to the use And first it might be instruction and admonition to such of us as goe for the forwardest Christians Use 1. of Instruct Instruction first to teach us to adore the wisedome of our God in the administration of the times in which we live in The word seemes to have done working upon the consciences of the most few are gastred by the terrors thereof few sustained by the promises few are sensible active watchfull walkers I doubt not but God hath his jewells in corners his secret ones whose hearts and waies lye close to him in these degenerate times But for the body of hearers either to bee converted or in appearance converted already strange it is what a numbe palsey what a Laodicean temper of indifference ease and selfe-love hath covered us over scarce one in a long time gastred out of his neast of forme or profanenesse and such as are keepe their consciences at such loose termes that few can discerne them to be under the Banner or authority of any Soveraigne Now what doth the Lord Surely he is faine to lay men upon the bayard and to afflict them with one yoke or other either personall or generall straights Selfe-love hath over-growne all that except God stept out of his ordinary path of speaking to doing and did cause each face to waxe pale and each hand to be on the pained plat some by poverty others by debt or imprisonment or losses or reproach or pursuite of enemies malicious tongues unreasonable men desperate unfaithfulnesse treachery and injuriousnesse of such as they live with Sure it is the word would worke but little upon us Even the wise Virgines are all fallen asleep with the rest Matth. 25. How should the Lord search us what conscience truth and sincerity lyes at the bottome Surely now if ever we should rouze our selves and say the Philistins are upon thee Samson Judges 16.22 When the power and purenesse of worship when the substance and matter of religion growes questioned when men teach professe and walke so as if any profession would serve their turne yea many such as have seemed most zealous sincere and faithfull waxe cold maintainers of disorder in their places live in contention and jealousie with the best plucke in their former hornes of forwardnesse others play the Time-servers and leave God to shift for himselfe saying now see to thine owne house David Is it not time for the Lord to come with his sharpe triall among us to search what is in us To gaster the consciences of some who were never awakened by some outward straights hardnesse to live banqueruptnesse and ruine of estate beggery and misery others by searching trialls and extremities that either they must carry their lives and states gifts and hopes in their bosomes ready to let out or else they must prostitute their consciences to sinne and treachery yes surely or else he knowes if we might be let alone we would grow to the formality softnesse security commons and fulsomenesse of others who have no sparke of grace in them But now perhaps being searcht to the quicke and put to it we dare not for shame lay our names at the stake of perpetuall reproach by giving God quite over now perhaps we will shake our selves and say shall such an one as I betray God shall I pollute his worship shall I defile that truth which I have received incorrupt from others shall I helpe to destroy Gods lawe deface the power of goodnesse sort my selfe with such as are enemies separate my selfe from my brethren No sure I wish I had looked to it sooner yet better late then never At last I will give witnesse to God to his truth honor servants Sabbaths I will no longer give aime to the religion of these times their saplesse dead and powerlesse profession my soule loathes it I long to reprove and confute all Popish Pelagian superstitious and formall religion and therefore let parts let ease let liberty preferment honor gifts outward prosperity goe where they will my darling I will not lose I will not bite off that precious stone for which I am hunted and cast it to the hounds to save my life But I am resolved through mercy to my uttermost to justifie the power of truth both in my judgement and practice Oh it is the wisedome of God to send such straights and snares among us for the discovery of hypocrites and base counterfeits and for the exercise of that secret grace in his owne which else through ease and selfe-love would rust and cankerfret Vse 2 Secondly let it teach us to lay it sadly to heart that God is so crossed of his purpose both in generall and speciall by such as abuse his judgements and terrors in the world Admonition Lay to heart the little humiliation of the land under publique straights I will more sparily touch forraine nations and Churches French Dutch or other yet let it not passe us without notice that after all these hurliburlies and havocks of warre of persecution of famines pestilences and such miseries as scarce in any age have beene heard of the hearts of those nations remaine still as secure profane contemptuous of God blasphemous drunken contentious yea in the midst of their late victories so regardlesse of Gods honor either in abandoning Papists and Popery or in setling power and purity of worship but still as desperate the Ministery as saplesse and the people as fruitlesse as ever Oh how just were it with God for these evills to turne the wheele backe and to suffer Papists and heresie to encroach againe and make their second bondage as much deeper then the former as the loines are greater then the little fingers yea as their latter evills and abuse of Gods providence have exceeded the former But to leave them and come to our selves how doe we at home generally beare off all Gods straights and pressures with head and shoulders No man laying to heart any thing but as Esay 64. saith No man seekes after the Lord nor stirres up himselfe to lay hold upon him All lick themselves whole with false tongues every man taking thought how to save one Esay 64.6.7 none understanding the Lord in his way what he should meane by his wasting us by plagues consuming our people with poverty destroying our foules with cleannesse of teeth depriving us of the lives and labours and worthy services of so many Ministers Nobles Warriours good Governours and Christian professors of his truth few consider the scope of God in these differences that are between Prince and Subject Subject and Subject Complaints are in all mens mouthes sorrowes upon all states But whereas the Lords scope is hereby rather to unite all the Nation against the common adversary to draw all to an holy consent in seeking mercie for the Church and agreement between divided parties that by a generall humiliation and preparing to meet the Lord we might prevent ruine Alas when was there more powring out of
will be long enough ere you of your selves stirre one inch off your own ground If he alter not your intentions sure it is you will intend small good to your selves but please your selves in your drousie dead and senselesse way till yee goe hence and be no more Me thinks you should rouze up your selves and moan your selves to the Lord saying Am I the onely dry barren wretch of all others whom thy Spirit should never blow upon whom no mercies crosses or government of thine should ever affect I see O Lord thy steps wheresoever they goe drop fatnesse and thy fingers drop mirrh upon the handle of the doore Cant. 5.5 where thou knockest But I am still a barren desolate creature without any acquaintance with thee in thy wayes And for the second sort of such as have felt the Lord comming toward them in sundry wayes and that hee hath not left them without witnesse but by his Word his workes by death of wife or husband or by good company or losse of children estate name many privie and secret warnings of their conscience hath checked them or offered them many meanes of good and drawne their hearts thereby but they have shaken them off as a dog doth a blow on the head That sometime in such houses and places as they have dwelt in sometimes in hearing some searching Sermons or by the offer of Christian yoke-fellowes or by other occasions Such as God hath prevented beware of dallying the Lord hath solicited them earnestly to turn and repent howbeit it is with them as with Israel in the wildernesse whose carcasses were scattered therein they have tempted him seen his works but to no purpose for the Lord is vexed with them for their stubbornnesse and their hard and rebellious hearts which will not know God nor come in Oh! beware lest this patience of God which should have drawne you to repentance doe not harden your hearts to utter destruction To both sorts I say this Know it if those whom the Lord means to save he wil be alway busie about them to accommodate all things to their calling and conversion what a wofull case are they in who have all their lives long either seen no finger of his in meaning them good or else escaped his fingers most subtilly and slily as fast as he hath pursued them Doubtlesse for ought can appeare the Lord meanes them no good if they had been sheep belonging to his fold he would never have suffered them to erre and lose themselves so deeply in their lusts but hee would have recalled them But his not suffering the breath of his spirit one whit to stirre in them doubtlesse he meanes they shall nuzzle up themselves in a dead senselesse estate unto perdition Oh! what beds of ease doe you lye upon that you should take one nights rest two nights till you finde your selves out of this misery Secondly this should teach us to adore this great God and onely wise Vse 2 and that because hee hath the key not of the wombe onely and deeps Instruction Adore the wisedome and love of God in his preventing grace Jerem. 10.23 clouds and the grave but of the hearts of the sonnes of men Hee onely can order their courses wayes and intentions to their owne greatest good and his glory It is not in man to order his owne way the heart and purposes of men are their owne but the dispositions thereof are from the Lord as the issues so the preparations to life and death are in his hand It is no priviledge of a Prince over his subjects nor of a parent over his children nor of husband over wife They have authority to over-rule the bodies the outward behaviour and duties of such as are under them But for the secret over-swaying of intentions and turning them from their owne to his way it is onely the Lords prerogative It is with mans intentions as with the body of a man in a ship who walkes upon the hatches from East to West Yet the motion of the ship being contrary carries the man the way of her owne motion neverthelesse This should therefore breed in us singular reverence of God and provoke us to magnifie him both with our prayses and with our prayers With our praises first By praises As the Church in the Psalme having professed that shee had seene goings of God both towards their fathers and themselves Psal 68 24. Deut. 8. in wildernesse and Canaan that he might humble and try all in their heart subjoynes presently The men singers that goe before and the women singers after Psal 123.1 and praise the Lord. If the Lord had not been on my side shouldest thou say in disposing every way for my conversion I had never been brought home But I see that it was the finger of God that when I had run my selfe into desperate company forsaken the counsell of all friends shaped a course to my selfe perhaps to spend my patrimony riotously perhaps to haunt harlots and lewd companions or to travell beyond sea in an humour of discontent to seek my fortunes or to seek the world and implod my self in the dirt and dunghill of covetousnesse or to mâ—â—ch my selfe resolutely with one whom I fancied onely for her out-sidâ—â—ayâ—â—g Give mee her for she pleases me well then did the Lord provide better for mee then I deserved turn mine intentions quite off divert them to serious thoughts of mine estate prepare a good wife a peaceable life in marriage good friends good Ministery and turne mee from the pit I sought a good frame in a blinde corner under an Idoll the Lord tooke him away sent a better and tooke me napping in my hole and brought me home to himselfe Job 33. No good soule that hath tasted these preventions of God can bee silent Sundry passages of preventing providence one prayses God that living in a desolate prophane corner of the Country in the practice of drunkennesse and lewdnesse the Lord sent a friend by providence to the house where he dwelt who by his sober caniage and report of the fruit of the Gospel in other parts brake me off from my sinfull life bred a zeal after God good means by which I was haled out of my dungeon to live under the Ministery in Goshen where I was convinced by the light of truth and converted to God Another comes in and saith O Lord if I had rusht upon such a match lighted upon such a Ministery I had been quite lost thou plantedst me better As Psal 80. the Church blesses God for pulling her from Egypt where she grew as a lilly among thornes into a better soile So should we adore Gods preventing us accommodating and suting occasions crossing lets giving strength to the meanes and overruling purposes as no doubt the woman John 4. going to her kinsfolke and saying Come see a man who hath told me all magnified mercy which finding her in a cursed scornefull
doubtfull hearts and the Lord will not bee wanting to give you now and then such handsells of mercy as are meete to stay you and to assure you of better measures afterward But say the truth is there not within you a secret loathnesse to give up your owne bottome hopes and hold to the meere freedome of eternall mercy Or have you not kept a false measure within you that is to mixe your selves with mercy being loath to deny your selves your feelings zeale labours and devotions Have you cast these out and come under the power and authority of the Word I feare there is such a pad in the straw If there be not it is some sin against conscience which hath wasted you which must be abhorred but if it be as I have said alas poor soules then wonder not that God hath crossed you for it is for good even to fasten you to himselfe and above all meanes to acquaint you with his owne power who in the midst of these distempers of yours can forgive you can imbrace you with mercy and finde in his heart to love you even then when perhaps you could bite your tongues because you are so bad and this if you can beleeve it will carry meate in the mouth when all your own mixtures must vanish Try your selves by this marke whether the Spirit of Grace have so wildred you in the best and most pleasing waies of your own Esay 26. till he have driven you into your chambers to hide your selves there under the secret of the Almighty under that free infinite full covert of the promise till the evill be overpast Tell me brethren when you can feed and revive your spirits at this feast and warme your selves at this fire is it not high holy-day with you Finde you not a difference betweene this and your owne sparkes Bee content then resigne up your soules to this worke and say the Lord hath done you no wrong to weane you from your owne breasts that you might suck at his promises Seventhly and lastly the Spirit of Grace opposeth Selfe in all her errors and subtilties For the former Selfe is a great blinder of the eyes and causes the soule to sleep in a whole skin she doth so baffle her selfe with her owne shewes and forwardnesse that shee doubts not but her estate is good She saith with Iehu 2 Kings 9. Come and see the zeale which I have for the Lord of Hosts But the Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of discerning between errour and truth it seperates between the pretious and the vile gives clearnesse to the eyes of the simple Psal 19. causing them to judge according to the grounds of the word which cannot deceive to distrust her owne conjecturall and slight bottomes Truth is able to approve both her selfe and her contrary whereas error can comprehend neither truth nor her owne vanity And secondly she discovers those subtilties of Selfe It were endlesse to mention them by a few judge of the rest Sometime she is so slye that when her affections and duties forsake her she can recover her selfe by her whinings complaints and mutterings against her selfe as if she mourned because she attaines no better fruit of her labours Sometimes she will pretend that she desires grace really and is willing to be searched and that shee knowes not that evill which she would not gladly be rid of that she might attaine it But yet she deceives herselfe with dead wishes and will not ensue those meanes closely which tend thereto nor profit by the experience of her owne basenesse but her experience leaves her dead in the nest as it found her and she will not endure the triall nor set one foot forward to remove the stumbling-blocke of her iniquity from before her Ezek. 14. and her Idols from between her brest Therein she is as she was Againe a third subtilty is that she will spare her owne lazy skin and cut her selfe off from those more convincing ordinances and more pertinent and seasonable meanes for her owne good by putting herselfe upon such as are lawfull and good in their kinde as to avoid close attendance to reading of the word by singing of a Psalme also prayer by reading a Chapter instead of secret and private prayer she will chuse to pray with others or in family or upon a booke instead of extraordinary duties shee will content herselfe with her ordinary houres and all to shew that shee is glad to put off the Lord and save herselfe harmelesse with as small a pittance and as poore measures of spirit and courage as may be And commonly when Selfe pitches upon her course this is her property she is loose with God in the best meanes Againe she will so contrive her matters that for the shifting of some close duty of worship as meditation searching her corruptions repenting after falls or renewing covenant she will alway finde some occurrent or other duty of calling conversing with others needlesly or by some worke of mercy and duty of the second Table or any other fained pretence to rid herselfe of that which would stick to her spirit and discover her loose grounds Sometime which I would have marked when she is so hunted that she cannot shelter herselfe and is pressed to leave all for a promise she will turne presumptuous and professe that she hath cast herselfe upon that also and thereby hath put an end to all her former distempers purposing to cast about and fling out no more but settle herselfe upon the truth of God But alas this her fained cleaving to the word is nothing else save a dead relyance perhaps shee quashes her former feares and doubts But how Surely by a lazy and slothfull pretence of beleeving that she might be free from any callings upon reproofes or paines taking and delude her selfe with ease for why Come to the triall of her confidence alas it is without savor peace contentation or joy of heart saplesse barren and ventrous dissembling a selfe-deniall and calmnesse of heart but indeed a lethargy of the spirit willing to deceive herselfe No true desire to honour God in the fruit of a sound course or to purge out old distempers can appeare I say all the subtill and sly tricks of selfe-delusion the Spirit of Grace pierceth into and purgeth the soule of for looke what I have said of a few might be said of all the rest Although I deny not but many a poor soule hath some secret shreds of Selfe lying hid and unknowne yet I say the nature of the Spirit is to discover them if the soule be not wanting thereto And this be said touching the former generall head of the Spirits opposing Selfe Second generall How the Spirit of grace that it serves wholly for Grace In three things 1. In discovering the mystery of it Now for the second generall a second marke of the Spirit of Grace is That it serves wholly for Grace And that both in the
