well as in crauing mercies they expresse this condition and binde themselues the surer vnto it as Psal. 51. 14. Deliuer me from bloud O Lord and my tongue shall sing ioyfully to thy righteousnesse Hence sprung all those holy vowes of the Saints as of Iaakob Gen. 28. 20 21. and that of Dauid which hee would performe in the midst of the people Psal. 116. 14. This is the ende why God deliuers vs the ende of his mercies and therefore is better then the deliuerance Secondly it is a good thing to praise the Lord Psal. 92. 1. and it well becomes the iust to bee thankefull Psal. 33. 1. for first hereby the Lord shall haue his due which is a part of iustice He is content that we haue the good of his creatures but he reserues the praise of them to himselfe still He is content we should haue the comfort of them onely with this reseruation that the glory of them be his still Secondly it is good for vs for al the benefit of our thankes comes to our selues seeing by it we both retaine the old and inuite new mercies Thirdly it is impossible for such as haue truely tasted Gods mercies but to speake of it sense of mercy in the heart will vntie the tongue fire wil not be kept close but will breake forth And heere is a plaine difference betweene the godly and the wicked They reioyce in the Lord for his mercy whereas the most that these can do is to reioyce in the mercy not in the Lord as a false friend that delights more in the gift of his friend then in the giuer Fourthly the godly know that God doth require not onely the heart to acknowledge him but the tongue as well as that whereby we doe not onely praise God our selues but also excite and stirre vp others to the same And then a mans tongue is his glory when it can readily glorifie God and this sometimes by bare voice and speech and sometimes by singing out his praises as in this place Nay the whole man which is so continuall a receiuer is little enough to manifest the praise of the giuer and because the mercies of God follow all the life of man the whole life and conuersation ought to be framed to the glorifying of God and to expresse our thankfulnesse Fifthly vnthankfulnesse for mercies receiued vnbeseemes a reasonable man much more a Christian man The vnreasonable creatures acknowledge their Masters Feeders and Benefactors as the Oxe and the Asse nay the senselesse earth yeelds all her burden to the tillers of it Heb. 6. 7. and the trees and plants all their fruit to the Gardner that trims them Yea this sinne of vnthankfulnesse leades a man to idolatrie makes him sacrifice to his owne net and ascribe things to his owne power wisedome and industry thrusting God out of sight and out of minde It prouoketh God to take away euen his temporall fauours as Hos. 2. 9 10. When Israel said vers 12. of his Corne Wooll and Oyle These are my rewards that my Louers haue giuen me the Lord answered in displeasure I will take away my Corne and Wooll c. And at length the wicked seruant that doeth not trafficke with his Lords talent for his Masters aduantage hath not only his talent taken away but himselfe cast into vtter darkenesse Let vs therefore take heede we depriue not the Lord of this part of his honor but prouoke our selues to thankefulnesse for so great mercies Let no mercy slip vs without thankefull acknowledgement And to this purpose vse these meanes First learne to acknowledge Gods goodnesse to thy selfe with particular application as Dauid saith here Thou shalt compasse me with songs of deliuerance Not only confesse his goodnesse to others as to Abraham Isaac Iaakob nor only his deliuerances of Noah Daniel Lot but also his mercies to and deliuerances of thy selfe as Paul did Christ gaue himselfe for me and dyed for me This will exceedingly whet vp thankefulnesse whereas only to acknowledge God good in himselfe or to others and not to thy selfe will make thee murmure and repine Secondly set before thee the number of Gods mercies and muster them somtimes take a view of them or because they are numberlesse and so large as they reach vp to heauen suruey them in their heads temporall and spirituall positiue and priuatiue publike priuate and personall either continued or renewed according to thy seuerall necessities and so seeing thy selfe compassed with mercies thy songs and praises may be in the same measure as Dauid takes it vp for his practice As he is compassed with mercies so with songs of deliuerance and thou likewise as the mercies thou receiuest are innumerable oughtest to renew thy songs and praises Thirdly highly prize them according to their goodnesse Psal. 116. 12. 13. Dauid valuing and weighing Gods mercies towards him enters first into a deliberation what he might render to the Lord and finding that the Lord was beyond all that he could recompence in the second place he setteth vpon this determination that when he could finde nothing else he would take the cup of saluation and call vpon the Name of the Lord. And we shall much the better prize them if first we consider our miserie without these mercies euen the least we enioy Common mercies are commonly neglected or vnprized because they be so ordinarie the Sunne the Aire Meat and Drinke are common and continuall mercies how miserable were our life without any of them Secondly our vnworthinesse of the least Gen. 32. 9. I am lesse then the least of thy mercies saith Iaakob Nay seeing we haue forfeited all and deserued all the curses of the Law it is Gods mercy that wee are not consumed and a further and more liberall mercy to renew mercy but Thirdly especially if we can receiue them as loue-tokens and pledges of further grace sealing vp vnto vs the Couenant and that spirituall Marriage betweene Christ and vs. A small token from a deare friend but especially of a Louer to his Spouse is therefore most welcome because it assureth of the marriage and further fellowship Fourthly if we consider the greatnesse the excellency the iustice the wisedome the power and the mercy of all Gods workes especially of his mercies that a piece of bread should feed not choke vs is from this greatnesse of power wisedome and mercy Fiftly another meanes to become thankefull is to remember his mercies and not let them slip from vs Psal. 103. 2. My soule praise the Lord and forget not all his benefits and our Sauiour Christ Ioh. 5. 14. saith Thou art made whole goe sinne no more as if he had said Keepe this blessing in memorie and let it euer prouoke thee to thankefulnesse Now the way to recall into our memorie Gods mercies is first by occasion of euery renewed mercy to looke backe to the former and account it as an addition to the other Tradesmen make a
this musicke must be these first it must tend to edification and therefore it must be vnderstood Secondly it must not carry away the heart or eare either of the Singer or of the Hearer but stirre it vp Thirdly it must not consist more in fragore quà m feruore more in contention of voice then intention of heart Fourthly it must be orderly not wasting the time of preaching for the better must take place and take vp more time Here therefore is not approued that practice of the Papists in turning out of the preaching of the Word for their chanting of Masses and musick which is first in Latin and therefore cannot be vnderstood nor edifie Secondly superstitious for all of them hold Masse sung to be more holy and meritorious then Masse said Thirdly they sing to Idols and God is not the matter of their songs The best Organe in Gods seruice is a Christian and faithfull mans heart set that in tune and there will be sweet musicke But as for our singing of Psalmes in publike and priuate the vse of them is excellent if vsed aright first to celebrate the Name of God in the acknowledgement of his mercies Secondly by singing to awaken our dull hearts and raise them towards God Thirdly as to testifie our owne thankefulnesse and shew our affection and reioyce our selues in him so also to stirre vp others to zeale and feruencie as Psal. 34. 3. O magnifie the Lord with me and let vs exalt his name together Fourthly to comfort and refresh our sorrowfull spirits as Paul and Silas being in prison sung to God euen at midnight Act. 16. 25. Fiftly to learne by the examples of the Saints to feare God to trust in him in aduersitie and so to confirme our selues in pietie Sixtly to be acquainted with the Psalmes and learne them by heart in which is a most artificiall anatomie of the soule of a Christian shewing most liuely his whole state and constitution Secondly if the matter of our songs be best when diuine it condemnes all those wanton songs and tunes which misse-tune the heart and affections and tend to nothing but corruption Dauids songs were of God but how vaine and vile are the songs of our common people How happily might they make exchange of their wanton Sonnets and filthy Ballads with these holy Psalmes first doth not the Apostle include such amorous lewd songs vnder iesting or foolish talking which he aduiseth Christians to exchange with thanksgiuing Ephes. 5. 4. Secondly must we giue an account of euery idle word and not of euery idle song which is hurtfull to our selues and others and keepes out better Thirdly it is a manifest note of a carnall man to be delighted with wicked or foolish songs Doth not want of spirituall affection argue the want of the Spirit And doth not want of spirituall songs argue want of spirituall affection And if it be so our eyes see a generall decay of godlinesse and increase of Atheisme and prophanenesse among our people who are generally decayed in singing Psalmes and delight to sing nothing but prophane Ditties barring grace out of the heart But I cannot passe ouer the practice of wicked Fidlers who make it their profession and get their liuing by the daily poysoning of many with themselues by most filthy and ribaldrie songs shamelesse and vnchaste Ditties setting themselues to please the foule and wicked hearts and eares of men to the displeasure of God and their owne damnation without timely repentance I may not name Dauids songs almost the same day with these detestable Ditties But if filthinesse and fornication ought not to be named among Saints then should there be no place for such Teachers of filthinesse whose mouthes were better be without tongues then filled with songs of any such kinde for as these doe much infect and poyson others so any better vnbeseeme themselues Cannot we by all our labour and best endeuours preuaile with men while wee prouoke them to puritie of heart and life such is the gulfe of naturall vncleannesse and filthinesse And is there any neede of such firebrands and incentiues of lust Doe men neede spurres and prouocations to vnchastitie and filthinesse If it be not in the power of Christians to stop the mouthes of such Satanicall Factors yet let them be wise to stop their owne eares lest hereby the Deuill cast a sparkle into their Gunne-powder Thirdly let vs learne to checke our selues when we finde our selues heauie and wearie in talking of good things and of our gracious God seeing the godly account this a refreshing and matter of godly songs and when we finde want of Spirit and coldnesse of heart in singing Psalmes publike or priuate for this argues decay in godlinesse and coldnesse in Religion seeing the heart must leade the tongue and a ioyfull tongue accompanies a gracious heart Meanes to help forward our songs in God are these First make vp thy peace with God Acquaint thy selfe with him then shall the Almightie be thy delight Iob 22. 21 26. Grow vp in the knowledge of God the more thou knowest him the more full will thy ioy be especially get assurance of the pardon of thy sinnes Secondly delight in his Word and Ordinances as in the deedes of thy saluation Psal. 119. 54. Thy Statutes haue beene my songs in the house of my pilgrimage Thirdly get sinceritie of heart for Can an hypocrite delight himselfe in the Almightie Iob 27. 10. No hee cannot Fourthly beware of intangling thy heart with wicked or worldly pleasures for these are as water cast into heauenly heates keepe out carnall ioyes and labour to make thy ioy more heauenly VERSE 8 9 10. 8. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shalt goe and I will guide thee with mine eye 9. Be not like an Horse or like a Mule which vnderstand not whose mouthes thou doest binde with bit and bridle lest they come neere thee 10. Many sorrowes shall come to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compasse him NOw we come to the third vse of the former doctrine laid downe in the former part of the Psalme which concerneth our obedience vnto God the summe of it is this that when a Christian hath gotten remission of sinnes hee must take heede of offending God any more and indeuour to walke worthy of so great a mercy These three Verses contayne first a Preface to the exhortation in the eighth Verse Secondly the exhortation it selfe standing of a graue and sharpe counsell or aduice Be not like the Horse or Mule that is be not so indocible as thou wast neither stand out stubbornely with God as thou didst before thy iustification Thirdly the Reasons or inforcements of the counsell drawne first from the plagues of God vpon indocible and incorrigible persons Many are the sorrowes of the wicked Secondly from Gods great good wil towards his own who haue got assurance of remission of sinne Mercy or goodnesse shall
heart is ready to make any thing thy portion but God and when by sinne thou hast prouoked him to hide his face or stand aloofe from thee then say thou trustest in God and not before True it is that the godly haue some failings and slidings from these rules but yet hereunto they striue and in some comfortable measure attaine Now if these bee the practices and qualities of such as mercy belongs vnto wee see easily by the contrary that there bee sundry kindes of men to whom the Lord doth couenant wrath as First many ciuill men who content themselues without the knowledge of God they say they meane well and doe no man harme liue in peace with their neighbours and follow their Church as others doe yet haue no care of religion but for fashion they say they trust in God but doe not because they vse not the meanes nor walke in the way of faith and repentance nor in the conscionable hearing and obeying of the word Secondly such as walke stubbornely against God and the meanes of Saluation mercy belongs not to these How know you that Well enough first out of the text which saith Mercy belongs to him that trusteth in God Now he that trusteth in God walketh on in a course of godlinesse and cannot stand out against God Secondly by an expresse text Deut. 29. 20. He that heareth the curses of this law and yet blesseth himselfe saying Though I walke in the stubbornnesse of my heart the sword shal not come neer me I will not be mercifull to that man saith the Lord. Secondly heere is a great comfort for the godly who haue no small security hence that whatsoeuer their outward estate is or may bee Gods mercy compasseth them as the hilles compasse Ierusalem see it in some instances First If Satan assault vs on euery side with temptation to vex and disquiet vs with inward feares he shall not haue so nimble eyes to spy our weaknesse as the eye of the Lord to spy meanes to strengthen vs. Let him obiect the greatnesse and infinite number of our sinnes yet hee shall but amplifie the great mercie of GOD which is greater and more large then all the sinne and miseries in the world Thus Moses comforteth GODS people Deut. 4. 31. The Lord thy God is a mercifull God he will not forsake nor destroy thee nor forget the Couenant of thy Fathers which he sware vnto them Secondly If vnmerciful men compasse them and come about them like Bees Psal. 118. 12. and sharpen their stings yet the mercies of the Lord are neerer them then that they can hurt them Thus Dauid comforted himselfe Psal. 86. 14. 15. O Lord the proud are risen against mee but thou Lord art strong and mercifull gracious and long-suffering and a pitifull God Thirdly If a man should conflict with Gods owne hand by inward temptations or outward tryals of sicknesse pouertie persecution if hee were so beset as hee could see nothing but troubles without and feares within now is the time to mound and fence himselfe with this comfortable Doctrine that euen now GODS mercies doe guard and compasse him seeing he cannot deny himselfe nor faile of any of his promises Dauid when he was to chuse one of the three Rods of GOD the Sword Famine or Plague he chose to fall into the hands of God because he is mercifull 2. Sam. 24. 14. Hee may afflict and chasten vs a while and for a moment seeme to forsake vs but with great compassions he will gather vs Isa. 45. 7. 10. For Hee chides not alwayes neyther retayneth hee his wrath for euer Psal. 103. 8. Fourthly If a man were in the hands of Death and the Messengers thereof had already taken hold on him as on Hezekiah yet euen then hee need feare none ill seeing Gods mercies compasse him this is euer our couer though wee cannot alwayes see it as Elisha his seruant saw not the great mercies of God compassing him and his Master euen then when we know not GODS mercie is all about vs there are still more with vs then against vs our Mountaine is alway beset with Heauenly Warriours Was Ionas euer more compassed with mercies then when he was in his owne sense cast off and compassed with Waues and Weedes Was Israel euer more compassed with mercie then when they were compassed with Mountaines Sea Enemies Death and deadly things these our extremities are Gods oportunitie Nay fiftly suppose a man were in the house of death in the graue yet euen this separates not from GODS mercies which being eternall leaue vs not in death but when we are most compassed with dust and corruption shall then bee most abundant and mightie for vs. Oh therefore let so many as trust in God flye in all their straits to this Sanctuarie which can make not onely Deaths forerunners but euen Death it selfe welcome which depriues vs of all things else but this mercie into the full estate of which it setteth vs. Thirdly labour aboue all things in the World to get part in this mercie by getting assurance of the pardon of sinne get this and thou gettest a mercie reaching vp to Heauen a Crowne of Blessings a plentifull Redemption Our Prophet here cals it a compassing mercie for a godly man thinkes not himselfe compassed whith mercie when hee is compassed onely with outward blessings when GOD hath hedged about his house and hee hath wealth to tumble in though the World breathe after nothing else but when he hath a voyce telling him that God in Christ is mercifull to his sinne and hath couered his iniquitie oh now thinkes Dauid himselfe compassed with mercie and not before although hee was a King and had all outward things to his hearts wish Zacheus had mercie enough when saluation was come to his house hee neuer got so fast before as now hee forgoes and restores hee was neuer compassed with mercy till now though he was a great rich man neuer so rich as now when hee was impouerishing himselfe to entertaine Christ in his house and heart Iaakob when hee saw Iosephs face his best beloued sonne Now sayth hee I haue enough let mee now dye seeing I haue seene my sonne Iosephs face How much more shall wee haue enough to see the face of the well-beloued Sonne of God yea and of God himselfe in that wel-beloued one appeased and fully pacified Simeon hauing seene Christ with his eyes and held him in his armes Now Lord sayd hee let thy seruant depart in peace for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation But to see Christ by the eye of faith and hold him in our hearts will make death much more welcome to vs we shall thinke we haue enough the sweet sense of it within will frame the mouth to speake plentifully of it as our Prophet doth in this place Neyther can any good heart eyther lightly account or speake slenderly of such a mercy neyther content it selfe with slight meanes to get it or with superficiall
his brothers sinnes so much as he can Men haue nimble eyes to rip other mens sinnes to the bottome whereas loue would couer a multitude of sinnes Can we looke for a Sea of mercy from God and will not let one drop fall on our brethren VERSE 2. To whom the Lord imputeth not sinne THis is the third phrase wherein the Prophet setteth down free remission of sinne In the words are two things first what must not bee imputed Sinne. Secondly who must not impute it the Lord. But before wee enter into the phrase one question may be mooued Why doth the Prophet vse such variety of phrases as easing couering not imputing of sinne any one seemed enough to expresse his minde For sundrie weighty reasons as First to shake if it were possible the drowsinesse and deadnesse of men who are without sense of this doctrine for the most haue cast their conscience on a sleepe or slumber and while they turne away from the iudgements of God or fauour their owne lusts are farre from seeing the danger of sinne and their vnfeelingnesse causeth them to sing peace to themselues therefore the Prophet implying sinne to be first an vnsupportable burden secondly a lothsome nakednesse and filthinesse and thirdly a desperate and infinite debt would driue out the lazie to seeke peace with God and neuer hold such peace with their sinnes Secondly to shew how hardly a troubled conscience receiueth comfort in this perswasion that his sinnes are forgiuen and therefore needeth more force and perfwasion whence it is that as needing a speciall prop in the Lords prayer that Petition is backed with a reason Forgiue as we doe for giue and secondly we haue not only Gods promises for this Article as for others but his oath also for hee hath sworne to put away our sinnes though he cannot lie that wee might haue strong consolation Thirdly that by all these formes of speech we might conceiue a plenaric pardon and full remission of all sin guilt and punishment temporall and eternall If we be eased then the punishment is forgiuen as well as the fault else were there little ease If God see it not hee seekes out no rods for it If the sinne be couered so are we also from punishment If the Lord impute not sinne how can he iustly punish it only guilt bindes to punishment but here is no guilt it is forgiuen it is couered it is not imputed Besides remission and satisfaction are opposite that is not remitted which is punished Lastly the Apostle addeth Coloss. 2. 14. that the bill or bond is cancelled if the hand-writing be cancelled there remaines no action Fourthly to note the persons to whom and the degrees by which this happinesse is attayned The persons are such as are weary laden burdened and broken-hearted those not who lye snorting and sleeping in sinfull pleasures nor such as swell in conceit of their wealth and righteousnesse are puffed with an opinion of felicitie but such as see their pouertie and inabilitie to discharge their debt such as who by the stirring of their conscience and spirit of bondage haue beene driuen out to seeke happinesse in Christ and out of sorrow gayned their ioy Now the staires to rise to this blessednesse are in these three wordes First being pursued by the wrath of God to the sacrifice of Christ that by faith apprehended easeth him of his burthen Secondly the bloud of the couenant purgeth him from an euill conscience and the robe of Christs righteousnesse couers the corruption of his nature so as God with a cleere countenance can behold him and thirdly because he is still subiect to sinne and pressed as with a weight the Lord imputes not his weaknesses to him but makes them as if they were not and thus giues him heauen before heauen by these degrees he iustifieth the vngodly Now to the phrase it selfe The word imputation signifieth properly an accounting reckoning and allowing some thing to another of fauour as marchants who when they will forgiue a debt doe not put it into the reckoning and so doe not impute it Here it is vsed metaphorically and not to impute sinne is an action of God whereby he putteth out of his booke and reckoning the sinnes and transgressions of beleeuers and by imputing to them the righteousnesse of Christ to become theirs makes all their vnrighteousnesse as if it had neuer beene as contrarily when he requireth the sinne and inflicteth the penaltie he is said to impute it How can God account of sinne as no sinne or if hee doe how can he be iust It is proper to God to account of things that are not as if they were yet without any violence or impeachment to his iustice for though hee impute not the sinne to the beleeuing sinner himselfe yet he doth to his surety Iesus Christ of whom he exacteth his whole debt One cannot be wise by the wisedome of another nor learned by the learning of another and therfore it seemes one cannot stand righteous by the righteousnesse of another Christ and the beleeuing Christian are one as two ordinarie men cannot be and therefore the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to the beleeuer is the beleeuers owne righteousnesse by reason of that vnion which is between Christ the head and the members But the same soule that sinneth shall die This must be vnderstood with these exceptions first if he continue in his sinne without repentance Secondly if he become not a beleeuer in Christ. But there is no man but abideth a sinner so long as he carryeth the body of flesh about him So soone as a man is iustified hee is vnguilty before God and further that sinne which is present with him is in-dwelling sinne but not raigning so as he is not denominated from it But euery man doth daily fall from his righteousnesse both by reason of inherent corruption and of actuall sinnes which passe from him and therefore faileth of the former imputed righteousnesse No the couenant of God is an euerlasting couenant more stable then the Mountaynes and no vnfaithfulnesse of man can make God vnfaithfull Isa. 54. 10. The Mountaynes shall remoue and the Hills shall fall downe but my mercy shall not depart from thee neither shall the couenant of my peace fall away saith the Lord that hath compassion on thee The phrase of not imputing sinne implyeth this doctrine that Sinne is a debt and often the word debt is put for sinne as Matth. 6. in the Lords prayer Forgiue vs our debts what Matthew calls debts Luke calls sinnes Matth. 18. 24. In the Parable the King begun to reckon with one that owed him a thousand talents Luc. 7. 47. Of the sinfull woman many debts are forgiuen her therefore shee loued much Luc. 13. 4. Thinke yee that those on whom the Tower of Siloam fell were greater debters then the rest Now we may not thinke that sinnes are therefore called debts because
