this cary it home with you and examining your selves know the Lord will have sinceritie from you Secondly it is a word of consolation Vse 2. this is a marvellous comfort to those that love and feare the Lord all you whose hearts answer It is thus with you lift up your heads with joy for this will uphold you and make you * Luk. 21.28 lift up your heads with comfort in all your troubles and in the day of the Lord When your redemption draweth nigh Isa 3.10 Isa 3.10 say It shall goe well with the godly I say to that man what ever come it shall goe well with him We use to say without doubt without danger A man that owes nothing he cares not for any Pursevant or Sergeant or Baily he feares them not for he knowes they have nothing to doe with him This is a marvellous comfort to him so it ought to be to a sincere heart that hath paid his debt to God when trouble seises upon him you know what Hezekiah said 2 King 20.3 Good Lord remember how I have walked before thee with an upright heart Isa 38.3 If a man be arrested upon a false ground the Law will baile him there is no Law against him Thinke of that brethren Gal. 5.21 Galat. 5.22 The fruits of the Spirit are love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith * Vers 23. meekenesse temperance against such there is no Law There is no Law to punish or condemne them or accuse them Therefore blessed are your soules that are sincere and upright in heart conversation alwaies to all Gods Commandements in publique in private in ordinarie times and extraordinarie there is no law against you whatsoever Satan or the world say against you there is no law in the Booke of God to condemne you Psal 119.6 Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be confounded when I have respect to all thy Commandements In the times of all dangers and of all miseries which are like to seise upon us soone if the Land should be over-run and friends and means faile here is comfort to every faithfull soule Psal 103.15 All flesh is grasse * Psal 103.15 the winde passeth over it Vers 16. and it is gone Vers 17. ver 17. but the loving kindnesse of the Lord endures for ever and ever Upon whom brethren Vpon them that feare him and thinke upon his covenants to doe them Marke how he sustaines himselfe life goe friends goe meanes goe all flesh is grasse Vers 15. the winde passeth over it and it is gone meanes are gone how then brethren vers 17. Vers 17. But the goodnesse of the Lord endures for ever and ever Though Libertie be gone the Spirit of the Lord endures though means be gone the mercy of God endures Psal 136. all though friends be gone the favour of the Lord endures The loving kindnesse of the Lord endures for ever Upon whom upon them that feare him and thinke upon his Covenants to doe them Though a poore soule fare meanly and live hardly all helps gone the Winde hath passed over them and libertie is gone honour is gone life is going nothing endures yet lift up thy soule in sicknesse and say My health is gone my strength is gone my life is going but the loving kindnesse of the Lord endures for ever Vers 18. upon every soule that keepes his Commandements and thinks upon his Covenants to doe them Lastly for a word of exhortation Vse 4. Is the Commandement of God his Covenant and is the keeping of that the way to obtaine mercy and happinesse here and for ever then goe away if you will and be dishonest still and breake Covenant with the Lord. The very name of dishonestie me thinks should move you brethren to be faithfull in your Covenant and to set on speedily and to be exceeding watchfull and carefull and to performe what you have promised to the Lord. Reason should move you What not keepe Covenant especially with the Lord What shall we make promises to the Lord and enter into Covenant with him and not keep it Let it for shame never be said of us brethren Marke what David saith Psal 119 11. I have hid thy Commandements in my heart that I might not sinne against thee His minde ran of them and his tongue talked of them continually Amongst men brethren you would not have your credit cracked for any thing and you doe honestly A good name is a Jewell But doe thus with the Lord brethren Hath not the Lord kept touch with you in all his promises Did you ever beg any thing of him and he not heare you Why doe you not keepe touch with the Lord Shame your selves for this I beseech you Men in the world if they breake in their estates they have this love and humanitie in them that if any lose then it shall be they that did deale most hardly with them and that got most by them when they were in trading but this kinde friend that was kinde to him and lent him monie sometime in his need he shall not lose a penny by him O saith he I had a friend of him I could never come to him but he would receive me This is honestie and faire and equall O consider of this brethren we have hard bargains at the hands of the world and of the devill and sinne many knocks of soule and girds of conscience with them But the Lord hath beene ever gracious mercifull loving and kinde to us resolve therefore that the Lord shall never lose by you let the world lose if it will and let carnall friends and sinne and Satan lose if they will Let not the Lord lose but resolve what ever becomes of it I will pray constantly and reade in my family morning and evening and upon every occasion and reforme my waies It is not needfull that I should be rich it is that I be sincere and faithfull to the Lord I will labour for a good conscience and endevour to walke with God FINIS Imprimatur Ja. Cranford
