our Spiritual Warfare but Excuses what is the Obex the obstacle that renders the most powerful Ministry ineffectual but these We must therefore fetch these Kings out of their Caves or we do nothing If we could stâ—p up these Wells and cut down these fruitful Trees as they were commanded 2 Kings 3. 19. Then should Israel weaken the Enemy and the Ministers live at more hearts-ease But while these remain as we say Intus Existens prohibet alienum we do but beat the Air. There is no entrance for truth in the power of it This we shall find if we take a view of most of those things wherein the Minister hath to do E. g. First if the Minister give warning from God to avoid Sin and cry out Hâ—st and escape for thy life Cito Longe tarde as from the Pestilence How ill do men take it Look back with Lots Wife linger with Lot as lâ—th to part with Sin as Jacob with Benjamin as tender of it as David of Absalom Deal kindly I pray you for my sakâ— with the young man spare him hurt him not Is it not a little one say they a venial Sin may it not consist with grace If I never do worse I hope I shall do well enough Have not others done as bad or worse yet found mercy I have Examples great ones multitude on my side and some good men have done the like It is my Diana my Livelyhood my Dalilah or right Eye allow me this only I shall do any thing only spare me Herodias Intreat for me said Pharaoh abate me but this I hope my Calling Place Quality Profession and the custom and manner of the times may Excuse me mean while I shall live quietly peaceably and civilly and do what the Law requires 2. If we deal with men to confess and acknowledge their Sins how many shifts windings and turnings how long e're we can get that hard word Peccavi out of their mouths And if they do not storm as the Sodomites at Lot and look on the Minister as Ahab did on Elias or Micaiah then what Excuses do they make Bear with me I pray it was an Over-sight I confess but I hope my Nature Custom Passion Provocation may Excuse me Or it was done in my Ignorance Childhood or when I was not my self but then in my Drink Heat Anger Passion Fear Hast and on the sudden Another saith it was in Jest Mirth Merriment I had no ill meaning in the Earth another had I not reason I was wronged urged abused and it was to an Enemy or a worthless person Another what I did was in zeal and out of Conscience to make good my Vow Promise Oath which I had taken my Welfare Credit Honour lay at stake disgrace danger and prejudice was prevented my Friend pleasured much good procured Besides I tell you again it is the only Infirmity I am subject to my Rimmon herein the Lord be merciful to me I know not how to leave it or live without it and it is hard if a man have but One Ewe Lamb in his Bosome and the Minister would deprive him of that Besides the matter is not so great I am not an Adulterer Murderer or perjured person it was but once neither I should have been singular unsociable hissed at had I done otherwise I am civil take pains for my Living pay every man his own I trust the Lord will be more merciful then these Ministers tell us or God help us what will become of all else and twenty more such put-offs men have 3. If we cannot but yield it to be a Sin then have we other Excuses ready If it was Evil blame others not me I am a Child did as my Parents bade me a Servant and must do what my Master commands and keep his Secrets in a low condition and my dependence was on such whom I must not disoblige I am of so good a Nature as I can't be refractory if I am any bodies foe it is my own no mans else if I spend it is but my own what my Friends left me or I came fairly by I had Commands to warrant Promises to allure Threats to fright Friends and Companions to importune Examples and multitudes to accompany me and could I stand against all these If Hercules thought it hard to encounter with two how could I stand before so many Hercules's Besides what some scrupulous persons more precise then wise cry out against is the custom of the Countrey the mode of the time place and society that I converse with and the most men I meet with do the like and it were hard if God should condemn all the World but a few who are singular and love to please themselves though they please no body else 4. If dealt with to repent and break â—ff Sin we stand up in defence of it as if we had taken it into our Protection as did the Benjamites those Sons of Belial whâ—m they should have given up to the hand of Justice And then do we seek to stop the Ministers and Consciences mouth too putting far from us all fear of danger crying out are we not all Sinners have not the best their failings Is any man perfect in this life Some again cast the fault on Satan and some are ready to charge it upon God and say it was Gods will it should be so or it had never been God denied me his Grâ—ce then could I neither do nor be better than he enabled me c. 5. Press men to more strictness and amendment of life then do they flatter themselves and reply Is not God infinite in mercy did not Christ die for Sinners The promises of the Gospel are full of Comfort and I ground my Faith on them and such doctrines as are preached by our best Divines viz. Of Free Grace of Justification by Faith Remission of Sins and Pardon upon true Repentance and a great observation I have made I hope I shall never forget it the blessed End I have seen some make without all this ado 6. Stir them up to a pursuit of Holiness and a Conscientious course of Life how are they ready to plead the badness of the times the disrepute Holiness is in the Inconveniences Damage Detriment Disgrace we may meet with He that departeth from Evil maketh himself a Prey The Aspersions Nick-names cast upon the Godly the troubles and tentations of the Righteous the Lyon in the way the many difficulties in the way of Salvation The peace and prosperity of the wicked the divisions among Professors the scandalous Lives of some Ministers and the foul miscarriage of some Professors and many such like Lastly warn them to take heed of Security and to work out their Salvation with fear and trembling they have their answer ready Gods Decrees are unchangeable if I am Elected I shall be saved if not I shall perish whatsoever I do all endavours are in vain all good works we are taught do neither merit grace nor