and neuer open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done c. Secondly if thou settest thy selfe before God in confession it will breed anguish and sorrow of spirit for that sinne which is confessed as the conuerts Act. 2. 37. were pricked in their hearts in conscience of their sinnes there will be inward griefe for offending a good God and grieuing his good Spirit Thirdly it will bring in a purpose to leaue and forsake that sinne which is confessed and all other Can a man setting himselfe before God confesse that sinne which he purposeth to liue in and hold and not forsake this is but to aske leaue to sinne Nay the setting of a mans selfe before God wil bring in a resolution to renounce all sinne as Hos. 14. 9. Ephraim shall say What haue I more to doe with Idols Fourthly it will bring in a secret but most earnest desire of forgiuenesse for it cannot but consider in God First the Maiestie offended Secondly the danger of his wrath which is a consuming fire and an execution of all the plagues written in the booke of the Law and thirdly the riches of his mercie in prouiding so precious a meanes of redemption which neither man nor Angell could once thinke of 1. Pet. 1. 18. Fiftly it breeds a reforming of that which is amisse and an healing of the error as Zacheus did Luke 19. 8. Lord halfe my goods I giue to the poore according to the counsell of Samuel 1. 7. 3. If ye be come againe to the Lord with all your heart put away the strange gods frō among you Sixtly it breeds an holy feare for time to come because it beholds Gods eye vpon euery sinne his anger on euery one till by the bloud of Christ he be appeased his mercie in forgiuing that he may be feared and this feare abates the rage of sinne nay it will feare the occasion and hate the appearance of euill 1. Thes. 5. 22. and the garment spotted with the flesh Iude 23. Seuenthly there is a mourning and complaining vnder the burden and bondage of sinne Oh who shall deliuer me from the body of this death saith Paul and Isa. 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardned our heart from thy feare Eighthly there is great desire 2. Cor. 7. 11. namely a longing to satisfie Paul and the rest of the members of the Church with desire to be restored to their fauours and fellowship Ninthly Confession to men For duties of Pietie and Charitie must goe together or else all is abominable as appeares Ier. 7. 9. 10. Will ye steale murder and commit adultery and sweare falsely and burne incense vnto Baal and walke after other gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say We are deliuered though we haue done all these abominations So Isay 1. 11. What haue I to do with your sacrifices c. for your hands are full of blood verse 15. Against my selfe This is the second branch of the manner of Dauids confession hee will confesse against himselfe Hence note that He that will truely and soundly confesse his sinne must become his owne vtter enemie he must set himselfe against himselfe as much as possibly he can So did DAVID here hee shamed himselfe to all posteritie and spared not his owne name though a King so GOD might haue the praise of his mercie and the Church the benefit of his example Iob 42. 6. When Iob was reproued for his inconsiderate words he brake out at last into this speech I abhor my selfe and repent my selfe in dust and ashes He is a great enemie that hates man but farre greater that abhors him yet so was Iob to himselfe Daniel in his prayer saith I am confounded and ashamed to looke vp to heauen shame and confusion of face belongs vnto vs this day Dan. 9. 5. c. So close doth he follow the matter against himselfe 1. Tim. 6. 13 15. Saint Paul rippeth vp his owne grieuous sinnes in such sort as his greatest enemy could not haue spoken more against him then he spake against himselfe Hee was not contented to call himselfe a vile person but as though he had said too little he adds that he is the chiefest of all sinners Who could more accuse the poore Publican then he did himselfe Oh I am not worthy to lift vp mine eyes to heauen Luc. 18. 13. and the Prodigall Son I am not worthy to be called thy Son Luc. 15. 18 19. And good reason it should be so for First sound confession is called a iudging of our selues 1. Cor. 11. 31. Now in the course of iudgement there are foure things all against the partie to be iudged First arraignement and this in confession is when wee present and summon our selues before the barre of Gods iustice Secondly examination and this is when wee narrowly inquire of our selues what wee haue done wherein as the Kings Atturney sifteth out and exaggerateth euery circumstance of the crime against a Traytor to make it seeme as odious as may be so should we sift out euery circumstance of our sinne to make it as vile to our owne eyes as may be so as our hearts may be conuinced Thirdly conuiction or pleading guiltie and confession that is when with the penitent Thiefe our soules can say We are righteously here and iustly laid vnder Gods indignation worthy to be cast into Hell And neuer was he truely humbled that is more ashamed to confesse sinne then to commit it Fourthly there is an execution and holy reuenge 2. Cor. 7. 11. and this is when we beate downe our bodies and mortifie our members and vndertake good duties that the like occasions may be preuented for afterward These parts of an enemy doth euery humbled soule take vp against it selfe when it iudgeth it selfe before God and who can be a greater enemie to himselfe then he that doth so Secondly it is an essentiall difference betweene the sound confessions of the godly and the slubberd confessions of the wicked the godly renounce themselues and their sinnes but hypocrites doe not they neuer learned the first lesson of Christianitie which is selfe-denial their mindes are set vpon euill workes and therefore how can they be against them They repent not but with a repentance to be repented of Thirdly all the accusers and enemies that the child of God hath if they be put together cannot obiect halfe so much against him as hee can against himselfe men may speake much but not so much as himselfe And therefore if he deale truely betweene God and himselfe he will so shame himselfe as all his enemies cannot And for this end God hath seated the conscience in the middle of the soule as a Iudge of the actions and hath giuen it an eye to pry into the secrets of the heart and cleared
day-booke for daily receits and by occasion of one often looke backe vpon others it were neither vnnecessary nor vnprofitable to haue such a day-booke to write vp our receits from God assuredly it would much helpe our slipperie memories which we are loth to trust in ciuill matters and helpe the Lord sometime to his due Therefore write and register the noble acts of the Lord Psal. 102. 18. Secondly if we set speciall markes vpon them and raise some monument or other of them in the heart Many wayes in the old Testament did the godly help their memorie and keepe in minde the speciall fauours receiued of God sometimes by compiling holy Psalmes which are preserued in the Church for the preseruing of Gods mercies in memorie as Dauid wrote many and the faithfull sang praises for their deliuerance out of the Red Sea Exod. 15. 1. 2. sometimes by setting vp stones as in Gilgal where the waters of Iordan were diuided for the passage of the Israelites sometimes by erecting Altars as the Patriarkes did in those places where God specially appeared vnto them and vouchsafed them a gracious presence sometimes by imposing new names or changing the old as Abram into Abraham and Iaakob into Israel so Gen. 22. 14. Abraham called the place where he receiued a Ram to sacrifice in stead of Isaac Iehouah-ijreh the Lord will see or prouide All these things were done either by commandement or inspiration from God that the mercies of God might not be forgot but might be declared from Parents to Children and so might be continued in minde with all the Ages of the World Secondly this serues to reproue the carelesnesse of men in this dutie few returne with the Leper to praise God and Christ is faine to aske Where are the other nine Naaman would giue Elisha a reward when hee was cured but the reward which men returne to the Lord shewes they be not yet cured from their sinnefull leprosie How doe men swallow the mercies of God as the Swine doe mast not looking vp to the tree scarce blessing their meat How doe we vnder-prize them and the commonnesse of mercies lets vs not see the worth of them as the precious Word of life to say of it as they did Oh this Mannah we see nothing but this Mannah and so concerning our dayes of peace Oh it was better say some when we had Warres the more Fooles we that know not how to vse our peace and testifie so great vnthankefulnesse for so great a mercy The Saints of the primitiue Church knew better how to vse their peace Act. 9. 31. that Church had rest and they were edified and walked in the feare of the Lord and multiplyed in the comfort of the holy Ghost How lamentably doe men abuse their wits their strength and health to drunkennesse surfetting and vncleannesse their wealth and calling to iniustice coozenage couetousnesse their meat and drinke to riot and excesse as though the Lord required no other returne or would require no other reckoning How doe men forget the great mercies of God both common and priuate We haue forgot the wonderfull deliuerance from those bitter and bloudie times of Queene Mary we haue forgot the happy gouernement of Queene Elizabeth and the blessed proceedings of the Gospell therein we haue forgot the miraculous ouer-throw of the inuincible Nauie in the yeere 88. we haue forgot the peaceable entrance of His Maiestie when we had cause to feare the dayes which many hoped for wee haue forgot the fift of Nouember the strangest deliuerance that euer God bestowed on any Nation from the bloudie fierie and hellish plot of the Papists by gun-powder we haue forgot our freedome from the plague which wasted thousands and ten thousands in our streets And no maruell if we forget mercies past when blessings present are not remembred We forget that God hath created vs reasonable creatures that he hath giuen vs wisedome in our soules proportion and strength in our bodies We forget that wonderfull redemption wrought by Christ which no creature was able to deuise and the Angels desire to pry into a redemption farre more glorious and victorious then that ouer Pharaoh out of Egypt We forget our day of visitation our time and talents that our Master hath giuen vs to trafficke withall Oh but we cannot forget these things Yes we can and doe as the Israelites were no sooner gotten out of the Wildernesse but incontinently they for gate Gods wonderous workes Psal. 106. 13. what workes were those First their preseruation in Egypt and increasing against Pharaohs power or policy Secondly their deliuerance at the Red Sea Thirdly the mightie miracles by which he preserued them in their Clothes Shooes and Mannah Why how could they forget these at least so soone they could discourse of them long after We are said to forget Gods workes first when we set not our mindes on them as Isa. 57. 11. Thou hast not remembred me nor set thy minde thereon and Deuter 32. 2. Remember the dayes of thy youth and consider they knew and sometimes did remember that such things had beene done but they did not set their mindes on them nor consider for what purpose God had done all this Secondly wee are said to forget Gods workes when though we hold them in our vnderstanding and memorie yet our practice shewes we remember them not when our liues and courses are not answerable to his mercies as when Israel left the true worship of God and sought to Idols it is said that they forgate God Doe wee walke as redeemed from vaine conuersation Doe we improue our day of visitation according to the light and meanes that we haue Doe we trafficke with our talent to our Masters aduantage and not our owne These things while we may be conuinced of we are also conuinced of forgetting God not only in things past but in present also Oh let vs take heede and breake off this sinne by repentance and expresse more dutifull thankefulnesse towards God and consider first how the Lord prizeth thankes and praise aboue all sacrifice as Psal. 50. 13. Will I eate the flesh of Bulls or drinke the bloud of Goates offer vnto God praise and pay thy vowes and Psal. 69. 30. 31 I will praise the name of the Lord with a song and will magnifie him with thankesgiuing This shall please the Lord better then an Oxe or a Bullocke Secondly consider what an intolerable hypocrisie it is to be more earnest Suters for mercies than thankefully Acknowledgers of mercies receiued Thirdly consider vvee how God preuents vs vvith mercy and is first in goodnesse and free in bountie vvhich vvould make vs thinke vpon some returne as the Saints haue done before vs. Fourthly acquaint vve our selues vvith the life of Heauen and hereby begin life eternall vvhich vvhen the Saints vvere depriued of how did they lament their estates Psal. 84. Fiftly must vve praise God for euill and for affliction and
their whole course How peruert they authoritie to iniustice wrong oppression How doe they by meanes of their wealth swell in pride and arme themselues to contentions to contempt of inferiours equals and betters and to tumble in all voluptuousnesse and lusts so strengthning themselues against God Some blaspheme GOD in his goodnesse in stead of thankes as the Israelites did Deut. 1. 27. saying Because the Lord hated vs hee brought vs out of Egypt to destroy vs What could bee greater blasphemie then this yet this is our horrible sinne also to receiue good things of God and repay euill Secondly as many of vs faile in doing the dutie First when wee can vse some common tearmes of thankefulnesse as many can thanke God for all but first without all affection beseeming the dutie there is no heartie acknowledgement nor glad entertainment of the mercie wee are farre from these Songs of deliuerance we tell not of Gods goodnesse as Dauid did Psal. 66. 14. Come and I will tell you what the Lord hath done for my soule and as Moses told Iethro what God had done for them Exod. 18. 8. If a friend should doe vs a kindnesse wee would reioyce in it and tell others what such a one hath done for vs and according to our ioy in it would our care be to testifie thankefulnesse and our sorrow and accusing of our selues to bee backeward herein Secondly without all action as though wee would pay all our debt to God with good wordes whereas soundnesse of thankefulnesse is seene in actions and the life of the dutie is not in a sound of wordes but in the carriage of the life and course Dauid did loue the Lord because he had heard him Ps. 116. 1. Euerie new mercie is a new testimonie of Gods loue and a nevv spurre of our loue to God as Dauid in the same place would pay his vowes to God which hee made in affliction to set forth Gods prayse he would keepe his iudgements and doe righteously alwayes Psal. 106. 3. see Psalme 111. 1. 2. to the 10. This is that which GOD requires of his people when hee hath giuen them the good land and accomplished all his promises that they should not forget him but feare him and walke in his wayes Deut. 6. 10. 11. If a Land-lord should come to demand his Rent and the Tenant thinke to please him with good words but neither pay him his due nor regard any of the conditions of his Lease agreed vpon should not hee both deceiue himselfe and cause the Lord to re-enter for not paying Would God we were so wise to acknowledge that the Lord lookes for another manner of Rent then words and that as wee will not let Leases goe for not paying of Rent to man so wee would giue the Lord no iust cause to straine vpon vs and all that wee haue for breaking our conditions with him To him that doth vs a great pleasure we professe our selues in his debt and acknowledge our selues at his command to the vttermost of our power Oh let vs blush and be ashamed to be so superficiall in actuall and substantiall thankefulnesse towards our God! Secondly a number make shew of many thankes but all is in pride and hypocrisie and can thanke God for that they neuer had and much lesse the sense of it The Pharise praysed God for that he neuer had Luc. 18. 11. Oh he was neuer so bad as the Publicā no Extortioner nor an vniust person like others Ciuill men will thanke God they doe no man harme come to Church liue in compasse and good fashion they thanke God they beleeue as well as the best without all doubting they be good subiects and they loue God with all their hearts Here is a Pharise iustifying himselfe but hee goes not away so he departs not iustifyed But the poore Leper fell downe humbly on his face at Christs feet praysing God and the Publican at the Church-doore Iaakob is lesse then the least of Gods mercies and Abraham before God is but dust and ashes The Papists make shew of thankes to God for their saluation which yet they can merit for themselues all one as to thanke God for nothing for they must come to Heauen by their owne good deeds and what needes then the mercie of God Some of our ignorant people thanke God they can serue God and say their Prayers as well as any but what Prayers the tenne Commandements and Creed the Aue-Mary A Popish thankesgiuing when there is not a word of prayer in them all Thirdly euen the best of vs are infinitely wanting in this dutie when wee set our selues to the best performance of it as appeareth by these things First in our prayses wee cast our eye chiefly on temporall things and are more feeling and feruent in our prayses for them then for spirituall mercies wee dote too much vpon them as the Israelites did Numb 11. 5. saying Wee remember the Fish which wee did eate in Egypt freely the Cucumbers Leekes Onyons and Garlicke that wee had there but now our soules are dryed away and there is nothing but this Mannah Whereas the Apostle counted all things but doung for Christ and in comparison of spirituall blessings wherewith he beginneth his prayses Phil. 3. 5. and Ephes. 1. 3. Blessed be God who hath blessed vs with all spirituall blessings in heauenly things and so he goeth on in this Argument as one that cannot get out of it Wee had cause of comfort in our affections if wee could forget the things that are below in comparison of heauenly blessings Secondly how partiall are wee in our thankesgiuing for a great blessing wee can giue some thankes but those that wee count smaller wee passe sleightly whereas were our eyes so cleere as they ought wee could not but see God in the least of them Besides wee can sometime giue thankes for a present mercie with some affection but wee forget eaten bread whereas Salomon gaue thankes as well for the promise made to Dauid as the accomplishment of it to himselfe 2. Chron. 6. 10. but the great workes of GODS mercie are to vs but nine dayes wonder Further whereas wee are bound to thankefulnesse euen for those mercies which GOD hauing promised hath in store for vs how doe wee confine our thoughts to the present not looking beyond the day to prouoke our selues to this dutie Dauid goes further and sayth Oh how great good things hast thou laid vp in store for them that feare thee especially seeing they are such as eye hath not seene nor eare hath heard neyther can enter into the heart of man to conceiue 3. When we set our selues to be thankful how sleight how short are we in this dutie part of Gods worship we can in the grosse lumpe turne ouer a great heape of mercies not willing to trouble our selues with the particular recounting of fauours which would bee a speciall helpe to the dutie Iaakob farre otherwise Gen. 32. 10. I am
compasse him on euery side The wordes of the Preface contayne first the person that speakes 1. Secondly the person to whom hee speakes thee Thirdly the matter of the speech in three particulars First I will instruct thee that is make thee to vnderstand Secondly I will teach thee the way that is not only by precept but also by example I will leade thee into the practice Thirdly I will guide thee with mine eye that is I will watch ouer thee lest thou stray out of that good way to set thee in againe 1 the person vttering these wordes is not God as some thinke but Dauid as the title of the Psalme proueth A Psalme of Dauid to giue instruction so here he fitly professeth himselfe an Instructer Dauid was a King how then commeth he to professe himselfe a Prophet or Teacher in the Church Can one man carry both Magistracie and Ministrie Yes In the old Testament the Sword and the Word did sometime concurre in one person for these causes First because the Church was a long time shut vp in one Familie and then the same man might sufficiently performe both Thus Adam was a Gouernour and a Priest in his house Thus the Patriarke Abraham was a great Prince and Magistrate as appeared by his rescue of Lot by a band of men gathered out of his owne house and yet a Prophet too as the Lord told Abimelech and appeares by sacrificing his Isaak Iob was a great man and a Magistrate and yet offered sacrifices as a Priest for his sonnes And thus it was all the while the Church was in Families Secondly after the people of the Iewes were settled into a Kingdom the Scriptures were the positiue lawes of the Iewes so as the Leuites were both of the Priesthood and their Lawyers and then one man might more easily performe both but this was a proprietie of that Common-wealth of the Iewes for neuer any other but that had the Scriptures for their positiue written Law Thirdly sometimes for necessitie they did concurre in one man as when there was an vniuersall corruption or ruine of the State God stirred vp some extraordinarie man to take vp both for the repaire of the Church and Common-wealth Thus Eli the chiefe Priest also iudged Israel fortie yeeres 1. Sam. 4. 18. and the corruptions of those times and the generall discontent of men both in matters of Gouernment and of Gods worship appeare manifestly in the Historie After Eli when Gods worship was broken vp at Shilo the Arke in the Enemies hand and a wofull confusion was in the state of the Iewes the Lord stirred vp faithfull Samuel who was a faithfull Prophet of the Lord 1. Sam. 3. 20. and also iudged Israel all the dayes of his life Chap. 7. 15. Fourthly some by way of type were both Kings and Priests before the giuing of the Law Melchisedec was the King of Salem and a Priest of the most high God Gen. 14. 18. so Dauid here and his sonne Salomon after him were notable types of Christ who would in those darke shaddowes be in some particular men declared to be both the King Priest and Prophet of his Church And this is the reason here why Dauid being a King doth take vpon him to teach others and for this Christ is often called the Sonne of Dauid To come neerer to our Text Dauid hauing after a long conflict obtayned mercy at Gods hand earnestly desireth and endeuoureth that others may be partakers of the same grace also and he hauing found the way to comfort wil set others in the way also Hence note that A man that hath true grace earnestly wisheth that all others did partake in the same grace with him Ps. 34. 8. 11. Come children harken vnto me I will teach you the feare of the Lord and Oh taste and see how good the Lord is a man cannot taste of Gods mercy but he wisheth all did taste with him Hos. 6. 1. the first note of the sound conuersion of the people was that they call one another saying Come let vs turne to the Lord and it is indeede a marke of true repentance to take one another by the hand and leade one another towards heauen As in a naturall body one member seekes the safetie and well-fare of all so is it in the mysticall body of Christ. First this is one condition of our owne conuersion euen to conuert others Luc. 22. 32. Thou being conuerted strengthen thy brethren Neither is there any man that receiues any grace for himselfe alone but that others may share with him neuer had any man any talent but a charge also with it Occupy till I come And hence are those Commandements in generall As euery man hath receiued a gift so let him minister and Returne and cause others to returne and those speciall charges to exhort one another admonish one another to conuert one another to comfort one another with the comforts receiued from God to prouoke one another to the loue of God and good workes all which shew that euery one as he is borne in the Church so he is borne also for the Church Secondly it is a propertie and an assured signe of sound saith to worke by loue And this loue is first set vpon God and his glorie it earnestly desireth that his Kingdome may come and that his will may be done in earth of men as of the Saints and Angels in Heauen and this it endeuoureth in a mans selfe and in others Secondly this loue lookes out vnto others and commiserateth the estate of vnconuerted persons and seeketh to releeue them true sense of their owne change and former estate mooues them to compassion for such as are still in their sinnes and surely none are so mercifull as those that haue obtained mercie One that loues another will pull him out of danger if he can So will a beleeuer bemoane another and plucke him out of the fire as Iude speakes Thirdly it looketh to such as are conusrted and for Gods sake loues his Image especially renewed it loues him that is begotten for his sake that begat 1. Ioh. 5. 1. and as Dauid did good to Mephibosheth for Ionathan his fathers sake so doe good men to Gods children for Gods sake their heauenly father Fourthly this loue which is the life of faith at least the pulse of it is cleane opposite to selfe-loue which is of an hard and niggardly nature and enuious of any good to any about him but it is like Gods loue which communicates it selfe and is liberall for the good of all Thirdly where there is any sound grace of conuersion there is zeale for God which worketh the heart to the cherishing and setting vp of grace and vertue and to the hatred and resistance of sinne and vice in a mans selfe and others it will shew it selfe for God as Act. 26. 29. Paul said to King Agrippa I would that not onely thou but also all that heare me this day
vvhich is fit for him this makes the Word dwell plentifully in Christians by this holy doctrine is fastned as by nailes by the Masters of Assemblies If a man should set a great browne Loafe before Children vvhat good vvould it doe them they may starue vvell enough vnlesse it be diuided Gods Word is in it selfe nourishable but being not diuided it vvill not be nourishing to vs. Away then with Sermons if they be afraid to come neere by application away vvith idle and intricate discourses further then to lay them as grounds for exhortation herein is learning and the life of the Word Secondly people must learne to cleaue constantly to an effectuall ministrie vvhich hath life and stirring in it and praise God for it seeing their necessitie requires it In hearing the Word apply it to thy selfe not to others mingle it vvith thy faith helpe the Minister in his labour and paines-taking Oh what a deale of labour vvould it saue vs if men vvere able and vvilling to apply doctrine to themselues Thirdly vve must all learne to suffer the Word to be applyed in particular vnto vs. A man that hath a sore or fester vvould be loth to be put to paine by a sharpe plaister but vvithout it there is no cure vvhat vvill it helpe him to haue it lye on the cupboord or on the table Before thou canst be a liuing stone in Gods temple thou must suffer hewing and squaring nay so long as thou art here in the Mountayne thou must be hewne as the stones were for the Temple Obiect What must Gods children heare the Law applyed Answ. Yes to condemne their sinnes not their persons and vve know that rods which are prouided for seruants are laid in the sight of children to feare them But here is all the quarrell that we reproue speciall sins Oh saith one he hates me it is I that he reproues What needes all this adoe What hath he to doe with my pleasures and dealings What neede these fellowes make Pulpit-matters of euery thing And were it not for speciall application we should please men well enough but first are we enemies for speaking the truth Secondly is not the Word a Sword And can a man be strucke or thrust thorow with a Sword and not feele it Is it not Gods sacrificing knife Act. 10. 13. Kill and eate Peter was commanded with the sword of the Spirit to prepare the Gentiles an acceptable sacrifice and ioyne with them in the communion of Christs body And can a man be sacrificed without paine Thirdly doth not euery man desire that the strong man were cast out of his heart yet we must not shake his Towres he vvill not let any of his holds which are his owne sinnes to be touched Fourthly vvee may not preach mercy to him that stands in no neede of it for then we shal preach false doctrine by misse-applying that which in generall is true Fiftly the Saints of God haue beene contented to beare particular reproofe Dauid vpon admonition confessed his sinne euen before Nathan why he might haue said Get thee going silly fellow tell me of no such matters goe deale with your equals Our great men vnder Kings vvould haue said so but Dauid put it vp and indeede where had he beene but for Nathans plaine dealing If vve had Dauids heart we vvould be contented to say with him elsewhere Psal. 141. 5. Let the righteous smite me for that is a benefit and let him reproue me and it shall be a precious Oyle that shall not breake mine head Beloued if it were profitable for you it vvere peaceable for vs to speake at randome but both our dutie and your edification calls for particular application In the way that thou shalt goe THis is the third point in the Preface the matter wherein the Prophet promiseth to instruct the Christian man namely in the way wherein he is to goe the most necessarie difficult and profitable discipline that a man can teach or learne By way here is meant the course and conuersation of a godly man called a way First because God hath laid it open and allowed it vnto vs as an high-way betweene vs here being in a strange Countrie and our home whither we trauell Secondly God directs approueth it Psal. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous Thirdly as in an high-way there is a continuall motion of Trauellers who in the way are at no rest till they come to their wayes end so a Christian man is still moouing and proceeding in godlinesse forgetting that which is behinde and pressing hard to the marke that is before him and doth not finde this World his resting place Fourthly as a way leades to some desired place and if a man keepe in it it will bring him home or to some great Citie where his businesse lyeth so godly life leades a man home to heauen the great Citie of the great King the end of which is rest and glorie Thus it is called Gods way first being taught vs by God Secondly tending to God Thirdly approued of God and fourthly ending in God The going in this way is the ordering of our whole course and euery action of it so as we be daily neerer our ayme and perfection As in a way a Traueller obserues and orders euery step that he may come to his iourneyes end so the heauenly Pilgrime makes right steps to his feet and seeth that euery seuerall duetie which is as a step in our way to heauen be an obedience of faith performed in the way either of his generall or speciall calling Hence we may learne this lesson that Euery godly man must be carefull that his course be a going and proceeding in the wayes of God Prou. 4. 26. Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy wayes be ordered aright Gen. 17. 1. Walke before me and be vpright the sonnes of faithful Abraham must keepe a course of walking in Gods wayes as he did Psal. 119. 32. I haue considered my wayes and turned my feete to keepe thy Commandements First this is the only true wisedome to make God our guide in our way Deut. 4. 6. Keepe his Ordinances for this is your wisedome and men shall say Only this is a wise people Psal. 101. 2. I will doe wisely in the perfit way where marke how Dauid tyeth wisdome to the perfit way and giues vs to vnderstand that whosoeuer refuse to walke in it let them seeme neuer so wise Politicians yet we may say of them as the Apostle did of the Gentiles Rom. 1. 22. Professing themselues wise they became starke fooles without this way all is but folly and meere craft and shall be turned to a mans hurt If a man or people will reiect the Word of God what wisedome can be in them Ier. 8. 9. When Dauid had but stept out of the way in numbring the people out of the pride of his heart for otherwise Moses might number them Num. 1.