of God Thinke with thy selfe is this a lesse priviledge then the former Are all that are Gods people partakers of this grace Are they preserved by the power of faith to salvation without snares wounds and breach of their peace is this so common and thankelesse a favour to be carried as the Arke above mountaines so above the floods of great waters that they should not come neare us Behold the Saints in Scripture Gen. 7. Psal 32.5.6 how few escaped the trialls of their sincerity in a safe manner How many of them lost their peace wasted their conscience by drunkennesse uncleannesse intemperate passions pride the world disguised and at last comming to their grave with sorrow Witnesse David Salomon Asa Hezekia Ionah Peter others Behold the times in which we live Doe wee finde it so common a grace that those whom we have esteemed of well for uprightnesse and zeale to the Gospel still hold their beauty Doe they not beginne to change colour and wax pale and wanne Doe they not stagger temporize and grow common in their communion with all sorts in their affections to the truth to the power of godlinesse Is it not hard to finde one who may be trusted Oh then if God have kept thee close from the error of the wicked that thou mightest not be pulled from thy stedfastnesse nor wanze in thy first love count it a peculiar unspeakeable mercy Againe dost thou see the most professors to keepe from revolts Is not the world full of offences of such as gave their names to Christ Whence then are so frequent scandales of such as are fallen to uncleannesse in all corners and so to other reproachfull sins Art not thou one of them Hath the Lord hitherto holpen thee as Samuel saith Blesse him and wonder Oh Lord thou who gavest Paul the lives of all that were in the ship with him and notwithstanding all tempests and fears of shipwrack broughtest them all safe to land Thou hast graciously given my soule to the Lord Jesus put me into his ship kept me hitherto from sinking being cast away upon the rocks sands shelfes of this wofull sea in which I am tossed Even so O Father because thou hast promised else I had beene cast away a thousand times by temptation by offences by my corruptions But as nothing could intercept the Lord Jesus till his worke was done when they had beene on the toppe of the hill to throw him downe headlong Esay suddenly he passed through them without hurt fire could not burne water could not drowne him Divell could not tempt to prevaile nothing could hinder but he passed through all reports wrongs persecutions feares till he had fulfilled his course rose againe from death and conquered it And why Hee walked under the banner of his fathers protection Even so it hath pleased thee O Lord to fence and fortifie my poore soule that neither my desertions when I thought my selfe cast off and in despaire through unbeleefe nor the dint of my afflictions when as yet the arrowes of God dipt in venome stucke in me nor the malice of enemies nor the fiery darts of Satan piercing me by my lusts could ever wholly divorce me from thee Oh! how many thousands have fallen on my right hand and as many on my left since I beganne Men of like age birth and education of better parts and endowments then I and yet mercy hath kept mee hitherto nay Naaman was never so sullen and froward with the Prophet and with Jorden as I have beene wayward with God sometime weary of his crosses cavilling against his governement both in generall and speciall ready to leave his worke to renounce his Sabbaths Sacraments Promises and all because I could not see how God performed them to me when I have beene oppressed with Selfe and a dead saplesse and savourlesse heart ready to give the Lord and his trade quite over yet he hath revived me and not suffered me to revolt quite from him by all these still by the power of poore faith he hath kept mee to salvation he hath delivered doth and will deliver me still if I can waite Oh! wonder at this grace of his and let the first linke of vocation be a warrant to thee that the linke of justification sanctification and redemption shall never be broken but he that brought thee through so many unlikelyhoods to beleeve can and will now much more bring thee through as great oppositions to persevere enjoy thy priviledge stand at gaze and boast onely of the Lord. Thus much for the use of instruction Lastly let this doctrine be an incouragement to all feeble and fearfull Vse 2 soules who think they shall never wade out of their distrust Encouragement to all feeble and fearfull ones ignorance of Gods way their deepe pride Selfe rebellion and hypocrisie they behold these corruptions by which Satan holds possession as by Forts and Bulwarks as evident markes of their perishing one day and that they are so strong that they will master grace and deprive them finally of hope But poore soule stay a while doe not so hardly sentence thy soule Looke here upon a poore Pagan out of covenant an alien from God behold how freely God prevented him at first when he sought him not how graciously he assisted him and that when he was past all sense of it deepe in the sence of the contrary One I say that had no promise meerly an hangby to the visible Church save that he was supported by an invisible bounty of unspeakeable goodnesse and yet lo when he was at the saddest point and the lowest ebbe of dispaire suddenly as if this were Gods season to breake his heart and to win him to himselfe all hope of good successe being past there appeares a change of his wretched condition into an happy secret mercy had first marked him out for God and the same still waited on him not suffering him to slippe away and depart from welfare Hath God done this in the green tree and shall not he doe it in the dry Hast thou O poore soule either deeper distempers then Naaman had or sadder affronts then he within or without Canst not thou take courage to thy selfe by a promise when hee found mercy without one What is it then that causeth thee to be so heavy In the following points I shall speake further to thee onely here let me say this If thou canst prove that God hath once savingly prevented thee whereof upon the ninth verse I have at large spoken I can prove hee will not forsake thee he will not lose any one stroke of worke upon thee but will assist it and in time perfect it Sure I am thou canst not feel thy spirit deader or further off then did Naaman thou canst not be further out of Gods precinct then he was and yet the Lord beyond hope turned all to as happy an issue as the premises seemed uncomfortable Take thou like courage unto thy selfe All thy
prepar'd to destruction as in the old world and Sodoms case Doth he not so to a sinner of an hundred yeares old nay to Cain of nine hundred who yet at length must be destroyed Eccles 8.12 Did he not so to those Atheists 2 Pet. 3.6.7 whose conceit yet could not out-sleep their damnation Shall God performe a promise to such as are in league with hell But why are others lesse sinners so set in the fore-front escape Surely perhaps to break their heart and convert them to God whereas thou goest on in a close and hardned heart to colour and excuse the like sins or if not yet to be far from repenting of them It had been better for thee God had served thee so too then to harden thee by long-suffering And perhaps thou hast bought of these sinnes with thy wealth and greatnesse but God is not mocked Another sort of these are such as boast because they are kept from open sins and outrages have no deep tempâ—aâ—ions 2. Abstinence from open sins no great horrors or distempers of consciences but goe on in a faire and civill way as one said of that Emperour rather free from foule vices then qualified with any true vertues They are well thought of and are no base drunkards or the like Such and such say they run into excesse of riot and discredit for their spend-thrifty uncleane and ruffianlike courses but I am void of such evils Is it not say they a signe of favour Doth not God promise to his to keep them free from such offences Oh mistaken wretch God upholds his in their integrity indeed in token of love Psal 41.12 But integrity is equality from great and small But alas sin as sin never affected thy soule as yet thou hast no sense of thy nature of the enmity of God of a secret false prophane hollow unsavoury heart Thy sent is in thee still as in Moab God hath not rolled thee upon thy dregges Jer. 48.29 therefore they settle And is this mercy thinkest thou to soder thee up in a base course Thou art held in by abstinence but that 's a negative principle no positive grace Restraint by education favour of nature generall light awe of punishment is not the favour of a promise these never cost the bloud of Christ to purchase at least they are not the purchase in kinde A third sort are such as boast of promises in point of externall blessings 3. By outward blessings Job 21.10 God hath so furnisht them with health strong bodies successe in trades good crops marriage and children as much corne as can stand on ground no Cow but gendreth and casts not Calfe that they conclude themselves happy as few rubbes and changes as any Psal 17.14 They goe downe in peace and leave all to their babes But are you not also of them who because they have no changes feare no God Such may be as ranke Atheists as live God makes no promises to such as goe downe into the pit Not the still but the safe death argues a promise True it is Psal 37.37 The end of the righteous is alway peace but it is the peace of good conscience not of stupor and ease Note Performances are alway good things but good things are not alway performances Mercies of the left hand are no tender mercies Eccles 9.1 Deut. 33.16 Love is no more discerned by these then hatred Hast thou got the love and good will of him that dwelt in the Bush Surely except the sea of mercy hath come between thy wealth and thy soule to purge away all thy drosse of carnall savour the blessings of the Sun and Moone and earth cannot pleasure thee Alas no! Jer. 2.13 All is from a dry pit as the corne on the thatch which fills not the hand of the Mower One performance from a promise is worth ten such blessings as these Lastly all such as boast of their hearings prayers doings and sufferings 4. By their Religion good affections to religion distastes of old sinnes These they say argue a change and that is a signe of a covenant But Oh poore soule these may be some changes in respect of what in times past hath been But these are not that change which comes from Gods promise except some other markes as well as these may be alledged Iehu doted upon himselfe to see such zeale against Iehoram But none of the sins of Ahabs house were purged out of him Goe 2 Kings 10.16 finde out some surer markes then the forbearance of some old anger pride wantonnesse while the pang lasteth or else this flame will breake out againe and burne up all To conclude I say let all such bee afraid of their rotten and false proppes What became of those Sycophants who would needs be King Edward or such other Princes Were they not hanged up What noble man can endure a base fellow who pleads kindred to him because of name or likenesse of countenance When yet they are mungrels and bastards having no drop of Noble blood within them Beware therefore and meddle not with Gods performances they are Childrens bread and belong to no Dogges while they are so Thus much for this Vse 6 A sixt use is Instruction teaching us the admirable honour and prerogative of saving and pretious faith A second Instruct with caveat Luk. 9.23 Faith in promises performances is a most pretious Jewel and why It is cloathed with all the wealth wardrobes treasures and provisions of God All the performances of God are hers As our Saviour said If thou canst beleeve all things are possible No sooner doth faith close with a promise upon earth but the Lord in heaven closes with that soule by ratifying to it what it beleeveth Faith as hee saith is when that which is said is done The Lord meaning to doe a poore soule good causeth it to meet his purpose by beleeving it that so he may honour it with a performance Faith is like the Cherubims which were alway peeping into the Mercy seat so doth faith alway trade in heaven spying out what good thing God is preparing for the soule that she may beleeve it and carry it alway with her If faith concurred not as well with performances as with promises who would care for it Pro. 27.19 But she makes all reall and present to the soule as well as promised As face answers to face in water so doth a promise to a performance in a needing soule Note Joh. 11.40 Compare Jona 2. v. 4. and 8. with v. 10. and that by the mediation of Fâ—i h. As our Saviour said to Martha Said I not to thee If thou beleeve thou shalt â—ee the glorious power of God Marke Naaman here No sooner doth he resigne up himselfe to the promise by washing but instantly there comes in new marrow into his bones and smoothnesse upon his flesh here is no intermission or delay of performance looke what was said is now
the cost I remember how one of the poore Martyrs encouraged his fellow the one being a blind man and the other a lame being at the stake Be of good cheere saith the one to the other we have a sharpe breakfast but we shall have a sweete supper my Lord of London Boner shall heale me of my blindnesse and thee of thy lamenesse in a short space Could a poore blind creature encourage himselfe against the fire for the hope of freedome from his blindnesse and count a bloudy wretch a good Physitian in that respect What shouldest thou doe then for the hope of riddance from those distempers which have hindred thine inward peace and have held thee downe all thy dayes till now Oh! how good a Physitian should he be and how blessed a medicine should that be that should ridde thee from them Secondly how should thy loynes blesse the Lord for this mercy How precious was Elisha to Naaman for his cure how beautifull should the feete of them be that bring glad tidings of peace But especially what experience should this worke in time to come in all such as the Sonne hath thus freed What Giant shouldest thou feare having overcome the Lion and the Beare What after births and paines should affright thee having escaped the chiefe paines of travell and birth it selfe It is sweete to thinke how strong the Saints of God have beene by this experience and with what triumph they speake of this deliverance As Paul in 2 Cor. 1. Who hath delivered from so great a death who doth deliver and I am perswaded will deliver And yet who had such after reckonings as he had So often in spirituall desertions in soule-buffetings in perils by land sea enemies he was much in labour in travell often stoned imprisoned persecuted yet saith he out of all these the Lord delivered me yea and still will to his glory till my worke be finished Thus the Church speakes Psal 123. That if God had not beene of her side the waves had swallowed her up and yet God had broken the snare and her soule was escaped And what then Our helpe saith she stands in the name of the Lord. The poore lame and blind man in the Gospel being bidde to come to Christ was heartned on by the standers by Be of good cheere say they the Master calleth thee So say I Be of good cheere If when thou wert yet weake and unable to helpe thy selfe yet the Lord bare thee through eased thee of all thy distempers when thou saidst It shall never goe well Oh! what speciall lets by infidelity feare and tentation what speciall risings up and bubblings up of corruption can he not suppresse in thee Now he hath given thee strength and experience by his promise why shouldest thou distrust him One saith What can seeme great to him to whom the greatnesse of the whole world is knowne So what can seeme tedious to him to overcome who hath got the victory over his horrors of conscience and pangs of a froward sullen heart through unbeliefe Let us nourish this experience lively and effectually in our selves against straits either by inward desertings or outward enemies Our Lord Jesus felt both upon the crosse that we might trust him for freedome from both That Crosse to which he nayled all Devils and men enemies to his grace shall also overcome all their second assaults and affronts and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against us if we cast not away our confidence Yea this our freedome shall be our earnest-peny of that peace which the Lord shall settle upon our consciences for time to come a pledge of that eternall rest which one day when he shall cleare the coast from all tempests and blasts of this world with full serenity and calmnesse the Lord shall translate us unto hereafter If this Angel stand by us although we were in as deepe distresse as Paul when no Sunne Moone or Starres appeared for fourteene dayes we shall leape up as he did among a rout of Ruffians and Souldiers saying I trust God that not one haire of our head shall fall to the ground Oh! how well-pleasing to God is it that we give not over our hold and cast not away our Shield and Sword when we have greatest need of it And so much may serve for this Use Lastly this may serve for instruction to teach us the just proceeding of God against all Hypocrites who reject his Word in this respect loving their distempers so well that they care not Use 7 for getting faith to be rid of them The soule that longs for faith Instruct longs for peace and riddance of such slavish companions but they who withdraw from God and will not beleeve it is just with God to leave them and their distempers together till they cannot be separated Ezekiel speaking of the people of his time compares them to a seething pot whose meat liquor and scum sod all together till they with the pot it selfe were burnt all together So it is just with God that they who would not have the precious separated from the vile should have their owne faith still and be left to their staggerings unquietnesses false case deceits and delusions and never be purged from their defilements Peter excellently speakes to this purpose Epist 1. Cap. 2.6.7 of such as will not accept the Lord Jesus to be their corner-stone of safety Surely they find him a stone of stumbling and offence So I say to these Since you cared not to trust in Christ to ridde you of your corruptions dead hearts vanities lusts earthlinesse your unbeliefe false hopes feares your owne affections and wayes it is just with God to leave you still to astonishment and anguish of heart to sinke and perish to fall and be destroyed Esa 28. by this Rocke of offence Christ is either a Rocke to save or to crush in pieces And I have noted that many Pharisees and Hypocrites refusing Christ have turned cavillers against the way of God complainers murmurers against it as base tedious and difficult if not scorners and enemies So much for this Doctrine and Lecture THE THREE AND TWENTIETH AND LAST LECTVRE Vpon the fifteenth VERSE and so forward VERSE XV. to the XIX And he returned to the man of God he and all his company and came and stood before him and said Behold now I know that there is no God in all the earth save in Israel Now therefore I pray thee take a blessing of thy servant But he said As the Lord liveth before whom I stand I will receive none And he uâ—ged him to take it but he refused And Naaman said Shall there not then be given two Mules load of earth to thy servant c. In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant c. To whom Elisha said Goe in peace Entrance upon this 4 generall ALthough Brethren at my first entry upon this text I propounded no more Verses of this Chapter to treat upon save what
him to the ground and amazed him till hee had throughly subdued him under his owne will and government Herein shewing himselfe to bee as Paul Eph. 3. Epes 3.15 calles him the Father of all the families of the Earth For as the Master of a family over-rules his servants will and businesse and when he intends one worke in an ordinary course of service his Master hath some other businesse of greater consequence to send him about and so the servant is acted by his master to forbeare the one and dispatch the other so is it here in the great worke of salvation Many a man useth to make an ordinary worke of going to a place where the Word is preached hee aimes at businesse or company or novelties or perhaps cavilling at the Minister The Lord aimes at fetching him within his net that hee may divert his purpose and draw him to conversion Not onely as Esay saith Cap. 65.1 The Lord is found of such as sought him not that is prevents the thoughts which were roving helward worldward and sinward Job 33. Esay 65.1 to thinke of matters of greater consequence even heaven and happinesse But which is more when they perhaps purposed to crosse with God as Paul did the Lords intents overrule mans and turne him the way which himselfe intends As old Eli overrules Samuels feelinesse and saith if he call againe say speake for thy servant heareth Secondly the Lord where he meanes to convert will mightily over-power the soule from stumbling at such discouragements Overpowers the soule from stumbling at discouragements and obstacles Branch 2 that stand in the way This argues God specially present and to have a finger in the worke When another shall be a divell to himselfe to disswade himselfe from God by casting the difficulties alleadging farmes oxen and wife to hold him off and by framing to himselfe many Lions in the way so that if he goes yet it is as a Beare to the stake to heare the word if he heares once he neglects oft lo when God stirs his heart he shall feel such a strong perpetuall moover within him that these are nothing with him he beats them off as flies he feeles such a fire of purpose and bent in his heart to seeke after God as if he thought some pearle were there to be had he cannot finde in his heart to leave off hearing praying musing questioning and using all helpes which are in his power till he have felt the worke of them in himselfe Naaman heere had his dismaiments yet the Lord by a secret hand of his owne held him on asswaged his rage and set his servants on worke Gal. 1.17 Act. 9 till he had effected the cure When the Lord had Paul on the hooke once he suffered him not to slug out the worke till he had finished it Act. 9. Thirdly the Lord disposes of all outward occasions He disposes of all outward occasions both remooving them which let and framing them which helpe which lead to Branch 3 his ends and both remooves the opposites and accomodates unites and chaines together the meanes that the end be not frustrated Notable is that I noted Act. 10. of Peter who was no way like to goe with the servants to Cornelius as being an heathen what doth the Lord workes Peters heart from that objection and so from unwillingnesse nay more he doth make the one privy to the others want and as in a vision Paul saw Ananias comming toward him to open his eies so on the other side Ananias in a vision is informed of Pauls praying and waiting upon the Lord for remedy God brings both together and sutes the one with willingnesse to be holpen and the other with readinesse to helpe so they were mutually fitted to do and receive good each to and from other So in Pauls case when he was to go to Ananias how unwilling was he to be the instrument of settling satisfying him Therefore the Lord steps in and remooves that let and tells him he is a speciall man for his own use So oftimes when parents friends Minister himselfe are discouragements to a poore novice how doth the Lord foreseeing such a blur turne the eies of Crocodiles to Doves eyes alleniate and draw the hearts of fathers to the children what faire way doth he open Againe how doth the Lord dispose of such requisite circumstances as concurre to the ends without which it could not have been effected Sometime by bringing a man into such a place or Towne where a faithfull Ministry resideth sometimes into some such family where the name of God is called upon faithfully sometime preparing for a man such a dwelling as is compassed about with good neighbours whose example and helpe may be a loadstone unto him John 4. as the woman of Samaria being her selfe first drawne from her scoffing to beleeving drew all her kindred So oftentimes the Lord by shaking one maine Pillar-stone in an house causes many little stones to rattle downe after So many a young Scholler by a godly Tutor many a young youth or maid by a religious Master or Mistresse many an ignorant novice by marrying a good wife or husband and into a godly family growes to be religious All these are gracious preventions And from the same preventing mercy it is that the Chaine and Coherence of the meanes one after another is so united and so continued by the Lord that whereas the breaking off of any one might split and marre the frame the Lord holds all together for the effecting thereof As here except all the foure premises had held Naaman might have beene easily defeated of his issue But the Lord suffers no one linke of the chaine to breake Fourthly the Lord most aptly and fitly accommodates all circumstances Branch 4 by his providence to consort and combine to such ends disposing of apt condition Accommodates all circumstances fittly to the end age season person place and other opportunities If Naaman being so great had not beene made little by the condition of a leper could he have stooped so low as the Prophet All are not so fit to bee dealt with by every instrument some more are drawne by a still and softly voice others by the thundring of terror the Lord suits meet persons to meet objects that so the worke might goe forward Not alway the same person is apt to bee wrought upon by all occasions As when the minde is filled with businesse all that is spoken is as it were spoken in a mans cast Luke 10.40 Martha being cumbred with much serving was as a full vessell for the time all which had beene put into her had run over Therefore Mary whose minde was free and empty was fitter to sit at Christs feet and profit All places are not alike to all sorts While children live under their Parents wing at ease and liberty they minde nothing that good is perhaps being abroad and being put to it marked and noted