them alone Thus Mat. 23. 14. could the Pharisee devour a poor Widows house yet keeping on his constant course of Prayer and Divine-Service the noise of the Widows cry never troubled him So they that crucified the Lord of Glory when they had such a pretence as had a face of Law Habemus Legem were not at all scrupulous and so squearnish as Pilate who called for water to cleanse himself of that Blood they never call for water to wash their hands but take his Blood and all Pilate's guilt upon themselves His Blood Mat. 27. 24 25. be no us and our Children they cry without the least remorse Only they must have it done before the Passover and must not go into Pilate's house that day of Preparation that they might not be defiled when they came next day to the holy Passover which Jo. 1◠28. they conscientiously were preparing themselves for 4. This is a profitable way to save charges 4. To spare pains cost pains and trouble about Religion and their own Souls And what a wonder is it to see those very men who will spare for no cost pains or charge for their Bodies Diet Apparel Physick Recreations or their Buildings and Furniture yea their Horses Dogs Hawks every thing stick only to be at cost and pains about their Souls The easiest and cheapest Religion is alway best The shortest way to Heaven pleaseth most Now these Excuses fit their turn for that and nothing like them For should they be at charge to mind Religion as some do it would ask pains study care diligence fear trembling there must be reading praying meditating reforming repenting and I know not what more To what end all this wast saith the Sluggard I have heard of a more compendious way and I will venture upon it A good excuse will save all this labour And he is a very poor man indeed that is to seek an Excuse These deal with their Souls as many Thread-bare Gentlemen do with their Backs and Garments who must be in the fashion and loth to be at charge of new inside and outside buy some handsome fashionable outside put a little Trimming on it and care not what the inside is who can look into that or as others who get a long Vest or Cloak to cover all whereas to Subueula pexae trita subest Tunicae Hor. have all new and good would ask more cost CHAP. X. The sinfulness vanity and frivolousness of Excuses HAving given an account of the Causes The sinfulness of Excuses and Reasons of Excuses in general not intending to speak of each particularly I come now to give an account why in our Proposition at first I called them sinful and frivolous 1. I shall speak to their sinfulness 2. To their frivolousness Their sinfulness appears in three things 1. They are Maxima impeditiva bonorum The greatest hinderances of any one thing 1. The great hinderers of good in the World of all good 1. They keep men from the good of Duty Faith and Obedience which they are call'd to 2. From the duty of Repentance which they might have upon failour of the former 3. Then from the comfort they might have had from Faith Obedience and Repentance had it not been for them 4. They keep from God that Subjection Honour and Obedience which we owe to him All which is to be seen in those Guests in that Parable Luke 14. 18. when invited to come to the Gospel-Supper to partake of Christ and his benefits they shew little Faith to believe the report of so much Grace and Mercy tendered little Obedience to come in upon a Gospel invitation persuming those were just Excuses they alledged of the Farm Oxen and Marriage 2. Having those Excuses in readiness they never trouble their minds with Repentance as if they had been at all to blame 3. Then are they frustrated of all that good and benefit which should have accrued to them upon acceptance They rejected the Councel of God against themselves as was said of some Luke 7. 30. They were in a fair possibility of well-doing had they not barred up the way to Salvation by these excuses 4. The Lord seeing his Grace so slighted upon such sleeveless and frivolous pretences is justly incensed sendeth to call in others resolving whosoever should these should not participate of his Grace and Mercy 2. They are secondly The maxima 2. The great Seminary of Evils productiva malorum The greatest Nursery and Seminary of Evils A world of evil springs from them They may be called Progenies Viperarum A Generation of Vipers or Semen Maleficentissimum as Junius or Malignantium as Ar. Montanus renders that of Esay 1. 4. A Seed of evil Doers a pestilent Seed of a very lewd Race Of these Excuses that may be said which Solomon chargeth the Whore withall She increaseth Transgressors among men Prov. 23. 28. and maketh them ten times worse then they would be Or what was charged on Jeroboam an active Ring-leader unto general Sin who lay under much guilt He sin'd and made Israel to Sin Yea which is worse then both that may be charged upon Excuses which the Lord chargeth upon the false Prophets That they strengthened the Jer. 23. 