THE FAITHFUL COVENANTER A SERMON PREACHED AT THE LECTVRE IN DEDHAM IN ESSEX By that excellent servant of Iesus Christ in the work of the Gospel Mr. Tho. Hooker late of Chelmsford now in New England Very usefull in these times of Covenanting with God Psal 78. vers 9. The children of Ephraim being armed and carying Bows turned back in the day of Battle Ver. 10. They kept not the Covenant of God and refused to walk in his Law Ver. 36. Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues Vers 37. For their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant LONDON Printed for CHRISTOPHER MEREDITH at the Crane in Pauls Church-yard 1644. A SERMON PREACHED AT DEDHAM Lecture in Essex DEUT. 29.24 25. Even all Nations shall say Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land what meaneth the heate of this great anger Then the men shall say Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their fathers which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt THe holy Prophet Moses having in the fore-going Chapters the 28. especially discovered unto the people as his last words almost which he spake unto them the marvellous mercies of the Lord to those which walked with him and were obedient unto his Commandements which he had set before them and the heavy Iudgements he had prepared for and would execute on them that walked stubbornly against him and were disobedient and rebellious notwithstanding all meanes he used to reclaime them and all the blessings that he bestowed upon them as the Commandements you may see in the fore-going Chapter If you will observe and doe all that I command you this day vers 1. then vers 3. Blessed shalt thou be in the Citie and blessed shalt thou be in the field vers 4. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground vers 5. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store c. But if not but they will be disobedient and rebell against him he sends fire after them presently and sayes vers 16. Cursed shalt thou be in the Citie and cursed shalt thou be in the field vers 17. Cursed shalt thou be in thy basket and in thy store c. Now having dealt with them both waies he windes up all and deales with them by way of Prophecie and tels them what Israel would doe and what the Lord would doe if their hearts turned away from him and from his Statutes which he had set before them to walke in He tels them that the people after his death will goe a whoring O that this might not be sayes Moses but yet if it be the Lord will roote you out of this good Land and will bring upon you all these curses that are written in this Booke to plague you here and will cause everlasting vengeance to seise upon you hereafter Now after he had dealt with them by mercies and judgements these not prevailing the Lord sends an enemie upon them that sweepes them away as unprofitable * 1 King 14.10 a King 9 37. Psal 83.10 Ier. 8.2 9.22 16.4 25.33 dung off the face of the earth Now the Prophet brings in the Nations here justifying the Lords dealing with them and saying vers 24. Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this Land What meaneth this fierce wrath of the Lord As if a man should say What was this goodly ENGLAND the onely Nation of all the Earth and yet now all laid waste in this fearefull manner Whence came this heavie displeasure and what doth meane this fierce wrath of the Lord Now marke what followes All men shall say that is even the wicked themselves all standers by shall give sentence on the Lords side and justifie his doings and say Alas can you blame the Lord for dealing thus fiercely against such a stubborne rebellious people What would you have had the Lord done more he gave them a Law and Mercies and Iudgements but they would not serve the Lord but brake the bands asunder and cast the cords behinde their backs Psal 2.3 Therefore now they shall serve enemies God is not to be blamed What could he have done or what would you have had him doe more then he did for them Threatnings from Mount Eball and Blessings from Mount Gerizzim flue about from this side and on that side and yet nothing would doe them good Why should they live any longer then what should the Lord doe they profited by nothing neither by his mercies nor his judgements and what