taken sometimes personally and sometimes essentially Personally when it is restrained to one of the Persons as to the first Person in the holy and blessed Trinity Matth. 28.19 Ephes 2.3 2 Cor. 13.13 to wit God the Father begetting the Sonne and sending forth the holy Ghost whensoever mention is made of any of the other Persons also Thus likewise it is taken when it is limited to the second Person in Trinity to wit God the Sonne begotten of the Father before all worlds â—say 9.6 as Esay 9.6 Vnto us a Childe is borne unto us a Sonne is given his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father And in this sence the holy Ghost the third Person proceeding from the Father and the Sonne may also be called Father because he together with the Father and the Sonne giveth being to all things Sometimes the Word is taken essentially without consideration of any personall relation and then it is referred simply to God and is extended to all the three Persons Deut. 32.6 as Deut. 32.6 Doe yee so reward the Lord Mal. 2.10 Iam. 1.27 O yee foolish people is not he thy Father that hath bought thee and Mal. 2.10 Have yee not all one Father and thus it is taken in this place for the whole God-head the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who have a Soveraigne Father-hood over the Church loving it defending it delighting in it caring for it bestowing all blessings upon it and withholding nothing that is good from it Doct. 7 This title teacheth us that God is the Father of his Church and Children As a Father loveth his Children to whom hee hath given breath and being as he feedeth and clotheth them nourisheth and layeth up for them so God loveth his Children to whom he hath given their first life their second life and to whom he will give a third life The first life is in the flesh the second in grace the third in glory The first is a naturall life the second a spirituall life the third an eternall life The first is their generation the second their regeneration the third shall be their glorification and therefore he loveth them with a love infinitely above the love of all Parents toward their Children whose love must needs be as finite as themselves when it is at the highest What the love of Parents is toward their Children the Scripture setteth downe by sundry examples 1 King 3.26 2 Sam. 18.23 1 King 3.26 Esay 66.13 Zach. 12.10 2 Sam. 19.37 Gen. 17.18 49.1 1 King 14.2 Esay 49.15 Psal 103.13 17. 68.5 Esay 63.16 69.8 2 Thes 2.6 2 Sam. 18 23. they rejoice at their good Prov. 101. they moutne for their trouble and evill that befalleth them Zach. 12.10 they comfort them in sorrow and anguish Esay 66.13 they procure them what good and preferment they can 2 Sam. 19.37 Gen. 17.18 they provide for the time present and to come Gen. 49.1 they tender them in sicknesse and in health 1 King 14.2 they prevent dangers that doe hang over their heads and may befall them Gen. 27.43 28.2 they regard them in prosperity and adversity in wealth and in poverty so that they cannot leave them nor forget them nor forsake them Esay 49.15 All these being onely in part and unperfectly in men are fully infinitely and perfectly in God as his nature and essence and therefore he commendeth his love to us above all this Esay 49. Matth. 7. of which places before The Prophets and Apostles are full of such testimonies as Psal 103. As a Father pittieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him and as the Heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that feare him And 68.5 A Father of the Fatherlesse and a Judge of the Widdowes is God in his holy habitation So Esay 63.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father our Redeemer thy Name is from everlasting And 64.8 Thou O Lord art our Father we are the clay and thou our Potter and wee all are the worke of thine hand Thus the Apostle 2 Thes 2.6 The Lord Iesus and God even the Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation comfort your hearts This title is indeed proper to God alone Reas 1 that albeit there be that are called Fathers as indeed there be many upon the earth Magistrates Ministers Masters naturall Parents Exod. 20.12 and all Superiours Exod. 20.12 Yet to us as there is but one God and one Lord so there is but one Father as we heard before out of the Prophet to whom this name is properly and peculiarly belonging Matth. 23.9 This Christ himselfe teacheth Matth. 23.9 Call no man Father upon the earth for one is your Father which is in Heaven neither be yee called Masters for one is your Master Obiect even Christ But is it unlawfull to call any Father the Apostle calleth himselfe the Father of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9.15 1 Cor. 9. Though yee have ten thousand Instructours yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospell Answ I answer He doth not simply forbid the appellation but restraine them from ambition neither condemneth he properly the title but absolutely the affecting of the title We may not therefore imagine that Christ would utterly abolish from among Christians the name of Father or Master or Teacher as if it were unlawfull for Children to call those their Fathers of whom they received their beeing or for Servants to call any their Masters to whom they owe their service forasmuch as the Scripture willeth Children to honour their Fathers and Servants to be obedient to their bodily Masters but his purpose is to forbid these names in such sort as the Pharises were called by them who loved or desired to be called Rabbies Fathers and Masters and challenged the names as proper and peculiar to themselves It is not therefore the bare title but their vaine glory that is condemned Againe so to be called Rabbi Father or Master that the people of the Lord should wholly and absolutely depend upon their mouthes 1 Cor. 7.23 to become servants of men and rest slavishly in their opinions and traditions as the onely true Teachers and Fathers of the Church as the Iesuits would be accounted in these dayes may not be admitted in any case or that their doctrines were not subject to triall and examination by the Scripture is wholly to be rejected forasmuch as the spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14.32 Thus to be called Father or Master agreeth to no mortall man but God is the onely true Father and Christ Iesus the onely true Master as the onely Law-giver that is able to save and to destroy Jam. 4. whose Precepts we must receive and are bound to obey though all the world should teach otherwise God then must be held to be supreme others are
reconciled I Answer Answ the Scripture speaketh of God two wayes sometimes properly and sometimes unproperly properly it agreeth not to God because in him is no change nor shadow of turning unproperly it may by the figure Anthropopatheja which is an attributing or ascribing unto God the parts properties passions and affections of men the more lively to represent the things spoken off before our eyes So then it is a borrowed speech from men in God it is a change of his worke not of his will as Gen. Gen. 6.6 6. it repented God that he had made man that is he purposed to destroy man whom before he had made From hence we learne where true faith is to apprehend and beleeve the truth and certainty of Gods threatnings Doct. there is a feare of judgements to come Faithworketh a feare of Gods judgments Faith worketh feare and feare often worketh faith This we see in these Ninevites they beleeved God and proclaimed a fast and therefore they feared the dreadfull sentence published and pronounced against them This appeareth in the commendation of the faith of Noah Heb 11.7 Heb. 11.7 He being endued with a justifying and saving faith is also touched with feare and reverence at the consideration of Gods judgements to come So it was with Iehoshaphat he beleeved the Prophets 2 Chro. 20.3 and therefore he feared and set his heart to seeke the Lord 2 Cor. 20. See the further practise of this in Hezekiah Ier. Ier. 26.18.19 26. Micah the Morashite prophesied and spake to all the people of Iudah Thus saith the Lord of hostes Zion shall be plowed like a field and Ierusalem shall become heapes did Hezekiah the king of Iudah and all Iudah put him to death did he not feare the Lord and besought the Lord and the Lord repented him of the evill which he had pronounced against them 2 King 22.19 The like we see in Iosiah 2 King 22. when he heard the plagues and curses that should come upon Ierusalem his heart was tender he trembled himselfe before God and when he heard the wordes against that place he rent his cloathes and wept before him The reasons are evident First God hath coupled both these together Reas 1 and therfore whosoever beleeveth his threatnings cannot but feare the evils threatned He that apprehendeth the wrath of a Prince to be as the roaring of a Lyon cannot but tremble it cannot but worke in him feare Amos. 3. Amos. 3.6 Can a trumpet be blowne in the Citty and the people not be afraid Secondly faith maketh things unseene to be seene Heb. 11.1 Heb. 11 1.1â— For it is the evidence of things me sinneâ—s Moses by faith saw him that is invisible vers 27. and Noah â—aw the worlds destruction as present though it 〈◊〉 an hundred and twenty yeares before it came and 〈◊〉 it But it may be objected Object the faithfull is not afraid of any euill â—idings for his heart is fixed and beleeveth in the Lord Psal 112.7 and therefore faith expelleth all feare I answer the words of the Psalme teach the contrary Answ Blessed is the man that feareth God and therefore to clâ—â—re this seeming-contradiction we must observe a two-fold feare as also care a distrustfull feare and an awefull or reverent feare The distrustfull feare argueth want of faith in God the awefull feare maketh us seeke to God and to fly to his mercy But where the true faith is it expelleth and driveth out distrust Psal 133.18 147.11 and therefore the Prophet ioyneth these two together Psal 133 The eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him that trust in his mercy and 147.11 the Lord delighteth in them that feare him that hope in his mercy Behold the true cause Vse 1 why there is so little feare of God in the world and of his judgments though imminent and ready to fall nay present and already fallen We never had more cause to feare generall judgments in regard of the generall corruptions and floods of wickednesse that overflow in all places yet never more security never lesse