14 17. Hands of evil Doers that none doth return from his wicked way by promising them life Encouraged and animated with these they have made a Covenant with Death and Agreement with Hell not as if in a Esay 28. 15. regardless and desperate manner they slighted them but as being in their own conceit and apprehension sufficiently secured against them So Junius gives the See Jun. in locum sense 3. Whatever men may pretend these 3. They are all one with flat denial Excuses are upon the matter none other then plain refusals and flat denials but in a more smooth and complemental garb They speak as if the men were wondrous well affected onely sorry they could not magnifie their religious Inclinations by reason of these diversions But the truth is they had no real intention at all Verbalis excusatio realis recusatio An excuse in words is a refusal in deeds And the Lord interprets it for no orher therefore sends to call in others more cordially willing These have rejected me and I will reject them Hence our word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 14. 18. rendred excuse is often rendred to refuse renounce reject deny as Acts 23. 11. 1 Tim. 4. 7. 5. 11. Tit. 3. 10. Heb. 11. 25. So that they might as well have spoken out in plain English as Corah did Numb 16. 14. We will not come up for they never meant it though they made such a fair pretence for a blandation and colour 2. Their frivolousness appears in that 2. Their frivolousness they are not able to stand 1. Before the presence of God 2. The tryal of his Word 3. The strict examen of Conscience 4. A fiery tryal of Affliction
fallen too Well might the ancient Israelite weep who had seen the former Temple in Ezra 3. 12. its glory to see so mean a one now like to succeed in the room of it Well might Israel bewail the change in Rehoboam's dayes from what it was in Solomons when Wisdom and Justice sate in the Throne and now folly was set in high degree weakness and wilfulness ruled and misruled and lost all The golden age and 2 Chron. 12. 10. sheilds of Solomon turned into brazen Well might Job bemone his condition so much altered he had sate chief among Princes and was now all alone upon a Dunghill a Companion of Owls and Worms and Job 30. 29. 1â— 14. Vermin his Associates Well might Nebuchadnezzar have lamented could a Beast speak who had commanded the Empire of the World now driven from the Throne and grazing among Bruits I may take up the words of the Lamentation and say What shall I take to witness for thee what shall I liken to thee Thy breach is great like Lam. 2. 13. the Sea who can heal thee Where is man's Wisdom now have they no understanding Psal 14. 4. to call Light Darkness and Darkness Light and what is become of his Conscience now that when he is called from Sin to Duty Repentance Faith Obedience he flies from all by and to Excuses Woe to the World because of Offences was Mat. 18. 7. once said And woe to the World because of Excuses They are the sin of the World of the Church of all of every one When we are called off from sin we make Excuses when to confess sin Excuses when to Duty we put off with Excuses when to believe we make Excuses when the highest Grace is tendred we make all void by Excuses Nothing but Excuses Excuses none so young so ignorant but is skilled in them none so poor but is stored with them none so good but one time or other hath had one none so bad but hath many of them I have named an hundred in this Discourse and another may come after and find an hundred more and yet leave gleanings to them that come after us both few good Excuses but store of bad from self others God Satan any thing every thing Let us take a short Survey 1. When we are called to avoid sin or break it off how do we shrug and shrink When the Lord cryes out to Lot Hast thou escape for thy life linger not how do we cry loath to depart as the Sluggard out of his Bed When the Lord calls as Jonathan 1 Sam. 20. 38. to his Lad make speed hast stay not Cito longe tarde as we say of the Pestilence we invert it and say Tarde prope cito we should fly from Sin speedily fly far off from it return slowly or never We remove slowly loath to part with it as Jacob with Benjamin Cry out for it as Micah Judg. 18. 14. for his gods go along as far as we can or dare as Phaltiel did to Michal his wife from whom he was to be divorced and 2 Sam. 3. 15. can't part without tears and in stead of going far we do as Hagar sit down within a bow shoot loath to see sin die and return Gen. 21. 16. to it again as soon what means this bleating else Oh not so my Lord Is it not a little one a venial sin If I never do worse I hope I may do well enough I have tasted but a little of this Honey and must I die for it Have not others done as bad or worse and yet done well I have Examples multitude great ones some that go for good men my Leaders I hope my place calling quality profession common custom may excuse me beside I live civilly and peaceably and do what the Law will bear me out in 2. Again when men are dealt with to confess and acknowledge their sin what ado is here how long was Samuel ere he could get Saul speak that hard and unpleasing word Peccavi how many shifts and evasions first I have done my duty as far as I thought my self bound I am not in fault at all we sometimes deny the fact as Gehazi sometimes extenuate it It was my ignorance saith one It is my nature another