in their conversation and behaviour seeing that the world is hard and living under strict government they begin to looke about them and to digest those counsells which they have long beene taught Every age is not so capable when yeares have hardened a man in his evill course he is farre worse to be wrought upon then in his younger time having lesse experience of evill So that the Lord takes men in the fittest season in youth and prevents the unfittest and so for all other circumstances Fifthly the Lord mercifully stops and prevents such accidents as if Branch 5 they tooke effect would be like to hinder the worke of his providence Prevents such evills as might hinder his ends Thus the Lord prevents an ill marriage an unapt yoke-fellow when as yet there was far more likelihood that way then any other Yet the Lord crosses and defeats it so that it shall not take effect so also he stops and cuts off some such companion by death either friend or husband or wife or the like whose example or counsell might possibly have hindred the good of the other party 1 Sam. 25. Abigail being freed from Nabal was at liberty for David and so many a well-minded childe over-ruled by a crosse and peevish father or mother when God removes that tye is at more liberty to enjoy the meanes and to profite So that the Lord when he intends any thing doth alway remove out of his way the lets which might hinder his worke Lastly and especially the Lord doth put life successe and blessing into Branch 6 all such courses and meanes from first to last Puts life and successe into all occurrences as are offered by his providence that they shall take effect and leave the impression of grace behinde them Because God meant well to the Prodigall hee so ordered the matter that even contraries seemed to worke together for the best God oft workes by contraries Luke 14. If he had kept still with his father ten to one hee had been as the other brother But even the misery which he felt which might have been the next way to have made him desperate and to have rusht himselfe upon vile courses to his ruine or caused him to have laid violent hands upon himselfe yet by Gods dispensation wrought him to an utter loathing of his bad wayes and himselfe and to an earnest desire to seeke to his father for pardon Much more then doth the Lord blesse other wayes of sinners which are lesse unlikely as wee see in Naaman here no one passage befell him but brought him one step neerer and when hee had his owne desire that wrought in him such a brokennesse of spirit that he was thereby fitted to receive a better boon from God with more thankfulnes So that poor blinde man Ioh. 9. John 9. whom Christ purposed to save although at his first cure of blindnesse he was not converted yet the Lord was so effectuall in his cure so brake his heart by that love that when hee was most bitterly reproached and excommunicated for confessing him yet he gave not in nor shranke but convinced them with shame and put them to silence and when our Saviour had him upon that advantage he meets him againe in his streight and by a few words speaking to him converted him But these may serve Now for use of the point it is manifold First it is terror and admonition Vse 1 to all brutish prophane ones and base hypocrites Terror with admonition to such as are under no prevention but alway at one point who walke securely in their way some neglecting all meanes others using the most holy and effectuall meanes in a meere formall manner Both of them justly left at large by the Lord to themselves so that nothing workes upon conscience But even as the Wind-mill turning in her round every way yet stirre not out of their place so is it with them after ten twenty yeares they are where they were the first day no step neerer God but many further off For why alas they are farre from acknowledging any preventing grace of God in their course They know no other means but to goe to Church and present themselves among others in the place and so home againe As for a providence to prevent them to bow and sway their hearts to any tendernesse and towardlinesse to see themselves drawn by God to know themselves to see into their nature to abhorre it and embrace all opportunities for their owne spirituall furtherance to salvation they are farre from it And as they live so they dye And if the Lord at any time do scare their conscience or move them to any better thoughts of their wayes yet alas they have no intimation from God of any mercy therein are soone weary of them they vanish as they came And when they looke backe into their course past their youth education company marriage dwelling Ministery or the like alas they cannot speake of any moving of heart stopping their lewd course still they are in their thorough-fare heare like blockes are wearie of good company shun all opportunities of good for feare of being better glad when they can wash off good duties and winde themselves out of all occasions for heaven Alas poore wretches yee shall not need put off with one hand that mercie which you cannot pull on with both It must bee singular grace which must prevent you if ever you come to good But to goe against the edge of providence thinking your selves happiest when yee are out of the element of it is fearfull Doth it not sting you that you have felt so little of Gods prevention in all your wayes So many of your yeares time acquaintance not onely stirred but converted to God since your beginning and you still as saplesse and senselesse as ever Doth it not disquiet you to see all is too little for your ease will world lusts and vanities What have yee no sighes nor sobs in your dreams and upon your beds how it shall fare with you in the day of wrath and that there will be bitternesse in the end 2 Sam. 2. What I pray you is more miserable then to live without God in the world And who live so but such as feele not one pull by the eare one knock at the doore of your hearts or if they doe forget and shake it off with as little savour or regard as pigges tread upon pearles Alas if hee who is the authour of the Scriptures of Ministery of Sacraments of long-suffering of afflictions hath never yet cast the least seed of light or sparke of heat into you which should teach you to acknowledge these ordinances and administrations of his and to tremble at them Are you worse then Divels Application of the terror by admonition Therefore I pray you consider of what I say If the Lord raise not up the North winde to blow upon your spirits to encline and perswade them it
Monica was so carefull for her sonne Augustine that Ambrose told her the sonne of such prayers could not perish and as it fell out he was a true Prophet for never had any man greater and stranger preventions as may easily be seenâ— in that life of his written by his Deacon to excellent good purpose as the lives of many other Worthies both ancient and moderne have bin for the setting forth of the blessed fruit of Gods preventing providence both for the salvation of the parties and unspeakable good of Gods Church by the labours of such instruments And for this use so much Vse 3 Thirdly this point should be a great consolation to all such as have had experience of such mercy preventing them Of Consolation It should comfort and Branch 1 encourage them from all those doubtfull distempers which arise up in their fearfull mindes Experience of former prevention should encourage us for time to come that God will leave them in the midst of his work unperfect and unfinished It is a wofull unthankfulnesse in many who having found God gracious to them and theirs beyond expectation in preventing much evill seasoning them betimes even in their tender years and stopping evill That yet they dare not trust him forth on especially if they perceive any staggering in themselves or delaying of their desires so that God proceeds not on with them and theirs according to their hopes Judg. 13.22.23 But let them learne of a woman Manoahs wife to correct their folly who hearing her husband to feare least God would slay them answered no for then God would never have freely discovered himselfe to them at all touching a Son which should save Israel Surely if those first free preventions and gales of grace were so prised and so thankefully entertained and observed by us wee should not dare to give over God so easily for the finishing of his worke Dallyance with Gods first preventions is the cause to change his course But it is commonly mens dalliance with the first grace of God and his early preventions of us and ours yea it is our presumption upon free mercy as if it were pinned to our sleeves which causes us to winde it about our fingers and carry it loose about us as a pearle in a loose pocket and which causes the Lord to blast us to change his first course with us to suffer us to wax pearke and sawcy with him and to venture upon such occasions companies and actions as at first we durst not thinke of And so the Lord frownes upon us and changes our first motions into cold qualmes and loose affections and the base fruit of our presumption to trie whether his grace be pretious or no and whether we will forsake our fatnesse and sweetnesse of first beginnings to exalt our selves our wits conceits and humours and through embracing of lying vanities forsake our mercy If we doe let us know the Lord prevented us rather to make our destruction inexcusable then to convert us But if it be otherwise then let it appear in our extraordinary humiliation and teares Jonah 2.8 repentance and recovery of our former workes and affections let not Satan stall us in our own mire of sinne nor oppresse us with distrustfull bondage and despondency of heart to drive us to despaire let all our vanity be vaine and all our stollen waters bitter our pride and new-found selfe-contents odious unto us in comparison of former old compassions let us bee zealous I say and amend rather then harden our hearts so far till the print of our first preventions tendernesse feare and conscience be quite worne out This by the way not impertinently But to returne if there have been a levell and even eye to walke according to our first Grace let us not warpe ungrounded feares out of unthankfull distrust to thinke like that wretch 2 King 3. God hath brought us to this point to forsake us or as tâ—â—y said to slay us in the wildernesse Read Jer. 2. and we see how the Lord speaks to such as cavilled against him Oh! saith he I remember the love I made toward thee in the wildernesse a barren drie land and the first love of thy youth when thou wert dainty to me and still I can beteame thee the same love if thou wert not weary of it A sweet place Could God finde in his heart to be so to Revolters to Idolaters such as had forsaken his fountaine and digged pits to themselves and shall he not much more poore soule of little faith remember thee Art thou of no more worth then so Oh! the Lord remembers his first love still its pretious to him he cannot forget it and is it not so to thee Put case his assisting and perfecting grace seemes not in thine eye so proportionall at the first May there not bee cause Is it not to teach thee to claspe about the first as the Ivy about the bow to suck out juice from it to support thee Doubt not but proceed He that prevented thee first perhaps when thou soughtst him not or soughtst him but formally he will not faile thee now he will sticke to thee by his assisting grace also uphold thee in thy zeale meanes using make the mystery of Christ more cleare and evident draw forth reall desires and hungers esteems and diligence yea he will not give thee over till he have also finished the worke of conversion and effectuall calling in thee by the worke of faith and by daily familiarising with thine heart by his promises create the fruit of the lips which is peace in thee Isaih 57.17 Onely suffer not thy selfe to wax lazy loose and dallying with him to give him over thy selfe and then lay the fault upon him That he was very forward to lay the foundation but was not able to finish his building None but hypocrites dare bring in such verdicts rather slanders upon God Luke 14.30 Be not thou the first And againe it may be consolation in a second regard to all such to Branch 2 wit that he who not being tied to them by promise yet called them of encouragement Rom. 5.8 will now much more sticke to them having a promise to plead Which I speake because many forgetting the old mercies of God by a worldly unthankfull and estranged heart make that part of their lives most sad which should be gladdest of all And that What to doe when feare of our corruptions masters us by distrusting God for the mercie consequent upon their calling They feare that God will never make them masters over some speciall corruptions of theirs pride world ease nor increase any grace to any fulnesse but onely leave them to a poore pittance nor yet uphold them in their outward wants and crosses of poverty or infamy Deut. 32.13.14 c. by his all-sufficiencie nor rid them out of their streights by unreasonable men nor recover them out of their revolts to their former
integritie of course To whom I answer Doe yee thus require the Lord O yee unthankfull people scarce worth the name of people Did the Lord give yee brasse out of the stones and silver out of his hidden treasures mercie when yee looked for none that yee should still distrust his promise If when yee were strangers yet he so prevented yee to make yee children shall hee forsake yee being now in covenant Did he kill the old Serpent and Leviathan and shall hee suffer her spawne to destroy yee Did he remove the guilt of sin from destroying you and shall he leave the venome of it to bee a goad in your side and a pricke in your eyes to make your life desolate No not except yee forsake the promise looking that God shoulâ— drop mercie still out of clouds and prevent you as at first without any beleeving of yours No hee now puts ye to it to work out your own salvation with fear having his pretious promises 2 Cor. 7.1.2 labour to perfect your sanctification To take his Sword Helmet and Breast-plate and fight the holy warre of God against your selves Judg. 3.2 and all enemies and not to looke that the Egyptians should still be drowned while you looke on While yee were children yee did as such but being men the Lord looks his stocke should grow and bee put to occupying and that yee should be setled and rooted therein As for outward blessings Esay 25. hath God made you a feast in the mountaines and will he deny yee it in the valleyes Luk. 12.23.24 Will he so cloath the Lillies that labour not nor spin and shall hee leave you to shift for your selves who next to the kingdome serve his providence for a meet portion here Matth. 6.32 shall hee not cast in these things without sin or sorrow Did hee prevent your soules from perdition and shall hee not prevent want from your bodies Doth he so cloath the hearb and flowers of the field which to morrow are cast into the Oven and shall he not doath feed and provide for you in this world 2 Pet. 1. for whom hee hath provided a crowne hereafter as Peter saith immortall and not fading To conclude if hee have over-ruled your intentions for his owne glory and your owne salvation should yee feare lest any Divell or instrument of his should come between you and home Say thou livest in dark times in places where the wicked beare sway Esay 63. what then As the Church Esay 63. cries Thou wert mercifull to us of old Lord what are all thy bowels and rollings restrained Oh! deliver us still Thou canst over-sway their intentions by the same prevention and turne them to the contrarie aime Their policies and devices against thee and thine shall not preuaile thou canst scatter them thou canst avert convert or pervert them at thy pleasure 1 Sam. 23.27 2 Sam. 17.7 Gem. 31.29 Acts 9.9 Avert them as Saul from David pervert as Achitophels against David convert as Paul from a persecutor They shall say as Laban to Iacob It was in my power to do you hurt but the God of your Fathers appeared unto me yester night and prevented me Acts 12.3 Herod Acts 12. intended to bring out Peter to be slaine after Iames but the Lord had another purpose which overthrew his as cob-webs swept downe with a besome In a word if God once declared his prevention of mercie toward us Oh! let us not presume yet let us honour him thus far by our experience that still the same God will be at worke for us in our particular course to turn all to better then wee could look for Ruth 2. 3. as to poore Ruth when she went out to gleane barley the Lord found her out rest all her dayes Oh! if once he have delighted in us he still will rejoyce to make us objects of like mercie so that all shall see us to be his favourites and long for our portion And for this point Sermon an Verse thus much Let us pray c. THE THIRD LECTVRE Vpon the tenth verse VERSE X. And Elisha sent a Messenger unto him saying Go wash seven times in Iordan and thy flesh shall come againe to thee and thou shalt be cleane VERS 10. But Naaman was wroth c. THIS poore Pilgrime and patient Naaman as yee have heard beloved hath stood some time at the Prophets doore denying himselfe and his esteeme Entry upon the substance of the miracle honour and favour with his Prince he and his train submitting themselves and standing at the courtesie of God and his Prophet for his cure And although we heare of no words or suit comming from him yet his very habit and standing in the deep silence of it speaketh and calleth aloud for the Prophets helpe And indeed it had been hard-hearted and unmercifull for Elisha having himself sent for him to his house when he was wildred seeing how humble his suppliant is to have let him to stand as a dumb pageant without salutation Courtesie and morals could not have denied him that favour and much more that Spirit wherewith the Prophet was filled a spirit of mildnesse mercie exorablenesse and easinesse to be intreated of a petitioner so miserable and comming so farre for helpe must needs hearken to his request This verse therefore shewes us what message Elisha sends him to the doore And now at this third Sermon weare passed the Antecedent occasions leading us to the Contents of the Cure and are come to the chiefe substance of the story Whereof to make a full Analyse all at once because it would clog the hearers memory therefore we thinke it here superfluous onely wee will severall the story into her branches opening the first of them here in our entrance upon it but for the rest we will referre them to the threshold of their particular handlings that every thing may be more lively and better remembred The whole story then hath these five distinct parts The first Elisha his message sent to Naaman standing at his gate and full of expectation and that in this tenth verse The second is Naamans entertainment and construction of it The generall heads of the story five and how it tooke with him and that in the eleventh and twelfth verses The third generall is the Rejoynder of his poore servants upon their masters misconstruction of the message and that containes their loyall and serious treatie and counsell of wiser interpretation and for better carriage that in the 13. verse The fourth is the issue and happinesse of all the sweet conclusion of a sad entrance and that is that upon the overture and intimation of his servants or rather of grace he changes his former resolution to be gone into an obedient submission to wash in Jordan The fifth and last the issue of his obedience partly immediate that hee found the Prophet true hee was instantly cleansed his flesh returning as a young childes