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Luc. 13. 28. Thirdly in the punishment of sense when they shal be wrapped in that cursed sentence Depart from mee I know you not when they shall be bound hand and foot and cast into torments prepared for the deuill and his Angels which torment is amplified first by the place a prison a lake of fire and brimstone a dungeon for the darkenesse blacker then that of Egypt where shall bee a perpetuall night in a word an hell Secondly by the company the deuill and his Angels with all the rout of reprobates Gods deadly enemies and whom God is a deadly enemie vnto such as they chose for their companions in this world and would not bee separated from now they shall not Thirdly by the exquisitenesse of torment set out by fire and brimstone and that which is most terrible to sense yea not onely outward but inward also described by the worme of conscience which as a gnawing griefe shall eate and fret the heart of the sinner in memorie of ancient and hatefull sinnes Fourthly in sinfull concurrences as hatred of God blasphemie despaire cursings for all the parts of soule and body shal curse the day of their wretchednesse and confusion when the fire of Gods iealousie and his hot wrath shall seaze vpon them Fifthly in seeing all mercie and pittie excluded nay God and his Saints whose affection shall be conformable to his shall reioyce and laugh at their destruction this shall breake the caule of their hearts with sorrow Sixthly in the eternity of their sorrowes the worme within dyes not their fire neuer goes out but the wrath of God abideth vpon the sinner without all remission or abatement without any intermission or release without end or mitigation not one drop of water shal coole their tongue and so long as God is God the smoke of their torment shall ascend vp night and day continually This is Tophet prepared for the wicked in which one word how many sorrowes be there Now the reasons to cleare Gods iustice in all these sorrowes of the wicked are these First where many sinnes are vnrepented of there must needes be many sorrowes euery sinne hauing sorrow enough belonging to it Secondly where an infinite God is offended an infinite law transgressed and an infinite iustice prouoked there must needes an infinite reuenge be returned vpon the sinners head and sorrowes in infinite measure bee conceiued Thirdly Infinite mercie hath been reiected the blessed meanes of saluation neglected and despised good meanes without in the ministerie counsell and example of the godly inward motions of the spirit quenched yea some checks of conscience contemned and some resolutions deaded and vnfollowed All these yet bring on more stripes and sorrows especially in remembrance of hatefull sinnes against knowledge meanes and conscience Fourthly it is now too late to repent when these sorrowes haue beset the sinner on euery side hope of mercie is cut off the Sunne is set vpon him the doore of grace is shut against him now hee can heare no other voice then that Reu. 18. 6 7. Giue him torments according to his sinnes Here is an Ilias an vpheaped measure of infinite sorrow a mercilesse sorrow without sparke of hope or ioy Fifthly now hee sees with horror and despaire that which he would not heare of first that he hath in his whole course piled vp wrath against himselfe Secondly that God whom he thought to be made all of mercy is a God of infinite iustice and a consuming fire and how dreadfull it is to fall into his hands Thirdly that the sentence of death is passed irrecouerably and the heauie doome of damnation for such sinnes as he thought to be lighter then a feather Fourthly that himselfe is a vessell of wrath filled with Gods indignation that shall seaze on him so long as God is God seeing Christs bloud can be shed no more and teares of repentance come now too late a Sea of them is not able to quench one sparke of this fire First then let this be a motiue to restraine all men from sinne seeing it brings such after-claps If there be any that like the Horse or Mule wil not vnderstand nor be perswaded to seeke the Lord but will obstinately persist hardning his heart against the Word for such a man are all these sorrowes prepared Thou that delightest in any sinne open or secret that wilt drinke with the Drunkard sweare with the Swearer and breake the Sabbath after so many admonitions thou that liuest in pride wantonnesse idlenesse vncleannesse contempt of God and his Word and Seruants thou that euery way multipliest thy sinnes remember what Dauid saith Psal. 16. 4. Thou multiplyest and heapest vp thy sorrowes euen wrath and fuell for thy selfe against the day of wrath Thou that canst with a bold face braue out thy sinnes and glorie in that thy hand is strong to practise vngodlinesse and canst triumph when thou canst bring others to thy bent thou shalt one day crie for sorrow of heart and howle for vexation of spirit Isa. 65. 14. and curse the day that euer thou knewest thy Companions and with bitter lamentation shalt waile and gnash thy teeth at thy vnhappy condition and all this in all eternitie Oh consider these terrors of the Lord and be perswaded to turne to the Lord seeke in time thy blessednesse in the pardon of sinne that thou mayest escape all these things Consider the end of all sinne in that one Pro. 5. 3 4. Though it be as an hony-combe in thy mouth the end will be bitter as wormewood And if now thou seest thy danger but wilt runne on headlong vpon all these sorrowes excluded from all pity and mercy say thou wast warned the time commeth wherein thou mayest be pitied but not helped or rather neither pitied nor helped the Iudge hath said it Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to render to euery man according to his workes Secondly if so many sorrowes and they of this nature belong to euery wicked man then it followes that no sinne is small in it selfe to euery of which all these sorrowes belong Our Text plainely teacheth that they belong not only to Murtherers Theeues Adulterers Lyers Swearers but also to ciuill honest men in the worlds account if they be ignorant of the Word or wayes of God To him that liues obstinately in any knowne sinne that holds on for his profit or pleasure any practice condemned in the Word and in his owne conscience let him be neuer so ciuill sober sociable peaceable and harmelesse all his ciuilitie cannot keepe off these sorrowes if there be not knowledge of God softnesse of heart a teachable disposition and an hungring after Gods mercy in Christ alone aboue all things in the world Where be the Papists that teach some sinnes to be veniall in their owne nature when as all these sorrowes are the wages of the least Rom. 6. vlt.
sorrowes of it freed vs from the guilt of sinne appeased the wrath of God abolished eternall death and destroyed the Deuils Kingdome Now the Sonne thus freeing vs we are free indeed Oh! the greatnesse of this deliuerance should astonish vs whereby we auoid those great and insuperable euils which otherwise had for euer oppressed vs. Now in way of thankefulnesse First beware of turning backe to the seruice of sinne and obey the precept giuen to the blind man Thou art made whole sinne no more Secondly loue him much who hath forgiuen so much Luc. 7. 47. Thirdly Studie to please him in all things Psal. 116 8. Because thou hast deliuered my soule from death mine eyes from teares and my feet from falling I will walke before the Lord in the Land of the liuing Fourthly magnifie and speake of this great deliuerance and saluation as the Church did Psalme 126. 3. The Lord hath done great things for vs whereof wee reio yee and say with Mary Luc. 1. 49. Hee that is mightie hath done great things for me and holy is his Name But hee that trusteth in the Lord mercie shall compasse him THis is the second motiue or enforcement of Christian obedience wherein first consider the meaning of the wordes Hee that trusteth in the Lord here is a description of a godly man by a Periphrasis A godly man is not hee that wants all sinne but he that being a Beleeuer manifesteth the fruit of faith in reposing himselfe vpon Gods mercie as the rocke of his safetie Thus the Church is described comming out of the Wildernesse and leaning on her well-beloued Cant. 8. 5. And the people of Gods delight are such as feare God and attend vpon his mercie Mercie hee sayth not ioy as in true opposition he should haue said for ioy is properly opposed to sorrow not mercie but in this Word First he both includeth that and Secondly he noteth also the ground of the godlies reioycing which is mercie not merit Thirdly mercie also vpholds and preserues this ioy Shall compasse him opposed to the many sorrowes of wicked ones and it noteth First a full and complete felicitie of the godly Secondly the large goodnesse of God towardes them not giuing them onely one blessing or mercie or of one kind but besetting them and meeting them at euery corner with mercies Thirdly that Dauid had here tasted abundantly of mercie and hauing assurance of the pardon of sinne had experience in his owne person and here speakes of it according to his abundant sense of it Fourthly that being now compassed with mercie hee would allure and perswade euery godly man to get the pardon of his sinne also and that is mercie enough Out of this exposition ariseth this instruction namely that Hee that trusteth in God shall haue a plentifull part in the mercies of God mercie shall compasse him Psal. 103. 11. As high as the Heauens are aboue the Earth so great is his mercie towards them that feare him Psal. 125. 2. As the Mountaines compasse Ierusalem so the Lord is round about his people Zach 2. 5. The LORD promiseth to the Church to bee a wall of fire round about her and her glorie in the midst of her Here are euery where mercies within and without And the reasons of this point are these First the godly are vessels prepared for mercie Rom. 9. 23. Whom God hath chosen to declare the riches of his glorie vpon Secondly where Gods comfortable presence is there are great mercies because he is great in mercie Isa. 55. 7. and rich in mercie Ephes. 2. 4. Where the Sunne is there is abundant light and where the Sea is there must bee abundant water Now Gods promise on his part and the faith and trust of the godly on their part holds God present with his people at all times Thirdly the mercie that God sheweth to the godly is great in kind because it is a speciall mercie which is peculiar to them flowing from speciall loue True it is that the Lord is good to all and his mercie is ouer all his worke Psal. 145. 9. that is there is no worke of his hands which receiueth not from him some mercie But that is but a generall mercie as when the Sunne shines on the good and bad and the raine fals on euery mans ground by this hee sends away the worst men with good gifts But there is a speciall mercie reserued for the Elect and reseruing the Inheritance for them to these hee is not only a mercifull Lord but a mercifull Father a Father of mercies rich in mercie Psal. 103. 3. As a Father pities his Children so the Lord pities them that feare him A mercifull man pities his beast much more his brother but if his childe bee in distresse his pitie is more inward and working as his affection is such is the compassion of God towardes his Children who is therefore sayd to haue bowels of compassion Fourthly GODS mercie is great in quantitie and measure it filleth all the space betweene the Earth and Heauen and all the distance betweene East and West Psal. 103. 11. 12. so as if a man bee betweene Earth and Heauen or within the quarters of eyther this mercie must compasse him Dauid shewes the vnmeasurable measure of it Psal. 40. 5. O Lord thou hast made thy wonderfull workes so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts toward vs I would declare and speake of them but they are more then I am able to expresse For the better cleering of the point although wee can neuer set out the infinite mercies with which God compasseth his Elect yet wee may point at some of them especially those speciall ones which are peculiar to the godly and which like the childrens bread are not cast vnto Dogges it faring with the godly as with a mightie rich man that knowes no end of his wealth Though hee cannot haue his eye ouer it all yet his thoughts sometimes are vpon his goodliest Mannors his Treasury his most precious Pearles and Iewels The kinds of this mercy towards the godly concerne eyther this life or the life to come The first and chiefe mercie the fountaine of all is that euen in this life God hath pleased to afford vs himselfe the chiefe good that himselfe is become our portion Psal. 16. 5. and that the soules of his people can rest and stay themselues in him alone and ioy in the light of his countenance when the World doth what it can to make them miserable Psalme 73. 25. Whom haue I in Heauen but thee and whom haue I in comparison of thee My flesh faileth and my heart also but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for euer Now can an Hypocrite euer reioyce in God or what comfort can he haue in God who is not in couenant with him heere then is a speciall mercy without bound or banke euen infinite as God himselfe is Secondly from hence
flowe all other mercies that we enioy as streames of it first temporall concerning this present life as health life liberty wealth peace prosperity good name c. Oh but the wicked haue all these True but first not in a right tenure they are vsurpers they haue no right in themselues no part in Christ to recouer it Secondly not by vertue of any promise or couenant Thirdly not in any holy or sanctifyed vse for To the impure all things are impure Fourthly none of their prosperity is ioyned with Gods loue but his hatred which is a secret poyson in them whereas Psal. 35. 27. the Lord loueth the prosperitie of his seruant he ioynes them both together Secondly spirituall things euen in these also how hath God compassed vs with mercies euen for the present First What a world of mercy was and is in that one gift of his Sonne to bee our reconciliation when we were firebrands of hell that the blessed Sonne of God would descend from the glory of heauen and giue himselfe to the death of the Crosse and the paines of hell to redeeme vs from all iniquitie The Apostle conceiues of this as of a rich mercy Ephes. 1. 7. by whom saith he we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace This is the com passing mercy meant in our text euen redemption from sinne by Christ both from the guilt and punishment of it a free mercy a full mercy an Ocean of mercy drawing vs out of a gulfe and bottomlesse sea of sorrowes euerlasting Dauid amplifyeth this mercy Psa. 86. 13. Great is thy mercy towards mee for thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest hell Secondly What an infinite mercy peculiar to the godly is that of his spirit to take vp our hearts for his temples when wee were spiritually possessed of the deuill by the same spirit hee doeth daily cleanse vs and wash vs and beautifyeth our soules with heauenly graces teacheth vs leadeth vs into all trueth comforteth vs with heauenly consolations in all distresses What a great mercy was it when Christ opened the eyes of the blinde or healed the deafe and lame yea or when hee raised Lazarus being dead but God regenerating vs by his Spirit doeth all these for vs he giues sight to vs being blinde sayth to our deafe eares Be open yea restores vs to life being dead in trespasses and sinnes and makes vs able to mooue and stirre in good wayes Those great workes of the Sonne of God were all miraculous but heere is a miracle aboue them all yea one mercy consisting of many miracles Thirdly What a mercy is it not onely to giue them his word as hee doth also to the wicked but also to make it the immortall seede of their new birth and the syncere milke to feede them to make it a preseruatiue from many great sinnes which the wicked daily commit open and secret to put it into their handes as a sword to cut off Satans temptations to make it vnto them a rule of faith and a rule of life able to make the man of God perfect to euery good worke to make it a sound stay and comfort to support them in all their troubles wherein else they must needs sinke In this respect the child of God is compassed with a multitude of mercies all which the wicked are strangers vnto Fourthly What an inexhaust treasure of mercy is it that the godly enioy that whereas God heareth not sinners that is wicked ones he not onely giueth them leaue to come freely to the throne of Grace to aske any good thing for them but also much assurance in their soules of obtaining any thing they aske because of his promise Aske and yee shall haue If earthly fathers can giue good things to their children much more will our heauenly Father giue not onely what we aske but euen abundantly aboue that we are able to aske or to thinke Ephes. 3. 20. Can that man bee other then beset with mercy who hath a meanes to get within Gods store-house and treasury when hee will Can hee that is able by the prayer of faith with Israel to preuaile with God want abundance of blessings Great is the power of feruent prayer for mercy It can obtaine and force the sunne to stand still It can commaund the cloudes to raine or not to raine It can get children for the barren and life to the dead and if our prayer be weake Christs intercession hath power enough for vs Iohn 11. 22 42. Oh that wicked men knew the power of prayer how quickely then would they come to Gods mercy-gate Fiftly What a mercy is it peculiar to the Saints to haue peace of conscience and ioy of their estate that whereas wicked men are often vexed euer lyable to infinite horrors feares and inward torments which are the beginnings of hell they beeing iustified by faith haue peace with God the spirit of bondage and feare and tumult is gone and the spirit of adoption dwells in their hearts which makes them cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. And whereas the wicked haue no peace but a senslesse vnfeelingnesse of their estate the godly haue peace in them which as the Apostle saith passeth vnderstanding because first neither can the vnderstanding of man sufficiently conceiue it Secondly neither can the vnderstanding of man sufficiently esteeme or prize it according to the worth and value of it plainly implying it to bee such a mercy as for the greatnesse ouerwhelmes him that hath it an infinite and vnbounded mercy called the peace of God which hee beginneth and maintaineth heere and perfecteth and preserueth for all eternity But how standeth this with all those euills and miseries with which the godly are beset in this life Can they be beset both with misery and mercy too This is a sixt and last mercie therfore special to them that they are neuer more compassed with mercie then when they seeme most miserable Habak 3. 2. The Lord in iudgement remembreth mercie For first nothing is properly euill but that which comes from diuine reuenge but nothing comes so vpon the godly Christ hath carried away all the reuenge of their sinnes so that their crosses come from mercie Secondly they are attended with mercy for God hath first fitted his seruants for afflictions before he brings them Religion hath patience which if the house be not filled with plenty makes a sallet of green herbs more daintie thē the sweetest dishes of wicked men it hath strength aboue which the triall shall not be it hath subiection and silence to God and can blesse him both in giuing and in taking away Thirdly Gods mercy reioyceth in iudgement against iudgement three waies first magnifying himselfe secondly training his chosen thirdly teaching others and all by the troubles of his children The first in two respects first when iudgement begins at Gods house he declares his hatred against sinne and mercifully by
them forewarnes the wicked of their danger For if iudgement begin there where shall the wicked appeare Secondly hee most manifesteth his power in his childrens weakenesse in supporting their soules and bodies Now if his power and mercie were not aboue the iudgement they should perish in it Secondly he traines and betters his children which is great mercie by the iudgement first he scowres and purgeth their sinne afflictions are as Gods laundrie wherin his children by beating scowring and rubbing are made whiter and whiter Venimous creatures breed not in winter nay a sharpe winter kils the Vermine so afflictions nip and stay our corruptions This is another mercie aboue the iudgement Secondly by them hee exerciseth and stirreth vp the grace that is in them as the winde blowes vp the sparkes of fire yea manifests the synceritie of their hearts to themselues and others for a man is that indeed which he is in triall Thirdly he fits them by afflictions to comfort others in triall with the same comforts wherewith hee hath comforted them A great mercie to fit them to mercifulnesse and to set out Gods mercie to others See Exod. 23. 9. Fourthly he teacheth them to esteeme more of his blessings in the want of them Is there not an ouer-ruling mercie in all this that whereas afflictions are in themselues euill and reuenges of sinne yet they make the godly better now whatsoeuer makes vs better is from a hand of mercie Thirdly the Lord by his seruants trouble would teach all first that the euils chiefly esteemed so in the world are not so indeed for the godly are exempted from the greatest euils if only wicked men were blind blindnesse would bee thought a fearefull iudgement therefore to confute that Isaac must bee blinde Secondly how such euils should be borne It is a mercie that by the godly the world may bee taught how to beare the hand of God Thirdly an infallible marke of the resurrection Luc. 16. 25. Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good things and Lazarus euill things therefore now hee is comforted and thou art tormented Fourthly that all their miseries end in mercie and are turned to their best Marke and consider the godly man for his end is peace his light afflictions are recompensed with an eternall weight of glory From all which we may conclude that if godly men in the midst of their miseries bee so compassed with mercie in the beginning carriage and conclusion of them that the doctrine propounded is most true But if we turne our selues to the second branch and consider those kindes of mercies which shall meete vs in the life to come we can looke no way but we are intrenched with such mercies as eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither can enter into the heart of man to conceiue much lesse can wee speake of them as they are but must breake out into Dauids admiration Psal. 31. 9. O how great is that goodnesse which thou hast layd vp for them that feare thee But yet as Moses wee may see the good land a farre off and with the searchers let you see by a cluster or two and giue a taste of the good things therin If God loue vs sayd they he will bring vs vnto it so many as God loueth shall be brought to it and not onely taste as here how good and gracious God is but shall drinke plentifully of the riuers of his house for with him is the Well of life and in his light wee shall see light First how can the Elect but be compassed with mercie when all the miserie and sorrow with all the causes and effects wherewith they are now compassed shall be abolished and vtterly chafed away Now we are vexed with the remembrance of euils past with the sense of euils present and with the feare of euils to come but all these first things must passe away and all teares must be wiped from our eyes In our bodies all weakenesse naturall infirmitie sickenesse labour mortality and corruption shall bee remooued they shall need neither meate nor cloth for which here we toyle so much nor Marriage nor Physicke nor sleepe there shall be no care for the familie no toyle in the calling for they rest from their labours no labour spent in teaching or learning in preaching or hearing mortalitie hath put on immortalitie and death being destroyed it can dye no more The soule shall be from all sinne and sinfull passions from ignorance vnbeliefe pride enuie and all the workes of the flesh yea not onely from sin but from the power of sinning the will hath no freedome to euill being perfectly freed to good neither can the affections set themselues vpon any other obiect In our names we are now lyable to many contumelies and reproches and slanders as our Lord himselfe was numbred among the wicked Hee was not knowne no more are wee but then shall our innocencie breake out as the light and it shall be manifest what we are 1. Ioh. 3. 2. When Christ our Head shall appeare we also shall appeare with him in glory Now wee are in spirituall combat but then wee shall bee perfectly freed from the deuil from his Angels from sinne and sinners from the world and the lusts that are in it and God shall fully and finally tread Satan vnder our feete Secondly If wee be so happie in Priuatiue mercies what shall we be in Positiue how shall we be compassed with them First how shall wee be beset with mercie yea and glory in enioying the immediate fellowship and vision of God in whose face is fulnesse of ioy and at his right hand pleasures for euermore If a man had all the paines of hell vpon him this blessed vision of God would make him an happie man We see God now but as in a glasse and yet that sight of him vpholds vs in all our troubles how much more shall we be fully happy when we shall see him as he is face to face euen so fully as being glorified we shall be capable of So many mercies compasse the Elect in this one as if I had a thousand tongues and should doe nothing but speake them till the day of Iudgement I could not recount them Secondly what a wonderfull mercie shall compasse vs in our immediate vnion and coniunction with Christ our Head by which we shall be like him not like him as he was a man of sorrowes and in the shape of a seruant for thus he was like vs but like him as hee is now the glorified Head of his Church not equall to him but like him both in soule and body Our soules perfect in knowledge holinesse and righteousnesse and standing in a perfect image of God like to the perfect holinesse of Christ himselfe Our bodies clothed with beauty strength shining agilitie and glorie as his is He walketh in white so shall wee His face is shining and glorious so shall ours As hee sits on his Fathers
vnderstand not 2. Vntractablenesse Whose mouthes thou rulest with bit and bridle lest they come neere thee 3. The reasons 1. From Gods iudgements vpon impenitent sinners Many sorrowes shall be to the wicked 2. From Gods infinite loue to repentant sinners described 1. By their qualitie They trust in the Lord. 2. Measure of mercy Mercy shall compasse them 4. Praise of God the end of all where 1. The persons 1. Righteous men 2. Vpright of heart 2. The dutie threefold expressed in three seuerall wordes Be glad Reioyce Be ioyfull 3. The limitation In the Lord. THE HIGH-WAY TO HAPPINES Contayning THE EXPOSITION OF THE 32. PSALME THE ARGVMENT A Psalme of DAVID to giue instruction INscriptions are as keyes to open a doore into the Psalmes This Title agreeth with the Argument of this Psalme For it is the chiefe wisdome and learning of the Church to know how to come to be happy as this Psalme teacheth which in the inscription is commended First From the matter Secondly The Author First The matter that it was Dauids learning and penned to teach the vnlearned for it is not the will of God that the vnlearned should want knowledge Yea such a learning as is not euery-where to be had but onely is to be drawne out of the Word of God For nature and humane reason teacheth it not nor can vnderstand it no nor can endure to heare that God should not respect any worthinesse or merit of man but freely forgiue sinne to make a soule truely happy Secondly The Author was Dauid here named that we might know that this chiefe doctrine of all other was not framed or deliuered to the Church from an obscure and vnknowne Author but proceeded from the holy Ghost who guided the Pen-men of Scripture and by this Pen-man commended also to the vse of the Church that so our faith might be more certaine for neuer can the heart bee stable in any doctrine which it is not perswaded to bee an Oracle of God Whence obserue First That as all the Scripture is profitable for doctrine instruction and comfort so more especially the booke of Psalmes being inspired by God to this purpose and therefore must all of them in publike or priuate vse tend to our edification First In the publike vse of the Congregation 1. Cor. 14. 15. I will sing with the Spirit but with vnderstanding also and 26. When yee come together as any hath a Psalme let all bee done to edifying Secondly In priuate either in the family Ephes. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. speaking and admonishing your selues with Psalmes c. or apart alone I am 5. 13. Is any merry let him sing prosperitie must not force vs to forget God but remember his louing kindnesse Hence haue we the examples of the Disciples of our Lord singing a Psalme after the receiuing of the Sacrament together with himselfe Mar. 14. 26. And Paul and Silas in prison sung to God Acts. 16. 25. To confute such as set out filthy amorous and lewd Ballads and Songs Fictions Loue-bookes c. which tend to the corrupting of men and youth especially Dauids songs tended to instruction in the highest point of heauenly wisedome and the vse of these would bring the other out of request and it should teach Parents that would not haue their Childrens bodies poysoned to be much more carefull their mindes bee not herewith infected Secondly Their sinne is iustly condemned who either in publike or more priuate meetings sit like cyphers or mutes when Psalmes are sung who neither sing themselues nor attend to those that doe nor haue any care to helpe their vnderstanding or their affections but are as senselesse as the seats they sit vpon these highly take the name of God in vaine or else they runne out at the Psalme as not concerning them hath the Lord fitted the Psalmes forthy instruction and darest thou despise that high learning offred in them Thirdly Those who in singing onely respect the storie of the Psalme as they doe other Scriptures not instructing comforting or admonishing themselues by applying the matter to their hearts but sing without all grace in their hearts and lastly those that respect in these songs musick more then matter that are led away by sound not by sense by the eare not by the heart that are filled with vanitie not with the Spirit and sing to man not to God Secondly note that Dauid though furnished with varietie of learning accounteth none learning but this being indeed a speciall knowledge to be instructed and instruct others in He calleth all conditions of men to learne this doctrine which so neerely concerneth all and is of such speciall vse as without it euery thing increaseth a mans miserie and hauing it he is onely happy Hence is this knowledge called wisdomes or knowledges Prou. 9. 1. as though it contayned all comfortable knowledge in it And indeed if we measure knowledge by the vse that must needs be the best that makes vs best and brings in best profit but that doth this learning for how vaine are the deepest Philosophers in all their knowledge What are they but lyars while without this they dispute of truth Vicious persons while they entreat of vertue Ignorant while they dispute of knowledge and miserable Creatures while without it they grope at true blessednesse What were a man better if he were able to comprehend the frame of the World measure the parts of the Earth to discourse of the course and motions of the Starres if the sense of vnpardoned sinne proclaime himselfe a damned wretch and a guiltie conscience tell him to his face that Heauen is ashamed of him the Earth is weary of him and his owne sinnefull burthen beares him downe to Hell What profit were it to be able to discerne all diseases and all remedies and attayne all the skill of physicke to cure the body when a man 's owne soule is wounded to death without remedie What helpeth it to bee wise in worldly matters and skilfull in cases of Law to auoid vniust sentences and wrongs when a man is condemned in himselfe by the comfortlesse accusing of his owne conscience See the vanitie of rich and worldly men that spend their dayes in gathering perishing riches and drop into the graue before euer they thinke of this Learning and the folly and madnesse of the most that count nothing worthy to be knowne but these earthly learnings spend all their time and studies in them as the Heathens did till they become almost as heathenish Secondly The shame it is of many profound Scholers who in their ministrie seeke to be approued for other learning in Tongues Fathers Arts c. which in their places are excellent gifts but this onely skill this Danids learning how to direct a troubled conscience to his peace and a miserable soule to his happinesse is not their aime they haue no skill nor will this way Thirdly And hearers who would bee taught in any learning but