an ill custom I have got a third I was not my self A fourth I was in drink in passion in hast anger or in fear Or but in jest say others my zeal good meaning Conscience must excuse me say others I had passed my word made a Vow bound my self under an Oath and Curse and what would you have me do my Credit and Honour lay at stake my Shame was prevented Profit advanced my Calling followed such benefit to my self or friend procured Besides the matter was not so great and was but once nor had I any ill intention in the earth I should have been singular and I know not what if I had done otherwise and made scruple I am civil painful peaceable pay every one his own and if I never do worse I make no question 3. If we can't but yield it to be a sin then have we other Excuses Let others look to it I am faultless it was their doings not mine I was a Child and must do what my Father bad me a Servant and must keep my Masters Secrets and do his Commands I had my dependance on my Superiors and must comply with their will I had Commands to encourage me Promises to allure Threats to terrifie me Examples to draw me Friends and Companions to importune me how could I refuse Besides what some scrupulous persons more precise then wise make such a matter of is the custom of the Time Place Country and Company that I converse with God help if so few as some men say should be saved and the way to Heaven should be so narrow 4. When we are pressed to repent of Sin and forsake it how do we still Conscience and justifie our selves Are we not all Sinners have not the best their infirmities There is no perfection in this life sometimes we cast it upon Satan he dogged me sometimes upon God he denied me the Grace gave me not his Spirit or ought me a shame 5. When called upon to more seriousness and amendment of life we are ready to plead God's great Mercy gracious Promises Christ's Merits the Doctrines of free Grace justification by Faith remission of Sins imputed Righteousness and our purposes of Repentance hereafter 6. When excited to holiness we plead the disrepute Holiness is in the inconveniences we may meet with the Aspersions cast upon the Godly the Afflictions and Tryals they meet with the difficulties in the way of Salvation the scandalous Lives of some Preachers the foul Miscarriages of some Professors and one great Observation above all the rest the quiet and peaceable end that some great Sinners have made 7. When we are warned to take heed of security and slothfulness some
Idol of and then applauds himself when he hath done I may say of the poorest and simplest None so poor but he seeketh to get some rotten Excuse or other of which he makes an Idol to quiet his clamorous and otherwise unsatisfied Conscience Saul had his Excuse for disobedience 1 Sam. 15. 15. After for his going to the Witch Jeroboam 1 Sam. 28. 15. 1 Kings 12. 28. an Excuse for his Calves in Dan and Bethel the Jews for stoning of Christ had an Excuse at hand Joh. 10. 33. and another for Crucifying of him We have a Law and by our Law he ought to die Joh. 19. 7. CHAP. II. The several Kinds of Excuses EXcuses are not all alike some are good some bad We meet with several holy just honourable Excuses in Scripture which are for our imitation Such was Holy Joseph's when sollicited to uncleanness by his impudent Mistris How can I do Gen. 39. 9. this great wickedness and sin against God That of David when pressed to avenge himself of his Master and Sovereign Saul God forbid that I should do this thing to my Master the Lords Annointed 1 Sam. 24. 6. and again 1 Sam. 26. 9. Such that of the three Worthies Dan. 3. 16. We are not careful to answer thee in this matter our God is able to deliver us out of thy hand and if not we neither can nor will worship thy Image Such that of the Apostles We must obey Acts 5. 29. God rather than Men. But our Discourse is professedly about bad Excuses I therefore pass those over Evil Excuses are of three sorts relating 1. To Sin 2. Duty 3. Faith We begin with such as refer to Sin and such are of two sorts 1. Such as are homebred and taken from self 2. Some extraneous and borrowed from others They are very many that relate to all these Heads I intend not an enumeration of all that were almost endless but take notice of such as are most obvious In the first place to begin with those 1. Denying the Fact that refer to Sin The first Excuse I shall take notice of is to deny the Fact Not I not I is the old Put-off Little less was that of our first Parents when questioned about the first Transgression Not I but the Woman Not I but the Serpent The like Judas his impudent Reply Is it I q. d. Who will say it is But most palpable that of Gehazi who by one Lie told in his Masters name got of Naaman two great Bags of Silver as much or more than he could carry and two Changes of Rayment and reckoned with himself what Purchases he should make of Olive-yards Vineyards c. But when he came back to his Master with another Lie in his Mouth as one Lie leads to another Thy Servant 2 Kings 5. 25. went no whither as denying the Fact he received a sad Doom The Leprosie of Naaman stick to thee and to thy Seed for ever A fit and just Brand for the Liars Forehead Had every Liar one such there would be many a foul Face to be seen in the Streets But how ordinary is it with young and old Servants and Children when done amiss to deny the fact thinking thereby to excuse and extenuate the fault which doth but aggravate it and of one fault makes two as our Divine Poet Dare to be true nothing can need a lie Herbert A fault that needs it most grows two thereby He that covereth his sin by a lie or denial Prov. 28. 3. shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy both with God and Man 2. A second sort will not tell you a downright Lie but as handsomly as they 2. Artificial Storie and fair Taâ—es can smother the Truth by an Artificial Story and think their work is done Thus did Joseph's Brethren when they had sold their Brother come home with a fair Tale having stript him of his Garment and dipt it in Blood shew'd it to their Father This we found whose Garment it is we know not Discern thou whether it be thy Sons I Gen. 37. 32. or no And thought they should never have heard more of it But not onely Murder but Lying and all Deceit will out they were afterwards brought to much shame and horror for the fact So true is that of the Wiseman A lying tongue is but Prov 12. 19. for a moment but the lip of truth shall be established for ever may be blamed never shamed A third sort comes and pleads Ignorance 3. Ignorance and saith he knew not that it was evil This was wicked Balaam's excuse when the Angel met him with a drawn Sword I did not know saith he that it was not thy mind that I should not go I will therefore return if it displease thee Num. 22. 35. Yes Balaam yes thou knewest well enough for the Lord had said expresly ver 12. Thou shalt not go neither curse them at all Yet go he would and curse them too though not in word yet by that more cursed and pernicious counsel that he gave the Midianites to entice the Israelites both to spiritual and bodily Fornication with their Idolatrous Feasts and then with their Daughters But though he escaped for a while he was after cut apieces Num. 31. 8 with the Sword It is true there is an Ignorance which if it be real not pretended invincible not affected doth in some sort excuse a tanto though not toto doth lessen the offence Such was Paul's who therefore found mercy upon his repentance because what he had done formerly against the Church he had done it ignorantly and in his state of 1 Tim. c. 13. unbelief yet did he never after plead his Ignorance by way of Excuse but every where laments it and the sad effects of it 4. A fourth stands up in his own defence 4 My Nature and pleads his Nature saying It is my nature and I cannot help it my nature and I must be born with my nature is to be hasty cholerick c. The godly mans grief is the wicked mans excuse Thou hast more cause to blush and be ashamed of the depravedness of thy nature and to pray to be made partaker of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 3. We pitty the Child who hath casually licked Poyson who is sick swells vomits purgeth sweats c. and dies if it be not expelled but hate and kill the Toad and venomous Asp whose nature it is Shall Cain plead my nature is to be bloody Nimrod mine to be Tyrannical Pharaoh mine to be obstinate Haman mine to be haughty Nabal mine to be currish Ishmael mine to scoff Jezabel mine to be unchast and Belshazzar mine to be jovial and rant Then let the Lion Bear Tyger Wolf and Serpent plead our nature is to raven devour destroy and poyson let us alone The Thorn and Briar our nature is to prick and tear therefore let us grow in the
excite Hope and Fear as Do this and live Transgress and die can't but be yielded just and reasonable 5. As to reward Obedience so to punish Disobedience can't be accounted other then most just Otherwise as in our lower States when Kings and States have made Laws against such and such Crimes under such Penalties the Offender might say Had not such a Law been made I had not been an Offender or Sufferer whereas it is not the King or the Law but thy Delinquency only that makes thee a Sufferer But hear what the Lord answers to that Cavil himself As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the Wicked but that the Wicked turn from his way and live Ezek. 33. 11. Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye die O house of Israel In which Answer Observe these four particulars 1. Here is a strong Asseveration by way of Negation attested with an Oath As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the Wicked q. d. I call Heaven and Earth to witness I do not make any to damn them It is far from me to use my absolute Soveraignty in an arbitrary sentencing them to damnation 2. Here is a plain and positive Affirmation under the same attestation to both as I live It is a pleasure to me that the Wicked turn from his way and live to which I am ready to give my assistance if he sincerely desire it 3. Both those are backed with an earnest and redoubled invitation Turn ye Turn ye He exhorts invites excites directs knocks calls waits again and again Turn ye Turnye 4. A pathetical Expostulation Why will ye die O house of Israel Herein assigning the proper and immediate cause of Ruine and Perdition q. d. It is your own default and that only not my will but yours is in fault Not my will not but your will not is the bar You will not come Joh. 5. 40. unto me that you may have life I have called and ye refused not I have refused you but ye me I would have gathered you as the Hen gathereth her Chickens to cherish Mat. 23. 37. and preserve them but ye would not It is not God's shall not but thy will not nor thy cannot but thy care not thou hast most cause to fear What wilt thou have then to plead O Sinner in the day of Visitation when thou wilt be forced to acknowledge not God's Decrees but thy sins have found thee out and undone thee nor art thou bound with the Chains of God's Decrees but with the Cords of thy own Sins Prov. 5. 