like may be said of duties It was the great boast of that Pharisee and of all his tribe that he fasted twice a week 2. Religious duties gave almes paid tithes of all even to mint and cummin he was not as the publican no extortioner no briber no usurer and this made him crow upon his dunghill exceedingly and swell in his law righteousnesse that Christ never came in his minde Luke 18.11.12 Those Pharisees in the Gospel upon whom so many woes are pronounced how full of their duties were they Christ himselfe was a libertine to them and their strictnesse a companion of Publicans and sinners a glutton and winebibber in comparison of their abstinence and sobriety How dangerous he could not keepe a Sabbath strictly enough for them nor walke closely enough to please them Phil. 3.7 8 9. And Paul who had beene one of them and after his conversion bewrayed their secrets confessed that as he trusted to his priviledges of a Jew of circumcision of his sect so especially that hee walked to the uttermost in the most precise strictnesse of his profession making conscience of being a Pharisee and throughout all his Epistles what doth he cry out of so much as his and their law righteousnesse that is that exact and strict walking in all the duties of the morall law and ceremonies Oh! how this conceit of their owne vertues and moralities stiffened swelled and puffed up all this bastardly brood not onely to disdaine prophane ones but also to abhorre the spiritualnesse of the Lord Jesus and to contemne the offer of his grace as base and superfluous And what was the chiefe object of our Saviours outcries Matth. 23. woes and curses save this rabble of Pharisees one whole Chapter being spent therein yea his bitter and irreconciliable antipathy and enmity of spirit against them above all other either heathens or prophane ones Surely because he saw that above all other opposition to himself this was the most deadly and damnable to set up a god against a Christ an Altar against an Altar a righteousnesse comming from a meere selfe-loving and selfe seeking principle from a carnall bottome to a carnall end against the eternall spirituall pure righteousnesse of the Lord Jesus who came to discover not onely all grosse unrighteousnesse and make it odious but also all righteousnesse of flesh and all the obedience of hypocrites and to cast it as unsavory salt dung and dogsmeate upon the dunghill And to be briefe what else is the religion of our daies and times both among Popish and carnall Protestant worshippers save their duties devotions The one boasting of his masses sacrifices almes penances empty fastings building of Hospitalls doing of good workes and all to establish their owne Corban and Kingdome through the merit of their owne congruities and condignities the other their serving of God hearing his word receiving his sacraments abstaining from the sinnes of usury drunkennesse uncleannesse and doing the duties of the Sabbath of mercy and charity of righteousnesse and equity But to be sure both of them swelling in the opinion of themselves both abhorring to feele any pinching need of the Lord Jesus and his sufficiency to pardon both their unrightousnesse and also their counterfeit righteousnesse being both equally damnable But the third branch viz. Religion in point of degrees and measures The 3. Branch Degrees of Religion is of all the most dangerous peece of Selfe and swelleth the unsound and hollow heart of man in the opinion of himselfe Some boasting of their knowledge of Gods will in generall others of some degrees of legall humiliation a third sort of a wonderfull sweetnes they have tasted in hearing the Gospel and the glad tidings of life salvation thereby a fourth shewing how they are awed by the knowledge of the word from their former courses what degrees of grace have been wrought in them how long they have been hearers What degrees of Religion a man may attaine unto and held out in their profession longer then many revolters what zeal they have shewed in setting up the Ministery in their Townes praier in their families care and conscience and good example in their lives how many sins they have laid aside what good they have done in their repeating of Sermons calling upon their kindred and neighbours what services they have done for the Church runne ridden written bestowed paines and travell to settle order and government in their places how they have honored graced and maintained the Minister invited entertained him to their houses how they have stood out and suffered for the Gospel Others go further instance in the power of the promise of Christ in their soules what ravishing passions of joy admiration and thankes that sweet doctrine hath wrought in them what pangs of deepe love and affection it hath raised in them how it hath bred in them abundant weeping and sorrow for their sinnes humiliation and feare under the hand of God how they have stood upon thornes till the Sabbath or lecture day came what ardent desires after the word what longings what frequent use of meanes it hath wrought in them and how they have denied both lust and liberties for Christ and could be content for the time to beg to goe to prison and suffer for him Besides many effects which this hath wrought in them the curbing in of their tongues their passions and their lives which were wont to be full of lying deceit rage revenge unmercifulnesse unrighteousnesse but now they are become true of their word quiet moderate curteous gentle and mercifull All these thinges laid together cause them to thinke no lesse then that their state is good and sound to God-ward for why the hearsay of Christ wrought all these things in them And yet not to condemne any particular person for these seeing God only knowes the hearts of the sonnes of men how many have we knowne by wofull experience who have attained some of these or all these degrees And to how small purpose who yet in a short time have bewraied themselves to bee time-fervers and wanzed away to nothing as fast as ever they seemed to come forward Alas they never called themselves to question never tried their estate by the rules of the word nor came to put difference betweene a conscience proceeding from supernaturall revealing and betweene divine and spirituall perswasion The Apostle hath a strange speech 1 Cor. 15.19 1 Cor. 15.19 If our hope were in this life onely in Christ wee were of all men most miserable whereby we see that many seeke their Christ onely for this life that is how they may make use of Christ here below for a while to get themselves some inward truce with an accusing conscience or to get themselves credit ease and welfare here among men with whom they see Christ and Religion are in request But as for a Christ to save to sanctifie and glorifie them for ever they
never hoped or beleeved in him for that Wherein they come short And why First they never came to see themselves wholly lost and forlorne in themselves but still held some prop of their owne to support them though Christ should faile them and so never feeling need of him could never savingly and cordially make to him and apply him Secondly they never looked at a promise for it selfe but from some pangs and flashes of selfe liking the newes of Christ for the good it presented taking the word to themselves rather in a dreame and a fancy after a thing they would have then for the naked truth of the promiser Thirdly or else they were led by outward sense the credit gifts and plausiblenesse of the Preacher in whose light they rejoiced while it lasted but if the minister were once removed then as a sive out of the water so they lost all their zeale againe It bred with him and died with him Fourthly they heard without discerning of truthes taking all alike not cleaving to the doctrine as such able to ground and to settle them in peace through Christ but as good thinges in generall at randome without putting difference observing order or coherence For if another Minister came who preached his owne vagrant and ungrounded fancies they were as ready to heare him and be led away as by the former Matth. 11.19 Fiftly they looked upon the zeale of others who snatch the Kingdome with violence and thought it a disgrace for them to bee more backward and so hanging upon the common haunt and multitude never examined what inward principle led them and so when zeale grew cold and profession more dead they grew as cold and dead as others Sixtly or else having no roote in them they clave to the word in peace and prosperity of the Church but when they saw the times to frowne and trouble to come then they saw they thrust themselves further in then they had strength to winde out and so withered and brought shame upon their profession Seventhly or if they were grounded in knowledge yet not in soundnesse of heart for so soone as the divell came to recover his possession Luke 11.25 hee found them empty swept and garnished that is still tainted with old lusts world and pleasures though for a while they seemed to have forsaken them Eightly though they received the truth of Jesus yet not as the truth is in Jesus not to purge them Ephes 4.21.22 to change their base qualities to transforme them from glory to glory Ninthly if they have proceeded to some shewes of holinesse yet they have not come under the authority of the commander from the faithfulnesse of the promiser who hath made his yoke easie and his burthen light Their obedience is rather in the letter and in the easier points of the Law then the hard and craggy Matth. 11.29 1 Sam. 13. they goe not up the hill with Ionathan upon all foure but downe hill They are like dead fishes which swimme downe the streame not living ones which swimme against it in some few thinges not all with an equall exact carriage in some acts not in the bent of their spirit and the stream of their life As the springs are so is their running to themselves if they be taxed for any evills 10. Then they excuse them by infirmities and lick themselves whole by the sores of the godly not remembring that the godly have sundry defects in grace but not one as themselves maine want of grace and these they pretend not as excuses but grone under as burthens also they colour themselves by this that their sinnes are few and but small or else necessary or but secret and not breaking out whereas a sound heart knowes one sinne may be as full if it runne into one channell and may be as much delighted in and fed on as many dishes also that Gods people never fall into such a necessity as to sinne are free from such straits as to stretch conscience for ease credit wealth and outward respects and lastly Lots wife paid as deare for her contemplative sinne as for her actuall And to end they abide in their evills and recover not whereas Gods people are as a blade of good mettall which beeing bent will returne and are never well till with the needle of the diall they stand just toward the North of repentance Twelfly and lastly if they goe forward to suffer for Christ it is with much adoe and struggling against it and in such sufferings as they can licke themselves whole another way or if they be driven by necessity of shame or light to it yet rather out of compulsion then purity and goodnesse of their cause and conscience And so much bee spoken for the clearing of these three branches of Selfe-religion I conclude this last branch with admonition also that we abhorre this sufficiency of selfe-religion and righteousnesse It s the stillest streame of all yet the deepest gulfe and under pretence of drawing nearest to Christ his privy chamber becomes the greatest traitor to him I condemne not morality civility religious duties and degrees As the Towne-clarke Acts 20. said to them of Ephesus Diana is a great goddesse who denies it But we must make no uproare for her So these are good but they must make no mutiny against Christ and by a sufficiency of their owne destroy his If they come under his banner to fight for him they doe well But to erect one of their owne against his is deadly treason Therefore as marriners in danger of life by shipwracke looke not at the value of their wares nor the use of them silkes velvets corne wine tacklings of ships but how they endanger their lives so in Gods feare let us doe with selfe-religion a commodity in shew farre above morality or carnall welfare but if it equally or more endanger the ship and life of the soule cast it also with the rest overboord remember not many of these five sorts of grosse self politiques carnall wizards moralists worldlings or Pharisees get into heaven Alas they stick at the porch This sufficiency of selfe must be abhorred not in the narrow gate how then should they enter If ever God make such capable of Christ he will pare off their Camels bunch and make them of Sauls Pauls who saith of this aswell as of all the rest I counted them all as losse and as dogsmeat that I might bee found in Christ not cloathed with mine owne Phil. 3. but his righteousnesse Be wise in time lay not out their mony for no bread nor your paines for that which satisfies not empty their soules of it that Christ and his good things refined wiâ—es and fatnesse may satisfie you Let others pray to God to pardon their vices Esay 55.2 doe you beg mercy and pardon for their vertues for their religion duties and performances If the heart be brought to renounce this sufficiency it s a signe there
flattery of superiors Oh! there is a slavishnesse in some mens spirits that so they may bee taken up with their betters they will forfeit their Religion they will lose God rather then the company and countenance of the great An eight is base ease and formality Ease and formality of profession it is an Idoll universally received and spit out of the mouth of carnall reason the Masse as we say bites not A ninth is pollicy Equivocation when men equivocate with their owne conscience for their safety sake as those in Queene Maries time who would come to Masse to spare their skin and now adayes what dare not men doe to save a living Here perhaps it might be expected that I should say somewhat about Jesuiticall equivocations But if men of their owne side might be heard speake against them Papists against Papist I need say nothing Josephus Bâ—rnes for sundry of them have written in the open disclaiming of such villany It is sufficient Mâ—lderus Episcopus Antwerp that in such equivocations the heart thinkes one thing by reservation and speakes another and that to deceive What is lying if this be not And whereas they say that is for lawfull evasion I answer it is indeed for evasion but that which is by a lying way cannot be lawfull A Papist is asked art thou a Priest He answers no hee reserves this not a Priest of Baal or not a Priest to utter it to thee herein is a lye both for matter and manner for matter in that he utters for manner in that he means that is to deceive They object the whole proposition made both of the expression and suppression is true I answer That only which is expressed is the proposition which is a lye not that which is concealed if that were uttered the whole were true but so there were no cosenage To thinke a truth which in word they gainsay is a lye A lye properly respects another by declaring his minde by words which serve to that end no man is said to ly to himselfe but to another If I should say the fire is not hot meaning by an heate externall or a man is no reasonable creature meaning as an Angel are not here lyes Hee that denies denies whatsoever is contained under the sense of that he denies He therefore that so answers and sweares is perjured and so all sound Divines affirm Let what tricks be used that can be God takes the oath not as he intends it who makes it but as he who takes it oaths must go according to the common use of men To sweare is to call God as witnesse in things doubtfull but who doubts whether a Priest be a Priest of Apollo Truth is an act of righteousnesse not to be esteemed by conceits but words See Jerem. 9.8 2 Cor. 4.2 It is objected they maintaine not such answers alway but for uses to shunne danger death c. I answer that which is nought must never be done He that saith I saw not such a Priest reserving in his minde at Rome or Venice doth not qualifie his lye because he doth it to himselfe onely another cannot apprehend his mixture or limitation Such therefore are of Saint Iames his double minded ones It is objected that which is concealed is but onely a desperate thing not contrary to that which is uttered I answer yet it is a lye for if I affirme that of Plato which is only true of Socrates it is a lye yea this is a double lye because it is under the colour of simplicity Againe an oath is the end of all strife Heb. 6.16 But by these oaths controversies are never ended but endlesly multiplied they object the judge is incompetent or they are asked of things under the seale and secret of confession but then we must not lye but shunne such a judge or deny to answer for what is so false but may be made good if we may reserve what we list A written lye borrowes no truth from him that reads it nor a spoken lye by him that heares it a lye it is because it is so in the writer and speaker Truth must be to us as David was to his souldiers worth tenne thousand of them so worth our life goods liberty and all The speech of a woman I will not therefore deny a truth lest I should die but I will not lye lest I be damned Tell me what lawes could bridle lyers if this course were lawfull How foolish were the Martyrs who lost their life for want of this trick Whose testimony should be currant in Court These equivocators object the lies of the midwives Abraham David Rahab c. But one sinne excuses not another When 1 Sam. 16. the Prophet said he came to sacrifice he was not asked the question he spake the truth but not all neither needed he Christ seemed willing to goe further but did not and why Because he was disswaded by others Other examples which they bring are not words which require a reservation to cleare them from a lye but have an entire truth in them being aright understood The conclusion is the trade of equivocation is divellish Ambition A tenth is affectation of honour and preferment for which it is easie to lose a good conscience hee that can lose a little pompe may purchase a great deale of peace So also to end schisme and singularity these and such like Schisme and singularity are oyle to this flame of this corruption cut these off intercept these succours and through mercy this carnall reason may be starved and vanish for lack of nourishment and fewell But I insist no longer let this serve for the fourth branch and so for the whole use of Admonition A fourth use may be confutation of Popery It is a meer dunghill raked Vse 3 together by carnall reason Confutation of Popery All the world itcheth to goe after them Those that fear God should say as Peter answered Christ Joh. 6. Will ye Instance 1 also goe after them No Lord thou hast the words of eternall life Alas men are weary of spirituall worship when they have carnall The Divell and his eldest sonne know well the complexions of carnall people and when the Gospel hath beene preached twenty yeare together yet people will long after the garlick and onions of old Religion and carnall reason with her taile sweepes downe a great part of the starres of heaven we doe but gugge and tire most men with our preaching of selfe-deniall and faith Alas one carnall Popish fellow would draw more after him then tenne Preachers As one saith The Divell never shed drop of bloud for us yet he boasteth that he can have ten to one more at his beck then Christ Popish Embassadours have puld away abundance of London professors to their Masse they stablish their throne upon these two pillars of pompe and devotion both carnall and by their Circe her cup have made drunken the Princes Peeres people of