4. 12 13. Fourthly consider that neither our vnhappines is to be measured by the things of this life nor our happines for then of all men were we most miserable neither let vs thinke wicked men to be happy by outward wealth c. seeing such things are cast vpon all in common both prosperitie and aduersitie Fifthly we may hence obserue a difference betweene Gods heauie hand on the godly and on the wicked for howsoeuer these afflictions on both are all one if wee consider First the matter of them secondly the threatning of the law laying them as punishments of sinne vpon euerie one offending and thirdly in respect of sence and feeling as there is no difference betweene the smart of slaues and of sonnes Yet there is much difference First in the person inflicting this heauie hand who is to the one as a seuere Iudge that smites out of the rigor of iustice but to the other as a gracious Father out of loue correcting them with the one he is angrie out of his affection and disposition hating sinne and reuenging for it with the other onely in their sense and apprehension Secondly they differ in the persons bearing this heauie hand the one is gold not consumed in the fire but accepted through Christ and made more pure and bright by the fire of afflictions the other refused ordained to hatred and as drosse wholly consumed with this heauy hand vessels of wrath were neuer in Gods purpose intended to be refined by afflictions Thirdly there is a difference in Gods end and aime the one he laies his heauie hand on to destroy the very person for the sinnes sake and his quarrell is against the partie on the other to destroy sinne for the persons sake and his quarrell is onely to the sinne on the one to satisfie his iustice because they haue offended already on the other to signifie his mercy and to preuent future offences Fourthly they differ in the fruit and issue in both In the one by afflictions their corruptions breake out more as wind increaseth the flame and oyle though liquid cooles not but more heateth the furnace so the wicked are the worse for afflictions they fret and murmure and repine but the godly are bettered by them they acknowledge the hand exercise patience prayer and praise and are daily more and more purified constantly waiting on God till he increase their strength or decrease their crosse In the one it is as the lightning which sets the house on fire in the other as the lightning to purge the corrupted aire of our hearts The third doctrine followes and that is this namely that God laies his heauie hand vpon his children a long time and with much continuance night and day as Dauid saith and felt it the truth hereof we may see in particular persons and in Churches First the troubles of Iob were long and painesul night and day as chap. 7. 13. When I say my bed shall comfort me then thou fearest me with dreames And Verse 19. Thou wilt no let me alone till I can swallow my spettle Good Hannah carried not onely the burthen of barrennes but also of vexation and affliction by Peninnah many yeeres as the Text prooueth 1. Sam. 1. 7. A daughter of Abraham was bowed by Satan 18. yeeres Luk. 13. 8. Another woman that had an issue of blood 12. yeeres was cured by Christ Luke 8. 43. good Aeneas was sicke of the Palsie 8. yeeres Act. 9. 33. and a man that was lame 38. yeeres by the poole of Bethesda was cured Iohn 5. 5. Secondly the whole Church hath felt long and tedious smartes Lam. 3. 3. Surely he is turned against mee he turneth his hand against me all the day The children of Israel were in Egypt 400. yeeres and 70. yeeres in Babylon The ten generall persecutions lasted almost 300. yeeres And why is this so First sometimes Gods children in their falles harden their hearts and grow stiffe in their sin which was Dauids case here and then the Lord hardneth himselfe to grow stiffe in displeasure as Leuit. 26. If yee walke stubbornely against mee and will not obey mee I will then bring seuen times moe plagues vpon you according to your sinnes Oftentimes GODS children would sit silent if the Lord would bee as silent as they but whom hee loues hee will bring backe the way that they are gone and great hearts we know will not stoope for a little Secondly Christ hath not taken away the lingring of trials but the malignitie and poyson of them yea himselfe through all his life was a man full of sorrowes and we must not looke to be better hee deserued them not we haue Thirdly God would haue vs in the continuance of our trouble to see the continuance of our sinne were our correction alwaies short we would not bee perswaded of the greatnesse of our sinnes Plaisters vse to continue and not fall off till the wound be cured and if a right vse of afflictions were attained once a ioyfull issue would soone follow but some lust is not denied and that addes a sting vnto them Fourthly God by the continuance of his hand would hold vs in a continuall exercise of grace as of humilitie faith patience prayer repentance c. it being with a godly man as one that hath a precious Iewell which he is carefull to keepe in his hand so long as hee watcheth none can get it from him but when he sleepes or slumbers his hand opens and it falls out any man may haue it By continuall blowing the fire is kept in but it dies by discontinuance Yea grace is not onely held on worke by affliction but is also by the same brought forth into example as Iobs patience and the Canaanitish womans faith Mat. 15. 23. Christ was not so instant in repelling her but she was as constant in faith prayer and humilitie And hence it is that the Lord commonly laies not so heauie a hand vpon bruised reeds weake Christians but often deferres helpe to those that are strongest in grace and dearest to himselfe as men put the greatest timber and the heart of the Oake to the greatest stresse Abraham staies for the promise till the performance is impossible in nature because hee must be a Father of the faithfull Iaacob waites fore the promise aboue 20. yeeres and is a seruant and a stranger before he enioy Canaan Who were they that cried How long Lord how long how long wilt thou forget me and shall I neuer bee remembred hath God forgotten to bee mercifull hath hee shut vp his tender mercies in displeasure Psal. 77. 7 8 9. And My God my God why hast thou forsaken me These were the voices of the dearest seruants and sonnes of God Fifthly the longer the Lord delaies deliuerance the more comfortable will it bee when it comes the hardlier we get a thing the surelyer we keepe it that which we procure by many
foorth sound worshipping of God Fourthly sound consideration preuents much sinne and much punishment and drawes a man out of sinne and iudgement First it preuents sinne for if a man did seriously consider of sinne what paine and losse and shame and sorrow comes by it he would not meddle with it being so heauie so dangerous There is a Historie of a vertuous woman that being sollicited to folly by a younker called for a pan of hot coales and desired him to put his hand vpon them but one houre he refusing that she replied How much lesse will you bee able to indure hell-fire for euermore and so he desisted Secondly it preuents punishment or the iudgements of God the Niniuites considered of the threatning of Ionah and so preuented the threatned destruction Thirdly it drawes out of sinne as Hos. 2 6 7. the Church of the Iewes seeing her selfe so crossed and hedged in with afflictions that shee could not follow her idols then shee considers her present miserie and the small hope and helpe from them then she saith that is resolueth to goe and returne to her first husband for it was then better with her then now Fourthly it drawes out of iudgement Ier. 12. 11. They haue laid it waste and being waste it mourneth vnto me the whole land lieth waste because no man setteth his minde on it that is considereth deeply of the cause of its desolation in his heart Fifthly we haue so much the more neede to be stirred vp to consider of our waies because there is no vice that doth appeare or dares to appeare in his proper colour but apparelled and masked in the likenesse of some vertue as no counterfeit coine is offered to a man in the copper-colour of it but washed ouer with siluer or gold Now if we consider not of things offered vs we shal easily be deceiued yea surprized of enemies vnder the colour of friendship Thus seeing the necessitie of sound consideration to set vs yet more forward in so needefull and so neglected a dutie obserue these directions First let vs labour to see the dulnesse of our nature to crosse it and stirre it vp and thinke the dutie so much the more necessarie and excellent as our natures oppose or are heauie vnto it What shall a man consider of his houses rents fields or garments and take no time to repaire himselfe and hurts sustained by inconsideratenesse Secondly set some time apart to consider of thy estate more seriously Ioshua and Dauid had as many distractions and more weightie affaires to intend then we haue and yet they meditated in the Law of the Lord night and day a shame for many Christians that take care how to passe their time neuer passing any in consideration of their estate this were a good pastime indeede Thirdly make choise of good matter for sound consideration as first consider of God first of his presence this kept Ioseph from sinne Secondly of his mercy to feare him Thirdly of his loue to loue him againe Fourthly of his workes first of Creation delight more in a spirituall then in a naturall vse of them Secondly of gouernment for there is no day or time that passeth but we may make speciall vse of Gods works either on our selues or others Secondly consider of thy estate with God whether a change be wrought in thee being the child of wrath by nature what markes thou hast vpon thee to distinguish thee from them who are not the Lords whether thou beest in the state of grace how thou growest in it or whether and how farre thou art gone backward what assurance of remission of sinne and what strength against sinne thou hast whether thou liest foiled of any corruption whether thou resoluest of amendment of life how thou hast kept or broken thy vowes with God what vse of Gods mercies or corrections thou hast made whether it haue not been better with thee then now and whether thou mayest not be in farre better estate were it not for thy owne default Thirdly consider of thine actions for the matter whether allowed by the Word for the manner whether done in faith and obedience for the end whether thou aimest at wealth pleasure or preferment in the world rather then at Gods glory and to be rich in God for God aimes at his glorie in all things and so must wee Fourthly consider of thy calling first generall as thou art a Christian whether before thy profession thou cast the costs as a wise builder and captaine Luk. 14. whether thou hast the power of godlinesse and art not content with the meere forme of it whether thou adornest thy profession or disgracest it by inconsideratenes Secondly speciall in which thou spendest most of thy time whether thou seruest God in seruing man whether thou art faith and iust or vniust and vnfaithfull in these lesse things whether thou sanctifiest it by prayer whether thou dependest vpon God for daily successe and blessing or leanest to thine owne labour whether thy ende be to enrich thy selfe or to make it as a meanes to please God and passe thee through the world Fifthly consider thy latter end and therein First the recompense of reward so did the Patriarkes Heb. 11. 16 26 and so moderated their hearts in doing their duties and in suffering afflictions Secondly consider of the account that is to be made of euery idle word and thought much more of euerie wicked swearing reuenging word and thought Thirdly consider of the day of death the vncertainty of life the leauing of that wealth for which thou strainest thy conscience and the neede of much comfort in such an vncomfortable houre how that peace of conscience at that time will prooue the best wealth Fourthly consider of the day of Iudgement when all things shall bee naked and euery man shall receiue according to that which he hath done in the flesh bee it good or euill These and the like considerations will bring foorth sound resolutions of bettering a mans estate if any thing in the world will A second point of doctrine arising out of Dauids resolution is this Where Gods Spirit hath taken place it preuailes at length against all the corruptions of the flesh Dauid was a long time hindred from going to God first by the greatnesse of his sinne Secondly by the strength of corruption against which hee was not fully resolued Thirdly by the vnworthinesse of his person Fourthly by the greatnesse of Gods anger and reuenging hand And fifthly by the sentence and curse of the Law Yet on the other side by the secret worke of the Spirit in his heart vnto all these was opposed first the greatnesse of Gods mercy Secondly the merit of Christs sacrifice Thirdly the promise of the Gospell Fourthly the nature of faith which beleeueth aboue and against sense These being committed together after a doubtfull combat faith foiles infidelitie hope despaire the Gospell the Law the promise
loth to know himselfe and his sinnes and farre from holy Dauids minde who saith Let the righteous smite me for that is a precious oyle Psal. 141. 5. he desires as in Zach. 1. 11. that all the world might be still and at rest and neuer a Trumpet or voice like a Trumpet to waken it to shew the people their transgressions and the house of Iaacob their sinnes These men say to the Ministers as the Sodomites did to Lot Shall hee iudge and rule Gen. 19. 9. and as Corah and his complices said to Moses and Aaron Yee take too much vpon you Numb 16. 3. therefore come let vs breake their bonds in sunder and cast away their cords from vs Psal. 2. 3. But know whosoeuer thou art that thou must looke for no peace by vs till thou warrest with thy sinnes Shall wee preach mercie to thee that feelest no neede of mercie Shall we cast a pearle to a swine Thou that art of the frozen generation that needest a Boanerges a sonne of thunder why expectest thou a Bar-Ionah Vnto the Horse belongs a whip and to the Asse a bridle and a rod to a Fooles back prou 26. 3. Wert thou an humble soule and hungry after Christ then our word would be as good newes out of a farre countrey Prou. 25. 25. but till thy wound be lanced and the core thrust out wise Surgeons will neuer powre in oyle doe thou let the plough of the Law breake vp thy fallow ground and then blame vs if wee bring not the seede of the Gospell Now followes the fourth point in Dauids confession the manner of it First in respect of God Secondly of himselfe For the first First hee will confesse before the Lord and make his sinne knowne to him Secondly he will not hide it the one amplifying the other as it is also in these phrases Thou shalt dye and not liue Iohn confessed and denyed not so here I made knowne and hid not the doubling of the phrase shewes that hee doubled not but did that he did to the purpose In that Dauid saith hee will confesse vnto the Lord note that all true confession of sinne must be made vnto God So Psal. 51. 4. Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned And what is the reason hereof First because it is God that is most offended with sinne his Law is transgressed his displeasure incurred and his reuenge prouoked and what reason haue I to confesse a debt to him to whom I owe nothing God is the partie offended therefore I must go to him alone Secondly he onely can properly forgiue sinne Who is a God like vnto thee that passest by the sinnes of thy people saith the holy man The Iewes that were blind in many things yet could see well enough that onely God could forgiue sinnes and indeede who can remit a debt but he to whom it is due therefore S. Iohn saith If we confesse our sinne he is faithfull to forgiue vs Chap. 1. 1 9. Thirdly confession is a part of prayer and diuine worship whereof it is said My glory I will giue to none other Isa. 41. 8. Fourthly this is manifest by the sence of such as truely confesse who need many compassions but great are thy tender mercies O Lord Psal. 119. 156. and hee is rich in mercy Ephes. 2. 4. All the mercie that can come from Man or Angell is but a poore mercie a little mercie which can doe no good to the satisfying of the debt or cancelling the bond Men and Angels are but children in whom are drops onely but God is the Father of mercies in whom is the sea and seate of mercie But how can a man make his sinnes knowne to God by confession seeing he knowes them before First it pleaseth God so to speake of himselfe and to suffer vs to speake of him as wee our selues are capable Thus he brings himselfe in like an earthly Iudge who though he know the facts of the prisoners yet seemes for the orderly course of iustice not to know them as Gen. 18. 21. Come Let vs goe downe and see if it be according to the cry of Sodome how can hee goe downe who is euery where and how can hee but see who is all an eye but thus hee speakes after the manner of men So he saith to Abraham Now I know thou louest me who sparedst not thine onely Sonne for mee God knew Abrahams loue to him before but now Abraham knoweth that God knowes it Secondly men are said to hide their sinne when they seeke to extenuate or lessen or conceale any necessarie circumstance of it or seeke colours and shifts that it should not bee presented naked and bare as it is in the Lords sight and then it is said to bee hid from God not that it is so indeede for it is so much the more manifest to God but because it is so in the corrupt iudgement of the sinner which folly soone tooke hold of Adam after his fall who thought himselfe well hid from God with trees and his sinne with leaues But seeing God knowes all so well why must we confesse to him First not to make God know any thing which hee knowes not but hee will haue vs performe homage and duety to him as an absolute Lord and soueraigne Iudge So Ioshua said to Achan My sonne confesse and giue glory to God Iosh. 7. 19. Secondly that our selues may take better knowledge of our sinnes and humble our hearts in the sight and sense of them Thirdly because this is a meanes in which himselfe will be found mercifull and which he hath appointed for vs to attaine ease and comfort by wee must take Dauids course here if we would obtaine an happy discharge of sinne as he did But was not Dauid farre ouerseene to confesse onely to God Why did hee not goe to the Priest and tell all his sinnes in his eare Auricular confession of all a mans sinnes in the eare of a Priest as necessarie to saluation was not knowne in Dauids time besides he knew he had not sinned against the Priest and therefore he cared not for his forgiuenes it was not the Law or bond of any Priest that hee had broken and therefore what had he to do to forgiue him Doe you then condemne all confession of man to man Doeth not S. Iames say chap. 5. 18. Confesse one to another We allow confession of sinnes to men First publike Secondly priuate in sundry cases Publike confession thus First for the setting vp of Gods glory with the shame of a mans selfe Thus did the holy Pen-men of the Scriptures writing of themselues proclaime their owne sinnes to all the world that God might thereby bee glorified and his Church edified And Gods speciall prouidence hath detected in sundry persons those sinnes which they haue kept close by them and forced them by a free confession vnto men to glorifie God
heresie vpon these rather then the godly not deseruing it Thirdly this is a ground of instruction how to carry our selues towards them that are afflicted in soule and soundly humbled that we aggrauate not their sinnes or the danger of their estate but rather comfort them seeing they can and doe speake more basely and thinke more vilely of themselues then we can doe It is the part of a miserable comforter to adde sorrow to the afflicted Old Eli should haue had more compassion on Annah and not haue beene so inconsiderate as to say shee was drunken Oh my Lord said she I am not drunken but my soule is troubled within mee 1. Sam. 1. 16. It was the fault of Iobs friends that in stead of comfort they went about to proue him an hypocrite Of such the Church complaineth in the Canticles Thus I was wounded in the house of my friends If Gods childrens estate be alreadie heauy they lay it heauier on them But blessed is he that wisely iudgeth the poore Fourthly seeing in confession of sinne a man should become his owne greatest enemie we must conscionably vse the meanes to become our owne enemies not the enemies of our bodies but of our owne body of sinne And what are these meanes These First let vs search and sift our selues our estates and wayes Zeph. 2. 1. Fanne your selues fanne your selues O Nation not worthy to be loued Lam. 3. 40. Let vs search and try our wayes and turne againe vnto the Lord. Let vs carry lights into our soules to see the secrets of them Ier. 3. 13. Know thine iniquitie How by the Law of God whereby commeth knowledge of sinne the more insight into the Law the more sight of sinne miserie being right it selfe it is index sui obliqui shewing vs what to do and what is done amisse See Ier. 6. 8. Secondly let vs take knowledge of the rottennesse and corruptnesse of our nature for if wee could see our nature aright we should finde iust cause enough to hate our selues it being a stinking sinke a filthy puddle and an impure fountaine that sends forth muddy streames a bitter roote sending out odious fruit such as whereby we shew our selues enemies to God and righteousnesse hauing the spawne of all sinne in our hearts Thirdly meditate on the greatnesse of sinne examine in what degree and circumstances thou hast sinned and as thou hast risen in the degrees of sinne so rise accordingly in the degrees of humiliation and hatred of them and of thy selfe for them A low degree of humiliation will not serue Dauid and Manasseh when their sinnes are in high degrees Fourthly let vs looke vpon our sinnes in the numberlesse kindes of them in the fountaine and streames of them in wandring thoughts idle words and prophane hurtfull actions sinnes by omission of good and commission of euill sinnes of knowledge and presumption or of ignorance Psal. 19. 12. for many sinnes we know not which we must giue vp to the Lord to bee searched by him and by his mercy either to be brought to our remembrance or graciously passed by sinnes of youth or past to repent vs of them and of age either present to grone vnder them or future to feare and preuent In regard hereof say Lord who knoweth the errours of this life they are in number as the haires of our head Fiftly let vs labour to see the danger of our sinnes for he that sees an euill will be the more carefull to preuent the danger of it First see the danger of sinne in the infinite Maiestie of God offended for he will set himselfe stubbornely against all offenders that haue not set themselues against themselues in regard of their sinnes and put forth his wrath in flaming fire to render vengeance vpon the disobedient Secondly in trampling vnder foote the blood of the Couenant as an vnholy thing God sent his onely Son Christ Iesus from heauen to take our nature vpon him and to shed his blood for vs and yet in sinning we tread it vnder foote what a dangerous thing is this See Heb. 10. 29. Thirdly in quenching the motions of Gods good Spirit who hath often striuen with vs in the ministerie and betrusted vs with his gifts and graces Ephes. 4. 30. 1. Thes. 5. 19. Fourthly in staining our honourable profession which we should rather haue adorned and beautified as though other men would not debase our profession enough vnlesse we doe too We should walke worthy of our high Calling 1. Thes. 2. 12. and in holinesse whereunto we are called chap. 4. 7. being Saints by calling 1. Cor. 1. 2. and ought to bee holy as hee which hath called vs is holy 1. Pet. 1. 15. What a shame is it to infringe so excellent priuiledges Fiftly in repetition of sinne when wee commit the same sinne againe againe euery yeere moneth weeke and day yea euery moment of the day Better had it been for vs to haue been Gentiles and Painims who neuer knew the trueth then to heare sinne reprooued and yet rush presumptuously into it and after repentance to wallow againe in the mire See 2. Pet. 2. 21 22. it is a pittifull and lamentable thing that a man should wash himselfe from sinne by repentance and then go and pull Gods vengeance vpon him againe by tumbling himselfe in them Sixthly and lastly the danger of sinne is great because wee haue sinned against such great meanes of sanctification as namely first against our vowes made in baptisme and renued in the supper or which wee haue made of our selues vpon certaine occasions that wee would doe such or such things no more all these wee haue kept very slenderly or not at all whereas ciuill honestie requires performance of a promise made to man and is it nothing not to keep touch with God who hath commanded vs to keepe touch with men Remember the precept Eccles. 5. 3. Secondly against the light and checkes of conscience and is this nothing Christ saith This is the condemnation of the world that light is come into the world and men loue darknesse more then the light Rom. 1. 18 21. Wee reade that God plagued the Gentiles for neglecting the means of knowledge by the creatures how much more will he punish vs that professe the light of grace and yet spurne against it as if we were still in the night of darkenesse how many among vs liue in a number of sinnes more odiously then did many of the Gentiles who could liue somewhat ciuilly and honestly in respect of our outragious enormities Thirdly against many of Gods corrections both in our selues and in others when a childe receiues no good by correction we thinke his parents wil goe neere to thrust him out of doores so is it betweene God and vs. See an excellent place Dan. 5. 18. to 29. Because we are no whit benefited by other mens chastizements the sentence is not far off but