feare And what is the cause because there is so little faith Math. 24.37 as Christ our Saviour sheweth that iniquity should abound in the last dayes and men mind nothing else but their profits and pleasures as they did when the flood came and swept them all away at once disobedience to the word proceeding from infidelity was the cause of that cause 1 Thess 5. For when they shall say peace peace suddaine destruction shall come upon them as paines upon a woman in travaile and they shall not escape These shall make a mocke of the last judgment and never feare it untill they feele it These may be sent to schoole to Ahab to Iudas the sonne of perdition nay to the Devils themselues for they have not so much faith as Ahab had 1 King 21.27 not so much as Iudas had Luk. 18.8 Math. 27.3.5 not so much as the Devils Iam. 2.19 who beleeve and tremble where as the ungodly beleeve not and therefore tremble not but they would if they beleeved onely so much as the Devils do How then can prophaine persons escape the torments of Hell who come farre short of these that are already in hell and how fearefull an estate is it to be condemned of such as be condemned themselues Secondly see the difference betweene Gods children and carnall or worldly men these are quite contrary the one to the other as light and darknesse and as farre distant as heaven and hell Hic ubiopus est none verentur illic ubt nihil opus est the verentur Terent Andr. act 4. seen 1. When Gods judgements are threatned and men warned to take heed and looke to themselues they do feare least of all who have most cause and whom they most neerely concerne and they on the other side most of all whom they concerne We see this in the old world evidently and expresly for whom did the threatning of the drowning and destruction therof most neerly touch and concerne Doubtlesse the disobedient world of the ungodly But they feared least nay nothing at all they ranne on in their worldly and wicked courses till the flood came and swept them away Whom did the threatning least of all concerne as being in least danger to be drowned Surely Noah and his family for whom the Arke was prepeared but they feared most of all Nay Gods children oftentimes feare for the wicked Psal 119.53.136.158 when they feare not for themselues as Psal 119.53.136.158 as they pray for them when they pray not for themselues and desire their conuersion when they minde nothing lesse The Prophet was greeved for them when they were not greeved for themselues 2 Cor. 12.21 So it is said by the Apostle God will humble me among you and I shall bewaile many which have sinned and have not repented of the sinnes committed the more sorry he was for
hand Ioh. 10.28 or who shall fight against his Sheepe and the Flocke of his pasture and prevaile This the Prophet teacheth Ier. 2.3 Israel was holinesse unto the Lord and the first fruits of his increase all that devoure him shall offend evill shall come upon them saith the Lord. Ier. Iob 1.3 2 3. The Sheepe of Job are reckoned in the account of his substance so are Gods Sheepe a part of his substance which he chose to himselfe so great is the kindnesse and mercy of God toward us For why doth hee take them for his Sheepe and let the rest goe as Goats being by nature no better Is it any worthinesse or excellency in them before others Rom. 2.12 19. No we are all gone out of the way there is none that doth good no not one that every mouth might be stopped and that all the world may become guilty before God Is it for their multitude Iohn 14.6 No they are called by Christ in this place a little Flocke and hee is the truth it selfe that speaketh it Thus Moses sheweth that the Lord did not set his love upon Israel neither chuse them because they were moe in number then any people Deut. 7.7 For they were the fewest of all people Deut. 7.7 Is it for their strength might and power they have Ezek. 16.5 6. No he found them weake and wallowing in their blood none eye pittied them to have compassion upon them so that wee may not say in our hearts Deut. 8.17 18. My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth but wee must remember the Lord our God for it is he from whom wee receive all good things What then is it because we are more righteous The Israelites are charged not to speake so in their hearts Deut. 9.4 5. Deut. 9.4 5. because It was not for their righteousnesse or uprightnesse of heart that they entred to possesse the Land but for the wickednesse of those Nations which were driven out before them Who is it among the sonnes of men that will not spend land and limme and life it selfe to defend that which hee hath bought and purchased with a great price and at a deare rate And will not God defend and avenge his Children whom he knew to be his before the foundation of the world was laid though they bee oppressed for a time and he beare long with the vessels of wrath who cry out against them Downe with them downe with them even to the ground 2 Tim. 2.19 Rom. 11.1 2 3 howbeit the foundation remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and hee will not cast off the care of them for ever Fourthly here is matter offered unto us to stirre our hearts to thanksgiving considering the infinite mercy of God toward us who hath vouchsafed to make choise of us to be his Sheepe passing by so many thousands in the world Of this duty the Prophet putteth us in minde arising from this doctrine Psal 100. Psal 100.3 4. It is the Lord that hath made us and not we ourselves for we are his people and the Sheepe of his pasture What followeth he maketh this use thereupon Enter into his Gates with thankesgiving and into his Courts with praise be thankefull unto him and blesse his Name It is no small token of his love toward us to make us to be his Sheep that are by nature Lyons Leopards Beares Bulls Dogs Psal 22.12 13 16 21. Matth. 15.26 Wolves and wild Beasts and what not Is not his love who loved us first worth our love to him againe If it be a great blessing that we are made to bee reasonable men how much greater is it to be received and regarded as his owne inheritance then which nothing is dearer to him nothing ought to be better to us The unfaithfull are the worke of God by naturall generation but they are the new-worke of God by spirituall regeneration It is not our owne free will that can frame and fashion us to be the people of God for then we might say It is we our selves that have made us and not the Lord. Particular branches of thankfulnesse This thankfulnesse consisteth not in words onely but in divers other particular branches noted by the Prophet in that place First let us give to him our hearts that our tongues may bee guided thereby let us first offer him all that is within us and then all that is without us will follow also for other worship God accepteth not In vaine they worship him Matth. 15.8 that draw neere unto him with their mouth and honour him with their lippes when their hearts are farre from him Secondly we must never bee ashamed to praise the Lord and to confesse his wonderfull workes to the children of men We see how men are not ashamed to sinne before the Lord openly publikely proudly presumptuously and prophanely and they blush at nothing but at godlinesse prayer profession hearing the Word and such like workes of Christian piety These men glory in their owne shame Phil. 3.19 Ier. 6.15 but they are ashamed of their glory nay of Gods glory and even of their owne good Thirdly the service which we performe to God wee must yeeld willingly readily joyfully 2 Cor. 9.6 and with a glad heart for hee loveth a cheerefull giver Thankes constrained or wrung and wrested from us are rejected of God Wee must give unto him backe againe as he giveth to us But how is that and in what manner bestoweth he upon us hee giveth us his gifts freely we must therefore returne to him our thankes frankly Lastly he calleth us to the assembly of his Saints which he nameth the Court and presence of God which was the place appointed for his publike service and worship Indeed God is not confined to a certaine place Act. 7.48 Iohn 4.21 neither is there any place wherein he is not to bee worshipped neverthelesse such as are indued with true faith must follow the communion of the Saints as Sheepe that feed not alone but with their fellowes Gods Sheepe and servants must shew themselves in the publike Assemblies being publikely thankefull for publike benefits received at his mercifull hands Psal 84.10 considering that one day in a his Courts is better then a thousandelsewhere Fiftly all that are Pastors and Teachers under Christ are bound to feed the Flocke that dependeth upon them They are Vnder-shepheards as it were Christs Vicars or Curates hee is the great Shepheard of our soules to whom the rest must be subject for the Sheepe are his This use is gathered from the exhortation that Paul giveth to the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20. Take heed unto your selves and to all the Flocke Act. 20.28 over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne blood Where he reasoneth thus It is the Flock of