the poore widow with her two mites this poore wench in the beginning of this Chapter a Captive and servant poore Onesimus one good for nothing good for all things after Oh yee poor souls your sin makes your base outside out of measure base if that were clothed with honour it would afford so much the more beauty and esteem unto you in the eies of all men none so much your betters so much richer learneder nobler then you but should admire be in love with you if there were true humblenes faith grace in you who reads the story of poore Rhode Act. 12.13 but must needs affect that cordiall love of the Saints in her who for joy could not open the doore to Peter till shee had been the first messenger of his deliverance Therefore ye poore inferiors take heart to your selves think not those only to be esteemed with God who have greatnesse to commend them to the world No no the lesser you have here to take to the more covet that which may commend you truly and really in the sight of all that can judge Let none despise thee poor soul Thou wilt say it is not in thy power I answer thee Tit. 2.15 seek to him who as Hanna saith exalteth the lowly and meeke while men behold the poore and proud a drudge to the kitching and to thy lusts wonder not if thou be as the off-scouring of all men but assuredly thy base outside should not disgrace thee if there lodged any goodnesse any spark of Gods image in thee Truly brethren great rich men are too high for Religion and base poor folke thinke themselves under it But if you would seeke for knowledge humility and grace you should see whether it would not stoope to you And you servants that are butlers to Gentlemen or Stewards nay Ostlers and Bayliffes and Caters you should be honourable in the sight of your Masters As Obadiah to Ahab Ioseph to Pharaoh they should equall themselves with you yea be glad of you whatsoever their authority be otherwise if there appeared grace in you Vse 2 And againâ— to you superiours let me adde this Goe not against the edge with God like Balaam when you see the Lord goes about to convince your folly and backewardnesse Admonition Superiours must turne their indignation at the grace of inferiours into shame and emulation Smite not threaten not the Asse whose mouth God opened to reprove you Many of you husbands parents and masters when once you perceive your wives children and servants to grow zealouser then your selves are so farre from countenancing and holy emulation that rather you have them in continuall jealousie and hold them under so much the more Their Religion must be sure to bee their prejudice and incumbrance they can the hardlier please you you are the the more prone to picke quarrells you watch the time of crossing them in their lawfull liberties yea you joint them the more of their freedome for Gods worship within and without what is this but to play the taske-masters and to lye heavy upon them So that if God sustained them not by his power they should fall off And no doubt many are offended by such meanes but woe to such by whom the offence commeth Others there are who seeing Religion to have qualified their inferiours with faithfulnesse humility and peaceablenesse in marriage in their businesse and carriage are glad to see the change but why Not joying in their grace and good examples but because you make benefit thereof for you owne behoofe and content taking all ye can get out of them but acknowledging no mercy from God either to them or to your selves in them Nay perhaps ye slight them quip and mocke them Oh! these women must have their wills or else we shall have no peace and so the liberty they get hey must have with unequall conditions I doe not here speak of the vilest in this kinde how rather many provoke themselves to vexation brawling quarrelling and threatning of their inferiours as thinking their forwardnesse an inspersion to their base backewardnesse and therefore they behold them with the eies of Kites whom they should behold with Doves eies they shorten their wives of allowance give them discouraging affronts they beat and misuse their servants threaten their poore children to joynt them of this and that land or portion for their Puritanisme and forwardnesse And those that goe not so farre yet still keepe at one stay profit not by their inferiours if they doe not disdaine to learne of such as most are hardened thereby yet the best is that they give them their course and still remaine as base and barren as before Rom. 11.13 Whereas rather they should be provoked to jealousie by them Naaman here did so Doubtlesse the insight he saw his servants had in the will of God more then himself did smite an holy awe and authority into his spirit Doe these underlings see that which I cannot What lets me from it Surely some strong lust or humour blindefolds me What a shame is this that my retinue whom the businesse concerns not should perceive that which I cannot Surely it furthered the convincement exceedingly Oh! let us all in the feare of God be of his minde Wee shall not need to subject our selves and debase our selves for the matter But let us not blindefold our eies that we should not behold the light shining in at the least crevis We Ministers let us not disdaine the examples of private Christians either in their zeale of obeying or suffering but if we see secretly grace breaking forth from the poorest in more then common wisdome uprightnesse closenesse to the truth be so farre from snagging and nipping of such that rather we marke them for peculiar ones and although they know nothing what hinders why even from such we may not better our selves many waies Was not Apollo glad to learne of Aquila a Tradesman Act. 18.26 But especially you private persons observing such inferiours as exceed your selves doe not loutishly slight and put them off but say I perceive if I hold my peace the stones shall cry truly these cry aloud in mine eares me thinkes I consider if such poore ones get such knowledge what might not I get with paines Truly I will give the onset I shall else never looke upon my poore child but mine heart will throb and tell me he shall rise up in judgement one day against his will and condemne me when the Lord shall say I sent a poore daughter of mine to lye in thy bosome to see if her zeale could any whit warme thee but I see thou art cold as a stone still and as dead as a blocke I raised up out of thine owne loynes a child or children to feare my name that I might provoke thee by that meanes to jealousie but I see nothing prevailes Nay perhaps a poore drudge in thy kitching or rubbing thy horses heels such an one as
the badge of the resurrection about them for fashion sake but else resolved to suffer no word of truth to enter into them or trouble them and make a privy contract with Satan to hold their owne lusts against all Preaching what difference is there betweene thinking there is no God and resisting him speaking in his word Betweene open maintaining that there is no judgement resurrection or torment for sinners and the practice of blasphemies swearings breaking of Sabbaths stealth adultery and all debauchednesse What shall I say unto you Shall I say as that ancient Father once did to his people of Antioch Get yee Bibles for shame and come in O ye uncircumcised hangbyes to the congregation Howster out such vermine O ye Church offcers if ye serve for oughts out of their kennells But you are readier some of you rather to pursue the best of your neigbours take heed my words stand not upon record against you without repentance rather then hunt such as pester our Townes with Atheisme and Impiety Alas the Divell is served as well by such as by them that have read Lectures of Atheisme heretofore They professe a God you will say Tit. 1. ult what is that when they are in their workes abominable and to each good thing reprobate They live by swinish principles and customes of darkenesse they see all swayed by mony favour and pollicy they see others all for backe and belly purse and pleasures pompe and preferments and therefore further they will not stir They whom carnall reason meerly rules are negative Atheists because they admit of no principles which should make them other and cause them to tremble at themselves Oh! mourne deare brethren for this that the Land swarmes with such and pray for such as are in place that they may reforme it and consider with what fruit we requite God for this seventy yeares of his Gospel past by nouzeling up among us a generation that know no more of sinne Christ judgement day then the swine at the trough but rather trample upon these pearles Tell them of their washing brewing baking startching on the Sabbath and they answer Alas we are poore and the six daies are little enough to worke in and earne meate to our bellies we must be fed and cloathed and more then we worke we must looke for nothing Others being asked about their hope in death tell us they have had their purgatory here in want and misery and therefore hope they shall have no more hereafter Others live by a Popish mixture of some shreads with their owne wisdome and such errors of the wicked as they suck up every where The issue of all is they abhorre the word and those that live by it and doe wholly breath in the element of their owne carnall savour Oh woefull ones your damnation sleepes not and the flood of Gods wrath the fire of vengeance shall sweepe you to hell Matth. 24.38 as the waters did them who ate and dranke married and gave in marriage and would know nothing till they were under water God keepe you from it You have had your reproofe but except God ring an alarme in your eares you will not awake But alas I speake to the walles these Gibeonites come not within the Temple carry them home these newes you that dwell by such So much for the first Use Secondly is carnall sense so reproveable What is then an utter despising Vse 2 of sense and of the manifest waies of God Reproofe of sundry sorts to the very eyes of men so that they cannot deny the finger of God We have many such Sort. 1 as these among us beloved such as see the apparant hand of God upon them and among them yea the Lord comming as it were to their doores Such as sinne against sensible and ocular mercies worse then such as sinne against promises into their bosomes judgements upon their bodies children wives names even such as their owne cursed mouthes have wished pox and plague c. and their cursed workes have procured justly and yet they are as Pharaoh hardened by his inchanters even when the frogges leapt up upon his bed in his privy Chamber what is this save to fight against heaven it selfe When judgements follow not the word men cavill and say these Preachers cry aloud but no thunder or lightning followes upon it But what say they when the Lord plagues you and raines snares and tempests upon you Many of you what diseases hath the Lord cast upon you noysome and stinking Note well all these following Instances Are ye one whit moved by it You use to answer as the sorcerers did all sorts are troubled with one disease or other all sorts have some poore in reproach c. But you know that yours are sent upon you for your debauched courses Doe you see God against you Had not Thomas beene grossely reproveable if when Christ thrust his hands into his sides to feele the print of his nailes he had beene unfaithfull But these mens eyes goe out with beholding the Sunne shine in their faces How many are there of you here who have cavilled at God that hee Sort. 2 puts no difference betweene bad and good in point of blessings and lo God hath served your turne brought you out of debt set you up and planted you well so that you take roote and grow upward Is not here ocular and sensible mercy I demand now of such are you any better Doe you see God in this I denounce before the Lord unto you this day that the mercies you have wished and doe enjoy shall bee the heaviest corrasives to you that ever befell and shall sting you as fire Why Because those covenants and vowes which you made are all broken and forfeit when yet God hath fully done his part Had it not beene better that he had kept you hungry and beggerly still Others of you what mones and chatterings have you made like Sort. 3 Cranes as Hezechia did upon your sicke beds unto God Oh! should the Lord take us away in our prime of youth our best yeares ere wee have spent any time in the land of the living to prepare our selves to meete him The Lord hath heard you or else earnest praier for you I am sure of it and hath brought ye from the brinke of the grave and set you upon your feet again What is come of it Are you any more penitent then you were Doth the presence of God awe you Doe you walke softly in your house as he said as having scaped a scouring and felt Gods fingers Have not your recoveries made you more fledge and sawcy with God so that now yee fare as if the winde were turned and you had the Lord at a vantage I denounce here unto you that most of you are waxen grosse fat laden with fatnesse you have despised the God of salvation Deut. 32.13 Esay 38. And instead of Hezechias words The living the living shall praise thee
you may say the living are worse and stinke worse above ground then if they had beene rotting in their graves So that by experience we are now growne to trust no sicke mens promises whatsoever they bee Oh you wofull people Doe you thus requite the Lord Alas I foresee you are ripe for the harvest and groane for the sickle to reape you downe indeed at last without any remedy And although some of you make a shift to hold out 1 Thes 5.2 yet your damnation sleeps not it shall come like a whirlewinde when you cry peace most then shall it come swiftly Oh be reproved Sort. 4 And lest I should touch upon outward blessings and deliverances only let mee adde somewhat of Gods word and his patience towards others of us How have some of you here present complained of your sillinesse to conceive the things of God the hardnesse of your hearts to melt at the word How have you beene vile in your selves for your ignorance and unbeleefe How have you wondred at the gifts of others Oh! if I might obtaine mercy of God to pray as such to remember to conferre as they how should I use it The Lord hath heard some of you granted you light and discerning melted your hearts enlarged your affections ripened your gifts and hath any sweet fruit proceeded from hence Could ye also trust him for the creating of the grace of faith in you and for converting your natures have you not given him over in that worke for the granting whereof he was sealed Joh. 6.27 I meane the seeking of the meat that perisheth not No But hee hath beene content with common gifts and so rested You have therefore shewed you selves false in covenant and given over the Lord in the plaine chase when you might have felt and groped the Lord in his manifest providence Act. 14. Sort. 6 Others how hath God lengthened out their daies beyond expectation When as they never looked to have harrowed that which they had sowne not so much as to see one of their children brought up How hath God given them a restitution from paines and infirmities and made their latter daies which they never thought to see farre better then the former so that they have lived to see more of Gods truth both in word and works Rom. 2.3 then ever they imagined But what hath this long suffering of God led them to repentance Hath not their clay laid in the warme sunne hardened the more Is their any power in their soules to breake off their old lusts and to returne to God sincerely No surely but having the better end of the staffe they have prolonged life to encrease wrath and to treasure up vengeance Nay to speake a word to the better sort how many of us in our deepe heavinesse of spirit under the Sort. 7 burthen of conscience when no counsell could worke upon us have even given sentence on our selves that there is no hope Jerem. 2. how have wee counted our lives scarce worth a straw under our feete Yet hath the Lord blowne over our fears made a calme swallowed up death into victory Nay some of us in our deepest sicknesses of body when sinne and Satan are most busie have we not found God neerer to us then in our best health Hath he not answered us as Hanna in our long praiers Hath he not enlarged the promise unto us by the seale of his Spirit making as I may say the light of the Moone as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne seven times greater then ever in comfort and holy confidence above all feares How hath this wrought with us Hath it knit us in so firm a covenant with God as never to be broken off Hath it caused us to walke here below as shadowes and to despise all the earth in comparison of our hopes I doubt not but some doe and shall finde the fruit of it at death But oh that such faire wether should doe harme and be an occasion to make us wax wanton earthly and thinke grace to be pind to our sleeves how reproveable is it Good brethren looke to your selves If carnall reason bee so base what is it to blindfold our eies against ocular mercies Oh! such favours as some of us have met with should make us cry out I have found I have found God hath not dealt with others as with me Therefore whether it be my lot to be in straits or whatsoever temptations I must endure yet I will call to minde the old mercies of the Lord and be comforted yea I will gladly be under infirmity 2 Cor. 12.9 that the strength of God may be perfected in me and though he kill me yet I will trust in him through mercy Oh that this fruit might appeare Who would have thought that when Hezechias request was granted to wit the going backe of the Sunne tenne degrees for the assuring of his recovery that his recovery should have beene so stained with apostacy But alas God hath made our fears and griefes goe back as many for us and yet we have revolted not as he did once but made a falling sicknesse of our course To conclude the Use In the Sacraments and Seales of Gods Covenant Sort. 8 how hath Christ come as it were in his likenesse unto us and by outward signes spoken to all our senses yea thrust our hands into his very sides that if it be not himselfe let us distrust him still see feele smell handle taste eate my flesh drinke my bloud a fancy hath no substance lo here is substance What fruit hath it had Brethren I shall speake a fearfull speech I am resolved that the carnall reason of most men is enlarged rather then diminished by the Sacraments And the judgement of most is become greater by them then if they had never had any Alas they cry not out as ashamed and convinced ones My Lord and my God! Thomas himselfe shall rise up against such So much for this Use also Thirdly let this be a caveat to Gods owne people to teach them to Vse 3 beware of this evill except they will have the Lord reprove them to Admonition their faces viz. That they will beleeve God no further then they see him when they heare the promises urged upon all broken and mourning soules what say they Yea you say well if wee could feele it thus Instances 1. Putters off the promise to be reproved First I say this may bee a pranke of an hollow heart and then it is horrible As we see in those Jewes who were alway pressing upon Christ for a signe Tell us if thou be the Christ And why Not as meaning to beleeve for so he tells them I have told you oft by preaching and miracles yet you beleeve not but as a cloake of your prophanenesse viz. That they could not so cleerly behold him as they desired But put case it be otherwise with us and that thou meanest
As the loadstone holds iron to it selfe so I have felt thy promise to draw me so that I cannot give it over nor forsake the meanes but they are daily sweeter and sweeter to me I have not felt such temptations to hideous thoughts lusts as some have done I am not disquieted so much about the measure of my preparations as some have been from my youth up thou hast by steps and degrees wrought that which thou art faine to worke in others by violence and with difficulties Nothing but excesse of clemency and mercy hath beene my portion and yet in all I have held some good testimony in my owne heart of sincere and plaine intentions although feeble yet faithfull Oh blesse the Lord Pitty such as get to heaven with difficulties As for others whose birth costs more travell and paines pitty them the rather and confesse thou owest them so much the more compassion by how much they come harder to heaven then thou dost We see an heire toiles not so much for all his inheritance as a poore labourer for a groat a day Doth the poore man murmure at him No but puts himselfe under providence which hath made some owners some tenants some to live at more ease others with more toile The Lord is the maker of both and perhaps foresees that if the poore had as the rich he would beare it worse and therefore his rough spirit must bee basked and held downe from pride and rebellion Let not such as meet with more hardship in their conversion accuse God for changing ease into toile Let them not murmure at Lydia at Zachee and such as have beene easily brought home but blesse God that he would trouble himselfe with such peeces as they rather then burne them as knotty logs scarce worth the hewing and bestow any cost upon them for his owne names sake rather then they should perish But let them be farre from cavilling at God that they have abode the heate of the day and others comming in at the eleventh houre have fared as well Matth. 20.15 Is thy penny the worse silver for theirs Or is thine eie evill because Gods is good wonder rather that ever that penny should come in thy purse then that others fare as well or that thou farest not better So much for this Branch Branch 2 Secondly let this be an admonition unto thee for the time to come that this ease of the first mercy Beware lest the ease of the first mercy cause thee after to slight it become not a snare unto thee afterward to cause thee to slight it and forget it Doe not as wanton heires who spend it as lightly and basely as it came easily Lest the Lord make your hearts ake for it and set you on the racke teaching you to repent and to keep within bounds Oh! abuse not this goodnesse slight it not walke not slackly sit not loose upon easie mercy devote thy selfe rather to God for so free sweet easie mercy with the most close faithfull heart thinking nothing too deare for him David could breake forth Psal 43. ult into great triumphs after a tedious conflict and combat with his fears doubts depth of heavines and say I will still praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God And shalt not thou say so much more who hast escaped many such scourings Doe not now thinke thou art safe thou maist heare pray receive the sacraments as loosely and formally as thou wilt because grace came easily No make the more precious account of it else thou art a slave and no Sonne An heire seeing himselfe stockt by his father with sweet dwelling rich grounds great revenues so that he needs not to carke and toile for a living What doth he Surely as the Lord bids the Israelites who came into a land flowing with milke and hony and that at the best vantage even in the harvest of all commodities But rather knit the heart to God Joshua 5.11 Beware lest now yee forget the Lord that hath thus endowed and furnished you Walke humbly and feare the Lord that it may goe well with you So should we doe we should say now all other things are done to mine hand there is but one thing to doe Lord teach me to do it well If I can be full and yet remember the Lord that made me and highly esteem the rocke of my salvation he will thinke them well bestowed Deut. 32.14 and confirme them to me else they shall be a snare Fall not to Adams and Eves sinne who in the abundance of all things being set in a Paradise could not digest their happinesse but fell to revolt and so were cast out Say not Soule eat drinke be merry cry not peace peace but let the ease of mercy keepe thy soul from all presuming and sensuall security John 5. Remember that bitter pill given by our Lord Jesus to a loose one whose cure cost him nothing so he began to play his parts Thou art healed now sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee and then thou wilt wish would I had lien lame by the poole still We are scarce able brethren to beare the ease of mercy but we wax wanton and that is the cause why so few finde it and so many complaine of such difficulties It is just with God to make us weare the chaine for it to teach us to walke before the Lord more humbly and soberly And so much for the second Branch of the Exhortation I should now have concluded the Use with the third and last Branch that we walke in the experience of this blessed ease to trust God forth on for the like goodnesse But the time is spent Let us cut off here and call upon God c. THE FOVRTEENTH LECTVRE Still continued upon this thirteenth VERSE VERSE XIII And his servants came neere and said unto him Father if the Prophet had bid thee doe some great thing wouldest thou not have done it How much more then when he saith unto thee Wash and be clean VERSE 14. So he went downe and dipped himselfe in Iorden seven times c. 2 Kings I Gave you an hint briefly beloved in our Saviour when I last ended the former Sermon what I would have proceeded with if time had permitted I have shewed you That the beleeving of Gods promise to such as are in case is an easie thing Sundry grounds and Scriptures I cleered the truth by and sundry Uses of Instruction of Terror of Reproofe and of Exhortation I have added And to this last wherein two branches were urged Branch 3 then belongs a third that is That all who have found this handfull of ease The ease of mercy should make Gods yoake light for ever after in beleeving pardon should be earnest with God for the ease and sweetnesse of an holy course that the yoake of God may become easie and his burthen light Say thus unto the Lord Hitherto