coldly Secondly this man shall deliuer the Word with much certainety and assurance because hee speaketh with feeling A man may out of reading and light of vnderstanding be powerfull in speech and yet want the seasoning of grace and speake of many delicates which are vpon the Kings table whereof himselfe neuer tasted but hee that hath tasted and fed on them shall both speak more and more certainely and be better beleeued Thirdly hee that hath experience of the Word hee teacheth will build euery way not onely by doctrine exhortation and reproofe but also first by example which greatly preuailes and vrgeth men to glorifie God in the day of visitation Secondly by Prayer in secret with God for his people his experience of the sweetnesse of godlinesse inflames his affection as Pauls whose loue to his countrey was such as hee could haue beene contented to be accursed for their saluation he wisheth all like him and that euery man had part in Christ as he hath and as earnest is his endeuour And this prayer of faith hath great power with God and a promise of blessing vpon a mans selfe and his labours which another wants Fourthly God giueth more speciall gifts and experience to speciall men to this purpose to inable men to his worke as 2. Cor. 1. 14. We were comforted in our tribulation that we might be able to comfort them that are afflicted with the same comforts wherewith God hath comforted vs plainely noting that hee is not so fit to comfort others who hath not experience of the comforts of God himselfe The same Dauid professeth of the matter of knowledge Psal. 40. 10. I haue not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart but haue declared thy trueth and saluation and haue not concealed thy mercy and trueth from the great congregation where hee shewes that his first care was to confirme and strengthen himselfe by Gods promises and when God had taught his heart he would and did publish not onely Gods trueth but also his mercy and saluation vnto others namely that which his own soule had experience of Fiftly a good teacher is the Phisician of mens soules now a good Phisician is the experienced Physician that can finde out the disease and maladie of sinne and hath approoued medicines to cure a sinfull heart not so much out of books and reading as out of practice that knows the danger of sinne in himselfe and thereby hath pittie and loue to remoue it in another And hence in the Law no man might be entred into the ministerie before hee were thirtie yeeres old that the Priests might first learne to teach and be of some ripenesse and experience before they taught others Whence Nazianzen saith Our Lord was thirty yeeres old before he began to be a Preacher tu magister vis fieri antequam discipulus yet is it he that teacheth all had need learne of none and therefore wee should learne before we teach But whether may an vnregenerate Minister saue and conuert a man I mooue this question the rather because many can scarce be perswaded to heare such whose liues are scandalous as being vnworthy to take the Word into their mouthes and vnable to conuert or amend others In satisfying of whom I would not any way confirme or harten Ministers who being Phisicians cure not themselues or who like the images in high-wayes point others the way but themselues stirre neuer a foote in it or like the file which smootheth other things but it selfe remaines rough Howbeit euen of these I know no restraint in the Scripture or let why they may not bee meanes of conuersion to others The Reasons that mooue mee to thinke so are these First the ministerie is Gods owne ordinance and the power of it stands not in the person of the messenger but in the worke of his owne spirit 1. Cor. 3. 5. Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God must giue the increase The fruit of preaching is not left to the highest Ministers in the New Testament not to Euangelists no nor Apostles A gracious Prince giues a Pardon to a condemned person Now suppose he should send it by the very est miscreant in his Kingdome doth the Pardon lose his vertue therefore or were hee not mad who should therefore refuse it So a Physician sends a soueraigne potion or cordiall by some rakehell boy in the shoppe doth this hinder the worke and vertue of the Physicke to him that takes it according to the direction The case is the same and sheweth that the Word is not made worse by his vnworthinesse who bringeth it And neither doth the worthinesse of the Preacher make the Word effectuall the best being but earthen vessels in whom God puts this heauenly treasure that the power might be knowne to bee of God and not of men 2. Cor. 4. 7. and Rom. 1. 16. it is the power of God to saluation to euery one that beleeueth and not of man Secondly the praise and glory of our conuersion must wholly bee ascribed vnto GOD whereas this conceit would much turne it off vpon man And if a man shall say that an vnregenerate Minister can goe as far in conuerting a man as a regenerate it wil not seeme vnreasonable to him that considers first that God often doth excellent good and great workes by bad agents wherein hee gets himselfe the more glory of his wisedome power and goodnesse Secondly where God giues a man a calling he may and doth often blesse the worke which is his though not the person working Thirdly that the whole worke of a man in conuerting others is externall which this man can performe as well as hee that is conuerted for the true preaching of the Word is the parent of faith and wholesome doctrine is the immortall seede of our new birth which none denies but many vnregenerate men do and can deliuer Fourthly that vnlesse God giue more then the most gracious Preacher can giue nothing can be done nay that God giues more by a Minister then himselfe hath be he good or bad Augustine was first conuerted by Ambrose and afterward went farre beyond him in light and in grace so Dauid out-stripped his teachers Psal. 119. 98 99. And doth not God herein make his glory shine and manifest himselfe to be the giuer of all that grace when the instrument conuayes more then it selfe hath Thirdly why hath the Lord thought good to send both sanctified men and vnsanctified Balaam speaketh Scripture Saul is among the Prophets Iudas teacheth and worketh miracles among other Apostles and in the day of iudgement many shall say Lord wee haue preached and wrought miracles in thy name whom Christ neuer knew but will say to them Depart from me yee workers of iniquitie Why doth he make the Word in a sanctified mans mouth oftentimes the sauour of death Why are wee straitly commanded to heare wicked men that sit in Moses his chaire and to doe what
much lesse vse them to the hurt of the Church and disgrace of the godly as not a few doe Againe in this inference therefore Dauid giue vs to vnderstand that this worke of Gods mercy shall not only not die in himselfe but suruiue for euer and refresh the godly of all ages hence note that The ordinarie workes of Gods mercy vpon his seruants are not recorded for them alone but for euery godly man to make his vse of them Deut. 29. 29. Things reuealed belong vnto vs and to our children And Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoeuer things are written aforetime are written for our learning c. We will prooue this by an induction In the Scripture there is matter first of doctrine secondly of life both either of faith or of fact That matter of doctrine belongs to our learning none denies more question is of matter of fact and example but the Scripture puts it out of question that the examples of the Saints are likewise recorded for our instruction wee may see it thus All examples of Scripture concerne either God or man If God it is some worke of mercy or iudgement If man it is an example either of vertue or vice Now all these are for our instruction First the workes of Gods mercie to his children I am 5. 17. to teach vs how mercifull GOD is to heare the prayers of his Saints and to let vs see how much the prayer of the faithfull if it bee feruent auaileth hee induceth the example of Elias who prayed and shut and opened the heauens What tell you vs of Elias that was rapt in a fiery Charet What are we silly wormes to him Yea but Elias was a man subiect to the same infirmities and therefore though thou be a man subiect to many infirmities pray thou also for the hearing of prayer depends not vpon the worthinesse of the person suppose Elias himselfe but vpon Gods mercie in Christ that is mans merits So was Elias his prayer accepted and so shall thine And to further our hope and confidence in the same place is alledged the example of Iob Yee haue heard saith the Apostle of the patience of Iob and what end God put to it Ob. Alas What tell you me of Iob a iust man fearing God not a man like him on the earth Sol. Oh but the Lord is very pittifull and mercifull vnto vs as well as vnto him if wee bee righteous as he was In our Text Dauid found mercy when he confessed Ob. Alas he was a man after Gods owne heart and a speciall type of Christ. Sol. Yet he was but a godly man and therefore shall euery godly man finde the like mercy vpon repentance as he did Paul was receiued to mercy being a grieuous persecutor and blasphemer Ob. Oh hee was a man rapt into the third heauens a chosen vessel Sol. But he was receiued to mercie that God might in him set out an example of his long-suffering vnto them which afterward should beleeue to life eternall 1. Tim. 1. 16. Secondly the workes of Gods iustice are written for our instruction as 1. Cor. 10. 11. All these things came on them for ensamples to vs on whom the ends of the world are come The Corinths might haue said What haue wee to doe with the examples of those that liued in the Old Testament we are baptized and receiue the sacraments so did not they Sol. Not so but they ate the same spirituall meate drank the same spirituall drinke in diuers signes and then hee applyes the examples that if they sinned as their Fathers they should be as deepe in iudgement as they were Luc. 17. 32. Remember LOTS wife many hundred yeeres after Christ calls his hearers to remember her So 2. Pet. 2. 6. the Lord made Sodome and Gomorrah an ensample to them that should liue vngodly Thirdly examples of the vertues of the Saints are written for our imitation Rom. 4. 22 23. Abraham beleeued and his faith was counted to him for righteousnesse Ob. But hee was fully assured the Father of the faithfull and an eminent man what is that to vs who are farre behinde him Sol. Yes that it is for this was not written for him alone saith the Text but for vs also to whom our faith shall bee imputed also for righteousnes What if thou art not in the degree of Faith which Abraham was in Be sure thou be a sonne of Abraham and it is not the strength of Faith but the trueth of it if it bee but a graine which layeth hold on Christ. Moses his meekenesse Iobs patience and Iosephs chastitie are recorded for our learning But if wee must imitate all the obedience of the Saints wee must imitate Abraham in killing our children The Doctrine extends it selfe onely to ordinary facts and not to extraordinarie ones such as this and others are the godly must bee imitated in all that obedience which they yeeld to the common rule of life but not in speciall commandements Ier. 19. 4 5. The Iewes after the example of Abraham did offer vp and burne their children thinking that because Abraham pleased God in offering his Sonne so should they but the Lord reprooueth and condemnes their fact saying I neuer commanded this nor spake it neither came it euer into my heart namely not in the Law and commandements which binde all it was onely a speciall tryall of Abraham That place therefore is the ground of this distinction to follow the Saints so farre as their examples are ordinarie in vertue yet wee may make some vse of this fact of Abraham as to part with our chiefest delight if God call for it And so the Apostle limiteth the imitation of Christians Bee yee followers of mee euen as I am of Christ we must not follow him being rapt into heauen or speake all tongues c. but so farre as hee exprest Christs vertues in his life Fourthly the vices and slips of the Saints are recorded also though not for our imitation yet for our instruction For as one saith the Patriarkes instruct vs as well erring as teaching vs for their slips shew First that it is not the strength of grace by which we stand but Gods power Secondly that the best needes mercy and is farre from merit vnlesse it be of death Thirdly that we had neede raise our selues vp by repentance after euery fall as they did Fourthly wee must hereby prouoke our owne watchfulnesse and while we stand take heed lest we fall for if such great Okes be shaken what shall wee poore shrubs expect The reasons of the doctrine are these First drawne from the scope of the whole Scripture all which and euery part of it tendeth to make the man of God perfect and fit to euery good worke 2. Tim. 3. 16. Now if euery godly man or man of God must bee made perfect by the Scripture then must euery one make vse of Gods ordinarie workes to any of his seruants Secondly God
is vnchangeable and the Spirit euer like himselfe looke as his course hath been towards his children in times past so he will still deale proceeding by the same rule of iustice and mercie hee neuer takes a wicked man by the hand neither did any innocent person euer perish vnder his hand as a iust God he punisheth like sinnes with like iudgements and remembers mercy to the godly because mercy pleaseth him Thirdly God would not onely describe a way to life in the Scriptures but also hath there set before vs leaders and guides in that way whence there is not a vertue in all the Scripture commended in the precept but it is exemplifyed and made to shine in some patterne and that for these two ends First that the godly might haue full and assured direction Secondly that the wicked despising both holy doctrine and holy example might iustly be condemned Fourthly God would set a testimonie of his grace and glory in his children whom because they giue witnesse to his truth and proceedings hee calleth a cloud of witnesses Heb. 12. 1. First because in their life and conuersation they witnessed by word and deed to Gods Church Secondly in their death many of them witnessed by their blood Thirdly hereafter they shall witnesse for or against vs The Saints shall iudge the world and therefore euery godly man ought to make vse of their example And is this so then this first ouerthrowes that wicked and tyrannicall practice of the Church of Rome which takes away the Scriptures from the Laiety as vnnecessarie for simple people though they be the deeds of their inheritance as if God had onely entred couenant with Monkes Priests and Regulars and not with Christian men and women who may not know either what God hath promised on his part or expecteth on theirs But if according to our doctrine all must make vse of the foresaid examples then they must haue the Scripture to know them by being therein registred When God gaue his Word to the Hebrewes hee wrote it in the Hebrew tongue a tongue familiar to them and gaue charge that euery one should teach it their children and deriue it from one generation to another After when GOD would propagate it to the Gentiles and the Monarchy came to the Grecians God put into the heart of Ptolomie Philadelphus to prouide seuenty two of the most expert Hebrews skilfull in the Greeke to translate it into Greeke which language was generally knowne in all Nations of Europe Asia and Africa which translation of the Septuagint is extant at this day Afterward when the Roman Empire preuailed and the Latine speech began by that meanes to be most common God would haue the Scripture translated into Latine to what other end but that it should be read and vnderstood and remembred practised of all because it concerned all But why doe the Papists thus cofer vp the Scriptures now the true cause is that the light thereof may not discouer their workes of darknesse but what say they Oh it is darke and obscure hard and knotty a breeder of heretikes and matter of strife What did God giue the Scripture for a remedie and is it turned to poyson did it once serue as a hammer to bruise errors and now doeth it serue to breed them was it once profitable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to improue and now to impaire the trueth Did God send it for a doctrine of peace and is it now no other then a make-bate All controuersies must be decided by it and peace established on earth with God and men The Word is a Lanthorne and the Commandement a Light and plaine to the simple Psal. 19. 7. and 119. 130. And is it now so darke as no man can see his way by it hath God giuen all rules of doctrine and manners of faith and life and not onely that but witnessed all his way with man in examples of mercy and iustice encouraging piety and vertue and punishing the contrary and all in vaine what could the Lord doe more to make it easie and plaine and fit for instruction then he had done In a word by remouing the Scriptures they doe not onely depriue men of sauing doctrine in the precepts but also of the chiefe helpe of godly life in the practice of beleeuers Secondly if euery godly man must make vse of Gods ordinary dealing with his children then wee must take the counsell of Bildad to Iob chap. 8. 7. I pray thee looke to the examples of the former age and prepare to search of thy fathers namely whether if thou be pure God will not awake to thee looke whether any pure in heart were euer forsaken of God and as thou shalt find so conclude that God will deale with thee too make this vse of their example And we must not onely obserue Gods waies with them but also their waies with God following their ordinarie examples in vertue and watch our selues against their vices Many search into the liues of the Fathers and there spy Abraham perhaps lying Noah drunken and Salomon with many wiues and hence they boulster themselues in sinne they alleage the example of Dauid for adultery and of Paul for rage against God and the godly but this is to walke by the darke side of the cloude with the Egyptians to destruction therefore let vs turne to the light side to the Saints graces Ye shall haue some that being exhorted to piety and to a narrow watch ouer their waies will say presently Doe any thus or thus as you would haue vs why then we shall be singular we shall haue no company I wish men would consider their waies by this rule If thou seest no godly man before thee suspect that way and get out of it but howsoeuer few in the world walk in the straight way to life because few find it yet look to the Word and thou shalt see on all hands some or other in that way there thou hast a cloude to follow to goe when it goes to stand when it stands so thou be on the light side of it a notable guide through this pilgrimage of our life Oh there is no example of such precise carriage as you would haue vs take vp none but a few strait-lac't Ministers vrge or keepe it Yes looke to the Scriptures and thou shalt finde such as haue gone before any that are now liuing it would be counted too much precisenesse now to walke with God as Enoch did or for Masters to instruct their families and call them to an account for what they haue heard and yet Abraham did so If a man should be euer plodding in the Word to draw good lessons from it he shal be counted but a Bible-carrier whereas Dauid meditated on it day and night and Marie laid vp and pondered the Word in her heart these would be surely accounted too precise if they were now liuing Oh but if a man stand on these
precise points he shal be generally condemned What then Dauid cast away all such by-respects and Moses forsooke all euen Pharoahs court to abide reproch with Christ Heb. 11. 24 25 26. the Apostle left all and followed him and the Saints alway counted the reproches of Christ aboue the treasures of a Kingdome They so ordered their families that they would not brooke a lyer a swearer a deceitfull person a prophane and scoffing Ismael all must be cast out Oh then we shall shortly doe our worke ourselues But Dauid did so Psal. 101. 5 7. and other of Gods children are we not also counselled Heb. 12. 16. that no prophane person be amongst vs Thus we see that there is no such strictnes but an example therof may be found in the Scripture therefore let the world scoffe and laugh while it will yet the godly must make vse of these examples Thirdly we must hence learne to be ready to speake of our experiences of God to euery godly man that others may learne from vs to trust in his mercie so doth Dauid Psal. 66. 16. Come harken all ye that feare God and I will tell you what he hath done to my soule Thus are Fathers charged to tell their children and the children their children concerning the Passeouer and the stones that were pitcht in Iordan So Hezekiah said when longer life was granted him Isa. 38. 19. The liuing the liuing shall confesse thee as I doe this day the father to the children shall declare thy truth And by this meanes there shall be a succession of men still vpon earth to tell of the mercies of God when we are gone and so while we in our owne persons shall doe it in heauen others by our meanes shal do it on earth Fourthly here is a note to know when a man makes right vse of the Scripture not onely when hee beleeues the storie for so doe the deuils but when he affects it applies it to himselfe mingleth it with faith to make it profitable to admonish himselfe and others by it Hence issue three great benefits First a Christian shall be in no condition but he shall bee able to parallell his estate in some of the Saints hee shall see his owne case in some of them and so shall obtaine instruction direction and consolation by them Secondly wee shall testifie to God and his Saints when our liues shall be exemplarie and conformable to godly precepts and examples Thirdly in the day of iudgement we shall haue all the Saints Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles to witnesse with vs and for vs. In a difficult case a man would giue all hee hath for a witnesse on his side and we in this great assise of life and death shall haue the witnesse of all the godly God shall stand for vs the practices of the Saints shall iustifie our practices if we iustifie their practices here they shall iustifie ours hereafter Euery one that is godly HEre is the person that must pray the godly and euery one of them The word translated godly signifies in Hebrew two things first one whom God sheweth mercy vnto a gracious man in fauor and grace with God so the elect are vsually called vessels of mercy that as a vessell is filled with liquor so are they with Gods mercy Secondly it signifies one that sheweth mercy a mercifull man which is a propertie of a godly man who is like his father mercifull as he is the lionish and wooluish nature is put off and hee is become humble meeke gentle as the Lambe and the little childe Isai. 11. 6. Out of the former consideration wee may note that Onely the godly man is fit to pray or onely hee that hath grace can pray for grace vessels of mercy can pray for mercy and none else Prou. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable vnto him Genes 4. 4. The Lord had respect to Abel and his offering but vnto Caine and his offering he had no respect Now by faith Abel offered a better sacrifice then Cain Heb. 11. 4. First His person was accepted because he was in Christ and then his sacrifice Iames 5. 16. The prayer of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent Ier 11. 11. Though they crie vnto me I will not he are them What is the reason see it in the tenth verse They turned backe to the iniquities of their forefathers which refused to heare my words c. The reasons of this point are these First he must be a good man that must pray a good prayer a good tree that must bring forth good fruit a bad man cannot make a good prayer for such as the roote is such is the fruit Secondly he only can pray aright that hath the Spirit of prayer which teacheth vs to cry Abba Father this is the Spirit of adoption Rom. 8. 15. neither doth God know any other voyce but the voyce of his owne Spirit Ephes. 6. 18. Pray in the Spirit Yea but it is said Luk. 11. 13. the holy Ghost is giuen to them that aske him therefore hee can pray and obtayne the Spirit that wants him The scope of this place is not to shew whether the holy Ghost or prayer goe before but to shew how those that receiue the Spirit are to be exercised who where he is lyeth not dead or idle in the heart but stirs vp desires and grones vnspeakeable But how can a man pray for the holy Ghost and obtayne him when he hath him already By the holy Ghost is meant first the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost Secondly the inward sense and feeling of him in the heart thus we may pray both for increase of his gifts and for a comfortable sense and feeling of him for neither of them is euer so great but we may still pray for more to haue them increased Shall we not pray for daily bread because we haue bread or shall not we say Forgiue vs our sinnes because wee beleeue the remission of our sinnes yes because we pray for Gods staffe and blessing on the former and a more full and comfortable feeling of the latter Thirdly onely the godly man can pray because hee only hath the promise of prayer all the promises of life in grace and glory are made to godlinesse the promise to be heard in prayer is made to the go dly man Ioh. 15. 7. If yee abide in me and my Word in you aske what ye will and it shall be giuen you How can hee aske mercy that hath no part in mercy or how can he be heard in mercy to whom mercy belongs not Fourthly because onely the godly man hath faith without which nothing can please God this faith assureth vs of that we aske and issueth from iustifying faith see 1. Ioh. 5. 13 14. That yee may beleeue in the name of the Sonne
of God and this is the assurance that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. Faith is an hand or arme by which wee lay hold vpon blessings if once wee bee perswaded that God hath giuen vs Christ wee will easily beleeue that hee will giue vs all things with him for he that giues the greater will not denie the lesse Our Sauiour when diseased persons came for bodily health or ease was wont to say According to thy faith be it vnto thee so in all our requests the presence or absence of faith giues our prayer returne according to the weakenesse or strength of the arme of faith so is the coldnesse or abundance of comfort to our heart so that faith onely giues taste and rellish to the prayer which a beleeuer makes Fifthly Christ in his prayer teacheth vs to begin with Our Father teaching thereby that he must call God Father who must pray acceptably and that includeth sundry child-like affections all concurring in a rightly disposed person to pray as first Reuerence and feare when hee comes before his heauenly Father A Sonne honoreth his Father If then I bee a Father where is mine honor and feare Malach. 1. 6. Secondly a child-like boldnesse comming through Christ to a Father full of mercy and compassion pittying his children more then earthly parents can Isa. 49. 15. By Christ we haue boldnesse Heb. 4. 16. Thirdly loue to God as to a Father for a godly man seekes not himselfe in prayer but Gods glory with his owne shame Fourthly charity and loue to our brethren for when wee come into the sight of our Father wee dare not bring prayers in one hand and malice in another but pray Forgiue vs as we forgiue Sixtly onely the godly man can pray acceptably because hee alone hath remoued the barre and partition-wall that stood betweene God and him bringing repentance and godly sorrow for sin with him The blinde man could say God heareth not sinners that is impenitent ones but hee heareth those that are repentant Psal. 66. 18. If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare me Incense in the Law was a type of prayer yet in Isa. 1. 13. the Lord tells the Iewes who came in their sinnes that incense was an abomination vnto him God hates our incense our prayer if we come with prophane hearts as they did he neither receiues it from vs nor we any good thing from him but a godly man hath remoued this rub First Note hence the miserable condition of an impenitent sinner and of an vngodly man that is without remorse and wallowes in vnconscionable sinnes hee cannot pray he neuer prayed in all his life he was neuer in mercy heard in his prayer but loseth all his labour and well if it were no worse for all his prayer is turned into sinne his prayer is abominable Prom. 28. 9. as often as he went about to pray he did nothing but multiply sinne against God he mumbled vp a few prayers and fared accordingly If this be so then it seemes vnlawfull for the wicked to pray if he pray not it is condemnation if he pray it is no lesse He is bound to pray but not to sinne in prayer in the second Commandement hee is inioyned to bow downe and worship God in prayer and the third bindes him euer to doe it well lest he pray in sinne and so take Gods name in vaine Alas then what must he doe only the grace of repentance can reconcile these two and draw the sinner out of this maze and make him pray aright Yea but God heareth the wicked often-times and granteth what they aske as peace vnto Ahab vpon his humiliation God heareth what a wicked man saith in prayer and yet heares not his prayer no not when he giues the same thing that he asketh for first all that the wicked get from him is externall and common to good and bad but no one fauour of speciall grace Secondly he giues them euen that in wrath and vengeance not for their prayers sake Thirdly when they aske things good in themselues and euill for them not knowing to vse them aright hee granteth in iustice what it had beene mercy to haue denyed as contrariwise hee heareth his children in mercy denying them that which they haue sinfully asked Fourthly that which he giues shall turne to their woe and miserie and shall but heape coles vpon their heads euen wealth prosperitie and dignitie all shall but make their sinne out of measure sinfull whereas all things shall worke together for the best to the godly euen crosses and afflictions Fifthly God giues nothing but by vertue of the promise no promise but is by Christ a wicked man hath no part in Christ and therefore neither in the promise a plaine case Sixtly neither is the wicked mans prayer a meanes of granting the request or obtayning his desire so as God stil heares not his prayer for how can that prayer finde accesse or acceptance which is not preferred in Christ but they are fed onely by a generall prouidence as the beasts are Psal. 14. 4. The wicked man calls not on the Lord that is either prayes not at all or as good he did not Let this be a motiue to further our repentance for else if a man vtter neuer so many words of prayer God will not heare him how iust is it that he that will not heare God when he calleth should not be heard of God when hee calleth that he that is a prophane mocker of God God should mocke him in his destruction that he that turnes his eare from the Law should haue Gods eare turned from him that he should aske and not receiue that asketh amisse How iust was it vpon the Iewes who were cruell and of bloudy hands that God should hate their persons and prayers and is it not as iust that vnmercifull men Oppressors Vsurers Ismaels Quarrellers whose hand is against euery man and euery mans against them hard-hearted persons that stop their eares against the cry of the poore that they should cry and not be heard Surely the sentence is passed already that iudgement mercilesse belongs to him that shewes no mercy Secondly this doctrine ouerthrowes the idle conceit wherewith numbers of men delude themselues O if they haue but time at their death to say Lord haue mercy then they shall doe well enough though all their life they cast off all care and counsell But what Is the godly man he that shall pray and find mercy and shall prophane wretches that haue set their faces all their dayes against heauen thinke to bee heard in the day of their distresse and death How canst thou then claime any one promise and much lesse all when thou neuer keptest the least condition of faith and repentance How then shall God be iust who hath said that he will laugh at such when their sorrow commeth Besides we must obserue a