was the cause brethren Here was the cause they were false hearted they would not walke sincerely with the Lord and therefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against them and he rootetd them out of their Land in his wrath and in great indignation Oh the fearefull wrath of the Lord that came upon them In the words take notice of three particulars Parts of the Text. First the Iudgement of the Lord denounced threatned and executed against them It was very sharpe the Nations were agast that stood by and beheld it and wondred and said Why who would have thought it that the adversary and the enemy should have entred into the gates of Ierusalem What Ierusalem the perfection of beauty the joy of the whole Earth As if one should hereafter passe by and see all the Townes burnt up here in this Land which God grant may never be but if it should be so and one should passe by and see all the houses burnt up and the Churches burnt would he not be amazed at it and say Why what meanes this fierce wrath of the Lord Would it not make our hearts ake Brethren to passe by these places and see the houses of God burnt downe to the ground and thinke with our selves Oh the good exhortations and admonitions we have heard here Then secondly here is the reason and cause why the Lord dealt thus with them Vers 25. then men shall say Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord their God So brethren if this should be our case poore little ones would say then I remember my father said thus it would be for the Land forsooke the Covenant of the Lord and the Minister told us of this stubbornnesse and rebellion against the Lord that this would be the end of it Then lastly here is the testimony of the Nations concerning the equitie of the Lords dealing the standers by justifie it and said The Lord is just for they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord their God And so people would doe here if the Lord should doe with us as he did with the Jews First of the judgements which the Lord threatned against them What means the fierce anger of the Lord why it was the fierce anger of the enemies was it not Yes But there is no enemy but is in Gods hand it
enemies your outward appearance of profession is just so brethren A hypocriticall fine smooth coat will not keep off the wrath of the Lord but that will seise upon the soule which hath no other defence but such Revelation 2. Revel 2.2 and the beginning Ephesus a Church that lived gloriously and performed duties comfortably marke what the Lord sayes of them Vers 3. I know thy works and thy labour and how thou canst not beare them which are evill vers 4. Yet I have somewhat against thee Vers 4. because thou hast left thy first love And what of that might some say I may be an honest man I hope and goe to heaven too though I have declined a little and be not so zealous and forward as I have been as long as I am sincere and upright-hearted Aye but what sayes the Lord brethren Vers 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy Candlesticke out of his place Let no man trust in his own strength depend upon his own priviledges and shadow himselfe under the name of Religion and Gospel 1 Sam. 4 5 6. 1 Sam. 4. When the Philistines came against Israel and Israel was smitten before them the next time they came into the Campe they sent for the Arke that that might save them out of the hand of their enemies and when the Arke came into the Campe Vers 5. all Israel shouted so that the earth rang again Vers 7. And the Philistines were afraid and said Woe unto us for the like was never heard of before the God of Israel is come into the Field Who shall deliver us out of the hands of these mightie Gods Vers 8. these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues that came upon them Vers 9. Be strong and quit your selves like men oh ye Philistines that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews And the Philistines fought Vers 10. and Israel was smitten And the Arke of God was taken Vers 11. They brought the Arke of the Covenant into the Campe but the Arke would not defend them but was taken Brethren the Arke was a type of Christ you bring the name of Christians and the outward profession of Religion into the field and you thinke that this will save you out of the hands of your enemies but you and that will sinke under your enemies if you put confidence in that was any nation greater then Babylon or more glorious then Jerusalem but what is become of them brethren hath not the Lord brought desolation and destruction upon them Luk. 21.5 O say the Disciples when they were at Jerusalem and saw the Temple what goodly buildings are here Matth. 