sent them meat and support from unknowne places they might have either famished Luke 16.3 or beene urged to dig or beg for their livings And what measure is to be expected here from you God knoweth but it is no other like but the most will fulfill the sins of their forefathers in this kinde and verifie the Proverb No penny no Pater noster Speciall Reproofe 1. Against partiall lovers of the Minister But I must confine my Reproof to some order For I see that which is spoken in generall and to all is spoken to none First then here are reproved all partiall lovers and esteemers of the Minister such as love not directly out of the judgement of a Ministers calling and labours but out of humor and conceit Such a Minister they say they love and can well affect but as for others their edge is not so much toward them Why Are they not as faithfull zealous Ministers of God as the other Yes verily Why then do you carry so partiall an affection between them occasioning both emulation between the Ministers themselves and provoking others by your examples for such one doth a great deal of hurt in a congregation to partiality and basenesse this way But know O man whosoever thou art that what ever content thy giddy humour may give it selfe in such a course thy conscience if thou have any left will one day take on with thee Poore wretch that which is done according to God is done equally Unequall affections are from selfe and self-ends and therefore must looke for no reward from God they have all the reward they shall have already Looke to thy selfe therefore betime and repent get thine hide-bound spirit enlarged in thee be not straitned in thy bowells to such as are large toward thee 2. Passionate lovers Secondly it reproves all passionate lovers of the Minister onely so long as the pang holds in a gare and heat they will runne ride and take any paines for the getting and countenancing of a Preacher But why Hoping to tye him to their owne girdle So long as this hope lasteth they will be formost in procuring him dwelling meanes and account and who but he But let him once come neer and touch their disease to the quick and shew himselfe a true friend indeed to search and heale their sores Oh then They turne as deepe enemies then all love is forgotten then they must fall as low as the earth who before were lifted up to heaven Alas whom sought yee when yee sought Ministers Such as might sooth and flatter you Matth. 11.8 Reeds shaken with the winde Are they therefore become your enemies because they tell you the truth Surely then are you sicke of some such malady as must be strongly purged If God love you he will heale you with better Physicke then you seek A third sort there are who love indirectly and for by base ends 3. Lovers indirectly not for the end of the Ministers labours but if they can please themselves in his wit memory elocution if they like the phrase quaintnesse and carriage of his matter to tickle their eare or if his company bee merry and joviall apt to correspond with their humours if he bee usefull to them in any other kinde then they can love him But if these accidentalls be wanting the oile failing their love wanzes also Others there are 4. Lovers for vain-glory who will shew themselves forward for the Minister that their zeale may be noted and it may appeare that they are especiall men above others and so they seeke the opinion of men in that behalfe But if they see others as forward or more forward then they so that they are not like to have the repute and name of it then they are cold yea dead in the nest shewing that they sought themselves more then God in their love and therefore although they should have all their will and win the spurs without any contradiction yet their love would not prove effectuall to their owne good except God do change both it and them in a speciall manner Fifthly all formall verball and fulsome lovers of the Minister 5. Formall and verball lovers who will not deny him good tearmes good salutations complements yea praises behinde his backe but there they rest and goe no further If they be urged to any reall respect and acknowledgement they vanish presently for you must know words cost them nothing therefore they can afford them good cheap but more they will not beteame Countenance assistance maintenance and the like are burthensome to them Rather they pull away from them that which is their due defraud them of that right which is not in their power lawfully to deny that with all the secret subtilty cunning and devices which possibly they can and thinke that the best gotten goods which is fleeced from him All bread of deceit is sweet but especially the bread of sacriledge but as all stollen bread shall become the bane of the theefe so above all other shall this Oh say they its good reason that the Minister should be regarded and we hope he lives well and where he is worth a score of pounds would he were worth hundreds God stir him up many friends we should be glad to see him prosper and many such good morrowes but as that empty barren companion in Saint Iames who bids the poore be warme and fed and cloathed as if he were all made of mercy yet neither cloathes feeds nor warmes his backe belly or flesh so fares it with these lovers Oh the world is full of such empty and hypocriticall dissemblers Sixtly such as care not what cost they bestow upon their lusts 6. Lovers of their pastimes and sports better their sports and pastimes pricking up their children in vaine fashions maintaining a sort of loose and rude servants that spend their time in guzling and drinking Their Hounds and Hawkes they care not what they give for In a word for their own ease and ends to game and spend upon their riotous appetites they care not what course they take give up their house-keeping and cut off all charges which can bee and more then they ought till they make themselves odious But presse them to doe any thing for a poore Minister who preaches painfully upon small allowance Oh how hardly it comes off from them It s death and as the cutting off a joint to be drawne to such a service 7. Scant lovers Again others perhaps will afford him some poor and dry pittance but there is all It s as water taken out of a pit not out of a fountaine when they have done their devotion all is finished They add not assisistance countenance maintenance and honour as thinking all too little but stint themselves within very narrow bounds will stir no further Let no liberall people in the City or Country be offended Endlesse it were to speake of all These may
to all the truth of God without neglect so especially to those maine truths which they most sticke at and come shortest of that their insight into Gods method and way may be more evident unto them As for novelties and fancies of men of unstable minds ready to carry them away from the simplicity of the Gospell whether erroneous opinions or things which have some truth but yet for the present are not pertinent or profitable but might under some pretence of zeale and devotion withdraw them from their grounds ere they be setled which I observe to be a notable trick of the Divell to disorder the course of a soule travelling towards heaven they are shy thereof and cannot close with it Let every one that desires to know himself to thrive to Godward well marke this whole Section So much for this third marke Another is That such a soule strives after that which makes most Marke 4 for her owne good and for the justifying of God Even that foolish modesty which holds many under the hatches that they will not open themselves to any but keepe the Divells counsell to their owne hindrance and thereby nourish unbeleefe the longer in themselves when they are convinced of it as its long ere many will be they abhor it using all means with Paul if by any they may attaine faith at last They doe not as Ahaz who being willed to aske a signe from God to confirme his promise refused it and let all goe at six and sevens pretending that he needed none but would leave it to God without such adoe Esay 7. But he is rebuked for greeving of God by such slightnesse who loves that his people should take order to resist their infidelity and hasten to beleeve using every ordinance each occasion for the atchieving of such a grace Such a restlesse spirit they are led by who keepe the price of the high calling of God in their eie loth to lose it Phil. 3. and preserving the tender care and inquiry after it in their soules as an object of greatest excellency A bottomlesse carelesse spirit to get and lose as fast and to spill that pretious liquor which God hath been long putting into them they loath and detest 2 Joh. 8. and still seek to make up a full reward to themselves and cannot be quiet till the Lord give into their bosomes measure heaped up and running over that they may be at rest If they have any bottomlessenesse it is for the world and the cares of it but as for grace they keep all they have and still are on the gaining hand till they attaine their desire Psalm 84. No faintnesse there shall be but from strength to strength they goe full fast till they appeare before God in Sion Fifthly as they are alway hastening the Lord and impatient in Marke 5 respect of their importunity of desire Psal 70.5 so yet they are patient in respect of discontent unweariedly waiting upon the Lord for the accomplishing of their petition They have learned that lesson of the Psalmist Blessed are they that wait upon him and of Ieremy Lamen 3.25 It is good to wait patiently upon the Lord. It s much to them that the Lord will come and bring healing in his wings at last requiting long delay as Malachi speakes with speed Mal. 3. and as for urging the particular time when he will come and how soone they leave it to him whose the seasons of mercy are by whom onely the day of sealing is appointed they must wait They attend upon a Soveraigne God who shewes mercy to whom and when he pleases Rom. 9. yet also his mercies are fare to them whom hee hath called to the hope thereof Therefore their part is to get the spirit of supplication alway attending the Spirit of grace Zach. 12.10 which will hold out with the Lord without fainting and concurre with him in his time of ease In which respect it makes not haste but considers that each day hastens Gods time For as it is in the second comming of our Lord Jesus Matth. 24. end so it is in his first None knowes whether he will come at noonetide or at the evening midnight or cockcrowing but come he will So whether in youth or middle yeares or old age thou knowest not whether in a short time or after a long season whether in thy hearing or at the sacrament or in prayer or at a fast or in some great crosse or at thy death its unknowne Thou hast a promise come he will and therefore wait upon him thou art not too good and when he comes thou shalt not repent thee Marke 6 Againe this is another marke That such a soule suffers not it selfe to be taken up so deeply with the common mercies of the earth that the mercy of pardon and salvation should lose her price and wax stale with her Oh she strives to put difference alway between the content which blessings of this life bring and those which the mercy of heaven affords Give Esau a messe of pottage and his longing is satisfied Give a child a bright counter Heb. 12. and he will forgoe a gold angell It pleases a foole as well to have his bable as a Kings Crowne why Because he is a fool and discernes not so a wretch that never came in the favour of mercy will equall it to any common thing fill his belly give him ease cloath his body fill his purse and you may rob him of his birthright So hee have content any way and for the present he is well Not so that soule that longs for mercy For why It compares one with other and makes as much difference as between gold and drosse holds firmly the esteem of mercy to herself and will not suffer the base vanishing creature to come between her and home and steale her heart away by such rattles and feathers as these are Zach. 12.10 It comes here to minde what Zachary speakes That the spirit of grace goes with the spirit of compassions There are such compassions towards the Lord in a poore soule as there are in the Lord towards it In the Lord there are tender mercies as that other Zachary speakes Luke 1. Through the tender mercies of our God mercies of tendernesse and compassion to a poore miserable lost sinner reaching to forgivenesse These are peculiar not common or such as he bestowes upon them whom he pitties not in their miserie Now therefore that soul that partakes these tender mercies is as tender of them and doth so prize and esteem them that no other mercy can steale away the affections of the soule therefrom nor stall the heart therein much lesse make tender mercies to wax stale and common but still the price thereof rises till the Lord fill her therewith Marke 7 Lastly note this out of Naamans example That a perpetuall and sure marke of a man who is grace and faithward is this that his old perversenesse
hope they doe and had alway a good faith to God and a good meaning to men They confesse they breake out sometimes as others doe but so long as they cry God mercy they shall doe well for they understand that Christ was a loving Preacher kept company rather with the worser sort then the better many Publicans and sinners yea harlots and was the sinners friend And it was not they who put him to death but such as went for the devoutest and most precise in those times But oh yee deluded fooles Doe you thinke that when sinne hath incorporated herselfe so long and like a fretting leprosie seated it selfe in their bowells by long custome that all on the suddaine you should be changed by the conceit of their beleeving What Matth. 3.1.2 Are there no steps of calling to be observed Why then did Iohn Baptist goe before Christ in the Spirit of Elija Why did hee batter downe the rebellious spirits of men And why did hee cast downe every high hill and fill every valley Why did he prepare a way for Christ in the souls of people crying Repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand Why did he plow up mens fallow grounds And turne the spears of men into mattocks and their swords into plowshares Oh take heed I will not say all your abstinence from sinne can save you but your jollity and boldnesse in it may so harden you and encrease your chaines through rebellion Esay 28. that you shall finde it an hard thing for mercy to pierce you Therefore take counsell thinke not that mercy can save you in the midst of your lewdnesse when you come steaming out of the stewes or from your alebenches or in the midst of your sports and pleasures What God can doe I aske not it s not safe for you to trust to that looke what he will doe Therefore let the point of the speare of the Law pierce your sides let it taw and breake your fierce spirits goe not on to sinne against light Defile not your consciences by wilfull rebellions covetous drunken contentious treacherous and voluptuous courses looke not that God should meet you in your cursed way when as he hath appointed you to meet him in his owne way Rather apply your selves to his word to prepare your spirits for mercy Repent that is breake off the custome and jollity of your sins the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand This counsell to suffer affliction and the spirit of bondage by the sense of guilt and wrath would bee an wholesome School-master to bring you to Christ Oh! A caveat Ministers should gaster prophane people out of their prophanenesse errors if you my brethren the Ministers would remit a little of your pleasures and liberties and apply your selves to a right order of preaching the Law and Christ and give them a view of the way of God to heaven you might the more hopefully leave them to God else how should blinde people laden with sinne stumble upon Gods preparations Will they not rather abuse the grace of God and wax insolent in turning it into wantonnesse making the remedy worse then the disease Oh! scare them out of their prophanenesse corrasive their festred sores sow not pillowes ferret them out of their dennes their starting-holes errors excuses and covers of shame Alas they have a thousand of such trickes to seduce them Base conceits of the Ministery the difficulty of faith of repenting and forsaking their lusts false opinion of the way of God of them who professe it they are poysoned so deeply by Satan and base customes in sinne so leavened with a conceit that either there is somewhat in themselves to demerit God their good meanings setting of their good deeds against their bad and such like or else thinking that Christ serves for no other end save to be their stalking-horse Rom. 4. under whom they may sin securely that grace may abound the more They dreame that because the World is hard therefore men are set here to heare the Word to keep them from theft to hold them in awe from out-rages and so if they can worke and pay their debts bring up their charge and get money they are well Oh! labour to season them with this salt of preparation that their faces may bee sharpned to looke heaven-ward and to breake off their lewd wayes that they may so come within the bounds of the Kingdome and not live like Salvages and Epicures or worldlings whose hope reaches no further then this life So much for this former sort 2 Branch Schismatickes who reject all steps marks of conversion cleaving to the spirit of free grace confuted Againe secondly this is for reproofe of such Sectaries as are lately risen up among us in sundry places who are so spirituall forsooth that the Doctrine of the condition of faith and casting of the Soule upon the promise are beggarly elements with them they esteeme them carnall matters and devices of mens braine They hold indeed there is use of a Law and Gospell to tame men first and then to comfort them But in this Gospell they have found out a new and more compendious course then others For they say there is a grace offered in the promise by such a Spirit of freedome that it will not endure any bondage of the letter nor suffer men to bee puzled and enthralled with these conditions of a Promise nor to tye themselves to a promise and the markes or signes of believing This they count base and unbeseeming such a Spirit of free grace as they have found out and therefore they scorn all those who busie their thoughts about such workes of preparations and tell them they will get more comfort in an houre by the Spirit of this their free grace then these lazy and leasurely beleevers can doe in seven yeares But oh you fantasticke and deluded ones where learne you in the Word that there is a Spirit which workes without a Word Or by what meanes come you to lay hold of this Spirit save by the Word If by the Word then of necessity by such markes and prints as the Word workes And although there is a Spirit spoken of in the Gospell which witnesseth to our Spirits that we are the Lords yet how doth it witnesse it save by the Word Is every hearer at the first dash so ripe and perfect that presently as a fledge bird flying out of her nest and leaving her Damme he can soare aloft in the sky and mount up to heaven by the Spirit of assurance So that he shall no more need any promise any conditions or markes to testifie the grace of God wrought in him Put case that God hath some speciall ones to whom after they have beleeved he hath given the Spirit to seale them to the assurance of salvation Is this the case of every novice as soon as hee heares that Christ freely forgives sinners to bee hoysed up with such a spirit of