against Elizabeth our Queene often at the perswasion of Walpoole a Priest and Cardinall of Coome or by Gunpowder against three Countries at the perswasion of Garnet Prouinciall of Iesuites in England Fifthly not only the Pope but also all Christian people are bound arctissimo conscientiae vinculo extremo animarum periculo to resist any hereticall King sirem praestare posuit if he can bring the matter about So Creswell Sixthly Kings as soone as they begin to be heretikes are presently ipso facto deiure excommunicate and depriued of their Kingdomes and their subiects freed from the oath of alleageance so saith Allen who for the same obtained a Cardinall-ship This saith he is a iust holy and honourable warre and hence he speaks to the English Nobles to rise vp in armes against Queene ELIZABETH Seuenthly Henrie the third a French King was iustly slaine before excommunication published because publike sorrowes waite no formes and in such publike things euident knowledge sententiae locum habet is in place of sentence So said William Reinolds Eightly a secret heretike is not onely ipso iure excommunicate but his children also deposed from the Kingdome because leprous parents beget leprous children Thus Symancha a wicked Knaue cuts off branch and roote Ninthly Yea but the Pope-holy-Father he approues of no such things no not he because he cannot erre Yes then Gregorie the seuenth and Gregorie the ninth erred not in teaching that so soone as a King is an heretike his subiects are freed from all loyaltie Nor Sixtus the fifth in making a laudatorie oration vpon the murder of Henrie the third King of France Nor Pope Pius Quintus in his Bull saying Volumus inbemus We will and command that all subiects take vp Armes against Queene Elizabeth Tenthly no murder without a Iesuite no Treason without a Priest Mariana found an apt scholer of Rauilliac and gaue him a poysoned Dagger to kill the French King Catesby Percy Faux were apt scholers of Garnet so Gerard Parsons Greenewell Nay these peaceable men themselues one strucke out the tooth another the heart of Henrie the fourth Who after all this can doubt of the wickednesse of the Romish Religion or who can thinke it acceptable vnto God seeing the godly the mercifull man onely can performe acceptable seruice What is not God pleased with that religion which he hath prospered so long neuer any Religion so rich so strong so embraced so defended by the Kings and Princes of the World First the Kingdome of Antichrist hath taken deepe rootes for many ages because First the shaddow neuer leaues the body Antichristianisme a shaddow of Christianitie so Antichrist began to worke in the Apostles daies and shall continue to the ende of the world Secondly the Lord will haue his Church still combate in this world to shake it out of securitie and to get Gods Armour which is onely able to preserue it from the deadly poyson that is in that enchaunted cup. Thirdly by prolonging this warre he hath occasion to shew his wisedome mercy and iustice in preseruing his Church through such danger and to trie the faithfulnesse and constancie of his Saints Heere is the patience of the Saints Fourthly sinne and want of zeale in the Church is a cause why he still stands a farre off the time of deliuerance is not yet Dan. 12. 1. But yet the sentence is passed against that Church It is fallen it is fallen Babylon the great Citie Reuel 18. 2 6. and giue her double to that shee hath done Secondly that Church is already blasted by the breath of Gods mouth Gods Word hath detected the Man of sinne 's fraude wherewith hee hath blinded the world his Bulls that were once as terrible as thunder and affrighted all Christendome are now accounted but paper-shot or a flea-bite and as winde in great part his Pardons and Indulgences which were once bought at so deare a rate are now contemned euen of little children as things of no value his claimes are disclaimed by Princes and notwithstanding all his Phisicians about him he is consumed and much withered Thirdly he shall bee quite abolished in himselfe and his members at the comming of Christ when himselfe and his whole sent shall bee cast into the burning Lake as a Mill-stone into the bottome of the Sea neuer to be raised vp againe Vnto thee HEre is the third point namely the person to whom the godly man must pray and that is God himselfe Whence note that Euery godly man in his affliction prayeth vnto the true God and to him alone Psal. 116. 2 3 4. In my day I called vpon the Lord and the Lord heard me Hezekiah in his day when his daies seemed to be cut off turned his face to the wall and wept and prayed to the Lord who heard his prayers saw his teares and gaue him his desires Isai. 38. 3 4 5. Paul also in his day being buffeted with the messenger of Satan prayed thrice that is often to the Lord and the Lord answered That his grace was sufficient for him 2. Cor. 12. 8. The reasons of this point are these First he cannot be a godly man that in the time of his peace and prosperitie approues not his godlinesse by being much and often in this dutie of prayer and much more in his affliction and distresse because first a godly man cannot bee without the Spirit of adoption which makes the heart thirst after the liuing God and formeth sighes and grones and desires in the soule after him the Spouse calleth Christ him whom her soule desireth whereas it is a signe of a dead soule and of a bad constitution to be without these desires and requests as DAVID makes it a note of an Atheist not to pray Psal. 14. 4. Secondly a godly man cannot deny vnto God the principall part of his worship which himselfe hath prescribed for his owne so great glorie and our owne so great good and vtilitie A godly man cannot but giue him the honour of Maiestie in seeing our hearts and wants and abilitie to relieue them and the honour of mercy both in confessions petitions and praises Thirdly a godly man cannot but depend vpon God as the Fountaine of grace as the Father of lights the Staffe of his life the Length of his daies the Strength of his heart his Portion for euer neither can a godly man testifie this confidence in God otherwise then by resorting to him as a God hearing prayer Fourthly a godly man cannot but sanctifie all his actions and gifts and all Gods creatures by this meanes which else are not pure vnto him Nay a godly man cannot but increase and strengthen his graces by the meanes of prayer and by the same meanes preserue his holinesse and grace and exercise them which stand or fall are weake or strong as this grace of prayer is Secondly a godly man cannot but much more in affliction and trouble seeke God by prayer If
of his sinne or any spirituall blessing concerning saluation in Christ to come from God as a father this Ahab did neither seeke nor could finde Secondly in temporall things the wicked are not heard in mercy so much as in iustice not in loue but in anger and wrath Thus the Israelites asked Quailes and had them but While the meate was in their mouthes the wrath of God was vpon them Psalm 78. 30. The same people asked a King and he gaue them one in wrath as himselfe said afterwards It is not alwaies a mercie that God grants a request for then the Lord had shewed mercy to the deuill to whom none belongs when hee granted him his request against Iob and the Swine wheras he did it for to bee a meanes of his owne shame and iudgement Secondly the godly also seeke sometimes when God will not be found but this must be vnderstood with two cautions First for the present he will not be found as Cant. 3. 2 4. the Church sought Christ whom her soule loued but found him not shee went a little farther and found him How strange did Christ shew himselfe to the woman of Canaan what grim countenance and contempt shewed he by his silence not vouchsafing to speak to her and when hee spoke what rough and churlish words gaue he to a woman in that distresse calling her a Dogge and yet in two or three words more shee heard from him Be it vnto thee euen as thou wilt Secondly in their sense God will not be found though indeede he neuer sends away emptie the prayer of faith for though hee obscures his face as the Church complaines and couers himselfe with a cloud that our prayers cannot come vnto him yet the very sustaining of vs in seeking to him argues his presence When the prodigall sonne was but resoluing to goe to his father the father went out to meete him with compassion and loue while he was yet a farre off and had no sense of it Thus Dauid often complaines Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer hath he forgotten to be mercifull and will he be neuer more intreated Why art thou so farre from the words of my complaint thou makest as if thou heardest not And what be the reasons that the godly finde not the Lord alwaies first the Lord will not bee found of the godly to chasten and correct them for their sinnes Why cannot the Church finde Christ seeking him so earnestly Cant. 3. 1 because she will seeke him in her bed and prouide for her owne ease and is loth to rise out of her bed sometimes in the Streets where shee list and not where she should sometimes she is heauie to go to the tents of shepheards or the Temple sometime shee hath reiected him when he offered himselfe kindly Cant. 5. 3 6. she wil not receiue him at the threshold and therefore she must trudge vp and downe after him and he will be farre from her finding Secondly the Lord will not be found of a long time that the continuance of their trouble might let euen his owne children see the greatnesse of their sinnes which haue plunged them so farre into Gods displeasure as now he will not be intreated For if our corrections were alwaies light and short we would not conceiue sufficiently the weight of our sinnes And this dealing of God though it may a while dismay his children yet is good for them that they may throughly feele their sinne and being bitten with it might both seriously humble themselues for the present and beware of it for time to come Thirdly God will not alway be found oftentimes to trie their faith hope patience and obedience Abraham must not find God retrayting his heauie commandement till the third day till hee was on the Mount and had bound Isaac to the wood Iob was tried to the vttermost before he could find God taking his part and so became a mirror of patience The Canaanitish woman was held off so long that her faith might bee a shame to all the Iewes she being a Gentile and therefore Christ said O woman great is thy faith Fourthly euen the repentance of the godly in respect of outward afflictions may come too late and God will not be found For though hee will not take his louing kindnesse from them yet if they be stubberne in sinne he will visit them with the rods of men If the decree bee once gone forth they shall frustrate many meanes and he will not repent nor spare nor bee intreated Ezech. 24. 13 14. Thou remainest in thy filthinesse and wickednes because I would haue purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthinesse till I haue caused my wrath to light vpon thee c. Moses no question repented of the sinne in that hee glorified not God at the waters of strife yet in regard of the temporall correction it came too late he must not goe into Canaan Notwithstanding all Dauids repentance and praying the childe of adulterie must die because if once God passe sentence it may not be called backe Therefore Search O search your selues O people not worthy to be loued before the decree come forth Zeph. 2. 1 2. Fifthly the Lord will not be found often for a time to the sense of his children to whet vp their desires after him both to make them long after him in his longer absence and also to make more account of his presence as the Mother stands behinde a doore and lets the Childe cry after her it sees it owne weakenesse and gets a knock and thereby perceiues the need of her Further we enioy no good thing as health wealth or libertie but the harder it is come by the more it is set by and whatsoeuer lightly comes lightly goes a disease easily cured is easily incurred and not so carefully preuented Cant. 3. 3. When the Spouse had sought Christ here and there and could no where finde him at length finding him shee tooke fast hold on him and would not let him goe Sixtly God will not alway be found that wee might herein see a resemblance of that eternall displeasure of God against impenitent sinners when as those that seeke after the Lord with true repentance stick in their trouble and cannot easily get discharge This vse Peter maketh 1. Epist. 4. 17. If iudgement begin at the house of God what shall be the end of those that obey not the Gospell and if the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare But to whom then is that promise made Matth. 7. 7. Seeke and yee shall finde if the godly seeke and find not To the godly but first all such promises goe with exception of the Crosse for tryall and correction Secondly we must distinguish between Gods delayes and denyalls he giues not that we aske for the present but giues it after when we are fitter to receiue it and the giuing will make more to
thy worthinesse is the sense of vnworthinesse and an apprehension of Christs worthinesse What worthinesse was in Israel when the Lord couered her with his skirt and shee became his Did shee not wallow in her blood and filthinesse And is not God the same promising and performing mercie to them that confesse their sinnes and forsake them Oh but my sinnes haue abounded and haue so separated betweene God and mee that I doubt I shall neuer finde him Not so For where sinne hath abounded grace hath abounded much more and in the forgiuenesse of many sinnes God shall haue honour of much mercy and loue from the sinner in greater measure And if hee delighted in the death of a sinner or tooke pleasure in the death of him that dyes any one sin would furnish him with matter of reuenge enough but he is much in pardoning and delights therein The Apostle Paul saith I was a persecutor an oppressor a blasphemer c. yet God had mercie on me to be an ensample in time to come to all that should beleeue in Christ Iesus Alas he sinned of ignorance but I of knowledge against the light of my minde the voice of God the motions of his Spirit the cryes of my owne conscience and haue so quenched and grieued the Spirit that hee will come no more I may not look to finde God as Paul did Tell mee when Iohn said The blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth vs from all sinne 1. Epist. 1. 7. doth he meane onely sinnes of ignorance No verily and if GOD haue made no distinction of small great sinnes sinnes of knowledge and of ignorance of weaknesse and of presumption you may iustly and must defie a distinguishing deuill Thirdly the godly must bee incouraged by this doctrine to seek the Lord in a time when he may be found Oh that I knew that time when is it First one time of finding is when a man hath beene truely humbled and-toucht for his sinne Of this time our Prophet speakes in the Text after humiliation Dauid found God and teacheth that euery godly man shall then find him It is the troubled spirit that God respects and at whom else doth the Lord looke Isai. 66. 2. CHRIST came not to the righteous in their owne conceit but to call laden and humble sinners Secondly another time of finding God is when all good meanes and care haue been vsed to finde him God will not be found at first because he will try the diligence of his seruants in which hee sees the price they set vpon him and the thing asked The Spouse in her bed cannot finde Christ but if she get out and vse all good meanes enquiring and seeking after him at last hee is found and a godly heart cannot but thinke that the comforts Christ brings with him are worth all his paines and labour And it will manifest our care if wee seeke him First early as Prou. 8. 17. I loue them that loue mee and those that seeke mee early shall finde mee Secondly if we seeke him with all our heart as Deut. 4. 29. Thou shalt find him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and all thy soule Thirdly in perseuerance not by starts and fits as the carelesse and temporizers but as the Church that neuer rests till she finde him Thirdly another time of finding God is the godly mans extremitie and vrgent necessitie for that is Gods opportunitie The Lord will be a refuge for the poore a refuge in due time euen in affliction when hee hath no refuge elsewhere Psal. 9. 9. and Psa. 10. 1. Why hidest thou thy selfe O Lord in due time euen in affliction Deut. 4. 29 30. When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come vpon thee at the length if thou returne to the Lord he wil not forsake thee When Ionas was wrapt with waues and weedes in the bottome of the Sea hee cryed and God spake to the fish to set him on land Dauid called out of the deepe and God heard him Moses cryed at the Red Sea and then God was found Christ in his agonie in the garden prayed and GOD sent the Angels to comfort him Abraham found God three dayes after the commandement on the mount And after three dayes when the case was hopelesse and the Disciples faith was a little preiudiced Christ rose againe Therefore wait thou art not yet in the deepes nor yet at the mount the third day is not yet come Fourthly another time of finding God is when God offers himselfe to be found in the preaching of the Gospell for by it God comes and knockes at our doore and seekes entrance Reu. 3. 20. and the opportunitie of the Gospell is called the day of saluation and the day of visitation Let vs walke while wee haue the light this is the acceptable time The Iewes knew it not till it was past and they were left in their sinnes let vs take heed it be not so with vs. How can wee want motiues to seeke the Lord with comfort and assurance of finding him for First God hath a fatherly care ouer vs and as a faithfull Shepheard seekes thee leauing ninetie nine to saue one and is not he willing to be found if thou seeke him oh goc and meet him Secondly Christ seekes and sues to thee Open vnto me my beloued and why should not wee set open the gates of our hearts that the King of glory may enter in Euen when wee runne away from him hee seekes vs and offers vs conditions of loue hee runnes after fugitiue ADAM that if hee will beleeue in the promised Messiah hee shall bee saued And haue not wee encouragement enough to knocke at the doore of his mercy Thirdly consider what a wofull threatning is sent out against such as will not seeke the Lord as Zeph. 1. 6. Hee will stretch out his hand against all them that turne from him that sought not the Lord nor inquired after him and Zech. 7. 13. It is come to passe that as I cryed and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord of Hosts Fourthly the Gospell is the hammer by which God still knockes now if thou wilt lay hold on mercy offered thou shalt haue a blessed answere but if thou wilt bolt vp thy heart with securitie and ignorance how can he come vnto thee Christ when hee was borne found no roome in the Inne but was content to lie in the Stable and surely the world is no changeling it is as vnthankfull still men are loth to make Christ a roome in the Inne of their hearts If now in his glory he would be content with Stables that is hearts filled with noysome lusts as so many filthy beasts this roome they could afford him But know that hee is past infancie and abasement and hath shewed himselfe a Lord of glory and will haue a roome and entertainement like himselfe and if thou
Pet. 2. 7. God deliuered iust Lot vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the wicked Thirdly get thy heart washed with the bloud of Christ bee a true Israelite a true beleeuer for God is good to Israel euen to the pure of heart Psal. 73. 1. and Deliuer Israel O Lord. Fourthly get innocency and vprightnesse into thy life to be able to say with DAVID Deliuer me according to mine vprightnesse Fifthly draw daily neerer vnto God and if God bee with thee or thou with him thou needest not feare though thou walkest in the shaddow of death Psal. 2â— 4. and doe this three wayes first get neere him in thy affection loue him in his Word and Image Psal. 91. 14. Because he hath loued me I will deliuer him and exalt him that is set him out of the reach of trouble Secondly in obedience I am thine saith DAVID O saue thy seruant Thirdly in thy confident prayer so Psal. 91. 9. For hee said to the Lord Thou art my refuge VERS 7. Thou art my secret place thou preseruest mee from trouble thou compassest me about with ioyfull deliuerance SELAH NOw followes a second vse of this worthy doctrine of Dauid which concerneth affiance in God when the heart can lay hold vpon God as Dauid doth here First for the present time Thou art my secret place Secondly for time to come Thou shalt preserue mee from trouble and compasse mee about with ioyfull deliuerance Whether these be the wordes of Dauid holding in his soule the sweet sense of remission of sinne or whether it be a forme of prayer which the godly man comming vnto God doth preferre in his presence it is not materiall but howsoeuer it is the speech of one assured of the pardon of his sinnes and from that assurance this confidence ariseth to say Thou art my secret place whence note that The Fountayne of Gods protection and our assurance of deliuerance in trouble is from the remission of sinnes A man cannot say Thou art my secret place till he can say Thou forgauest my sinne Iob 22. 21 to 25. Acquaint thy selfe I pray thee with God and make peace and so shalt thou haue prosperity If thou put away iniquitie the Almightie shall be thy defence when others are cast downe thou shalt say I am lifted vp Psal. 103. 3. The Prophet prouoking his soule to praise the Lord for all his benefits reckons vp the healing of all his infirmities and the redeeming of his life from the graue but before all these hee setteth forgiuenesse of sinnes as the Leader and the cause of all the rest thereby shewing that all other of Gods mercies haue their rise from hence as from their head and originall First sinne layeth open the sinner to all Gods wrath and the curses of the Law in this life the life to come it sets a man as a butt against whom the Lord shooteth all the arrowes of his displeasure sinne not remitted makes vs enemies to God and God to vs so as we cannot expect any other but fruits of hatred Exod. 32. 25. Israel hauing worshipped the Calfe was naked to Gods iudgements and hauing sinned a sinne could not stand before the men of Ai Iosh. 7. 11 12. Sinne is transgression that is a thrusting of vs out of our way and so from vnder Gods protection who hath giuen his Angels charge ouer vs to keepe vs no longer then we are in our way Psal. 91. 11. Secondly this is Gods couenant who promising to put his Law into their inward parts and to write it in their hearts and to become their God and accept them for his people he giueth the reason of all the former articles because he would forgiue their iniquitie and remember their sinnes no more Ier. 31. 33 34. And indeed euery-where wee may obserue how God begins all our good here Ier. 32. 41. First he takes away the sinnes of his people and then delights to doe them good to watch ouer them to build and to plant them And Hos. 2. 17 18 First the Lord takes their Baalim from his people and then makes a couenant and marries his Church vnto himselfe and then to safeguard his Spouse hee makes a league with the Beasts of the field with the Fowles of heauen and creeping things then will hee breake the Bow and Sword and battell out of the earth that they may sleepe safely While man kept couenant with God hee had dominion ouer the Creatures but rebelling against God by sinne the Creatures rebell against him and now God making and renewing his couenant againe with man himselfe reneweth also this clause of it concerning the Creatures that they shall be at peace which is no other then a promise of protection Thirdly confidence is a fruit of faith for wee must first beleeue God to be our God before we can be perswaded that his mercy and truth belongs to vs our ground for our confidence in outward mercies and deliuerances must bee an assurance of his inward loue in which wee may glorie as Psal. 42. 5. Why art thou cast downe O my soule trust in God he is my God and my present helpe And Rom. 8. 33. the Apostle laying this ground It is God that iustifieth challengeth with great confidence principalities and powers things present things to come and all creatures as too weake and impotent to separate vs from Christ. Fourthly what doe the Scriptures else teach vs while euery-where they make the particulars of our comfort fruits of this root as Luk. 1. 74. Deliuerance from all enemies proceedes from the release of the punishment of sinne Our peace with God boldnesse with him accesse to the Throne of grace come from our iustification by faith Rom. 5. 1. Peace at home in our owne soules is a fruit of remission of sinne Luk. 7. 7. Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Goe in peace Yea our whole redemption from first to last from all enemies spirituall and temporall and all the fruits of sinne is called by the name of remission of sinne Ephes. 1. 7. and Col. 1. 14. and in the entrie of our Psalme we haue shewed that all our blessednesse is placed in remission of sinne But then it seemes that where men are not protected and deliuered from danger that their sinnes are not remitted This was the error of the Iewes that they thought those on whom the Tower of Siloam fell greater sinners then the rest and those whose bloud Herod mingled with the sacrifices But wee must know that the Lord doth performe his promises of temporall deliuerances and benefits not absolutely but conditionally so farre as will stand with his wisedome and glorie and the good and saluation of his owne children Sometimes the Viper cannot hurt Paul nor the Lyons Daniel but againe sometimes they may bee ouer-taken with dangers and seeme to be left in them but so as first they are sanctified to the former mayne ends and secondly as they are good for
them all things falling out to the best to them that loue God Neither may it be strange that although remission of sinne be the ground of all deliuerances yet all that haue remission of sinne haue not deliuerance from temporall dangers but some of the Saints are hewne asunder tempted slaine burnt hanged and ignominiously put to death For as the subiection of the creatures to vs dependeth vpon our subiection to God and our peace with men vpon our keeping peace with God so our subiection and peace with God here being only begunne and imperfect we must recouer our safetie from the creatures and peace with men but in part and imperfectly But yet that which is wanting here is recompensed with spirituall peace euen here as Ioh. 16. 33. In the world yee shall haue affliction but in me yee shall haue peace and afterward with that peace that is euerlasting First then where God begins our safetie let vs begin it in labouring to feele our inward peace with God which will quiet our hearts in the assurance of Gods prouidence and protection in outward things it will be an easie descent from the greater to the lesse In the want of outward things say to thy selfe God out of his loue hath giuen me his owne Sonne and will hee not giue mee all things with him Shall he giue me heauen and not earth In the want of inward comforts say to thy soule Why art thou cast downe my soule while I was yet an enemie and a sinner God hath reconciled me by the death of his Sonne how should hee now cast mee off being reconciled In bodily dangers what a prop doth this doctrine giue vs Hath my Lord prouided with so much cost so great saluation for my soule and will he neglect to saue and preserue my bodie hee that doeth the greater will not hee doe the lesse In molestation by externall aduersaries What hath my Lord and head foiled the Deuill for me troden Satan vnder my feet and trampled vpon all spirituall enmities for mee and will hee not beate backe the endeuours and vniust practices of my enemies Shall I beleeue the greater and not beleeue the lesse Secondly in receiuing and enioying outward benefits labour to see them all to be the riuers streames of this fountaine for then they be sweet indeed as the streame is then sweet when the head and fountaine is so but if the Fountaine be bitter or poisoned so are the streames For first they are no further mercies then they proceede from mercy and then they be mercies indeed as they are called Secondly else we enioy them by a broken title if not by vertue of the Couenant and euen those creatures are in a kinde of bondage from which God frees them often by plucking them from vniust owners as Hos. 2. 9. Thirdly else we distinguish not our selues from the wicked scarce from the beasts who find and taste the sweetnesse of the creatures as we do but not of GOD in them Naturall men stay in the fruition and delight of the things themselues and can goe no further whereas as the riuers lead vs to the sea so ought wee to bee led by them to the minde of the Lord towards vs in them Fourthly those that delight themselues in the pleasures and delights of things below and want the pardon of sinne are as if a man should drinke off a cup of sweet poyson with much delight but presently or not long after it workes deadly Thy sinne is poyson which thou castest into the cup that the Lord hath made to run ouer Fiftly a little gift with loue and good will is more acceptable then a great deale with strife and grudging If a man can see Gods loue and good will toward him in Christ hee will be content with a little thankefull for a little cheerefull with a little and his portion though very small will bee very precious Sixtly if assurance of remission of sinnes giueth vs such ioy in trouble and affliction that the Saints can reioyce in tribulation Rom. 5. 3. how will it reioyce the heart in the fruition of Gods mercies Oh then how ought we to labour earnestly by the eye of faith to discerne the beames of Gods loue and fauour chasing away the cloud of our sinnes without which all our comforts are but bitter and vnsauorie Thirdly hence gather the priuiledge of Gods children to whom remission of sinnes is sealed vp which is to be secure either from perils or in perils For first once in Gods Couenant and euer safe for the couenant is vnchangeable as God himselfe is an euerlasting couenant Isai. 55. 3. Secondly their afflictions are not punishments of sinne but either tryals or louing corrections the sting of them is gone Thirdly whereas the wicked whose sinne is not pardoned are haunted and vexed with terrours and feare where no feare is a godly man is as bold as a Lyon yea in the presence and sense of danger Iob 5. 22. Thou shalt not bee afraid of destruction when it commeth but shalt laugh at destruction and death For the stones shall be at league with thee and the beasts c. Who would not be exempted from danger or fearelesse in danger as seeing his owne safetie Surely the way is to get the Lords louing countenance vp vpon vs and then we shall be safe Psal. 80. 3. 7 19. Thou art my secret place THe Prophet borroweth a comparison from liuing creatures who being in danger or in chase or pursuit haue their hiding places to defend themselues in the Lyon hath his denne the Foxe his hole the Conie his burrow and the Godly man hath his asyle or refuge but with this difference First the beasts haue their dens caues in the earth wherin they hide themselues but the godly hath his hiding or secret place in heauen Secondly they may be fetcht and hunted out of their hiding places and be destroyed for all them but so cannot the godly who make God their secret place seeing none is able to plucke them out of his hands who is stronger then all Hence we may note that The Lord is the hiding place of the godly in trouble and danger As a man in a storme or showre seeketh shelter so in the stormes of the Church and Common-wealth in which the enemies thunder and roare and seeme to mingle all into one confusion then the Name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous flye vnto it Psal. 27. 5. In the time of trouble hee hath hid me Psal. 91. 1. The godly is said to dwell in the secret of the most High How is the Lord the hiding place of the godly First by his promise Secondly by his protection First his promise couereth and compasseth his Elect vnder which they are as safe as in a towne of warre Psal. 119. 114. Thou art my shield I trust in thy Word Many were the plots which Dauids enemies impugned him withall