22. Therefore let none say my case is desperate as they cryed out Numb 17. 13 14. Behold we die we perish we all perish we shall be consumed with dying There is no necessity of thine or any mans destruction how great a Sinner soever while God saith Why will ye die No impossibility of any mans Salvation while God saith Turn and live Therefore Sinner leave making Objections and fall to some course whereby thou mayst secure thy Soul Thy case at least is as saâ—e as the Gibeonites or Ninevites The Gibeonites did not say there is a Decree gone out against us Canaanites to destroy Root and Branch therefore are we dead men it is in vain to strive against Decrees and Divine Threats or to sue for our Lives or use any endeavours But they set their wits awork to save themselves and sped Rahab did not say Jericho is devoted Nineveh did not say The word is gone out of God's mouth can't be reversed But who knoweth if God may not be intreated Acts 27. 20. When all hope of safety was gone they wrought still and came all safe to Land while there is life there is hope while endeavors hope while mercy in God reconciliation by Christ and space of Repentance there is yet hope Therefore do not thou cast away thy self through carelesness but set thy self to the use of the means prescribed and say If I perish I 'le perish crying praying repenting reforming believing flying to Christ I will die in the way to the Refuge City I will adventure over the deepest waters to go to Christ as Peter did and if I sink in my way towards Mat. 14. 30. 3. From God's permission 1. As to Grace him I 'le cry Lord save me or I perish 3. A third excuseth himself from God's permission 1. As to Grace 2. As to his outward Estate As to Grace when some have been blamed for their Ignorance or wicked course of life This Answer hath been returned I do as well and serve God as well as he will give me leave And no man is to be blamed that he is no wiser or holier then God hath made him But this is with the Sluggard to keep his hand in his Bosome and himself in his warm Bed till God send warmer Weather and to say I'lle not feed my self but expect Ravens should feed me or Angels bring me meat But what saith the wise man Awake Sluggard Prov. 20 13. open thine Eyes and thou shalt be satisfied with Bread Consider man God hath made thee neither Stock nor Bruit given thee another Spirit endued it with Reason given thee divers helps besides as Exhortations Reproofs Promises Threats better Examples besides the checks of Conscience and motions of his holy Spirit Use thou thy endeavour and see if God will not give thee leave to be better In other cases we use not to argue thus I am as rich as God hath made me and I must be content and no fault of mine if I have no more Here the diligent man findeth Hands Legs Endeavours Head Brains and what ever he can But here is the misery of it when every thing else suffereth Violence the Kingdom of God must suffer none for us but expect rather it should offer Violence to us No Prayers Study Endeavours for more Grace but expect as Naaman the Sore should be 2 Kings 5. 11. stroked and we cured without our washing The Wind should come rushing upon us and we be filled with the Holy Ghost as the Act. 2. 2 4. Apostles were once and we not praying Or that a fiery Chariot should coast us to Heaven as Elias once though we have 2 Kings 2. 11. none of his fiery zeal activity and holiness in our Lives But consider again of this Answer Who art thou that sayest Thoudost as well as God will give thee leave Will he not give thee leave to be better who commands exhorts threatens promiseth affordeth such means the Ministry of his Word motions of his Spirit time space opportunity forbear therefore to charge God so foolishly 2. Others there be who excuse themselves by God's permission 2. As to their outward state as to their outward State ascribing that to his Providence which he will never own But with this difference from the former They impute their ill estate to
God which he never made so bad and these their good outward state which he never made so good Thus those wicked one Zachary who had enriched Zach 11. ◠themselves by oppressing the Poor would intitle God to their wickedness They cry out applauding themselves Blessed be the Lord for I am rich Thus Ephraim plays the cunning Merchant gets an Estate by wicked means Balances of deceit yet crys out I am become Rich I have found Hos 12. 7 8. Substance there is no Iniquity or Sin in all this Thus the insatiable Chaldaean when by Rapine and Spoil he had possessed himself of all the Kingdoms and Treasures of the Earth he imputeth all to his god as we Hab. 1. 9 10 11. have known some have done in our dayes crying out Providence Providence yet might he be better excused for entitling his ill-gotten power and wealth to his god a cursed Idol then we Christians any ill acquired state to the true God who loveth Righteousnesse and hateth Iniquity and is 1 Thess 4. 6. an Avenger of all acts of injustice A fourth excuseth himself with a foul 4. From God's Austerity reflection upon God for his Austerity as he will pretend Thus the evil and slothful Servant pleads when he had done nothing at all in discharge of his duty I knew thee Mat. 25. 