save draw the spirits of curious and distrustfull men to wofull Idolatry To put confidence in him under a Witch to expect successe from a cursed Principle to ascribe that glory which belongs to God alone to base means which all are reduced to the Divell their first mover Satan knowes he gaines more this way then he loseth by the truth he speaks or the good which followes He denies himselfe at no time save for wicked ends Beware therefore Dare not to confound those excellent wayes of God in his power providence and mercy to his creature with the Satanicall and Sorcerers courses of prophane beasts As for those miraculous operations of God in his Church throughout all ages of the Old Testament in the poole Siloam and the gift of ejecting Satan by some certaine persons there was enough to prove that they were from God John 5.4 Matth. 12.27 for the confirmation of Truth the strengthening of Faith the drawing of Proselites But as for all the other the Lord justly suffers Satan to deceive such as deceive themselves first and reject the truth as we see in Saul Esay 8.19 Should the living goe to the dead 1 Sam. 28.6.7 Jam. 3.15 and to them that whisper out oâ— the earth Geomanticks No but to the Law and to the Testimony if that favour not there is no wisdome in them save that which Saint Iames calls from beneath and divelish A most wofull thing that in a land where the Gospell hath beene preached this eighty yeares such abominations should swarme and that with impunity yea in some cases which I name not with Apology God amend it So much for this Branch Secondly Goodnesse of God in using weake and poore things to effâ—ct great is much to be admired hence acknowledge the infinite goodnesse of God in devising such aide and succour to poore creatures both their bodies and soules for the expressing of his tender mercies to us in this infirmity of our flesh That by a word speaking he should create the fruit of the lippes even peace Esay 57. by the Ministery of a sinfull man further off from power to convert a soule then Jorden to heale a leper and beget it to a lively hope and immortality and glory That thereby the word preached should carry with it the working of faith and regeneration As the Lord Jesus his own blessed words effected miracles in the speaking causing the dead to arise the lepers to be cleansed Marke ult the deafe to heare So the words of his Ministers by the same vertue from him should doe greater things then these even by instruments most weake how admirable is it To the end that our faith might not stand in man but in God! 2 Cor 4.7 That the deadly soule leprosie worse then Naamans bodily of infidelity pride hypocrisie selfe should be washt all away by the water of Baptisme through the word of the Covenant to which its annexed in all beleevers and these shall become sealing ordinances to ratifie the truth of regeneration to the soule and to confer the nourishing power of the Spirit unto life eternall how admirable is it It is the omnipotent power of God which causeth it which separates the silly creature of water bread and wine for the present from common use Sacraments how divinely appropriated to seale up to the soule strong assurance of salvation takes off the base outside of it casts an honourable mantle over it appropriates it to holy solemne and divine use and service unites the Lord Jesus himselfe with his whole merit and efficacy to it and all to effect this end to convey the Lord Jesus into the soule of the Beleever assuring it by vertue of this sealing ordinance that as verily as the body by vertue of appetite eates and drinkes the creatures so truly doth the soule take and eat the body and bloud of Christ to the souls nourishment by Gods command and promise This is a mystery and it should teach us that if God have assumed such poor creatures sacramentally into the partakership of himselfe therefore to take heed lest we vilifie the outward ordinance as pretending all the power to be from Christ but to acknowledge each part thereof to bee from him and one as true though not as effectuall a part as the other Ye parents make not Baptisme a common thing make not so solemne a thing to wait upon your leasure and complements when all your trinkets are ready then carry your childe to the Sacrament No let your bables attend it not it them Despise it not for the outside there is a blessing in it and under the basenesse of elements lies hidden a world of worth and honour Therefore not to be used as common things And you my brethren the people run not out from it so soon as the word is preached as if you discerned no Christ in and under it annexed to it for your owne speciall use and good I tell thee those silly creatures are essentiall parts of the Sacrament as well as the grace and ordinances of God to bee reverenced though I say not with our own invented yet with that esteeme with which God hath honoured them viz. to be channells and conveiors of that grace of the Lord Jesus for life and support else would he not have graced Sacraments with the like honor to Faith Except a man be borne of water and the Spirit John 3.3.4 Marke ult and He that beleeves and is baptised shall be saved God can worke without them when they cannot bee had but when they may he will have them share in point of honour with the graces sealed from which they cannot be severed nor may be rent So much for this second Use And lastly although I doe not here equall Jordens waters to a Sacrament Jordens waters a resemblance of baptisme nor dare I call it a type of Baptisme yet is there a cleere and lively resemblance thereof in it I speake not this to teach any to use their wits boldly to allegorize every thing as some have done In this its safest for us to captive our wisdome to God to bee no wiser then himselâ—e but where he pleases to expresse allusions there to follow with sobriety As in the allegory Gal. 3. end of Sina and Jerusalem to typifie the nature of bondage and of freedome So that of Noah's flood which Peter Epist 1. Cap. 3.21 tells us is semblable to Baptisme Else its best for us to forbeare types only we may make resemblances As here this healing of Naaman by Jorden and expressing of it by the flesh of a childe teaches us thus much That the Lord who occasionally used this water to such an end as to cure an incurable leprosie of an aliant and stranger from the Common-wealth of Israel doth assure us that much more by Baptisme as by an appointed and setled sealing way he is able to heale the fretting leprosie of sinne and curse in all his
or the like comes from the not suffering the word to enter but holding it out at staves end Now then must not the word of promise beleeved become as contrary to her Why did Micaiah so scare Ahab Because he never spake well to him So why doth the grace of faith so scatter these distempers Because she speakes all against them overthrowes and resists them Contraries have mutually the same respect in their consequencies The distemper of an unbeleeving spirit alway beares downe the word till the word as the stronger man armed with the power of Christ doe foile her and strip her of all The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall able to cast downe strong holds of corruption Sinnes weapons are carnall Gods are spirituall Therefore there is no proportion in the contrariety God will divide the spoyles that is cease the distempers The reason appeares from that speech of Jonah Ionah 2.8 They that embrace lying vanities forsake their owne mercy But I will looke toward thy holy Temple and promise and thereby abandon them Each destroy the other Reas 5 Fifthly the promise drownes all former distempers because it performes that really which selfe and corruption beare the soule falsly and erroneously in hand withall These afford the soule a rotten peace a deceitfull content vanishing and ending in sorrow See Esay 50.11 But the word doth it really and surely no more to be infringed No more hungring or thirsting if once satisfied with this bread and water of life The text imports it Naamans servants here tell Naaman That which all thine owne discontents and humours could never minister unto thee that the obeying of the message will really afford thee See Act. 13.38 That from which you could not be justified from by the law of Moses by this Man every beleever is justified All at once set free from outward enemies and inward distempers Reas 6 Sixthly the experience of the Saints proves this who till they have cast anchor upon the word and settled upon this center could never find rest in all the circumference as I may call it of your owne best selfe your goodnesse affections gifts or duties Bellarmine himselfe confessing that in respect of the uncertainty of our good workes or else the perill of vaine-glory issuing from thence it is most safe for us to rely upon the sole and meere mercy of God the bare word of truth and promise How much more then shall Gods people say If it had not beene for thy word I had perished in my affliction This is to a poore soule as the chaire of Saint Peter is to a deluded votary the determining voyce All eternall immutable things comprehend and devoure the fading and changeable but cannot be comprehended by them nor resisted by their opposition Lastly the maine and chiefe reason of all is because the word Reas 7 and promise of God is not the bare letter of words or syllables Many branches but furnish'd with all the power and authority of God so that who so clings and cleaves to it is out of his owne keepe and under the Lords There is as our Saviour speakes spirit and life 105. in all which he speakes This may appeare to us in these foure specials First in the wisdome thereof This way of God crosseth all Branch 1 other wayes and hedges the soule out from all sound comfort by them only fastning it upon this 1 Cor. 1. As Paul cals the Gospel in this respect the wisdome of God casting downe all those devices of mans wit wil works or wayes by which flesh would set up a peace and ease of all distempers to her selfe There is no doubt but the errantest hypocrite living would gladly if he could by his smoothing with his owne false heart come to a kind of setling that he might no more be troubled But it is as the sowing of a new peece to an old garment and the rent becomes the worse Even as a short narrow Map of a Shire makes every petty cottingers lands to vanish and causes him to account himselfe a starke begger lord of a Mole-hill not worth the owning So doth this way of God force him who thought himselfe no meane man in his Religion and hopes to seeme a starke foole in his owne eyes For why hath the Lord revealed the way to life by the reall death and resurrection of his onely Sonne glory being made shame and holinesse sinne and eternity death to satisfie justice and shall I play the Mountebank and thinke to satisfie by mine owne trickes and devices Oh foole oh beast Secondly in the righteousnesse of God As the Sunne is able Branch 2 by his heat to licke up all the dew of the earth and scatter all the mists of the aire and the Sea is able to swallow up and devoure whatsoever is cast into it never to appeare more Even so the merit of Righteousnesse and Sanctification by our Lord Jesus compared oft to both these in Scripture is able to licke up and dispell all the most desperate feares doubts and distempers of the soule So Paul speakes Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnes Rom. 3.25 What righteousnesse Surely the equalnesse of pardoning them who are of the faith of Jesus because he hath received a full ransome else saith he if he should not justifie such an one he should not be just So full a content hath Christ given his Father for sinne that if the Father should not acknowledge it sufficient he should doe Christ wrong and if he should not impute it to a poore soule that beleeves he should doe the poore soule wrong nay having freely yeelded his Sonne and received the price for that very end he should doe himselfe infinite wrong by unfaithfulnesse But there is no such feare The Judge of the world will not do unrighteously he will not condemne the righteous and the unbeleever alike For he hath accepted his Sons death as a ful discharge If we should receive a summe of money for the use of an Orphan and when the Orphan comes of age should detain it should he be righteous Mercy then is of free gift and faith is a free gift But justification of a poore soule for Christs merit is an act of righteousnesse So 2 Cor. 5.20.21 Be reconciled to God Why Because he hath made him sinne who knew none that we might be Gods righteousnesse Branch 3 Thirdly all other properties of the promiser are included in the promise as the truth faithfulnesse mercy love greater then that of the creation and all the rest scattered in the booke of God his eternity and unchangeablenesse and the like are all in the Word See 1 Tim. 1.15 Psal 25.10 1 Pet. 1.25 with sundry others So that the soules doubts and distempers may easily be cast upon such promises for so the Apostle cals them 1 Cor. 7.1 as are built upon such foundations Branch 4 Fourâ—hly
being convinced of their killing the Lord of Life were prickt in heart and filled with mourning and tendernesse it is called there a powring out because of that impotencie and unsatisfiednesse which was in it that it could not tel how to expresse it selfe enough to God or man and the holy Ghost uses words of the plurall number noting how frequent their prayers were at first conversion and how bitter those complaints and mournings were for their sinnes So wee know John Revel 2. Revel 2.3 touches the same poâ—nt when he checkes the Church of Ephesus for the losse of her first love we know how tender and ardent that love is which couples do beare each to other when they are first espoused together it may be a patterne all the life after Sometimes it s styled by the name of joy as it is said Matth. 13.44 Matt. 13.44 That when the Merchant had found that Pearle for joy thereof counting himselfe happy therein he went and sold all that he had and bought that Pearle And those in Acts 8. Act. 8.8.39 rejoyced greatly having beene converted by Philip as those who have found an hooâ—d of treasure who would not part with it againe for a world so the Eunuch went away rejoycing Sometime by the esteeme of the messenger Ro. 10. Rom. 10.15 How beautifull are the feet of them that bring glad tidings of peace As Eliezer Gen. 24.30 who brought Isaacs tokens and bracelets and newes of an husband was very welcome for his message sake Sometime it is described by the close fellowship and cleaving of the Saints of God together as Act. 2. Act. 2.44 45. where those that beleeved could not part with each other but sold their possessions and gave the price for the maintenance of their poore brethren Sometime it is noted by the dearnesse of the heart to the Ministers of God as Galat. 4.15 Galat. 4.15 For I beare you witnesse tha you would have pull'd out your very eyes and given to mee And much more by that prodigall spirit of suffering for God Heb. 10.37 as Heb. 10. Call to remembrance the dayes of old wherein you suffered willingly the spoyle of your goods were made a gazing-stocke both by reproaches and afflictions and chap. 11. were persecuted and tormented refusing to be delivered Many phrases are used in the Prophets to describe the strangenesse of this change as chap. 55. end The Thistle shall become a Myrtle tree Esay 55. ult and the Bramble shall become a Fig-tree that is things before uselesse should now put on a new hew and become profitable for all uses yea to describe the acceptablenesse thereof to God it is said That the wildernesse shall be as a flood Esay 35.2 3. and the desert as the garden of God Esay 41.10 and as the face of the earth after the winter is gone and the spring is come In the Canticles there is much to this purpose The winter is past the spring is come Cant. 2.11 12. the voice of the bird is heard the trees bud and the blossomes put forth what do all these phrases of well pleasingnesse intimate saving that savour which the soule brought home to God affords to him and the favour which shee finds in his eyes But what shall I need multiply over-many proofes It is harder to conceale them then to name them Others will offer themselves in the processe of the Doctrine Reas 1 Now for Reasons they are plentifull the first may be this God will have it so for the manifesting of his worke in the soules of Converts For the manifesting of his worke in the soule their course formerly having beene so contrary base and odious to God and man noysome to themselves barren and unprofitable themselves so insensible so dead hearted blockish and savourlesse of good what can be a more sensible marke of mercy to them then that the Lord hath wrought such a change such affections desire hunger love tendernesse closenesse to communion forgetting their dung-hill their pleasures lusts vanities companies What could be a sweeter marke to a rude savage Jaylor of conversion Act. 16.29 then to spring in to the Apostles wash their wounds make them great cheere and send them away from their chaines What could more comfort the heart of poore Lydia Ibid. then for a coy Dame now to hang upon the Apostles and to say If you have found me faithfull abide in my house So that the Lord in part doth it for the better contenting the hearts of such who if some such apparent change were not wrought would be ready to vanish in their feares and acknowledge no worke at all to be wrought Reas 2 The second Reason Because as in the early loves of the married For their heartning against their difficulties See Luk. 5.34 35 37. while they are together in the Bride-chamber all is festivall after-sorrowes must not be mentioned for those will come alone and too soone now it is honey-moone now all must sound of joy and gladnesse and to talke of debts children charge of house-keeping and crosses it is out of season so is it here The Lord foreseeing the many brunts damps eclipses and sorrows which his people must meet with gives them this wine of his flagons and these Apples and dainties to make merry with that they might forget care and endeare their hearts at first so deeply in himselfe that when troubles must come the remembrance of the love of their youth may encourage them to beare the more willingly and when they are growne stronger to beare then he conceales their first delights and allots them harder conditions suffers their feasting to be turn'd to fasting their mirth into mournings their songs into sorrow suffers them to be crockt among the pots hurried in the world dampt with hard conditions and files of their first edge that their inward metall and substance may grow better Thus he fits them for both conditions Reas 3 Thirdly he causes these expressions to come from them that they may not lie hid To make them objects of observation in the world like Saul in the stuffe but be objects of marke and observation in the eyes of others Sometimes God puls out Wisedome out of her corners and clothes her with all orient and beautifull colours that she might raise up admirable love of her selfe in such as behold her And when it is thus each man covets to have a share in her These admirable operations which God workes in his converted ones are so convincing and precious that even they who do not desire them for themselves will yet covet them for their beauty and comelinesse which they see in others Whose heart was not pierced in the Gaolers house to see such strange affections bred in him all of a sudden when the Lord comes into a family and discovers his worke in some one or two in tender sorrow in savory desires after the promise unwearied
one thing within the whole compasse of Religion more usually counterfeited then this neither is there any one point in which either the deceit of the heart is more dangerous or the soundnesse of it more comfortable to the soule then this is We read in stories that all brave Princes have beene counterfeited by sycophants Charles the fifth Edward the sixth of England and others But although their outsides favoured them yet their spirit discarded them at last a base-bred fellow cannot equall the spirit of noble bloud All Judasses and Theudasses Acts 5. came to naught Acts 5. end because they had bastard spirits There was once as a French rare History hath it a Souldier in the Campe wherein one Martin Guerra a rich Citizen of Tholouse served who being in all points like to that Guerra A rare history of a French counterfeit and getting so farre in with him as to know the secrets that had passed betweene him and his wife at last brake from the Army to Tholouse and boldly went home to Guerra his wife as his owne and after some little suspition yet so cleared all doubts that he accompanied her as his wife and lived in peace till at last the true Guerra comming home and claiming his wife a sute in Law was commenced at Tholouse betweene them and had not some privie markes at last betweene her and the true husband cleared the controversie to the Court the counterfeit had brought them to such a demurre that they knew not what to determine And so may it fare here such are the apish imitations of impudent and unsuspected Hypocrites in point of zeale devotion affections and abstinencies from sinne that the very annointed of God seemes to stand before him 2 Sam. 16.6 Nothing in this case is surer to determine the controversie then the spirit it selfe of true breed and Nativity Hardly can the spirit of birth and regeneration be long dissembled but one way or other earlier or later it will be discovered Triall of the true spirit of Grace is from it selfe Therefore let every one try himselfe by this marke even the spirit of Grace will bewray it selfe Not at first perhaps for Alexander was almost crowded to death in the tumult at Ephesus and in Pauls quarrell almost puld in pieces a terrible patterne as a worthy Writer speakes But yet at length time tried him and he grew an open revolter after and was delivered to Satan Act. 19.33 compared with 2 Tim. 4.14 Acts 6.5 1 Tim. 1.20 2 Tim. 4.10 Matth. 13.27 Nicolas the Deacon cheated the twelve Apostles but his spirit betrayed him to be a wicked uncleane wretch Demas Hymenaeus and Philetus went farre but their spirit failed them The spirit of the Grape will not be counterfeited by the fruit of a Bramble the one is generous the other base Eagles breed no Crowes nor Doves any Kites nor Lions Foxes No more doth the spirit of Grace breed false Hypocrites Well said those servants The envious man hath sowne Tares for the Husbandman sowed nothing but good Wheate It will be an infallible marke of thy true birth if thine owne principle be throwne out and if the spirit of mercy become that in thee and unto thee which thine owne spirit once was even a second nature Grace will casheire and throw out thy usurping spirit As they cast out Ipta Iudg. 11.2 Note that it shall not reigne A false spirit workes from within to an outward but Gods Spirit workes from without to an inward operation That is Grace going out of her selfe and suspecting her selfe both for the metall and for the stampe for the kind and for the degree for the quality and for the continuance abhorring her own sparkes and false blaze still seekes out for a new spirit of Heaven a new frame of heart But our owne spirit seekes within her selfe what light what affections what imitations shewes and duties she can finde out never suspecting her impotency to reach truth and soundnesse Now although such may goe farre with their Lamps a long time yet at last want of Oyle will make their lamps flagge when their feelings cease when the praises of men faile when some of their actions cause them to be questioned and when some right wind blowes full upon them then they totter when the winds and floods came Mat. 7. ult the house ungrounded fell By one way or other it must at last appeare who are men of their owne stockes and who are bankrupts not to say this moreover that a wise man well marking the Spirit of Grace and comparing it with the other will by one signe or other easily discerne a Noble and true bred spirit from violent pangs even at the best But although he should not yet the spirit of Grace will bewray it selfe in time and discard the spirit of the flesh A true sonne of faithfull Jonathan is a most precious peece to David though a poore lame creeple Gen. 25.6 Particular trials of the spirit of Grace then all the posterity of Saul besides One Isaac is more worth then all Ketura's brood The breed of a thing is all in all with men even in these outward creatures horses kine and the like So one soule of the right stamp is more precious with God then a thousand Be sure that the Word of the promise that immortall seed of God in the blood of a covenant bred thee to the hope of life The Word of God is the immortall seed which bred it and the assurance of pardon and this will turne all false principles of flesh and blood out of doores Prove thy genealogie that thou art an Hebrew of the Hebrewes a true borne Jew not of the letter but of the spirit of Grace and then thou hast that marke upon thee which will not be worne out God lookes first at what thou art for thy spirit and breed and then what thou dost Phil. 3.8 Rom. 2. ult Never vie upon him with thy heapes upon heapes of worships of means of duties but first approve thy selfe See Prov. 23.26 and these will follow alone as the wombe that conceives truly is free of all other conceptions so the true breed of the Spirit abandons all false conceptions If all other seed of thine owne all principles of flesh be cast out and the wombe of the soule cleane and cleare this spirit of grace may live and come to the birth in thee And all false preconceptions cast out The wombe that beares a true bred soule must be as the wombe that bare Immanuel a Virgin wombe wherein never any other fruit lay before The meere onely and pure love of the Father purchased by the blood of Christ must onely beget thee to God if ever thou be begotten and no lesse spirit Like Iosephs Tombe never any had lyen in it before Luk. 23.53 then that which united the Godhead of Jesus to his flesh will serve to beget thee to him