because they looked for a better resurrection This serues to comfort the godly in their troubles that they shall be preserued in them and from them the gates of hell shall not preuaile against them First Satan the Red Dragon may create them trouble so that they shall want no molestation that he can procure them but hee cannot hinder their deliuerance nor without leaue hinder their peace no nor touch an haire of their head Secondly the wicked of the world will see they want no tryalls or vexation but on the contrarie GOD will see they shall not want seasonable deliuerance for Psal. 37. 8. hee will not leaue him in his hand and although such is their imbred malice that they would neuer take off their rods from the backes of godly men yet God will not suffer the rod of the vngodly alway to lye on the lot of the righteous Psal. 125. 3. Thirdly their owne sinnes beset them hard and so dismay them as though they should neuer get freedome and this is the strongest band of all which tyeth them to trouble and all other troubles were but a play so that the heart were perswaded of the pardon of sinne as the Saints in sicknesse of conscience can confesse but sinne shall slay the vngodly as for the righteous the promise is Psal. 34. 24. Though they fall they are not cast off not that their sinne doeth not deserue they should but because the Lord puts vnder his hand and reneweth his grace to raise them to repentance Secondly this may teach vs not to condemne the state of Gods children when they are in trouble For either in darknesse they see light when God stablisheth their hearts with inward peace or patience or supplyeth strength or lightneth their burden so as they can cheerefully carrie it or at least with Iob after darknesse they see light If in Winter when we see the heauens blacke the clouds bent to stormes and tempests windes roaring waters raging the earth couered with frosts cold and snow and barrennesse or deadnesse were it not madnesse to say that there would neuer be any summer againe that the yong springing corne couered with such stormy and winterly weather and lying buried vnder the cloddes should neuer reuiue againe and grow vp to the haruest or that the frost-bitten rootes and blasted blades should neuer spring forth to flower or seed No man is so mad as to condemne summers fruits because of the winters stormes and barrennesse This present life is the winter of Gods children wherein the seedes of grace lye hid and couered vnder the clods of heauy afflictions disgraces and a number of tryalls shall we now condemne and curse the life of Gods people here and their summer fruits to come in the haruest because the fruits of grace and the glory of their resurrection are couered and hid vnder persecution affliction and tryalls Wherein we meet not only with the generall misconceit of vngodly men but euen of the godly themselues who sometime with Dauid think their owne estate most infortunate and are ready to slip to see and compare the wickeds outward prosperitie and happinesse with their owne vnhappinesse and apparent miserie whereas the Sanctuarie telleth them of the end of both and so quieteth their hearts Thirdly this serues to teach the godly their dutie First to set before them in their tryalls these three things First the commandement of God Psal. 50. 15. Call vpon mee in the day of trouble Secondly the promise And I will deliuer thee Thirdly the accomplishment of it or the experience of others who haue found Gods assistance in trouble as Psal. 22. 4. Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliuer them Secondly in the deepest of troubles wait for Gods preseruation and know that though hee come not of a long time yet at length hee that shall come will come and willnot tarrie In this expectation beware of haste and of euill meanes and trust when thou seest no meanes yea and against meanes as Iob did saying If the Lord kill me yet will I trust in him The stile of the godly is to be brands plucked out of the fire Zech. 3. 2. Is not this a brand taken out of the fire which shews that the godly may be cast vpon the coales yea into the fire an vnmerciful creature may be smeared and scorched yea in part burnt and consumed but at length the Lord in extremitie wiâ— snatch them out of the fire and preserue them as a man will catch speedily at that which he would haue burnt Thou shalt compasse me about with Songs of Deliuerance IN these words the Prophet Dauid riseth vp by a gradation and goeth beyond that that hee had formerly said concerning his confidence in God First he had said that God was his hiding place Secondly that he would preserue him in trouble and now thirdly that the Lord would make him ioyfull and to triumph ouer his troubles and enemies by compassing him in stead of troubles with mercies In the words are two things to bee considered First the matter of Dauids assurance namely Songs of Deliuerance Secondly the measure Thou shalt compasse mee about First Songs of Deliuerance This implyes the matter of these songs and that is Gods helpe deliuerance which when the Lord affordeth then there is matter of singing and setting forth that mercy for a song beseemes him that reioyceth with great ioy the which ought alwayes to attend our praises Secondly to be compassed with Songs of Deliuerance is not to haue one or two or a few occasions or deliuerances to sing praises to God for but abundant yea innumerable causes to praise and magnifie God so as a man can looke no way round about him but he shall see many and infinite mercies and so many songs and praises euery new mercie being a new matter of a new song of Deliuerance For looke as when a man hath endured an heauy darke and vncomfortable night the morning approcheth and light begins to appeare not in any one side of the heauens but on euery side that let a man looke where hee will the light compasseth him and it groweth lighter and lighter vntil perfect day So although Gods children seeme to be in darknesse and in the night of affliction yet GOD affords some deliuerance and brings the ioyfull morning and then they see the light of comfort on all sides and can say Now they are compassed with light and saluation So as the thing which our Prophet here professeth is First that the Lord would afford him matter enough to frame compile holy songs of ioyfull praise and thankes Secondly that this matter should be so plentiful and abundant that nothing should on any side be about him but that whence hee ought to prouoke himselfe to returne ioyfull thankes he should be begirt with blessings and mercie Hence in the first place we may learne that As God hath appointed times of sorrow and straitnesse for
according to the slaughter of them that were slaine by him c Here the Prophet shewes great differences betweene Gods afflicting hand vpon his people and vpon his enemies and theirs and the difference is First in the measure on the one but drops on the other a sea of wrath One drinke a cup the other draw a viall of his displeasure hath hee smitten him as hee smote those that smote him Secondly in Gods intention his intendement in afflicting the godly is to lop off their superfluous boughs In the branches thereof wilt thou contend with it He saith not with the root of it But hee quite stockes vp the roote of the vngodly In the one he intends purgation by taking off fruitlesse boughes and branches Ioh. 15. 2. in the other he intends punishment to ouerthrow them with his rough winde in the day of his East winde Thirdly in the issue and fruit of them By this shall all the iniquitie of IAACOB be purged and this is all the fruit the taking away of his sinne In the one the sinne onely in the other the person is destroyed The Lord therefore doth not so punish the members of his Church either as the enemies of the Church would punish it or as himself punisheth them As for example The Deuils the greatest enemies of the Church are punished without hope of all mercie no time of deliuerance is set for them but the Church is assured of a good and ioyfull end The Egyptians were terrible enemies to the Church did God euer smite his Church as he smote them though it was long vnder their oppression yet it had a promise of deliuerance a time set for it and a ioyfull departure when all Egypt was lasht with that terrible whip of ten cords and drowned and destroyed in the Sea by Gods immediate hand Here is then first of all a notable ground of patience in sorrowes God hath set the time how long they shall last and shall not exceede the appointed time yea hee hath not onely set a time of duration but also of exchanging thy sorrowes into ioy Art thou in any trouble or vnder any molestation of Satan or wicked men vnder reproch scandall hatred persecution c nubecula est transibit it is a storme too violent to last long nay it shall bee changed into a calme into a faire and comfortable season Suppose thou be in the night of disgrace blacked and darkned by wicked ones as Dauid was suppose thou haue things laid to thy charge that thou neuer knewest and art forced to repay that which thou neuer tookest yet waite still the good time after thou hast endured a little scouring all the soile will tend to thy brightnesse and the time comes that God will make thy innocencie to breake out as the light Art thou sicke in thy soule or pained in thy body and seest no way but present death waite the time and thou shalt meete not onely with perfect cure but perfect health also onely see thou makest Christ thy Physician God had appointed a time of Abrahams tryall for three daies but the third day turned his sorrow into ioy in which he had the comfort both of his sonne and his owne obedience Ionas had his appointed time of sorrow in the belly of hell in the bottom of the Sea when he was cast out of sight but at the ende of three dayes he was cast on the drie ground and his sorrowes and feares were turned into ioy and praises The thiefe on the Crosse was euen in the hands of death his paines and sorrowes increasing as hee felt his life decreasing how did our blessed Sauiour comfort him and support him with patience but with this assurance that the ende was comming and a time appointed which should instantly turne that shame and sorrow into glory and ioy This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Lazarus was not onely in the hands but in the house of death foure daies yet a time was appointed euen the fourth day wherein the bands of death were to be loosed and he restored to his former life And thus shall it be with all the Disciples of Christ whose troubles shall not last alwaies the longest they can last is but for this life and while they doe last they haue the comfort of both those petitions of Christ first that the Father would keepe them in the world and secondly that after they bee safely passed through the world and the troubles and disgrace of it they may bee where himselfe is to behold his glory Iohn 17. 15 24. Secondly in all troubles learne to iudge and measure thy selfe by this doctrine not according to thy present feeling and comfort which faith doth not alway minister for that may be where there is no feeling Looke out at the ende and at that time which shall change thy state and giue thee the fruite of this sorrowfull seede-time Should an Husbandman measure himselfe by his seede-time what is there but labour and losse but when he considereth that without a seede-time he shall neuer see haruest and the more liberally he sowes the more abundantly he shall reapc he is well contented to so we in all weathers So if the godly could consider that their sorrow shall not onely end in ioy but that their ioy must rise out of sorrow they would cheerefully sowe euen in teares for the hope of a ioyfull haruest How do men out of their sorrowes disquiet and vexe themselues and thinke themselues cast off whereas out of the quantitie and qualitie the measure and manner of their sorrow springeth their truest ioy Againe in the maner of Dauids speech saying that the Lord would compasse him not with mercies but songs Note what the godly man must doe in the times and occasions of ioy and in receiuing deliuerances and comforts from God namely breake out into songs or speeches of thankefull praises Thus Dauid professeth elsewhere being deliuered from danger Psal. 40. 3. He hath put into my mouth a new song of praise he neuer receiued a new mercie into his hand but withall a new Song into his mouth Psal. 66. 20. Praised be the Lord which hath not put backe my prayer nor hid his mercy from me I called vpon him with my mouth and he was exalted with my tongue It was the practice of the Church after her deliuerance from Pharaoh to compile a Song of praise Exod. 15. and of Deborah Iudg. 5. 1 2. and of Ionah chap. 2. 9. I will sacrifice vnto thee with the voice of thankes-giuing First this is the returne that God lookes for of all his benefits and is all that we can giue him for all and as it is as much as we can do so it is as little as we can do yea it is the condition vpon which he promiseth mercies Ps. 50. 15. Call vpon mee in the day of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt praise me Which the godly know so
sorrowes in number many in kinde many in this life many moe in the life to come many within him many without him and many on euery side as the next branch in the opposition shewes that God on euery side compasseth his children with goodnesse and mercy Whence Note the vnhappy and cursed estate of euery wicked and obstinate sinner in the world his sorrowes shall bee many and great Isa. 65. 13 14. Behold my seruants shall eat and yee shall bee hungry my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart and and yee shall cry for sorrow of heart and shall howle for vexation of minde and yee shall leaue your names for a curse vnto my chosen Reu. 9. 12. One woe is past and two are to come and Chap. 8. 13. The Angel flying thorow the midst of heauen cryed Wo wo wo to the inhabitants of the earth All these many woes are proclaimed against the wicked of the world cleauing either to the Kingdome of Antichrist in the West or of Mahomet in the East Turkes Saracens Arabians Tartarians and after them to all the wicked that cleaue not to God in the purity of his worship and in obedience of his word And that they are onely denounced against them appeares Chap. 9. vers 4. because the children of God are sealed and exempted from them Deutron 28. 58. 59. If thou wilt not obserue to doe all the wordes of this Law then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderfull and the plagues of thy seed euen great plagues and of long continuance and sore sicknesses and of long continuance But many are the woes and miseries of the godly and therefore what is it better to bee a godly man then a wicked There is great difference betweene them for first these are all mingled with mercy Indeed a child that is deare to his father if he runne another way with Ionah must bee whipt and fetcht backe againe yet the Lord puts not off fatherly affection but remembreth mercy in iudgement and smiteth with the rods of men but his mercy he taketh not away Whereas the sorrowes of the wicked are destitute of all mercy and no maruell seeing all their blessings are leuened and sowred and tend to their bane through a secret curse of God blowing on them and blasting them Secondly the godly call not their miseries on them by a trade and course in sin as the wicked do but when for tryall or correction of some slip God leads them where they would not they follow him taking vp the crosse thereby learning the will of God prouing what is in themselues amending that which is amisse confirming themselues to euery good work this cannot the wicked do who whatsoeuer they suffer fall from euill to worse Thirdly the Lord deliuers the godly out of all putteth vnder his hand and reares them vp and leaueth them not in the sorrow till hee haue enlarged their feete and brought them where all teares shall bee wiped away Whereas he leaues the wicked in sorrow laughes at it and suffereth the fire of his iealousie to seaze on them to the bottome of hell Fourthly the Lord recompenseth the light afflictions of his seruants with an exceeding weight of mercy first in this life iustifying sanctifying beautifying teaching feeding protecting them and theirs Secondly in death bringing their soules to heauen and laying vp their bodies safe till the resurrection Thirdly at the day of iudgment bringing both body and soule into the glory of the iust But these sorrowes of wicked men are farre other both for number and measure in this life and afterward much more all of them void of all mercy And to conceiue aright of them consider first the kindes of them Secondly the causes or reasons of them Thirdly the vse For the first these sorrowes are partly in this life and partly after it First In this life these sorrowes are partly in the present practice of sinne and partly in the consequent fruits of it Secondly the very course of a sinner although Satan present it to him through a false glasse and it seeme pleasant and care to be quite away yet indeed it is a sorrowfull and heauie course for the laughter of a wicked man is but in the face not in the heart and euen in laughter the heart is heauie or hath cause so to bee That which Salomon speakes of a voluptuous course which most agreeth with the flesh is true euen in the passing of it It striketh as a Dart through the liuer Prou. 7. 23. The same is true in the purchase of other sinnes as 1. Tim. 6. 10. the Apostle noteth of the course taken vp in earthlinesse and carking care after the things of this life that this man though hee seeme to liue merrily yet he pierceth himselfe through with many sorroweâ— The intemperate person meetes with many diseased dayes and houres of paine and sorrowes as the Gowt Dropsie Palsies Surfets which make his life a burden vnto him so as though the sinner see it not yet in the practice of sinne there is more gall then honie and at the best it is but a bitter-sweete But Secondly after the sinne is committed comes a fearefull and more sorrowful sence of it for if the best fruits of sin euen in the godly that are renued by repentance be shame and sorrow no maruell if the wicked be hanted and hunted with horrors of conscience desperate feares restlesse torments and be as the raging Sea which cannot rest for there can bee no peace to the wicked man so long as his conscience hath any sense but let him goe and ride where he wil he pursues himselfe with hue and crie and so long as he cannot runne from himselfe hee carries his accuser and tormenter with him as Cain did and Baltasar euen at his Feast was pierced with feares and sorrowes that made his ioynts loose and his knes knocke together so shal Gods hand-writing be on the walles of profane consciences How many sorrowes after his sinne ouertooke Iudas and so oppressed him that his heart being not able longer to susteine him his best ease was to hang himselfe a wofull remedy not much better then his disease but such shifts are the wicked sometimes put to when their sweete meates are recompensed with sowre sawce Secondly after this life is the consummation of his sorrowes euen in Christs appearance for all that this life can load him with is but the beginning of sorrow The parcels of this sorrow shall especially bee in these particulars First they shall waile and sorrow to see him come in the clouds whom they haue pierced he shall bee their Iudge whose lawes and person all their villanies haue been committed against Secondly in that wofull separation first from God in the losse of glory and happinesse and then from Gods people when they shall see Abraham Isaac and Iaakob and all the Saints in the kingdome of heauen and themselues shut out
What meane others by their ridiculous distinction of Gnats and Camells in the matter of sinne as though any were in it selfe a Gnat some indeede in comparison of others are lesser in degree and lesser in respect of disturbing humane societie then others but in respect of God offended the Law and the Curse which are all infinite the sorrowes due to the least are infinite which Christ must sustayne before he could remooue the least sinne If a Gnat can be infinite then some sinnes may be esteemed so many Gnats How profanely and ignorantly doc they speake who caÌ„not abide these scrupulous fellowes that straine at Gnats and stand vpon such nice points as if they were the greatest matters c But vvhere Gods Word bindes the conscience he shall haue least sorrow that stands most strictly in the least things He that is vnfaithfull in small things will neuer be faithfull in great and obserue these fond Haters of strictnesse in small things ye shall see them stand neither vpon small nor great things to make any conscience of any for the most part Let no man aduenture on any sinne because it is little say not as Lot did of Zoar Is it not a little one and my soule may liue in it for let it be neuer so small a mote in thine eye Gods law makes it a Mountayne and thy presumption makes it swell and thy continuance in it vpon that ground makes increase both of sin and of sorrow no hole is so little but vnlookt too will sinke a ship We weigh our sinnes often in a false ballance and foolishly esteeme them by the matter wherein the offence is done to eate an apple oh that is but a small thing to sweare little oathes to lie in small things a little worke on the Sabbath or a little play and recreation on the Lords day or to gather a few sticks oh this is but a trifle No take heede of such resolutions looke into the true glasse and there see first that the person against whom the sinne is coÌ„mitted is infinite in mercy and power now a smal thing against a Prince is high Treason Secondly that thy owne malice and presumption makes a small thing great as appeares in him that gathered sticks on the Sabbath Wilt thou in so small a thing incurre the Lords so high displeasure in other disputes we heare often The lesse the thing commanded is the greater is the contempt besides Thirdly consider that the price paid for the least sinne is the precious bloud of Iesus Christ. Fourthly and lastly consider the weight of vengeance and the gulfe of sorrow into which the least sinne casteth the sinner being vnsupportable and vnvtterable Any one of these well considered argues no sinne to be small and much lesse to be ventured on vpon that conceit Thirdly if this be the miserable estate of a wicked man then we see plainly that the wicked are not so happy as they thinke themselues They thinke themselues the happyest men vnder the Sunne because of their outward prosperity and others flatter them and Mal. 3. 15 We count the proud blessed and they that worke wickednesse are set vp and they that tempt God are deliuered thus the prosperitie of wicked men often vnsettles and offends the godly themselues but little reason they should stagger at it If we can hold the truth of this doctrine wee shall haue little cause to enuy his happinesse that is a wicked man vnlesse we can account him happy for whom the Lord hath prepared such changes and armies of sorrowes And to see this truth more cleerely we must know that nothing in the world can make a wicked man happy for First it is an error to say or thinke that iniquitie and peace sin and prosperitie can dwell together seeing the Lord hath said There is no peace to the wicked man Isa. 57. 21. the tenor of the promise is Acquaint thy selfe with God and so shalt thou haue prosperitie Iob 22. 21. Secondly all their happinesse is in outward things Now all the parts of temporal felicitie are only good in them which can vse them as helps and instruments to eternall happines and that good which is independing Neither doth the matter but that which giueth a forme to happinesse make a man happy Neither is it the hauing of things but the happy enioying of them that can make a man truely happy which no wicked man can haue Why then doth God giue these things to wicked men First to shew his bountifulnesse Rom. 9. 22. Secondly to shew that these be not things to be esteemed much Thirdly to be as snares to themselues and scourges for some others Fourthly to reward that little good that is in many of them Thirdly notwithstanding this temporall happinesse a wicked man is for the present the Deuills prisoner his fetters are indeede of gold but he is chained to the day of iudgement which commeth apace Fourthly all his flourishes are vnhappy in that they end in teares and sorrowes God shall turne his meat in his belly and make his Sunne to fall at Noone-day for euery graine of externall ioy he shall be sure of a talent of eternall sorrow when the sword of the Almightie shall pierce him Tell me now whether if thou sawest this his estate with the eyes of thy body as thou oughtest now with the eyes of thy faith thou wouldest admire or pitie such a one Well were it if wicked men would weight their present estate with the future surely it would be a meanes to afray them from many sins and preuent many sorrowes Fourthly if such be the vnhappy state of the wicked what great cause haue the godly â—o be thankefull for their deliuerance from so manifold sorrowes both vnto God who deuised a way to temper mercy with iustice and to our Lord IESVS CHRIST who was a man of sorrowes and bore vpon himselfe and brake all these sorrowes for vs. How glad will a man be when he hath escaped a great danger that would haue made him heauie to death How thankefull would we bee to that man that would put himselfe betweene vs and some deadly danger but neuer was there such miserie as this escaped Psal. 126. 1. The Iewes were so glad of their deliuerance out of the Babylonish captiuitie and their returne thence that they scarce could beleeue whether it was not a Dreame Our captiuitie was farre greater being vnder the Curse of the Law sold vnder sinne Bond-slaues vnto Satan and Sonnes of Wrath which bondage could wee rightly acknowledge our deliuerance would bee farre more gratefull then it is Our Deliuerer was not Moses not Ioshua not Zerubbabel but the Sonne of God of whom they were Types both in the first induction of that people out of Egypt into that Land and in their second reduction backe againe He by putting himselfe into the Prison of our flesh and in that flesh by suffering that execrable death and all the