of man what is that proverbe that yee have in the Land of Israel saying The dayes are prolonged and every vision faileth Tell them therefore thus saith the Lord God I will make this proverbe to cease they shall use it no more but say to them The daies are at hand the word that I speake shall not be prolonged for in your dayes O rebellious house will I say the word and in your daies I will performe it saith the Lord God Let us therefore stirre up our selves to repentance and amendment of life to prevent his wrath least we rushing on in sinne doe rush into our destruction Thirdly if God threaten and there follow no repentance be well assured that which he hath threatned shall come to passe Gen. 15.16 Gen. 15.16 the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full but when they had filled up the measure then his judgements were to fall upon them O how many examples have we to terrify us and to verify this to our hearts and consciences as the old world Sodome and Gomorrah the falling of the Israelites into the hands of the Cananites the Ammonites and the Amalekites mentioned almost in every place of the booke of Iudges the carrying away of the ten Tribes never restored the captivity of the rest the seven Churches of Asia the destruction of the Iewes by the Romans called the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place Dan. 9.27 Matth. 24.15 and sundry others all which assure us of the truth of this point Let us apply this to our selves and reason as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 11.20.21 If God spared not the naturall branches take heed least he also spare not thee and if the branches were broken off through unbeleefe let not us be high-minded but feare We heare the threatnings of God denounced and his fearefull judgements published and pronounced by his faithfull servants but what repentance what amendment followeth May we not say with the Prophet I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright Ier. 8.6.7 no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done every one turne to his course as the horse rusheth into the battell c. And is it not so in our times nay rather is it not worse We are so farre from repentance and turning to God that the Lord seemeth in his just judgement to have given us over and forsaken us and to have blinded our eyes to have stopped our eares and to have hardned our hearts least we should see with our eyes and heare with our eares and understand with our hearts and should returne and bee saved Sometimes he doth take away his word utterly and hee threatneth it as a grievous judgement unto the Iewes Matth. 21.43 The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof and we are assured of the accomplishing thereof Rom. 11.12 because the fall of them was the rising of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles Sometimes he will have it to remaine and continue among a people for the farther hardning of their hearts and the increasing of their just judgement and condemnation This is a secret judgement and therefore more sharpe and greevous than the former as Esa 6. Make the heart of this people fat Esay 6.10 as they had fatted and fleshed themselves in sinne and even glutted themselves in iniquity make their eares heavy as they had stopped and stuffed them with vanity that the word could not enter and shut their eyes as they had drowsie and sleepy eyes and had closed the eyes of their bodies so God threatneth to shut the eyes of their minds as men benummed and past feeling least they should see with their eyes and convert and be healed Lastly as it is with the threatnings of God so on the other side it is with his promises We have many worthy and precious promises mentioned in the word some of this life some of the life to come some temporall and some eternall but all sorts are conditionall and all sorts are to us as if they were never made except wee leave our sinfull waies and so turne to the Lord with all our hearts Psal 130.4 Exod. 20.5 Deut. 28.3 4 5. c. Matth. 6.33 We have the promise of mercy and forgivenesse reserved for us under hope but to whom is it made to them that feare him and love him Wee have the promise of earthly blessings to be ministred unto us Deut. 28.3.4 c. but to whom To such as first seeke the kingdome of God and to none others We are ready to lay hold on the promise but we forget the condition like hirelings that regard the wages more than the worke There is a promise to heare our prayers and to save us but to whome is it made Not to the prophane and to unbeleevers Ioh. 9.31 Psal 66.18 for God heareth not sinners and if we regard wickednesse in our hearts the Lord will not heare us as wee shall shew afterward This admonisheth us of two things One that wee despaire not nor distrust the mercies of God toward us in earthly things or in spirituall transitory or eternall in things of this life or the life to come we have comfort and strong consolation when wee are truly and unfainedly turned to God Psal 37.25 Heb. 13.5.6 The other that we blesse not our selves in our wickednesse adding drunkennesse unto thirst as the manner is promising unto our selves peace when wee are at warre and open defiance with God It may bee said to such as Iehu answered unto Iehoram 2 King 9.22 Esa 57.20.21 what hast thou to doe with peace What peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Iezabel and her witchcrafts are so many and Esa 57. The wicked are like the troubled sea when it can not rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt Iussus fuit pradicare aliquid amplius quà m hìc dicitur collego ex cap. 4 2. Io. Drusij Lection in cap. 1. Ioâ—ae there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Nineveh shall be overthrowne That is the City and the Citizens young and old rich and poore one and other This is the summe and effect of Ionahs Sermon We may not imagine that hee cryed nothing else or spake no more than is here expressed Iussus fuit pradicare aliquid amplius quam hic dicitur colligo ex cap. 1.4.2 Io. Drusiij Lection in cap. 1. Iona. Strabo lib. 5. Geograph Dio. Siculus lib. 3. cap. 1. Herod in Euterpe For no doubt the Prophet lifted up his voyce as a Trumpet and shewed them their sinnes and transgressions as the Lord had before shewed unto him that their wickednesse was come before his face Chap. 1.2 This was a great and wealthy citty seated by the river Tygris famous for the compasse of it and the tops and towers where with it florished as sundry histories doe
not to delay the time seing we know not what shall be on the morrow Iam. 4.14 First it is a just thing with God to contemne that man dying that despised him living He that calleth not upon God in his prosperity will God heare his cry Iob. 27.9 when trouble commeth upon him The best way to kil a Serpent is to bruise his head and when it is young so the safest and surest way to withstand sinne and Satan will be in the beginning not the latter and of our dayes in health not in sicknesse in life not in death betimes not when it is too late See this in the foolish Virgins that lingred their time of repentance but when the season was past they cryed againe and againe Lord Math. 25.11.12 Lord open unto us And what answer did they receive Verily I say unto you I know you not Luk. 13.24 verifying the saying of our Saviour Many I say unto you will strive to enter in and shall not be able because doubtlesse they strive when it is too late Secondly we must looke for a time when there will be judgement without mercy now is the time of mercy without iudgment Now are the dayes of grace now is the time of turning and repenting when this time is gone and past there will come a day of blacknesse and utter darknesse when there is no place nor time of turning For as the day of death taketh us the day fo judgment shal find us as we see in Caine Esau Iudas the rich man in the Gospell and such like Thirdly the houre of death to which the greatest sort post over their repentance hath many hindrances accompanying it that the sicke man cannot freely thinke of the state of his soule neither call to remembrance his sinnes that he hath committed Lastly beware of all lettes and impediments which as so many stumbling blockes lye in the way and keepe us from repentance Never was there good worke to be done but it hath found many oppositions Satan standeth at our right hand ready to catch hold of us The manifold impediments of true repentance when he seeth us sliding from him and resolued to leave sinne As then they that were bidden and called to the feast had all of them their excuses so such as are stirred up to repentance make not that hast which they ought but are wise to their own hurt and become the greatest enemies to their owne soules Let us therefore see their reasons or rather pretences which they use to hinder their returne into the right way First they alledge that repentance is full of difficulty a way hedged with thornes hard and painfull Be it so the harder the worke is the more excellent it is But what is the hardnesse of the worke in respect of the greatnesse of the wages and reward Besides this yoke of Christ is easie and this burden is light because the often practise thereof will make it so familiar unto us that we shall take pleasure and delight in it because we shall have God to put under his hand and assist us in the practise thereof because such vertue proceedeth from the death of Christ Rom. 6.6 that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sinne and we have him after a sort to draw in the yoke with us and because God powreth sweet and secret consolation into the hearts of such as resolve to turne to him whereby they find that peace of Conscience which passeth all understanding Another impediment is presumption of Gods mercy and a foolish and ungrounded perswasion that God will accept of them whensoever they returne to him True it is we have many precious promises of grace and mercy in holy Scripture Ezek. 18.32 33.11 Psal 103. 1 Tim. 2.4 But these men do abuse them and build upon a weake foundation they dreame of a God made all of mercy and forget his justice which is to set up an Idoll in their hearts they dwell so much upon the promises of the Gospell that they cast from them the curses of the law These are like to the Spider that gathereth poyson out of the sweetest flowers The goodnesse of God is published and Proclaimed so often for the comfort of the weake not for the encouragement of the wicked to raise up the penitent not to hearten or harden the obstinate it is bread for the Children to eate not for dogges to devoure To conclude Nah. 1.3 let us remember that as the Lord is slow to anger so he is great in power and wil not surely cleere the wicked The third impediment is contrary to the former and that is despaire of Gods mercy The former hoped too much this sort hopeth too little and both of them without cause This possessed the heart of Caine despairing of Gods goodnesse as if it were lesse than his sinnes Thus also Iudas perished who saw his sinne in the glasse of the Law but could not lay hold on Gods mercy and therefore died without hope Sathan hath two deceitfull glasses and brast asunder through despaire Thus doth Satan shew forth two false glasses to deceive the sight of sinners before sinne is committed he sheweth them his mercies greater than they are and his justice lesse than it is but after the committing thereof he maketh his mercies to appeare lesser and his justice greater than indeed it is But he is a lyar from the beginning and the father of lies trust him not beleeve him not the contrary to that which he speaketh is commonly true God hath mercy in store for all that doe repent from the bottome of their hearts Ezek. 18.21.22 and hath promised to put all their sinnes out of his remembrance To deny the infinitenesse of his mercy is to deny him to be God Remember the examples of old how he hath dealt with penitent sinners with Rahab the harlot with Manasses the King with Peter that denyed him with Paul that persecuted him with such as crucified the Son of God and delivered him into the hands of murtherers Luk. 7.38 with that woman which washed the feete of Christ with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head To conclude let us call to minde the description of the name and nature of God The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in truth Exod. 33.6.7 reserving mercy for thousands for giving iniquity transgression and sinnes The next impediment is the cares of this life and the deceitfulnesse of riches the pleasures of this world These are dangerous snares and baites of Satan wherewith he hunteth after the soules of men and catcheth them as fishes are with an hooke Luk. 14.17 Math. 13.22 Luk. 12.19 2 Tim. 4.10 and as corne is choked with thornes Luk. 8. For as full hands are able to hold and receive nothing no not the purest gold when they are