24. to be an austere man reaping where thou dost not sow c. therefore I hid thy Talent q. d. I had been a better Servant if I had had a better Master I thought all was a case I had as good sit still for nothing as work for nothing for it would have come to nothing But I pray consider whose arguing this was The two endeavouring Servants said not thus found not God such a hard Master But received an Euge of praise and for a small measure of faithfulness and diligence had full measure heaped pressed down and running over of Reward Thou shouldst have found the like if thou hadst shewed like diligence But observe what shifts men will use to spare their pains There is a Lyon in the way Prov. 26. 13. saith the Sluggard There is difficulty impossibility in the way When the Devil can once get thee to entertain an hard thought of God he first drives thee from thy duty and at last drives thee into despair Cain's Judas's and Spira's despair sprang first from such a horrid thought But it is the whole design of Scripture as Luther well observed to set out God as gracious and merciful and abundant in goodness as Exod. 34. 6 7. Psal 145. 9. Heb. 11. 6. 1 Cor. 15. ult But men will not do thus in other cases If a gangrened Leg or Arm Cuncīa prius tentanda they will not presently cut it off but try all means first and if no remedy cut it off to preserve the whole at last But here as if men had made an Agreement with Death and Covenant with Hell they throw off all endeavours and think to charge their Condemnation upon God's inflexible severity 5. Another again destroys himself and 5. From God's mercy excuseth it when he hath done by a clean contrary pretense of God's mercy Deut. 29. 19. I shall have peace saith he though I walk after the imagination of my heart and add drunkenness to thirst q. d. though I add sin to sin God is so merciful I shall do well enough though I neither fear nor repent Thus Justice abused sends some to Hell and Mercy others and all must be laid upon God When he pipes they will not dance when mourns not lament If he command warn threaten Behold severity enough to drive men to despair Again if he exhort intreat beseech men to be reconciled wait to be gracious swear he delighteth not in the death of the wicked Behold mercy enough to make us secure and lazy The Lord may justly complain I am Amos ◠13. pressed under you as a Cart full of Sheaves One man saith I have only fears had I any hope or the lest assurance I should have some heart to pray and reform but now what joy to stir or endeavour And another saith because I have such hopes and so full assurance a lying presumptuous assurance I will cast off all fears sure I am I cannot out-sin the grace and mercy of God But Tertullian answereth such well They who can Salvo metu fide peccare salva venia in Gehennam detrudentur They who can live in sin and yet say they have never the less of Faith and fear of God shall be cast into Hell and yet God have never the less of mercy 6. There be that would be excused 6. For not giving Grace by casting an imputation upon God for his denegation and with-holding his Grace for thus they plead It is not in the power of man to direct his own way to convert himself Jer. 10. The Scripture saith No man can receive any Joh. 3. 27. thing except it be given him from Heaven And if God give not his Grace and Spirit how should I have it or how should I be better But give me leave to ask Didst thou ever go and ask these and desire them Ye have not saith St. James because Jam 4. 2. you ask not And if Grace and the Spirit are not worth asking thou art worthy to go without them Shall the Sun be faulted for not giving light when thou shuttest thy Windows and drawest the Curtains Or the Springs of niggardliness because they spurt not their waters into thy mouth Or the Earth be charged with illiberalness and unkindness because it putteth not its Corn into our Sacks or its Treasure into our Laps without ploughing for the one searching and digging for the other And if thou searchest for Grace as for Silver and Prov. 2. 4 5. seekest for it as for hid Treasure there is a promise thou shall have it Thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God We expect as I said before every thing else should ask pains but Grace none at all But that it should drop into our mouths as the Rain from Heaven or be brought to us and set at our Beds-head 1 Kings 19. 5 7. when we are asleep or sick as Elias had his meat brought to him by an Angel We must have a short and easie way to Heaven or we will have none 7. The last Excuse we shall mention in 7. God did owe them a shame relation to God is of such who when they or theirs have fallen into some soul sin as Theft Whoredom c. are ready to excuse themselves and say It could not be helped God ought them a shame and hath now paid it them and they now hope God hath done with them Some again are so ignorant as to say The Devil ought them this shame But know O vain man God owes thee no such shame till thou hast shamefully cast him off