phrases in holding it In a word if once we can claspe hold on this mercy of God in pardoning our sinnes we could desire euen to liue no longer in this World were it not to come to a more full sense and fruition of it VERS 11. Bee glad yee righteous and reioyce in the Lord and bee ioyfull all yee that are vpright in heart THese words containe the fourth and last vse of the generall Doctrine and a conclusion worthy the Psalme to which it is notably fitted for seeing the whole Psalme hath taught vs that hee is a blessed man whose sinnes are remitted and couered then may and must that man who hath this Doctrine sealed vp in his owne heart reioyce with great and vnspeakeable ioy And as it notably concludeth the whole Psalme so is it most aptly knit to the former wordes which haue layd downe the diuers estate both of the godly and wicked man and how when as sorrowes eate vp and consume the vngodly man remedilessely the portion of GODS people shall bee his owne compassing and infinite mercie and therefore vpon those premises hee inferreth this sweet conclusion that the godly hauing so sound cause of Christian ioy must mind yea and ouercome all their sorrowes with an holy and Christian reioycing in the LORD In the Verse are three things to bee considered first the persons to whom this precept is directed described by two titles first righteous secondly vpright in heart Secondly the Commandement to be glad to reioyce and be ioyfull Thirdly the obiect of their ioy and limitation In the Lord. First of the meaning Hee that is called in the sixt Verse a godly man and in the former Verse one that trusteth in God is here also set forth by two inseparable properties first hee is a righteous man And secondly vpright in heart Who is this righteous man A man is righteous by righteousnesse eyther Legall or Euangelicall First Legall righteousnesse is that perfect righteousnesse in nature and actions which the Law of GOD requireth euen perfect and full conformitie with the whole rule of righteousnesse as it was first written in mans heart by the law of nature By this was neuer man righteous but the first Adam in the time of his innocencie and the second Adam the innocent Sonne of God in whom besides the righteousnesse of his humane nature and life wee read of the righteousnesse of God that is the same righteousnesse being in a person that was God was so farre aduanced that it was able not onely to fulfill but to satisfie the rigour of GODS most righteous Law Secondly Euangelicall righteousnesse is that which the Gospell reueales and that is when a man being reconciled to God iustified by faith deliuered from all the guilt and punishment of sinne and inwardly sanctified by Gods Spirit is accounted of God righteous by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed vnto him as Saint Paul speakes 1. Cor. 1. 30. Christ is made vnto vs of God righteousnesse And although this bee in part and imperfect in this life attended with much frailtie and infirmitie of flesh yet because First they are perfectly iustified euen in this life Secondly haue begunne in a righteousnesse which shall be perfected Thirdly haue a will and endeuour striuing to perfection Fourthly are accepted of God as perfect for Christs sake in whom all their vnrighteousnesse and defects are couered therefore they are called euery where righteous So our Prophet here calleth such as according to his former Doctrine haue made sure their discharge with God and gotten euidence of remission of sinne and reconciliation with God through Iesus Christ. Secondly This person is vpright in heart that is sound and sincere without guile verse 2. and this is when the heart is set right towardes God in doing all duties of pietie and charitie towardes GOD or men truely ayming at the pleasing of GOD and not at by-respects this is straightnesse of heart called truth in the inward parts Psal. 51. 6. Thou louest truth in the inward parts And although no man is indeed vpright without some crookednesse and declining from the straight rule yet because heere is first a drawing neere and endeuour to full perfection Secondly a comparatiue rightnesse in respect of the vnregenerate whose course is wholly crooked Thirdly the acceptance of a mercifull Father therefore they are called vpright And vpright in heart first because there is the beginning of soundnesse for the first worke by which God distinguisheth betweene man and man is the purifying of the heart by Faith Act. 15. 9. and the worke of conuersion is called the circumcision of the heart which the Lord promiseth Deut. 30. 6. Secondly because all outward shewes without this ground are vnsound and deceitfull and whatsoeuer we doe must haue this ground to make it acceptable euen a sincere and honest heart 1. Pet. 1. 22. all obedience to the trueth all loue to our brethren must come from a pure heart Thirdly because if the heart be vpright it will from thence shine into all the actions for a righteous man must be vpright also in his way Psal. 119. 1. Now vprightnesse of heart is like a great wheele in a clocke that sets all the other a mouing or like a light in a lanthorne that shines through euery side of it A wicked man may bee vpright in some one action as Abimelech pleaded for himselfe Gen. 20. 5. With an vnperfect heart haue I done this but the generall vprightnesse of the whole life is peculiar to Gods people it must issue from the heart where if there be a liuing fountaine the streames will euer runne Secondly the Commandement enioyning spirituall reioycing hath diuers branches as there are diuers words in the originall which are to be distinguished First Bee glad the word Shimen comes of Shamaâ— which properly signifyeth inward and harty ioy conceiued by the presence or hope at least opinion of some good or desirable thing as Psal. 35. 26. Let them be confounded that reioyce at my hurt now none of Dauids subiects durst make show of this ioy in his hurt onely it was conceiued in their hearts Secondly Reioyce Gila riseth of Gil which signifieth to expresse our ioy by some outward gesture sometimes vsed for dauncing as Psal. 65. 12. The hilles skippe for gladnesse Thirdly Bee ioyful Harninu of Ranan vociferatus est prae laetitia Isa. 35. 6. The dumbe mans tongue shal sing Vetaron So as vpright men are commaunded not onely to conceiue and conceale their inward ioy but to expresse it in their actions in their speeches and euery way they can And this Commaundement runneth vp these three staires for sundry causes First to shew that there is great cause why the righteous should reioyce Secondly that where sound ioy is within it will not be hid but made manifest Thirdly to shew that Christian ioy is not perfect at first but riseth by degrees first within conceiued and then by little and little expressed as the degrees
by cruelty not of God 264 Remission of sins followeth a sound purpose of confession of sins 4. reasons 159 Remission followeth not confession of sins ex opere operato against Popish doctrine 163 Sound Remembrance includeth four things 270 Repentance of Gods children in respect of outward afflictions may come too late 232 Righteousnesse Legal and Euangelicall 398 Romish Religion accursed of God for the cruelty of it 205 Rules to vphold a weak Christian not feeling his reconciliation with God foure 38 Rules of limitation of godly sorrow six 86 Rules of discerning the same godly sorrow six 83 Rules to know if we haue the Spirit of God foure 131 Rules of direction what to doe in our falls foure 335 S HOw to be Safe in dangers fiue rules 251 God begins our Safety in remission of sins and so must we 255 To be Safe be syncere 265 Saints departed not to be inuocated why 215 Scriptures most wickedly taken from the Layty by the Church of Rome 187 Security may cast a godly heart asleepe till God awake it 6. reas 70 Selah what it meaneth 109 Sence of misery must go before sence of mercy 5. reas 110 Seruice of God only acceptable from mercifull men 4. reas 199 Sin a most intolerable burden fiue reasons 6 Sin a most odious thing in 3. respects 15 Sin is an infinite debt 4. reas 23 Sin Sin is only forgiuen by God 29 Sin pardoned makes an happy man 31 Sin before it be committed how it insinuates it selfe 46 God worketh a serious sight of Sin in his children for 3. causes 136 Sins against many meanes very sinfull 157 To see Sin in a true glasse 4. things 375 Songs of praise be seem seasons of ioy ' 5. reasons 287 Matter of Godlies Songs must be spirituall six reasons 302 Songs and wanton tunes mistuning the heart condemned 306 Euery godly mans sorrow is not godly sorrow 4. reas 82 Wicked mans sorrow for sin most helplesse and why 89 Sorrowes of the godly compared to the sorrowes of a woman in trauaile in 5. respects 283 Sorrowes of wicked men in this life of many kindes 370 Sorrowes of the wicked after this life in six things 371 Sorts of by-wayes beaten by many six in number condemned 330 Stayres to rise vp to happinesse three 21 Spirit of God at length preuaileth against the corruptions of flesh 4. reasons 125 We must Speake of our experience of God to euery godly man 191 State of an obstinate sinner most accursed 5. reasons 367. 372 State of Gods children not vncomfortable in their sorrowes sundry reasons 409 Summers fruits are not to be condemned for Winter-stormes 278 Syncerity of heart vrged at large 57 T THe best Teachers are they who teach out of their owne experience 5. reasons 175 Teachers must make people to vnderstand the word and their owne way two reasons 337 Testimonies of Thankefulnesse for deliuerances foure 378 Thankefulnesse is as much and as little as we can return to the Lord for all his mercies 287. Many faile in Thankefulnes many wayes 299 There is a Time when God will not be found though he be sought 4. reasons 228 Time is when God will be found of euery godly man seeking him fiue reasons 237 Times of ioy euer succeed times of sorrow to godly men 5. reas 280 No Torment in the world like torment of conscience 3. reasons 77 In Trials godly must set 3. things before them 278 Troubles of the godly are already ouercome by Christ. 281 Trusting in God hath abundant mercie 4. reasons 380 V VErtues and Vices of the Saints recorded the former for imitation the latter for our instruction 185 True Vnderstanding hath foure things 339 Vnmercifulnesse hindereth both the preferring of our prayers and preuailing of them 200 Vnthankefulnes vnbeseemeth a reasonable man and much more a Christian. 288 Uprightnes what 398 Vprightnes discerned by 5. notes or marks 404 W VVArre with thy fins brings peace by the word 140 Way of God preferred before all other in foure respects 327 Wicked men seeke not God till too late 229 Wicked men cannot be happy two reasons 376 Wicked haue temporall mercies but no true right before God 4. reasons 382 Wicked haue often some ioy but no cause 4. reasons 414 Wicked how they are heard of God or rather not heard in six particulars 196 Wicked in trouble how he seeks God fiue things 219 Willing and free subiection to God vrged by 3. reasons 365 Word of God limiteth our ioy for matter 419  manner   measure  Good Works cannot merit or iustifie 33 Works of Gods iustice recorded in Scripture for our instruction 185 Word of God must be specially applied 4. reasons 321 FINIS Errata Pag. 19. l. 26. adde Christ teacheth Pag. 24. l. 28. for seat of a debtor reade state of a debtor Pag. 25. l. 12. for are able read are not able to pay Pag. 57. l. 32. for darting reade darling sinnes Pag. 300. l. 3. put out yes Pag. 369. l. 22. for Secondly reade First the very course Elephas or elephantiosis 2. King 15. Rules of inquisition 1. 2. 3. Rules of preuention Rules of cure Verse 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 2. 3. Gal. 1. 6. 1. Proposition Mandatū dei est 1. Probationis  2 Praestationis Prius datū non vt illud facto ipso exequamur sed vt obsequiū probet posterius vt facto ipso illud impleamus Exod. 32. 2. Assumption Pro quibus Christus passus est pro ijs interpellat etiam Spiritus Ambros. li. 5 epist. 23. A communione naturae ad 〈…〉 Obserue All vse of Psalmes must edific Obseru 2. No learning to Dauids learning Vse Doctrine Sinne is an intolerable burden Isay 1. Reasons Vse 1. Vse 2. Quest. Answ. Why men feele not such an heauy burden as sin is Vse 3. Meanes to be disburdened of sinne Obiect Answ. Vse 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obiect Answ. Vse 5. 1. Thess. 5. 14. Vse 6. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Tum tecta peccata dicuntur cum Deus nolit punire August Isa 44. 22. Doctrine Sinne a most odious thing Exod. 32. Rom. 6. 21. Vse 1. Act. 15. Vse 2. Ier. 3. 3. Ier. 2. 26. Vse 3. Doctrin 2. Euery one must get a couer for his sin 2. Vse 1. Vse 2. Obiect Answ. Reuel 3. 18. Meane to get sinne couered Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Doctrin Sinne an infinite debt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Use 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 3. Reasons Obiect Answ. Doct. 1. Pardon of sin maketh an happie man Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Use 1. Sequuntur iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum Obiect Answ. Obiect 2. Answ. Obiect 3. Answ. Obiect 4. Answ. Obiect 5. Answ. Vse 2. Obie ct 1. Answ. Obiect 2. Answ. Obiect 3. Answ. Obiect 4. Answ. Use 3. Vse 4. Answ. Rules to
and wishes of the wicked 2 3. Vse 3. Meanes to be heard in prayer Doct. 2. All acceptable seruice must bee from mercifull men Reas. 1. 2. 3. 4. Quest. Answ. Vse 1. Motiues to mercy Rom. 12. 18. Use 2. Romish religion accursed because so cruell Obiect Answ. Iesuitisme the rebels Catechisme Obiect Answ. 1. 2. 3. Doctr. The true God must onely be inuocated in trouble Reas. 1. 2. 3. Vse 1. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Vse 2. Obiect Answ. Biel in Can. Miss Lect. 8. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Use 3. Vse 4. Obiect Answ. Doct. Praier is a seeking of God Quest. Answ. God is sought in his presence not in his essence Obiect Answ. Quest. Answ. 1. Conditions in seeking God 2. 3. Obiect Answ. 4. 5. Vse 1. Obiect Answ. Use 2. Doct. 2. There is a time wen God will not be found although he be sought Reasons When God is found Obiect Answ. Why the godly themselues alwaies find not God Quest. Answ. Gods delayes to be distinguished from denyalls Vse 1. Peccato grauescit oratio Vse 2. Vse 3. Obiect Answ. Doct. 3. There is a time wherein God will be found of euery godly man seeking him Reason 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Obiect Answ. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Use 3. Vse 2. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Vse 3. Quest. Answ. Certain times when God will be found Motiues to seeke the Lord. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Doct. The greatest iudgement cannot do the godly the least harme Reas. 1. 2. 3. 4. Obiect Answ. Sundry wayes of Gods deliuering of his seruants Psal. 125. 3. Obiect Answ. 1. Difference between the deliuerances of the godly and the wicked in three things 2 3. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. How to be safe in dangers Psal. 18. 24. Doctr. Assurance of deliuerance in trouble from remission of sinnes Reason 1. 2. 3. 4. Obiect Answ. Vse 1. Use 2. Nothing is a mercy but what proceeds from mercy Use 3. Difference betweene the hiding place of the godly man and of other creatures Doctr. God himselfe is the godly mans hiding place Quest. Answ. How God is so Vse 1. Use 2. Quest. Answ. 1. Sam. 23. 11 12. Note Quest. Answ. 1. How to make God our hiding place 2. 3. Quest. Answ. 1. How to know that God is our hiding place 2. 3. 4. Folly of many in danger who run from their hiding places 5. Quest. Answ. Doct. Experience the best teacher Reas. 1. 2. 3. 4. Obiect Answ. Vse Quest. Answ. Three things concurring to make vp experience 1. Knowledge Speciall grounds to be knowne for Christian experience 2. Obseruation 3. Memory Helpes of memorie Motiues to get experience of God Quest. Answ. Why none are more troubled then the godly Doctr. Godly not exempted from trouble but preserued in it Reas. 1. 2. 3. 4 Obiect Answ. How the Church is euer preserued in trouble yea from trouble Vse 2. Summers fruits not condemned for Winters stormes Use 3. Doct. 10 Times of ioy succeed times of sorrow to godly men Reason 1. 2. 4. Sorrowes of the godly like the sorrow of a woman in trauell why 5. Difference betweene Gods smiting of his children and his enemies Vse I. Vse 2. Doct. 2. Songs of praise beseeme seasons of ioy Reas. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Use 1. 1. Meanes and helps to thankfulnesse 2. 3. How to prize Gods mercies Meanes to recall Gods mercies into memorie Use 2. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Motiues to thankfulnesse Many faile in not doing this dutie Enemies to thankfulnesse 1. Carelesnes 2. Slight regard 3. Discontentment 4. Abuse of mercies Others faile in doing it Failings in our best performance of this dutie 1. Thess. 5. 18. Doct. 3. The matter of the godly mans songs must bee spirituall Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Quest. Answ. Doct. True grace is cōmunicatiue Reasons I. 2. 3. Use 1. Motiues to forward one another in grace Prou. 10. 21. Prou. 31. 26. Use. 2. Doct. 1. No man naturally vnderstandeth the things of God without a Teacher See Psal. 14. 3. Reasons 1. 2. Vse 1. Use 2. Use 3. Vse 4. Doct. 2. Gods Word must bee applyed in speciall Reasons 1. 2. Tim. 3. 16. 2. 3. 4. Vse 1. Use 2. Vse 3. Why the godly course is called a way Doctr. Godlinesse is a going in Gods way Reasons 1. 2. 3. Gods way compared with all other waies 4. Use 1. Many by-waies beaten by many Use 2. Quest. Answ. Meanes to know the markes of Gods way Psal. 119. 33. The markes themselues Use 3. Directions how to go in the way of God What to bee done in our falls Doctr. 1. Teachers must make the people to vnderstand the Word and their owne way Vse 1. Use 2. Vse 3. Doctr. 2. A Minister must be a leader by his life and example Vse Doctr. 3. A Pastor must haue his eye vpon his flock to guide them Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Use. Quest. 1. Answ. Quest. 2. Answ. Quest. 3. Answ. Doctr. A brutish propertie not to learne by Gods Word Reasons 1. 2. 3. Use 1. Use 2. Vse 3. Meanes to get vnderstanding Motiues to get vnderstanding Doct. Euery man naturally is obstinate against God and his Word Reasons 1. Ephes. 2. Vse 1. Obiect Answ. Use 2. Motiues to lay aside obstinacy in sinne Obiect Answ. Notes of a man gotten out of obstinacie Doctr. God hath a bridle for vntractable sinners Quest. Answ. Gods bridles what Reason 1. Vse 1. Vse 2. Doctr. The state of an obstinate sinner is accursed Obiect Answ. 1. Difference between the godly and wickeds misery 2. 3. The kinds of the wickeds sorrowes 1. In this life 2. After this life Reasons of all these sorrowes of wicked men 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Vse 1. Vse 2. Quoad reatum omnia peccata sunt paria nisi fiat reconciliatio Luther A true glasse to see thy sinne in Vse 3. Why no wicked man can be happy Quest. Answ. Why God giueth outward things to wicked men Vse 4. Doctr. Hee that trusteth in God shall haue abundant mercie Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Mercies intayled to the godly 1. Temporal Obiect Answ. 2. Spirituall Obiect Answ. Godly neuer more compassed with mercy then when cōpassed with miserie God offreth to teach vs many things by the troubles of his seruants Mercies meeting vs in the life to come 1. Priuatiue 2. Positiue Similes non pares The absolute sufficiencie of future happinesse Reu. 21. 6. Use 1. Obiect Answ. Vse 2. Vse 3. Quest. Answ. How we reioice in the Lord. Doctr. Euery godly man is an vpright man Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Use. Reasons to looke to the vprightnesse of our hearts 1. 2. 3. Quest. Answ. Notes of vprightnesse Doct. Only the godly can soundly reioyce Reasons 1. 2. 1. True causes of sound ioy only among godly men 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Vse 1. Obiect 1. Answ. Obiect Answ. 2. 3. Godly in sorrow want not cause of ioy Why the godly haue lesse ioy in their estate then they neede Use 2. Wicked men haue often some ioy but neuer any sound cause Doct. All the reioycing of godly men ought to be in the Lord. Quest. Answ. How Gods wil limiteth our ioy 1. For the matter 2. Manner 3. Measure 1. 2. 3. Exod. 18. 9. Rom. 1. 8. Philem. 4. 5. Col. 1. 3. Phil. 1. 4. Use. Quest. Answ. Markes of spirituall ioy
Delays of God to bee distinguished from denials 233 Directions and comforts in Gods delays six 235 Sundry wayes of Gods Deliuering his his seruants Difference betweene the deliuerances of the godly and of the wicked in three things 249 Difference betweene trouble of conscience and melancholy in foure things 80 Difference betweene Gods heauie hand on the godly and on the wicked in foure things 103 Difference betweene Christian confession and Popish Auricular in foure things 145 Difference betweene the prayers of the godly and wishes of the wicked in 3. things 197 Difference betweene the godly and wicked in their seeking of God in fiue things 219 Difference betweene the hiding place of the godly of other creatures in two things 258 Difference betweene Gods smiting his children and his enemies in 3. things 1. measure 284  2. intention   3. issue  Difference betweene the godly and wicked mans misery in 4. things 368. Directions to help vs in the considering of our selues three 123 Directions how to goe in the wayes of God six 333 E ENemies to thankefulnes 4. 298 Examples of Gods iudgements no Sabbath-breakers 227 Experience is the best teacher foure reasons 265 Experience of Gods word necessary in euery mans owne person 67 Three things concurre to make vp Experience 268 Exhortations in Scripture to things aboue our present power for foure reasons 346 The Godlies extremitie is Gods opportunity 242 F FAce of God what 220 Many Failings in our best performance of duties of thankefulnes 301 To become fearelesse in troubles three rules 270 Finding of God what when and how 229 God will not be alwayes found of godly seekers two cautions 230 Why the godly alwayes Find not God when they seeke him sixe reasons 231 Godly fayle in Finding when they faile in the conditions of seeking 234 Gods glory findeth out many wayes when he is found of his children 237 Foure especiall seasons when God wil be found 241 Folly of many who in danger runne from their hiding-place 264 Forgiuenesse of sins two wayes 158 Fruits of remission of sinnes three 172 G CHrist our Garment vse of it meanes to put it on 17 Gods Child may hold some parts of Godlinesse for a time and yet not see nor confesse his sinnes 73 A Godly man must become his owne greatest aduersary 150 God is sought in his presence not in his essence 220 Godly finde a want of God in seeking him fiue wayes 225 Godly sometimes left to wickeds crueltie for sundry reasons 248 Godly not exempted from trouble but preserued in trouble foure reasons 274 Godly course called a Way for foure reasons and Gods Way three reasons 326 Godlinesse is a going in Gods way three reasons 326 God bridleth intractable sinners three reasons 361 God must bee yeelded to gently calling foure reasons 362 God bestowes outward gifts on wicked men foure reasons 377 Godly neuer more compassed with mercy then when compassed most with misery three reasons 385 Godly alwayes finde some mercy aboue the present iudgement foure reasons 386 God teacheth foure things by his seruants sufferings 386 Godly man is an vpright man foure reasons 402 Godly onely can soundly reioyce two reason 406 Godly often out of loue with their owne conditions 411 Godly in sorrow want no cause of ioy foure reasons 412 Godly haue often lesse ioy in their estate then they neede two reasons 413 God onely can forgiue sinne foure reasons 29 Godly must see the vilenesse of sinne three reasons 136 Euery Godly man prayeth to the true God onely fine reasons 212 Godly why sometimes seeke God and finde not sixe reasons 238 Grace restraining distinguished from renewing grace by sundry notes brought to foure heads 52 Grace if sound is neuer quite shaken out of the heart 127 Grace is giuen often before the feeling of it 161 Grace onely prayeth for grace sixe reasons 192 Grace if true is communicable three reasons 311 Grace compared to Fire Water a sweet smell Leauen Light and why 313 Greatnesse of the deceit of heart in sundrie things 63 Grounds to bee knowne to raise vp experience 269 Guile of heart in respect of God three instances 44 Guile of spirit in respect of sinne before it be committed in foure instances 46 Guile of spirit after sinne committed in three particulars 47 Guile of spirit in respect of grace sixe instances 49 Guile of spirit in respect of the worke of the word and spirit 51 H HAnd of God how many wayes taken 91 Hand of God must release from trouble 97 God layes an heauie Hand often on his owne deare children seuen reasons 98 Gods heauie Hand no certaine signe of hatred foure reasons 101 Heauy Hand of God lyeth long on many of his deare ones six reasons 104 Happinesse must bee placed in Gods mercy pardoning sinne for sundrie reasons 36 Deceitfull Heart can counterfeit any grace 50 A wicked Heart will deceiue it selfe what way soeuer God deale with it 45 How a deceitfull Heart carrieth it selfe to sinne both before the committing of it and after 46 Godly Heart vtterly shames it selfe that God may be glorified 69 Hatred of sinne distinguished from rash anger against it by sundrie notes 53 Health a speciall blessing of God why 81 The way to bee heard in prayer is to be godly 198 Heart must bee plowed before Gods seed can thriue in it 112 Hiding place of godly is God himselfe two wayes 258 Beasts hide themselues in earth but the Christian in Heauen 260 To make God our hiding-place three practices 261 Not hinderers of grace in others onely but not helpers of the grace of others condemned 315 House of God manifold 222 I IDolatry of the Romish Church as base as heathenish 218 Iesuitisme the Rebels Catechisme 208 Imitation of the Saints how farre 185 Incredible instances of Romish crueltie 207 Inuocate the true God onely in trouble three reasons 211 Sound Ioy hath eight causes all proper to the godly 406 Ioy of godly men shall breake out at length as the Sunne from vnder a cloud three reasons 412 Our chiefe Ioy must bee in the chiefe good 421 Christian Ioy and sorrow may and must stand together foure reasons 87 Iudging ones selfe the manner and parts 149 The greatest Iudgement can not doe the godly the leastharme foure reasons 246 L NO learning to DAVIDS learning 3 Light of God by which himselfe will be found twofold 223 Loue to Gods children knowne to bee sincere by fiue markes 54 M MArkes to know whether euer a man had the Spirit of God or no. 131 Markes of Gods way fiue 332 Markes of spirituall Ioy fiue 422 Markes of that sence of misery that shall finde mercy sixe 114 Meanes to be disburdened of sinne 01 Of Sanctification 15 To get sinne couered foure 19 To keepe the heart in good order eight 64 Of the spirits preuailing against flesh foure 133 Of sound hatred of our owne sinnes foure 155 To be heard in prayer 199 To helpe forward thankefulnesse three 289 Meanes
to recall Gods mercies into memory two 291 To helpe vs in singing to God foure 308 To know our selues in Gods way foure 332 To get vnderstanding foure 350 Of assurance of remission of sinnes fiue 174 To helpe memory of good things foure 270 Mercy of God twofold 230 Mercy manifested to any one must bee of vse to euery one reasons foure 183 Mercy which must attend prayer stands in three things 201 Nothing is Mercy but what proceeds from mercy 256 Mercies of God how to be prized fiue rules 290 Mercies of God towards the godly enlarged in three seuerall kindes 381 Mercies spirituall in this life reduced to sixe heads 382 Mercies meeting the Saints in the life to come distinguished into one Priuatiue two Positiues 387 Mercies positiue in the life to come reduced to three heads 388 Ministry that setteth mens sinnes plainely before them to be reuerenced 139 Minister must haue a flame in his owne heart that must kindle another 176 A good Minister must be a good man 182 Minister must be a leader as well as an instructer foure reasons 339 Misery of a wicked man who cannot pray in foure things 195 Motiues not to runne in further debt with God foure 27 To sincerity seuen 60 To diligent custodie of the heart foure 61 To get a sence of our spirituall mysery foure 115 To consider of our wayes and estates fiue 120 To mercifulnesse fiue 202 To seeke the Lord foure 293 To get experience of God three 271 To Thankefulnesse fiue 294 To call one another forward in grace three 319 To get vnderstanding foure 352 To lay aside obstinacy in sinne fiue 356 Musicke in Gods seruice and the rules 305 N NAturall men to be pitied 320 Naturall men obstinat against God and his word 353 Naturall man vnderstandeth nothing of God and his word without a teacher three reasons 311 Notes of a sincere heart foure 57 Of godly sorrow fiue 83 Notes or attendants of sound confession nine 148 Notes of a man discharged of his sinnes 172 Notes to know when a man maketh God his hiding-place foure 262 Notes of a man gotten out of obstinacy fiue 358 Nothing shall preuaile against godly men to their hurt 277 O OBiections for humane merites answered fiue 33 Obiections to prooue that one wicked man cannot conuert another answered 180 Obiections why men should not be so precise answ 190 Obiections for praying to Angels 214 Obiections for inuocating Saints departed 215 Obiections against certaintie of saluation answ 35 Obiections of the troubled heart not finding God so comfortably as it desireth resolued 290 Obiections terrifying from godly life answered 409 Obseruations to helpe forward experience 269 Obstinacie ariseth out of fiue causes 354 In the Old Testament the Sword and Word might better concurre in one person then in the new 310 No Ordinances of God bring any true ioy to wicked men proued by sixe instances 415 P PAtience sundry wayes vrged from consideration of Gods hand 46 And from the shortnesse of time 285 Pardon of sinne maketh an happie man foure reasons 31 Pardon of sinne must be certainly beleeued 35 Pardon belongs onely to penitent Confessors sixe reasons 167 Pastour must haue his eye on his flocke foure reasons 340 Patternes of mercie to bee im'tated 203 People must indure speciall application of the Word 324 People must diligently attend to things taught three reasons 338 Plague of wicked men not to bee heard in prayer foure reas 236 Popish positions trumpets to rebellion and treason 208 Practices contrary to sound confession of sinne 137 Prayer is a seeking of God 220 Presence of God both of Power and grace euer with his children 276 Gods Preseruation is Mediat or Immediat 273 Priuiledges of such as whose sinnes are remitted 257 Promises of deliuerance true when godly seeme most left in their enemies hands foure wayes 249 Gods promise limiteth the measure and his prouidence limiteth the time of his childrens trouble 275 Properties of true trust in God foure 392 All vse of Psalmes must edifie 2 Q Quest. VVHy men feele not the heauy burden of sinne foure reas 8 How sinne can be couered seeing God cannot but see it 14 How good men may comfort themselues discouering the deceit of their owne hearts 51 Why wicked men feele not so great a burden of sinne vnpardoned as the godly of pardoned sinnes 78 How the body commeth to bee troubled by the minde two reas 79 Why all the godly are not alike terrified by sinne three reasons 79 How a man may know his sorrow to be godly 84 How Christian ioy and sorrow may stand together 87 How Afflictions euill in themselues can be the hand of God fiue wayes 93 How they be the hand of God when the Deuils hand or wicked mens be in them 94 How a man in crosses may looke at second causes 95 Why the Lord layeth so heauy things on his children seuen reas 99 How long and tedious afflictions are short and momentany in fiue respects 107 How a man by confession can make his sinnes knowne to God who knowes them before 141 Why we must confesse to God that which God knoweth already three reasons 142 How Confession can be sound before sinne be pardoned seeing nothing is acceptable before pardon of sin 161 How can faith be a full perswasion when it is not perfect answered in sixe conclusions 163 Whether God cannot pardon sinne without the condition of Repentance and godly sorrow 168 How Remission of sinnes is free seeing we cannot haue it without condition of Faith Repentance Confession c 170 Whether Christ died for all and euery particular man 171 Whether an vnregenerate man may saue and conuert a soule 177 How can a man pray and obtaine the holy Ghost who hath him alreadie 193 Whether a wicked man may pray seeing if he doe it is sinne if hee doe not it is no lesse 195 How God heareth or rather heareth not wicked men 196 Whether Romane Religion be not of God being so prospered so strong so embraced and defended by the great Kings of the earth 209 Why the Kingdom of Antichrist hath taken so deepe roots in the world or somany ages foure reas 210 Why none are more troubled then godly men 274 How the Church is euer preserued in trouble and from it 276 How we can seeke or finde God who is neuer absent but euery where present 220 Whether a man hath free will to change himselfe 345 Who is a righteous man 397 Why and how sinners are called righteous and perfect 4. reas 398 Why godly men are called vpright in heart 3. reasons 399 How we are said to reioyce in the Lord namely when our ioy hath fiue properties 401 How we may lawfully reioyce in outward things 417 R REasons why God will only pardon sins of such as are godlysorrowfull six 168 Reasons to looke to vprightnesse of heart three 403 Reioycing of godly men ought to be in the Lord 3. reas 417 Religion vpset and vpheld