24.1 2. vers 2. Mark 13.1 2. I tell you says our Saviour a stone shall not be left on a stone It skils not what we are brethren in outward profession but what we are in sinceritie and holinesse Depend not on the priviledges which God hath given you but pray for grace to answer him according to the means which he hath bestowed upon you and then this love may be continued and there may be some hope that you shall injoy these blessed priviledges still Now we come to the place where we would be the 25. Vers 25. verse wherein is the reason why God deals so with his own people The Text gives you to understand the ground of it was because they had forsooke the Covenant of their God Meaning of the words This we will fasten upon And first I will open the words and then draw some collections from them for our benefit First I will shew you what is meant by Covenant Secondly what is meant by forsaking of the Covenant Brethren Covenant there is a double Covenant in the frame of Scripture Joh. 3.15 16. and 5.24 and 11.25 26. First a Covenant of being in God which is called the Covenant of faith He that beleeveth shall live Secondly a Covenant of walking before or with God when we have received mercy and grace through the goodnesse of God in acceptation of our persons in and through Christ then the Lord requires that we should walke in new obedience before him answerable to that grace bestowed Brethren marke that and this is the covenant of new obedience or of thankfulnesse which the Lord reveals requires and exacts of all that have given their names unto him I take it that the covenant of the second sense is here meant The other is supposed and included but this is the maine the covenant of his Law whereby we should be obedient unto him that is the minde of the holy man in this place and the scope of the words Secondly to forsake this covenant is this when we keepe not touch with God in sincere exact and holy obedience answerable to the means and mercy he bestows upon us and the care and kindnesse of the Lord towards us When we fleeing away from the command of the Lord breake his bands Psal 2.3 and snap the cords a pieces when we walke after our own wayes are not governed by God and content to be ruled by his holy word in all things then are we said to forsake his covenant Nextly marke here he sayes they forsooke it that is the generall frame of the nation The generall not the naughtie packs only and some few but they forsooke it Now brethren having opened the words unto you I will come unto the points of instruction and first in that he cals his Commandement and Law his Covenant observe a maine point of great use and benefit and that is this That the Commandements of the Lord Doctrine are the Covenant of the Lord with his people the Covenant of new obedience This is the Covenant that God makes with his people Deut. 5.2.6 not of life but of thankfulnesse Deut. 5.2.6 That one place will cast the case cleere enough In the second vers he saith The Lord our God made a Covenant with us in â—oreh then in the sixt vers and so on Vers 6. there is the Covenant it selfe set downe I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt Vers 7. out of the house of bondage Thou shalt have none other Gods before me Famous is that place Psal 103.18 Psal 103.17 18 There are two Phrases used which serve to one purpose and the one explicates the other vers 17. The goodnesse of the Lord indures for ever and ever But upon whom Vers 18. brethren upon those that keepe his Commandements and thinke upon his Covenants to doe them So that his Covenants and Commandements are all one As in a Covenant there are Articles of agreement betweene party and party so betweene God and his people Here are the Articles of agreement the Ten words which God spake the Ten Commandements This Moses aimes
the God of Heaven saith Vers 20. The anger of the Lord shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this Booke shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven vers 21. Vers 21. And the Lord shall separate him unto evill out of all the Tribes of Israel All the vengeance of the Almighty that ever was made knowne shall light upon the head and heart of that drunkard and that contemner of God and the word of his Grace He will separate you from the Tribes of Israel You thinke to run away from your Countrey and to flie from his Judgements as some Bankerupts do escape from men to run to Amsterdam and other places No the Lord will separate that man from all the Tribes of Israel where ever he be in France Germany Amsterdam or where ever he will separate him and set the damned spirits on the backe of him and say Take hold of that man and execute vengeance on him Brethren you may think I deale something harshly with you but I deale for the best for you Is it not better to heare of this now in time then hereafter when the Lord hath arrested you and you are locked up in close prison for ever you should thinke Oh if such a denunciation had beene told me if such an exhortation had beene wrought upon me if such a man had pressed hard upon my conscience with such and such things I had never come here Consider this