holy Sabboths so they are still They were drunkards and filthy livers ignorant and blind in matters of faith and religion so they are still Are these humble and repentant sinners do these turne to God where you saw them long a goe and where you left them twenty or thirty yeares a goe there you shall be sure to finde them never a whit changed unlesse happily from evill to worse But let such marke how it hath beene with other penitents and in them behold themselues as in aglasse I meane Paul the woman of Samaria Lydia the jaylour Zacheus the Iewes that crucified Christ the Lord of life Let him that talketh of Repentance boasteth of it and chalengeth it to himselfe even for his owne assurance shew the like fruites in himselfe for it worketh such a change and alteration that both our selues and others may discerne it as easily as light from darknesse So then as the Apostle saith Shew me thy faith by thy workes Iam. 2.18 so may I say shew me thy repentance by thy change For what shall it profit a man to say he hath repentance when he hath no friutes can such a repentance comfort him The third reproofe Thirdly it condemneth civill men that remaine in the state of nature and glory in their outward vertues that they are alwayes the same but these glory in their owne shame These cannot say they are become new creatures they cannot say they were ever borne againe yet without the new birth they cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven Ioh 3.3 They cannot say Old things are passed away 2 Cor 5.17 behold all thinges are made new yet no other are in Christ and made members of his body Such civill men that content themselues with civill honesty and have nothing wherein to rejoyce but nature stand as yet in a dangerous and damnable estate neither can they come out of it untill they begin to deny themselues and to loath and detest even these outward vertues forsamuch as the trust and confidence in them is no better then a selfe deceiving Secondly it serveth for information in other truthes First that no sinne is great and heinous but there is place for repentance if they can repent This was the end of Christes comming to call sinners to repentance Math. 9.13 he sayth sinners without exception This we see in Manasses a Sorcerer an Idolater a murtherer and almost what not yet he humbled himselfe and obtained mercy according as he prayed 2 Chr. 33. 2 Chro. 33.19 Paul confesseth that he was sometimes a blasphemer and a persecutour and an oppressour yet he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly in unbeleefe 1 Tim. 1.13 1 Tim. 1. The conspirators against Christ and his kingdome are called to kisse that is Psal 2.12 to embrace and obey him and his doctrine and accordingly they which shed his blood by murthering of him did drinke his blood by beleeving him Act. 2. Act. 2.37 A singular comfort for such as feele the burden of their sinnes lying heavy upon their consciences that they goe mourning all the day long and cannot lift up their heads to God unto such the Lord speaketh Esay 1. Come let us reason together Esay 1.16 if ye will wash and clense your hearts though your sinnes were as red as crimsin they shall be made white as wooll And Christ our Saviour calleth such as are heavy laden Math. 11.28 and promiseth to give them rest Math. 11. Sinne often bringeth us to the brimme or border of hell but it cannot bring us so low but Christ Iesus is able to bring us backe and to raise us vp againe by repentance Secondly there in no sinne so small and little though it seeme in our eyes as a more but it is able to bring to hell and therefore craveth repentance The world of naturall men judgeth that repentance is proper to none but to heinous and hideous sinnes as murther theft periury treason rebellion whordome and such like and that if they be free from the outward act of these they justifie themselues like the Pharisee and thinke repentance belongeth not to them as for others if they have any they hope to be dispenced with all It is nothing so with Gods children they have beene touched to the heart for such sinnes as the world taketh no notice off and never sticketh at as for the evill which appeareth in their best workes that they cannot do them as they would but infirmities creepe upon them and defile them not onely for committing evill but for omitting good things Rev. 2.4.5 the Church of Ephesus is called to repentance for leaving their first love they watch over their idle thoughts and idle words Gen 6.5 remembring that every imagination of the heart is onely evill continually and the threatning of Christ that for every idle word that men shall speake Math. 12.36 they shall give account thereof at the day of judgement Davids heart was smitten for cutting off the lappe of Sauls garment privily 1 Sam. 24.4 1 Sam. 24. Every thing is layd to heart of Gods children which he hath softned by the touch of his holy spirit by giving unto them an heart of flesh they will be troubled for the least sinnes accounting no sinne little which is committed against so great a God which offendeth so holy a law which deserveth eternall death as the just wages thereof and brought Christ Iesus from the bosome of his Father to suffer death for them and lastly they are grieved touched to the quick because they encrease not in grace according to the good meanes and occasions that God hath given knowing that the more is given and committed unto them the more is required at their hands and the streighter shall their account be Lastly let us examine our selues whether we be turned from evill to good and from the power of Satan to God This will appeare by these signes and tokens First there is a turning of the heart upward to heaven and a fastning of the eye upon God that it may be sayd of every true repentant that his behaviour is as of one that is journying going up to the heavenly Ierusalem the mother of us all Luk. 9.53 as it is said of our Saviour that his face was as though he would go to Ierusalem Phil. 3.20 So our conuersation must be in heaven and our whole life a travelling thither and a wandering in the wildernesse of this world untill we be brought into the true Canaan that is aboue But if the hearts of all were tried by this rule it would shew how little repentance is in the world when in all our thoughts workes and employments we are carried wholly downeward which way will bring us to hell in the end forasmuch as we have prophane hearts not savauring the things that are of God like prophane Esau Secondly we grow every day better and better when once we
this in the consideration of the power of God how we erre two waies In time of adversity we contract it and make it to little as if he could not do so much as he had promised and we cannot beleeve more then we see Numb 11.4.13.21.22.23 Psal 78.19 neither can looke beyond the ordinary meanes as Numb 11. with Psal 78. they spake against God saying Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse Yea Moses himselfe spake unadvisedly with his lippes Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people whereunto the Lord answereth by way of reproofe Is the Lords hand waxed short thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe unto thee or not So in the seige of Samaria a noble person on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God who had prophesied of great plenty If the Lord would make windowe in heaven 2 King 7.2 might this thing be but when men live in peace and plenty how many do extend his power too farre and encourage themselues in the excesse of all ungodlinesse and propha esse of life because he is able to pardon their sinnes though they be never so great and there upon harden their hearts and gather that they need not make conscience of any thing Thus upon a firme foundation they build a false conclusion The like we may say of the presence of God When we have all that heart can desire that we prosper in the world and encrease in riches we dreame we must needs be highly in Gods favour and that he is present with us with his grace but when we are plagued and chastened every morning how do we presently conceive that he is departed farr from us that he hath forgotten to here us and will remember us no more Eâ—ccl 9. but no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them and if sinne do not seperate betweene us and our God Esay 59.1.2 his hand is not shortned that he cannot save neither his eare heavy that he cannot heare Lastly touching the second branch hence ariseth a reproofe of such wicked and envious men that will never remember any good thing or any grace of God that appeareth in his faithful servants unlesse it be to lessen them discredit them mock and scoffe at them and to deride them as Ismael did at Isaac Gen. 21.9 as Michal did at David 2 Sam. 6.20 Nay there be some so fowle-mouthed and corrupt hearted if they can find nothing whereby to defame them they will inuent and devise matter out of their owne braine See the partialily of these brainsicke men and the difference betweene God and them for first though they see never so much grace the way to glory shine in the servants of God they passe it over and will take no notice thereof Secondly what blemish defect or infirmity so ever be in them they bruit it and blaze it abroad no time no place no company is free but they ring of them they proclaime and publish them in