miracles in Galilee the two Olive branches cannot emptie the Goldenoyle out of themselves through the two golden pipes because they are stopped Zach. 4. 12. And this is that which Sathan once strove to bring our Saviour CHRIST unto to distrust the providence of God Math. 4. 3. causing the stones to be made bread and this is that by which he works upon the weaknesse of man to distrust Gods care over him bringing him by this meanes to the shame of stealing and from this distrust even to the height of Apostacy for this God will destroy us Iudeth 5. Let us then 2 Cor. 7. 1. seeing we have such promises not loose the performance of them through unbeleife taking heede least at any time there be in any of us an evill heart of unbeliefe Heb. 3. 12. but learne to say with the man in the Gospell Marke 9 24. I beleeve Lord helpe my vnbeliefe and with the Disciples Luke 17. 5. Lord increase our Faith and if oppressed with deadnesse of heart stirre up our faith with David Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast downe my soule and why art thou so disquieted within mee for he that beleeveth shall not make hast Isa 28. 16. saith maketh not ashamed Isa 26. The iust man shall live by his faith Hab. 2. 4. All things are possible to the beleever he may remoove mountaines he is an omnipotent creature as Barnard sayth Phil. 4. 13. I can doe all things by faith thou receivest the pro. mises thine eternall life and happinesse have their dependance thereon Iohn 3. 16. hee that beleeveth in the Sonne hath everlasting life but if yee will not beleeve ye shall not be established Isa 7. 9. Seeing this Mercy and truth of God is confirmed and upon our faith so assured toward us that it cannot be frustrate