God will have it out of you as he had it out of Iulian the Apostate that had blasphemed Christ before in the field an arrow came from God and smote him that he died and then he said Thou hast overcome me O thou Galilean You that are mates in this kinde goe home to your fellow drunkards and to your fellow whoremasters and scoffers and those that side with you against God and goodnesse and such as are godly and tell them God will have his debt of them Know it now to your humiliation and amendment lest you know it to your cost when there will be no prevailing with the Lord for mercy The Lord perswade your hearts that there is no way to escape but by coming in and acknowledging your debt and craving pardon though you cannot pay Thirdly the close hearted Hypocrite Vse 3. he comes here to be discarded he thinkes his penny good silver the world esteems of him as a sincere honest upright hearted man Tell him that he keeps not Covenant with the Lord he takes it in great indignation If any be here as this Age begetteth a world of close hypocrites understand and know if you keep back some of the payment have a secret haunt doe as Ananias and Saphira did Acts 5.2 that laid downe a part of the price for which the possession was sold and said Vers 8. It was all Is here all saith Peter to them Yes all saith he so when the Lord saith to you Dost thou pray Yes Lord And dost hate all sinne Yes Lord say you Why dost lye to the Almighty Vers 3. Doe you not know a company of secret haunts and back-dores that you have to this lust and that lust and many secret corruptions you have and yet come into the presence of the Lord as if you were upright with the Lord and there were no such matter O ye hypocrites why hath Satan filled your hearts to lye to the Lord Vers 3. Doe you not know what Elisha said to Gehazi 2 King 5.20.21 when he ran after Naaman for a bribe vers 25. Where hast thou been Gehazi Thy servant hath been no where Vers 25. he thought to wash it away and make it over so with a lye vers 26. Vers 26. Went not mine heart with thee saith Elisha when thou rannest after Naaman for a bribe If any close hypocrite be in the Congregation let him know the Lord will finde him out and will say to him Whither went thy heart all this while Where hast beene dodging Was not my heart with thee vers 26. when thou wentest after such a secret haunt and such a close lust O but you will say it is no such matter you desire to be upright I say be so brethren The Lord goes with thee wither so ever thou goest and he sees all thy Dalilahs and Herodiasses of pride and selfe-love he seeth how thou seekest to him in the pride of thy heart and how thou professest to get a name and to bold in with others These are base abominations cursed hypocrisie this is false-heartednesse before God and shall be plagued by God at the day of account There is not an honest woman that hath but one other man besides her husband He is not an honest man that will not pay one bond of tenne or many A penny is due as well as a pound My hand is on your heart brethren for I feare many of you have some one back-dore which you meane to keepe and you will be proud or covetous a little or uncleane onely and all the rest of that Covenant ye are content to keepe Is this honest to scrape out what you please and leave what you please still there is no honestie in this brethren But you will say Who can lay any thing to my charge I say thou art a Covenant-breaker and the Lord could never get his owne of thee yet Well yet thou wilt put it off as Saul did when Samuel came to meet him as he returned from slaying the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15.13 Come thou blessed of the Lord. But what said Samuel to him Vers 14. Ah saies he vers 14. What meanes the bleating of the sheepe and the lowing of the Oxen So you say you make conscience of all the Commandements of the Lord But what meane these secret corners and haunts I mean those which conscience and God heare of not what I heare of for I know nothing but by them What meane all these secret conveyances that you have to make away and hide your lusts with that you may live in them and not be knowne so to doe What meanes your drunkennesse in a corner your adultery in a corner your hypocrisie and covetousnesse lukewarmenesse and coldnesse carelesnesse and earthly mindednesse Yet men will not be out-faced they will beare a man downe still that it is so Then I have no other way but this with you looke what a man doth by a debtor that saith the debt is paid and will face him downe that it is so yet the Booke is not crossed What will this Creditor do now Why then to your Bookes he goes and cals in the servant that takes in the reckonings and saith Doe you remember it No saith the servant you gave me good words divers times when I called on you for it but no money was paid why then I never had it So brethren you say that you are holy we will call