every place before every person at every meeting and they will be sure to adde something of their own beyond the truth And what marveil is it if being evill theÌ„selues they speake evill of others Thirdly they can readily passe over the foule spottes and prophanesse not onely in themselues Malèdeme loquuntur sed malâ— Sen. but in their owne crue and companions because therein they have oftentimes themselues a great and principall hand and therefore they see the discrediting of them tendeth to their owne reproch Fourthly if there be the least civill vertue breake out of the ungodly that they after a sort stumble upon them accidentally rather then purposely and that but once or if it be onely a shadow of vertue appeare in any of their fellowes O how they praise and applaud them they light up a candle to see them and they blow a trumpet for men to heare of them In all which they shew themselues contrary to God for he passeth over the frailties and infirmities of such as feare him and have given their hearts unto him though sometimes they stumble and fall as we see in Iob. Iob. 42. Iam. 5.11 1 King 15.5 Math. 13.31.8 25.23 12.20 42.8 Iam. 5.11 and in David 1 King 15.5 and wheresoever he seeth any grace to grow though it be as little as agraine of mustardsecd if he encrease but two talentes or bring forth only thirty fold if they be but as the smoking flaxe or as the bruised reed he accepteth it maketh much of it highly commendeth it On the other side he hateth and abhorreth wickednesse as he loveth righteousnesse and albeit the ungodly have the glory and applause of the world because the world will love his owne yet will he bring upon them shame and perpetuall contempt And God repented of the evill that he had said Albeit the threatning against this citie expressed no condition Doct. God is merciful to all pâ—nitent sinners as we have already declared yet we see in this place by the issue and event that it included it As the threatning denounced was very fearefull so the fruit of their repentance was as joyfull This teacheth that God is mercifull and gratious to all penitent sinners he turneth their mourning into mirth and all their heavinesse into laughter All such as truely repent them of their sinnes shall find pardon forgivenesse at his hands as Ezek. 18. Ezek. 18.21 If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and do that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live and shall not die Thus in sundry places we are cummanded to turne to God and then he promiseth to turnt to us to save us Ioel. 2 12.13 Ier. 31.18 Lam. 5.21 Hereunto come sundry examples of Manasses 2 Chro. 33. of Paul Act. 9. of the Iewes that crucified the Lord of life Act. 2. The like I might say of sundry others The reasons Reas 1 First No penitent person ever perished from the foundation of the world to this present neither shall from this present to the end of the world God which cannot lie hath promised grace to the humble and and contrite heart Repentance is as a table on which we take hold after shipwracke to bring us safe and sound to land Nosinne is unpardonable if the sinner could repent no not the sinne against the holy Ghost Secondly Gods mercy is above all his workes he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust he is slow to anger and of great kindnesse Psal 103. Thirdly he hath shewed some mercy in a temporall deliverance for a temporall repentance 2 King 21.27 as we see in Ahab who obtained the respite of punishent when he had but an outward humiliation 2 King 21. if wicked Ahab who did sell himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight to the Lord repenting with fasting
then to such as presume of hope of pardon without paiment these disioyne faith and repentance and separate mercy and justice asunder in God to whom both are alike essentiall in whom both are infinite for albeit his mercies exceed his justice in his workes toward us yet in himselfe they are alike And woe unto such as say though we give our selues to the free and full practise of sinne yet God is abundantly nay infinitely mercifull for such shall certainly perish in their presumption and to make him all mercy is to leave him to be uniust in suffering sinne to go unpunished whereas the judge of all the world should do right Gen. 19.25 Lastly it is our duty as we desire grace and mercy so to practise repentance betimes All will seeme to be willing to have remission of their sinnes but all do not take the right way Motiues to stirre up to repentance nor use the meanes to attaine unto it which is by repentance Now we have sundry motives to move us and perswade us to repentance which we must no lesse affect then we do repentance it seâ—fe First the man that liveth without repentance is farre worse then the basest creature then the bruit beast It would be thought a base comparison to compare such to a dogge or Swine or Serpent but it is too good for such base and worse then brutish persons that forsake God and will have no communion with him For their misery and torments begin after this life whereas the bruit beasts perish and there is an end of them with this life That which our Saviour speaketh of impenitent Iudas who ended his his daies in despaire may be said of every impenitent person Math. 26.24 Woe unto that man by whom the Sonne of man is betrayed Ioh. 6.70 3.18 it had beene good for that man if he had not beene borne and in an other place one of you is a Devil and is condemned already because he hath not beleeved and repented Secondly such a one is under the power of Satan which is the greatest and sorest bondage 2 Tim. 2.26 all the Pharohs and Hazaels in the world cannot be compared with his tyranny as 2 Tim. 2. for impenitent the are taken captive by the Divell and holden in his snares to do his will Thirdly such are in danger of all the judgements of God to fall upon their heads every houre For albeit they should escape thâ—m in this life yet they are but respited or reprived as the judge sometimes doth the malefactour that is afterward executed and in the meane season all the fearfull plagues and punishments that have come upon sinners are imminent may suddainly swiftly come upon them They may be summoned to the barre of Gods judgement in this life as Adam was Gen. 3. and Caine chap. 4. Gen. 3.9 4.9 6.7 they may be drowned in the waters with the old world Gen. 6. with Pharaoh and the Egyptians Exod. 14. Fxod 14.28 Psal 136.15 they may be overthrowne and overturned with fire brimstone from the Lord out of heaven as Sodome and Gomorrha were Gen. 19.24 Gen. 19. they may perish with the arrowes of Famine Pestilence the Sword banishment and evill beastes Ezek. 5.15.16.17 Exod. 7. 8. 9. 10. as many in Israel Ezek. 5. they may suffer sustaine all the plagues of Egypt as the King and people of Egypt Exod. 7. c. they may be burned and consumed with fire as the captaines and their fifties 2 King 1. 2 King 1.10.12 they may be stung with fiery Serpents and perish as the people in the wildernesse Numb 21. the earth may open and swallow them as it did Dathan and Abiram Numb 6. Psal 106. Numb 21.6 16.31 Psal 106.17 1 Sam. 31.4 2 Sam. 17.23 Act. 1.18 Act. 12. â—3 Act. 13. â—1 Gen. 19.11 2 King 6.18 they may destroy themselues and lay violent hands upon themselues as Saul and Athithophel 1 Sam. 31.2 Sam. 17. they may fall headlong and burst a sunder in the middle all their bowels gush out as Iudas Act. 1. they may be smitten by the Angel of the Lord be eaten up of wormes as Herod was because he gave not God the glory chap. 12. they may be smitten with blindnesse by the hand of the Lord and a mist darknesse may fall upon them Luk 13.3 that they may seeke some to lead them by the hand as Elymas the sorcerer and sundry others This is that of which our Saviour warned his hearers by occasion of the suddaine slaughter of the Galileans and those eighteene upon whom the tower in Siloe fell and slew them that except they did returne they should all likewise perish Luk. 13. Fourthly such are in danger not onely of these corporall plagues to fall upon the body but of eternal death and everlasting damnation from the comfortable presence of God Act. 17.30.31 the heaviest judgment of all the rest as Act. 17. Now God commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousnesse Fiftly God oftentimes knocketh at the dore of our consciences to open unto him This is the acceptable season of comming to Christ This is the time appointed for repentance make much of it we know not whether we shall have it againe He that abuseth and mispendeth that time forfeiteth his Salvation as Eccl. 9. Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do Eccl. 9.10 do it with thy might for there is no worke nor devise nor knowledge nor wisedome in the grave whither thou goest Lastly none can be made partakers of eternall life but such as are penitent It is vaine with Balaam to wish for heaven Numb 23.10 and to dye the death of the righteous except we live the life of the righteous and repent us of our sinnes and so turne from our evill wayes with these Ninevites To conclude let us take heed least these men rise up in judgment and condemne us who repented at the preaching of one Prophet the more hath beene committed to us the more shall be required at our hands The Lord that searcheth the hearts and tryeth the reines Ier. 7. to give to every man according to his waies and according to the fruite of his doings turne us unto him and then we shall be turned to whom be glory and praise in the Church for ever Amen A Recapitulation of the doctrines in this Treatise GOd warneth before he punisheth Gods threatnings are conditionall Generall all sinnes procure generall judgmentes The preaching of the word is the meanes to worke faith It is a fruit of repentance to take revenge for sinne of our selues Publike fastes were alwaies called and solemnized in dangerous times Repentance is wrought by the preaching of the word Repentance must be speedy and not prolonged Superiors must give good example to their inferiors We have need to stirre up