roofes have tasted the like and what hindreth but you may Oh chuse rather to follow my counsell then to cause the wrath of God to smoak out against you for adding drunkennesse to thirst and speaking peace to your selves Deut. 29.15 and saying Though I stil walk on in the stubbornnesse of my heart yet I shall doe well enough God keepe this plague farre from you And so much for this Branch 4 Lastly and so I shut up all you that have long feared the Lord Exhorta ions and shewed forth the fruit of this spirit of Conversion go forward and persevere I must not deny God the honour of his truth And such as have to nourish it in themselves he hath not left us without witnesse in this particular Few are they whom this doctrine is verified in yet some there are and the very sight of their faces this day doth not a little encourage me to speake unto them If ever then you saw cause at your first comming out of Jordan to joyne with God his Religion his glory now especially joyne partners and cleâ—ve to him now side with him and the power of Christianity Surely he that hath hitherto kept you alive and brought you safely through so many waters deserves it much more at your hands now being much neerer to your salvation Rom. 13.11 1 King 9.33 then when you first beleeved Doe as those two Eunuches of Jezabel when Jehu cried out Who is on my side Who They looked out at the window and became agents for him Could they thrust her downe headlong who were of her bed-chamber how much more you who have long since beene sworne confederates to the Lord Jesus Never was there better season for you if there be but a sparke of this spirit in you to declare your selves on whose side you are The power of godlinesse is on every side deserted and she throwne to the ground if God mercifully did not by the power of the sword and civill Magistrate preserve us what should we be save a booty to Papists and enemies who have long watcht our overthrow Now therefore if you halt with God halt for ever If God bee not God 1 King 18.21 give him over If he be that God who hath forgiven you and will save you let Baal be Baal and let him be as he deserveth Say thus Have I but one poore life to give for him who gave ten thousand times a more precious one for me and shall I thinke it too deare for him Shall Rimmon be more deare to me Shall I goe and bow to that Idoll having received a better cure from the God of Israel then he could have given me No Lord There thou wannest my heart to thy selfe for ever That sweete welcome those embraces which then I felt those Flagons and Apples can never be forgotten Cantic 2.5 Psal 73.19 I behold the workes of such as decline but I blesse thee I repent not of my choyce their Image is despised by me My soule come not into their counsels Oh! if you can say thus blesse God who hath kept you And for time to come I exhort you that the more you shall see the power of truth scorned and forsaken in the world the closer you cleave to it and if this be to be vile be yet more vile 2 Sam. 6.22 Pick out some speciall services in which you may be usefull to God and his glory If the Devill take any Apprentises he will set his marke upon them both in their hands and foreheads either they must shew some singular zeale for him or else hee will suspect them And are you ashamed of your Master Matth. 7. end Now this world destroyes the Law write it you upon your frontlets and the fringes of your garments shew the world what Master you serve Deut. 6.8 and be not ashamed Let the same spirit rest in your bosomes for Grace which you see now a dayes rests upon them who are going from us into New-England They will not endure you to speak one word amisse of it but their hearts are at their mouthes presently they magnifie and extoll it in all places wheresoever they become their very spirits are possessed and taken up with the hope and longing for it they stand upon thornes till they be there where their treasure is they are soone knockt off from hence though their native soyle where they have had all their conversation yet as if they had not knowne it so doe they renounce it and all the contents of it They use it as if they used it not for the affection sake they beare the other Parents neighbours kindred yea wives and children are deserted for it and who may controll them Tell them of the sad attempt of going what danger by Sea what change of fare there and want of all commodities Oh! you doe but encourage them by your disswasives they are content to learne to deny themselves and to change their dainty diet for bare their soft beds for hard and what not so they may come thither Paines cost selling all and packing up their fardels is nothing to them for their desire sake Oftentimes I have wish'd the place good enough for such affections But in this argument touching the spirit of Conversion and Grace for the embracing of which no affections can be sufficient how doe we flagge Where is the man who can doe thus much for God and his glory from the experience of mercy Aske thine owne heart Doe I loath the least appearance of evill doe I carry about me the zeale of Gods owne house am I tender of the least offence can I not endure the least affront to his person Lawes Gospel Ordinances doe I honour his Ministers doe I thinke nothing too deare for him is my life liberty name wife children vile unto me in respect of a good conscience Oh! that it were so How happy should we be in approving our selves Let me leave generals Particular urging of this exhortation to al sorts Ministers people Magistrates c. and come to particular estates and conditions yee Ministers of God pick out speciall service for God a few of you are left to wrestle for God ply your worke let not the glory of the Gospell fall labour to inspire the soules of your hearers with Christ alas they cannot chuse but be dead hearted when there is no glad tydings brought them no love shed into their soules Yee people looke up your old evidences for Heaven scoure off your rust you see upon what costly terms the Gospel is maintained this is no season to palter out your time shew forth your courage for God let not the spirit of Popery nor prophanenesse quash that spirit of Grace which is within your bosomes Walke humbly wisely and yet boldly hold out the truth of God without feare against all scorners and Edomites God shall prop you up feare not the vilest wretch shall never bee able to
resist that spirit by which you speake and walke It is not your duties hearing Sermons which will serve turne except you get into the way of God and get your spirits whetted up to a lively temper of godlinesse you shall but adde heapes to heapes and die of thirst Rake up the ashes of your first sacrifice and see if there be any one sparkle alive Iudg. 15.16.18 to kindle that old fire in your hearts God hath now farre more need of it then he had then If you cannot find old sparks goe to Heaven for new for a double portion of it else you will hardly hold out in these cold times You young Novices here among us who in your youth have begunne well and honoured the labours of Gods servants by your zeale by your answering to Catechism by drawing on many to God be not discouraged that the same Grace which made you young Sts. can make you old ones I doubt it not but blesse God for the hope I conceive of your growth and fruit Esay 8.18 1 Iohn 4.4 though we are as signes both we and the children which God hath given us and wonders to the world feare not greater is he that is in us then with them You Magistrates hereabouts you Headborowes and Officers at home doe not play the cowards in the cause of God and the government of the Towne suffer not drunkards to fill up your Alehouses here upon the day of our Lecture and to rout in all cursed behaviour all the day after going together by the eares swearing and swaggering let not your Taverns and places of resort be more frequented then Gods house I see ruine before mine eyes and the young fry will prove worse then their Predecessors your glory is gone except you hold together and prevent sinne from flowing downe your streets and overthrowing all 2 Cor. 2.14 â—â— And in a word to all sorts I speake scatter the savour of this spirit of Grace all about the places where you dwell shine especially within your owne sphere and families lay in for grace and mercy for your husbands wives children kinsfolke and neighbours who have long beene ignorant profane or formall worshippers at the best pluck them out of the fire by violence Iude ult Perhaps some seed lies under a clod they are not so deeply sunk under the slavery of those Idols but that God may fetch out somewhat of them at the last and shall it die for lacke of stirring up Be earnest with God and strive hard for the whole corner this poore Countrey in which ancient zeale and the spirit of Grace decayes exceedingly Easie serving of God for fashion and this love of the creature hath eaten up all The last yeare we were almost starven for bodily bread but God be thanked better food did helpe well both to content the poorer sort and to uphold their spirits with patience yea and to perswade the richer sort to mercy and compassion Now we feare a worse famine if not want of the Word yet that the Lord for our wretched unfruitfulnesse may fill our mouthes with Quailes Mumb. 11.20 and suffer them to come out againe at our nostrils may fat us with meanes and curse us with leannesse in our soules Psal 106.15 Lord suffer not the child to die at the breasts for lack of milke nor having it to surfet Oh thou who hast bred us by thy Word with the lively spirit of Grace preserve us by the same nourishment whereby wee are begotten And so for such among us brethren as have continued constantly Branch 5 in this zeale of the Gospel Consolation to all such as walke in the comfort of the spirit of conversion I doe here reach out comfort unto them and say to them as Elisha to Naaman Goe in peace Though you and I should never heare the voyce nor see the face of other yet we shall do well as long as the peace of God is with us Nourish your hearts still till death in this love of the Gospel Make not shipwrack in the havens Thinke not now of any new way Turne not to the world for they care not for you you stink to them therefore hold to your old Master and be his servants for ever Let the Lord beate you out of his doores before you dare start from him you have beene his so long that as Peter said Whither should we goe Lord from thee Iohn 6.68 thou hast the words of eternall life Though there be neither Calfe in the stall nor Bâ—llock in the heard though the Olive cast her fruit and the Vine decay yet God shall be your salvation Though meanes faile Habac. 3.17.18 yet this spirit of grace in you shall be a lively immortall stock in you and preserve you by faith to the day of salvation 1 Pen. 1.5 These are times wherein sinne abounds it is the very houre of darknesse Revel 3.10 Pray that as you have kept the Word of Gods patience all this while so he would keepe you though all the world should be over-shadowed And although perhaps you take thought for your first edge which is blunted by long continuance and custome Ephes 3.16 17 yet so long as your metall holds good steele to the back and you grow rooted settled and stable in all faith love and fruitfulnesse feare not he that hath begunne will perfect his worke Faithfull is he who hath promised 1 Thes 5.24 To the worke of whose Grace I commend you which is able to sanctifie you throughout and both to keep your bodies soule and spirits 1 Thes 5.25 pure and blamelesse to his comming through the Lord Jesus to whom with the Father and the Spirit that immortall invisible and onely wise God 1 Tim. 1.17 be all honour and praise for ever Amen FINIS AN APPENDIX OR POSTSCRIPT TO THE READER ANd thus good Reader thou hast these Lectures penned to the uttermost wherein they were preached And as I inteÌ„ded to preach no more so neither doe I purpose to trouble thee with more then I preached The Verses following to the twentieth savour wholly of a spirit carried zealously towards God whose mercy cured both Naamans body and soule a draught whereof I gave thee in this last Lecture I grant there are some passages of obscurity attending the words next to them I have handled which some scrupulous Reader might thinke himselfe wronged if they should wholly be unsaluted Wherefore to give a very short touch of them thus conceive of the severals thereof THerefore take a blessing c. But he said Vers 15. end 16. As the Lord liveth Touching this Addition of his large gifts to his large heart I have already spoken of it in the servants arguments and shewed there the duty of the people to their Ministers And we must know it did not abhorre from the custome of those times either to offâ—r or accept gratuities by the Prophets But touching his refusall
all those objections and cavills whereby Selfe labours to rivet her selfe in the soule shee passes sentence against Selfe 5. Marke It answers all objections of Selfe and when Selfe hath spent her selfe in all she can say to hold the soule in her chaines yet the Spirit of Grace is stronger for Grace then Selfe for corruption Notwithstanding all her ease loathnesse to part advantage to the flesh difficulty of beleeving pretences and colours yet so it is Grace will beare the sway and perswades the soule to cast her out She is as those men of Juda whose words were stronger for David 2 Sam. 19 43. then the words of the men of Israel So that let Selfe dispute what she can against mercy yet mercy is that which at last the poore soule must betake her selfe to sooner or later and better at first while the heart is tender and willing to take paines then at last when she is sapped and soked in Selfe Grace is the thing she aimes at and although she have had many turnagaines and discouragements yet till she rests there and sets downe her stafe upon the promise shee shall have no rest or peace in her spirit and therefore bearing downe all difficulties cavills and pulbacks she resolves upon Grace and the freedome of mercy This cannot an hypocrite reach unto for either he is resolved to be as he is or else proceeds on in a continuall staggering If the former then he is hardened and will be as he is if he be in an error he will live and dye in it he will not change his estate for any mans hee desires to be in no better case then he is If the latter then he is alway devising of one shift or other to delude his owne conscience when it checks him for unsoundnesse making it his trade to daube it with untempered morter Contrary to both the Spirit of Grace causes the soule to bee informed of her owne danger to be content to heare of the hardest to amend any errors which have misled her though with much paine searing or lancing medicines or plasters she is willing to undergoe any hardship for a cure and will refuse nothing so she may be rid of an unsafe condition and although shee knows this divell will not out without foming and raging and much opposition yet she doth as the husbandman doth Eccles 11 4. who knowes if hee should observe winde and raine he should neither sow nor reape So the Spirit of Grace waites not while the coast bee cleare and all objections of Self be answered for she holds her own and will not be answered but breakes through the hoast of all cavills to come to the bare promise and when she cannot untie each knot by picking it shee takes her sword and cuts them in two at once that the soule may be at liberty Zachar. 5.11 And as the Prophet speakes of carrying the Ephah into the land of Shinar so doth the Spirit of Grace carry this resistance of Selfe farre away from the soule whence it may never returne any more to pester her in the maine point of resolving to cast her selfe nakedly upon Grace and Christ Sixtly Grace opposes Selfe by setting Selfe against Selfe 6. Marke It sets Selfe against Selfe and thereby wearing her in her owne way that shee may forsake it and take a better Hence it comes to passe that when the soule hath long traded with her owne affections devotions and duties satisfying her selfe with the warmth of her owne feathers the Lord sets another Selfe against them that is suffers some morall distempers to rise up in them as peevishnesse wandring after fond frothy vanities an inconstancy of spirit to unsettle them contenting themselves with the creature any shred of it eating and drinking padling in the world or about carnall objects which formerly they despised and why these Surely that they might be gastered by the worse from the better and being beaten from Self in both kindes might resolve to fasten upon that which might bottome them upon Christ I have observed it in sundry even of tender and good affections that through feare and weaknesse could not bee perswaded to cast themselves upon the onely free and unchangeable truth of the promise there to settle and to rest in Christs bosome without strugglings or distempers of their owne base distrust therefore the Lord hath suffered them to be exceedingly disguised and burdensome to themselves by the contrary qualities of sloth ease wearisomenesse deadnesse formality wrath and other baser evills Their former love of the word hath turned to indifferency whether they heare or no their painfull hearings meditatings with some life and savor praying with devout hearts and fervency with like care and jealousie in their other course hath wanzed and waxed wearisome and those evills which I named have come in their roome and when they have felt these pricks in their flesh to buffet them Oh! how sad and unsettled have they beene As a bone out of joint fit for nothing Yea how sullen with God quarrelling as if they never had any good wrought in them and sometimes ready to give over all in a tech and mood Why I pray you doth the Lord leave such painfull soules to such disguisements Hath hee delight to crosse them to breake the brused reed or to quench the smoking flax No doubtlesse Try your selves good brethren whether or no this hath beene your condition And if it have know that the Lord is just to deale thus with you although ye have not perhaps provoked him by an ill conscience by running to evill or wilfull rejecting of the meanes even because you still rest upon your owne bottomes and ascribe to your duties and affections he would pull ye off from these and draw you to set your soules upon better objects I know what objection you will make by and by That you have also as much as in you hath lyen strove against all resting in any affections of your owne Object laboured to deny your selves and to settle upon the promise Answ But I demand why then have you not obtained a bottome to rest upon You will secretly mutter and say the Lord hath not beene pleased to let out any saving and effectuall goodnesse out of his promise to prevent you in your endeavours and to sweeten you with the comfort of his Grace that so your labours might not be in vaine Doth hee not let out such sweetnesse as yee would Where then is the fault Could you lay the fault upon God Or thinke you that the error lies within your owne bosome What way hath God I pray you save the way of his promise inseperably attended by his Spirit to let in and convey himselfe into the soules of his poore servants Surely if you have closed with his promise for the assistance of the Spirit to convey his good things upon your soules then may and ought you to waite his leasure for the answering of your