out all our Sins so is Gods promise Ezek. 18. 21. Now where there is a removal blotting out and remission of Sin there needs no more Excuse or covering of Sin when sin is pardoned it is therefore said to be covered Psal 32. 1. Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth not sin c. All these Blessings came upon the truly penitent And therefore there is no more need of Excuses where there is no Sin Repentance is the best Excuse Apology or clearing of our selves as the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 7. 11. Beza renders it Excusatio and so is the signification of the word grammatically it procures a Pardon which no other Plea or Apology can and that gives a Covering which all the Excuses in the world can never do Of other Coverings that may be said which the Prophet speaks Ezek. 30. 1. They cover with a Covering but not of my Spirit adding sin to sin add Excuses to Excuses and you add Sin to Sin He that so covereth Prov. 28. 13. his sins shall never prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy you will cover and God will discover But true Repentance is a great Cover-sin This was the way which David took for clearing himself and to have his Sin covered he confessed repented cryed out I have sinned 2 Sam. 12. 13. done foolishly wickedly and the Prophet said The Lord hath taken away thy sin thou shalt not die Not guilty is the worst Plea we can make at Gods Tribunal and to stand upon our Innocency Because thou sayest I am Innocent I will plead with thee Jer. 2. 35. Job durst not stand to this plea If I am righteous said Job 9. 15. he I would not answer God so but make my supplication as an humble Delinquent to my Judge our best way of speeding in Gods Court contrary to what of man's is to sue in forma pauperis in forma peccatoris If I should wash my self in Snow water saith Job again and make v. 30. 31. my Hands never so clean yet thou shalt plunge me in the Ditch and make my Clothes to abhor me my Excuses with which I would cover my Sin would leave me in a worse pickle of pollution That vile Shimei sped better at Davids hands upon 2 Sam. 19. 19 20. his speedy and humbe submission and acknowledgement of his offences then either the innocent Amalekite that brought 2 Sam. 1. 15. 2 Sam. 4. 12. Saul's Crown or those perfidious Brethren that brought Ishbosheths Head when the one knew himself to be an offender and the three last thought they had merited and looked for a reward The penitent Prodigal had better Entertainment at the Fathers hands that cryed out Father I have sinned then the elder Brother that pleaded he had never offended Judahs Ingenuous confession of the miscarriage what shall we say or how can we clear our selves the Fact is apparent God hath brought our Sins to light we are all thy Servants c. so wrought upon Josephs Bowels that he could not speak one rough word more but fell to embracing and comforting them 3. In the third place because both Obedience and Repentance are defective our next Remove is to fly to the bloud of Christ by Faith and this three-fold Cord will be sure to hold fast the Anchor of thy Soul This is the only safe remove to trust to and this gives a supersedeas to all other Excuses Repentance is a good Cover-sin in some cases and goes a great way but the Bloud of Christ is all in all when all is 1 Joh. 1. 7. 9. done to cover and take away Sin it cleanseth us from all unrighteousness It was not all sorrow and contrition but the offenders highing and flying to the City of Refuge and abiding there which Num. 35. 25. did Excuse and secure him from the hands of the Avenger And the death of the High Priest did fully acquit him from his Crime Christ is our great and only Excuse-maker our only Advocate and Mediator and if be he our Apologist we shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Excuse in a good sense Who is he that will contend with me saith the penitent and believing Soul flying to Christ He is near that Justifieth me who Esay 50. 8 is he that will condemn Christ hath died c. and he maketh Intercession for us and his Intercession is above all the Pleas we can make for our selves Benjamin came off better by Judahs interceding for him and Nabal by Abigals then if either had spoken the best they could in their own behalf This made the Apostle desire to be found in Christ not in his own righteousness The Righteousness of Phil. 3. 9. Christ if we speak properly is the only Cover-sin and his Bloud the only Expiation and his Intercession our best plea and defence and true Faith our best Title and Claim By him all that believe are Justified there 's our safety from all which we could not be Justified by the Law Acts 13. 39. And to this give all the Prophets Act. 10. 43 witness that whosoever believeth in him shall receive forgiveness of Sins and where Remission is granted there is no more need of Excuses Christ saith to the troubled Soul that is perplexed to think what answer to make as to Mary Magdalen mourning why weepest thou what troubleth thee is it any want He saith as the good old man to the Levite that knew not where to Lodge Peace be to thee let Judg. 19. 20. all thy wants be upon me Is it Debt He hath undertaken and speaks to his Father in thy behalf as Paul for Onesimus If he Philem. 6. 18. bath wronged or oweth any thing put that on my account Is it Sin He saith in thy behalf interceding for thee as Abigal to David Vpon me upon me let this Iniquity be charged He was made Sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. Is it the Fathers Wrath and Curse thou fearest as Jacob did his Fathers He satisfieth thee in the words of Rebecka to her Son Fear not upon me be the Curse Gen. 27. 13. only obey my voice Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law having been made a Curse for us Gal 3. 13. 4. The fourth and last way to make sure against all sorry and beggarly Excuses is to furnish thy self with solid substantial and unexceptible Excuses such as can't be excepted against such as the Servants of God of old were wont to repel any motion to sin or diversion from duty by whereof I shall instance in five out of the Old Testament and as many out of the New And the first is that known one of Joseph when thou art sollicited to any base and sinful act resist it with this How can I do this great wickedness and sin against Gen. 39. 9. God 2. Get Tamars Excuse when