threatnings of judgments and punishments are conditionall and to be understood with limitation See this 1 King 8. Now O Lord God of Israel keepe with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him saying There shall not faile thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel so that their children take heed to their way that they walke before me as thou hast walked before me Of this did David himselfe put his sonne Salomon in mind 1 Chro. 28.9 Know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts c. if thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever So doth our Saviour threaten the Church of Ephesus to remove the Candlesticke out of his place except it did repent Revel 2.5 The reason is plaine both of the one and of the other He promiseth mercy with condition that we should be stirred up to obedience that no defect might be on Gods behalfe and againe he threatneth judgement that he might not enter into judgement and denounceth punishment that he might not punish but that we should repent and amend our lives and remember from whence we are fallen Revel 2.5 This appeareth evidently in his threatning against Nineveh who can tell Ionah 3.9 if God will turne and repent from his fierce wrath that we perish not When we repent he repenteth we of the evill of sinne he of the evill of punishment but if we repent not of our sinne he will never repent him of the punishment that he hath threatned to bring upon us It reproveth all such as remember what God hath promised to us but forget what he requireth of us Vse 1 God hath made a Covenant with us as he did with Abraham Gen. 17.7.1.2.6 and we binde our selves interchangably one to another He said unto Abraham I will be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee but how on this condition Thou shalt keepe my Covenant and what was that Obedience whereof circumcision was a signe walke before me and be upright If Abraham had called unto God to performe his part to blesse him as his God and in the meane season had never performed his owne part of the Covenant to walke before him in the uprightnesse of his heart had he not dallied with God and deceived himselfe But thus the case standeth with us we are ready to cōplaine murmur if the Lord do not blesse us when in the meane season we forget what promise we have made to him If we should deale so with men like unto our selves would not all accuse us of folly Secondly let us not flatter our selves and beare our selves bold and presume because we have many precious promises of grace and helpe in time of neede These promises howsoever they be in themselves surer then the heavens and more stable then the earth yea be ratified confirmed by an oath that by two unchangable things wherin it is unpossible that he should lye Heb. 6.18 we might have strong consolation I say these promises are no promises to us if we doe not keepe the Covenant it is all one as if they had never beene made Mat. 6.25.33 Our Saviour willeth us to take no thought what to eate or what to drinke or wherewith to be clothed he promiseth that he will never leave us nor forsake us but it is with condition first seeke the kingdome of God and then all these things shall be ministred unto us then he saith my mercy will I keepe for them for evermore my promise shall stand with them my covenant will I not breake Psal 89.28.34 neither alter the thing that is gone out of my lippes Lastly let us serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind seeke to know his will and serve him when we do know it Let us not be discouraged in his threatnings seing they also are conditionall as well as his promises Let us breake off the course of our sinnes and amend our lives then we may be well assured he will turne from all his wrath and remember our sins and iniquities no more For he is faithfull he never forsaketh us untill we forsake him This is it that the Prophet is sent to tell Asa and all Iudah and Benjamin The Lord is with you while ye be with him 2 Chr. 15.2 and if ye seeke him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you And is it not just with God to deale with us as we deale with him and to measure to us againe as we have measured to him Let us therefore seeke him while he may be found and call upon him while he is neere let us forsake our evill wayes and returne unto the Lord then he will have mercy upon us and he will abundantly pardon all our sinnes If it beare fruit well Doct. The barren estate is very dangerous neare to bee burnt up The fig-tree in this place is not said expresly to be dead but to be barren and to bring forth no fruit at all which is all one This teacheth that the barren condition hath no life nor comfort in it but is full of danger even neere to burning This Iohn the Baptist teacheth Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Math 3.10 Math. 3.10 So the Apostle Heb. 6.6 The earth which beareth thornes and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.7.8 whose end is to be burned A man may say of such as the Disciples of the fig-tree Math. 21.29 against which the curse was passed by the mouth of Christ How soone is the figge-tree withered away Such then doe lye under an heavy curse We thinke we have said much in praise and commendation of many and indeed of many it is too much to say they are harmelesse men they doe no man any hurt you may live long among them and you shall receive no wrong nor jniury from them but is this enough no doubtlesse for what shall this profit if we bring forth no good fruit Ier. 17.8 Ezek. 47.12 The reasons are plaine for first Reason 1 the law of God is not onely negative but also affirmative it commandeth good as well as forbiddeth evill The negative part is but halfe the Commandement and he that performeth so much hath done but halfe his duty like a Dove that flyeth with one wing or like a lame man that hoppeth upon one legge The Commandement which saith thou shalt not kill saith also inclusively Thou shalt preserue thy neighbours life Secondly to omit the duties which a man ought to performe is a kind of contempt against God For not to honour or obey is to contemne A servant which will not doe what his Master commandeth Mal. 3.6 because a servant honoureth his
grace life by Christ be fruitfull effectuall Let us then be warned that we do not coÌ„tent our selves to live in the Church for so false Israelites doe and hypocriticall Christians who professe Christ in word Tit. 1.16 Revel 3.1.2 but deny him in their workes who have a name that they are alive but indeed are dead Let us therefore be watchful strengthen the things which remaine that are ready to dy repent speedily because wee know not what houre hee will come upon us This is the use that the Apostle teacheth having shewed that in a great house are sundry vessels some to honour some to dishonour he addeth 2 Tim. 2.21 Let us purge our selves from these that we may be vessels unto honour sanctified meet for the masters use and prepared to every good worke Math. 3.8 Let us strive to bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life Let us clense our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God and purging our consciences more and more from dead workes that so we may gather comfort and assurance that we are vessels to honour and for our better assurance let every one depart from iniquity that nameth the name of Christ 2 Tim. 2.19 Doct. After that thou shalt cut it downe Here is the finall doome of this fig-tree without any farther repriving or sparing thereof Though the Lord suffer long yet he punisheth at the last if it cannot be made fruitfull From whence I might observe that the Lord howsoever he be very patient and doth forbeare long yet at the last he wil come to visit and punish men for their sinnes Ier. 5.7.9 How shall I pardon thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworne by them that are no gods when I had fedde them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troupes in the harlots houses So Esay 42.14.15 1 Sam. Reason 1 5.6 The reasons first in regard of his love and mercy to his children he will not suffer them to live in their sinnes unpunished thus he doth manifest his goodnesse yea that he is goodnesse it selfe and consequently opposite to evill and so will visit them for their sinnes Secondly his justice will not suffer him to let the wicked escape but hee will and must punish He is just nay justice it selfe and therefore cannot but doe justice Rom. 2.6 3.5.6 and give to every one according to his workes as Rom. 3. Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance I speake as a man God forbid for then how shall God judge the world This teacheth the children of God Vse 1 that they have no cause at all to be envious against the wicked for their prosperity and happinesse in this world for let them waite a while and abide but a short time which the Lord in his providence hath appointed they shal behold him comming against them with his drawne sword and visit their iniquities to the full Exod. 34.7 for hee will by no means clearethe guilty Secondly it admonisheth every man to labour to breake off his sinnes whatsoever they be and not to harden himselfe because God spareth him because howsoever God spareth him and maketh as though he did not perceive him yet at the last he payeth home How neere hath Gods hand beene to many in this great visitation in the same house and in the same bed when the one hath beene taken away and the other spared and his life given him for a prey O consider this ye that have already forgotten this mercy of God and labour to appease his wrath before yee come to his judgement-seate for then it will be to late to call and cry for mercy let us labour too repent betimes here that so we may find mercy before the throne of God hereafter Lastly it warneth us of the wofull estate of all such as despise his patience for what doe such but heape up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Thou shalt cut it downe Dcto The Lord of the Vineyard waited yeare after yeare to receive some fruit Such as grow desperate are neere to destruction and the dresser thereof obtained the continuance of the standing thereof another yeare if nothing will serve none will intreat any farther it must be cut downe This teacheth us that when once we grow desperate without hope of amendment and past recovery God is determined to destroy us and to pull us up by the rootes as trees that are altogether withered dead and rotten Thus it was with the sonnes of Eli the sonnes of Belial 1 Sam. 2.12.25 they knew not the Lord neither would they give eare to the warning of their father but what was the end They hearkned not to the voyce of their father because the Lord would slay them This we see also 2 Chro. 36. the Lord gave his people over into the hand of the Caldeâ—s but when came the wrath of the Lord upon them to the uttermost when there was no remedy He had sent his Prophets continually and successively one after another among them 2 Cor. 36.15 16. but they could do no good with them they grew worse as those that are desperately diseased caÌ„not be healed There was therfore no remedy neither other way with them then to cut them off utterly Thus our Saviour speaketh Math. 23.37.38 I would have gathered you together but ye would not behold your house and habitation is left unto you desolate Esay 6.10 so that it came to passe as the Lord had threatned Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and herewith their eares and understand with their heart and be healed The reasons are first because there is nothing left that can doe them any good Reason 1 All the meanes that the Lord hath used or can use will not profit them but like Dogges and Swine they tread the precious pearles of the Gospel under their feet Ier. 17.6 They are like the heath in the wildernesse which shall not see when any good commeth but shall inhabit the parched places in a salt land and not inhabited The heath hath good meanes comming upon it to make it good the Summer commeth the Sunne shineth the raine falleth the influence of the heavens descendeth yet euermore it remaineth the same a dry and barren heath It is with the barren soule as with the barren soile the word the Ministers the Sabbathes the Sacraments the dayes of grace nay Christ Iesus himselfe can doe them no good no good nay the Word which in it selfe is the savour of life to life becommeth to them the savour of death to death 2 Cor. 2.16 Christ himselfe is a recke of offence and a stone to stumble at and all the rest of the meanes ordained to Salvation turne to their finall destruction 1 Pet. 3.8 Secondy such
therewith rest contented Secondly having store of this worlds good if wee doe not set our hearts upon them then we will be content to leave them whensoever God the supreme and soveraigne Owner calleth againe for them and not excessively mourne for them when they leave us And as we will not refuse and reject them when we have them seeing they are the gifts of God so when they betake them to their wings and flee away we will looke after them with a quiet minde as it was with Iob who because hee rejoyced not when his substance was great Iob 31.25 1 21. and when his hand had gotten much therefore he did not much grieve when his wealth was taken away but in his greatest losse praiseth the Lord. So also it was with Paul who because he used this world as not abusing it and esteemed the best things thereof no better then dung in comparison of Christ and his benefits 1 Cor. 7.31 Phil. 3.7 8. 4.11 12 13. it was no great paine to him to take forth a farther lesson in what state soever he was therewithall to be content he could be abased and abound every where in all things he was instructed both to be full and to be hungry to abound and to have want yea hee could say I can doe all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Thirdly if worldly riches be wanting we will not seeke them by evil meanes nor glory in them when we have them to make us high minded or to put our trust and confidence in them Lastly it will make us keepe a vigilant eye over them that through our abuse they doc not degenerate from their owne nature and become Satans baits to allure us nor his snares to intangle us nor his thornes to choke us that the seed of the Word cannot prosper neither the graces of God grow in us Hence it is that I goe about to perswade to lay hold on Gods speciall providence watching over his children to succour and relieve them out of hopelesse and remedilesse troubles when they appeare destitute of all succour and in a manner in a desperate estate without all meanes left unto them When the Sonnes of Iacob stood gazing one upon another that is Gen. 42.1 they fared as men amazed and at their wits end that they know not what to doe for themselves their wives and their children then the Lord by his good hand opened a way for their reliefe that there was plenty of Corne in Egypt when there was none in the Land of Canaan verifying his gracious promise Gen. 8.22 So when the poore widdow in time of a great famine was brought to that extremity 1. King 17.12 13. that shee had but an handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oyle in a cruse and was now going purposely to gather a few stickes to dresse it for her selfe and her sonne that they might eate and die when she was in this great perplexity necessity and extremity the Lord that never leaveth his by his good providence directed the Prophet Elijah who immediately before had himselfe beene fed by Ravens that brought him bread and flesh in the morning verse 6. and bread and flesh in the evening to tell her good newes that the barrell of meale should not waste verse 14. neither the cruse of oyle faile until the Day that the Lord sendeth raine upon the earth Thus it was with the widdow of one of the sonnes of the Prophets she was left so farre in debt that her children were to be sold to satisfie the griping and greedinesse of the mercilesse Creditor and she had nothing to discharge it 2 Kings 4.2 but a little pitcher of oyle yet she was provided for by wonderfull meanes all which examples as a cloud of witnesses doe verifie the saying of the Psalmist Psa 33.18 19. and 37.25 Behold 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 keepe them alive in famine and Psal 37. I have beene young and now am old yet have I not seene the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread But if there were no other reasons or considerations then such as are handled in this Scripture to be as a preservative or counterpoison against diffidence and distrust touching earthly things which doe more disquiet disturbe not onely the naturall man but even the Regenerate themselves oftentimes then any thing in the world besides herein we may finde matter sufficient to take from us the carnall feare of future wants first because we are his Flocke and he is our Shepheard Will the good Shepheard starve his Sheepe and not make them lye downe in greene pastures This confidence in God doth the Prophet shew and concludeth from this ground the point in hand The Lord is my Shepheard Psal 23.1 therefore I shall not want how then can they assure themselves to be in the number of the Sheep of Christ that doe not rely upon the care of this great Shepheard As then the Prophet saith in another case Esay 40.11 Ezek. 34.2 Should not the Shepheards feed the Flocke So we may be assured that the Shepheard of Israel that leadeth Ioseph like a Flocke will never be wanting to his sheepe that call and cry unto him Secondly because the Title given to God assureth us hereof he is called a Father Psal 80.1 2. Will the father give over the care of his children and forsake or forget the fruite of his owne body nay doth not the Prophet say Esay 49.15 Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee whom I have graven upon the palmes of my hands And Christ our Saviour speaketh to the same purpose What man is there of you Matth. 7.9.10.11 whom if his sonne aske bread will he give him a stone or if he aske a fish will he give him a Serpent If ye then being evill know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that aske him Lastly because we have the promise of a Kingdome and of the glory of heaven which is unspeakeable incomprehensible and everlasting He that hath promised us a Kingdome will he with-hold from us food and raiment nay Rom. 8.32 as the Apostle teacheth us to reason He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things So should we cōclude that seeing he hath called us to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 He will never leave us nor forsake us in this life but if we first seeke the Kingdome of God Matth 33. all other things shall be added unto us He
member thereof being fallen from that faith For neither did that Roman Church beleeve as this doth neither yet this as that did as it were easie to shew by sundry particulars But to leave all these the Iewes the Donatists the Anabaptists the Separatists and the Romanists that thus restraine the Church on the other side there are others who pull up the fence and digge downe the wall wherewith it is fenced and defended and lay it out as common ground and set it wide open to the beasts of the field Now they stretch it too wide and extend it too farre who will have all men saved in their religion whatsoever it bee true or false so that they bee zealous and serve God with a good intention and devotion These erre on the contrary part who lest they should seeme to condemne any rashly they proclaime a generall pardon and offer salvation unto all They see and confesse that there are manifold contentions touching faith and religion but because all ayme at one and the same end and desire both to serve God and to bee saved by him therefore they hold that their error and ignorance shall be no hindrance or impeachment unto them This perverse and peevish opinion is very plausible and well-pleasing to flesh and blood and to the politicke wise men of the world and therefore findeth many followers the ground whereof they take out of the Words of Christ There shall bee one Shepheard and one Sheepfold But this he understandeth not of all men generally but of the Elect onely or sheepe gathered of Iewes and Gentiles whereby he represseth the vaine boasting of the Iewes who presumed that they were the Children of Abraham and that the promises of salvation belonged to themselves alone These doe indeed pretend devotion and thinke it enough to serve God with a good intention howbeit neither are they devout neither yet have they any good intent For how unreasonable is it once to imagine that God will be pleased with good intents that saith by the Prophet Who required these things at your hands Esay 1.12 or as though the Church were a kennell of Dogs or a stye of Swine or a den of wilde Beasts which receiveth a mixture or confusion of all sorts without difference or distinction If God be God we must follow him alone there is no dallying with him nor halting betweene two opinions 1 King 18.21 and if the Scripture be the Word of God inspired by him we must follow the direction thereof The Christian religion is the onely true religion Acts 4.12 there is no name under Heaven whereby wee can bee saved but by Christ Iesus the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Revel 13.8 neither is there salvation by any other then through him alone Now concerning the reason that Christ useth in this place it is indeed contrary to carnall reason and seemeth rather to destroy that which he would perswade then perswade that which he would destroy For he sheweth in this place to whom he maketh this dehortation even to his little flocke whereby he may seeme rather to discourage them then to encourage them and to worke distrust and infidelity in them then to draw them from their feare forasmuch as the reason standeth thus Feare not Wherefore Because yee are a little flocke If a Captaine should say thus to his Souldiers Yee are a little Army and your Enemies are many therefore feare not their feare neither be yee discouraged what comfort could bee gathered by such reasoning But God useth not reasons according to mans reason his Workes are contrary to the wisedome of men Iohn 9 6. as Christ cured the blinde man by making clay of the spittle and by anoynting his eyes therewith Thus also are his arguments his promises his threatnings and his punishments oftentimes contrary to humane understanding Wee are ready to judge them to bee no promises which notwithstanding are great and precious promises if we consider of them aright As for example Psal 89.32 Psal 89.32 If thy children forsake my Law then will I visit their transgression with the rod but my loving kindnesse I will not utterly take from him and this God would doe in mercy 1 Cor. 11.32 as 1 Cor. 11. that we should not be condemned with the world So Davids afflictions were medicines and blessings unto him and as a precious balme Psal 119.67 71. Againe wee many times suppose those to be no threatnings nor punishments at all which neverthelesse are deepe and grievous judgements as Hos Hos 4.14 4.14 I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredome Where he threatneth to let them alone so that he will not punish them but suffer them to run on without punishment that thereby hee may punish them the more sharpely and irrecoverably His hand is most heavy when it is thought most light and he striketh us with a deadly blow while we are sencelesse and feele nothing Thus the wound is deepest when it is not seene at all These doe seeme paradoxes to naturall men And as sometimes he will not punish that he may punish so sometimes hee will blesse that he may not blesse Thus no punishments become punishments and blessings become no blessings but curses upon us These considerations may seeme paradoxes and strange positions to naturall men Psal 92.7 Mal. 2.2 but the regenerate understand them well enough and feele the truth of them by experience and wonder at the unsearchable wisedome of God and tremble under the stroke and deepe judgement of his right hand upon the world To escape scotfree whiles other men smart for their sinnes the most sort interpret to be no punishment at all but rather a speciall priviledge and notable blessing howbeit such shall know and feele in the end to their eternall woe and destruction that it had beene a thousand times better they had lyen under the rod and beene chastened of the Lord all the day long For as it is said of an earthly Father Prov. 13.24 19.18 Hee which loveth his child chasteneth him betimes Prov. 13.24 and 19.18 so it is with God those whom he loveth he also chasteneth betimes Heb. 12. which made David say Psal 119.67 71. It is good for me that I have bene afflicted that I might learne thy Statutes because before he was afflicted he went astray In like manner the reasons that the holy Ghost useth in his Word are not like our reasonings as his thoughts are not like our thoughts neither his waies like our waies If we consult with flesh blood we shall never allow this for a strong and a substantial reason Ye are a little flock therefore feare not but rather conclude the contrary therefore feare Wee would rather argue on this manner as they did in the Prophet Ezek. 33.24 Wee are many therefore feare not Ezek. 33.24 Wee are wealthy therefore feare not We have many friends therefore feare not Wee
subordinate unto him Secondly God hath set his whole delight on his to love them above all other people Deut. 10.15 21. and doth great things for them that hee hath not done for the whole world beside Hee hath given his owne Sonne for them and to them which is the fountaine of all his love Joh. 3.16 For he so loved the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And 1 Joh. 4.9 10. in this was manifested the love of God toward us because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world 1 Ioh. 4.9 10. that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes From hence flow all spirituall and eternall blessings as reconciliation and atonement sanctification and likewise our justification consisting in the forgivenesse of sinnes and the imputation of his righteousnesse unto us yea hence doe flow temporall blessings to us as they are blessings so that he careth for us as the Eagle for her Birds Deut. 32.11 12. and tendreth us as the apple of his owne eye Zach. 2.5 Thirdly this truth further appeareth unto us by the titles given to the faithfull For as the Names of God set forth his nature toward us so also doe the names that are given to the Godly The names that he giveth are not like names given by men who onely hope or desire to finde them as they are named but they often prove the contrary as we see in Abshalom who had his name of his Fathers peace but hee sought the destruction of his Father It is not so with God he doth not deceive neither can bee deceived in calling his Children by their names They are called sometimes the Lords portion Deut. 32.9 Exod. 19.5 and the lot of his inheritance Deut. 32. Sometimes his chiefe treasure above all people though all the earth be his Exod. 19 5. sometimes his Sonnes and Daughters 1 Ioh. 3.1 begotten of him to a lively hope of an inheritance unspeakable and glorious 1 Joh. 3.1 sometimes the Spouse of Christ Hos 2.19 23. Ioh. 15.24 Hos 2. sometimes his Jewels Mal. 3. and sometimes also his friends labouring to doe whatsoever he commandeth them Joh. 15.14 All these titles and testimonies teach us how dearely hee loveth and accounteth of his people The uses of this point serve Vse 1 partly for information partly for instruction and partly for consolation First for information or bettering of our knowledge we must consider that from hence wee have boldnesse and confidence in prayer to approach neere to the Throne of Grace that he will give us whatsoever we aske according to his will Hence it is that in the Lords prayer we are willed and warranted to begge the sanctifying of his Name the comming of his Kingdome c. and whatsoever serveth for his glory or our owne good and to call him by the name of our Father Matth. 6. â— to stirre up our faith to come with assurance and without doubting to be heard and helped Will a Father deny his Childe any thing that is good for him God is our Father and we his Children he our Shepheard and we his Flocke hee the Creator and we his creatures Hee seeth what wee have need of and hee knoweth better then our selves what is good for us so that we may boldly come in faith and not waver as the Romanists would have us to doe Now to the end we may approach and appeare before him aright and come unto him as to a Father we must come partly with cheerefulnesse and boldnesse and partly with awefulnesse and reverence And these two must be compounded and mingled together boldnesse with reverence and reverence with boldnesse that we may pray and make supplication to him with a reverent boldnesse and with a bold kinde of reverence lest boldnesse severed from reverence breed basenesse and contempt and reverence severed from boldnesse turne into a slavish and superstitious feare To worke in us boldnesse and willingnesse the Scripture layeth before us the promises of God whereupon we must build as upon a sure foundation To strike in us reverence it propoundeth sundry threatnings and admonitions which we ought to call to minde so often as we goe to praier to prepare us thereunto First we must acquaint our selves with the gracious promises of God which he hath made to us in his holy Word that our dull and dead spirits may thereby be quickned and our unbeleeving hearts may be fully perswaded that hee will deliver our soule from death Psal 116.8 our eyes from teares and our feet from falling For as the amiable Word of a Father implieth a readinesse and willingnesse in God to shew mercy so it should stirre up in us a forwardnesse to come unto him and to aske whatsoever wee want The Scripture is full of such heavenly promises Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will heare thee Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 If wee humble our selves in his presence and turne from our sinnes and wicked waies then He will heare in Heaven 2 Chron. 7.14 15.2 Esay 65.24 and be mercifull unto our sins 2 Chron. 7. If we seek him He will be found of us 2 Chron. 15. Before we call he will answer and while we speake he will heare Esay 65. If we which are evill can give good gifts to our children Luke 11.13 how much more will our heavenly Father give the holy Ghost to them that desire him Rom. 10.22 Luke 11 He that is Lord of all is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. Draw neere to God and He will draw neere to you Iam. 4.8 Iam. 4. All these are so many encouragements to draw us and to drive us to God who by these and a thousand such other promises inviteth us into his holy presence Againe on the other side we must consider that the Scripture withall giveth us sundry advertisements and threatnings to admonish us to come to him with feare and reverence The name of a Father is a title of familiarity but familiarity many times breedeth too much boldnesse and boldnesse breedeth contempt and contempt a base estimation of God and therefore it must bee seasoned with other considerations lest wee come to him in vaine and to our owne hurt Hence it is that as Christ our Saviour teache thus to call God our Father when we fall down before him so withall he willeth us to remember that he is in Heaven that is of infinite glory power and majesty Let us therefore have before us these and such like meditations If I regard wickednesse in my heart Psal 66.18 26.6 Prov. 1.28 15.8 21.27 the Lord will not heare me Psal 66.18 26.6 and often in the Proverbs They shall call upon me but