such faire warning to avoyd the stroke of his sword drawne out against us For wherefore doth hee not destroy us Is it for want of desart on our part No doubtlesse he findeth just cause to proceede against us and hee is of infinite power to punish us The Prophet teacheth Num. 11.23 Esay 59.1 that his hand is not weakned as though he could not strike us neither is his arme shortned as though hee could not reach us Esa 59.1 v. Secondly if any man bee overtaken with any judgement he must know thus much that certainely God was true and that his purpose was we should prevent it or else he would never have given warning of it There is no man that can justly say that the silence of God is the cause of his security for Gods manner is never to come with any judgement and to discharge a whole volly of shot but he alwayes sendeth a warning peece before But you will say we have no Prophets to foretell Ob. they are all gone it is not with us as it was in former times Answ To this I make answer as our Saviour saith of the rich man in the Gospell that his brethren had both Moses and the Prophets among them Luk. 16.29.31 when indeed both Moses and the Prophets were all dead long before but his meaning was that they had the bookes of Moses and the writings of the Prophets before them So may I say that wee have the Prophets and Apostles still among us I meane we have the holy Scriptures wherein are contained the workes of the Prophets and of the Apostles and besides these God hath given to us his Ministers that they might as it were put life againe into the dead Prophets that they might open and declare unto us those things which are doubtfull and obscure and therefore if any man be admonished by these that judgements shall certainly come let him take heed he withstand not the Spirit of God for it is as true and evident as if the Prophets and Moses himselfe were alive and uttered these threatnings and it is the wonderfull goodnesse of God that hee will foretell us of his judgements and after a sort send them home to our owne hearts Our consciences tell us that wee are guilty of those sinnes which have formerly beene reprooved and whereof we have beene forewarned let us therefore conclude with our selves that it is the mercy of God that hee doth threaten hell and judgements unto us as well as promise heaven and happinesse and let us blesse his name in our hearts that he hath granted such a gracious warning unto us and endeavour to breake off our sinnes that so hee may bee pleased to proceede no farther with his judgements against us Lastly this dealing of God must provoke us to repentance and to turne unto God Rom. 2.4 2 Pet. 3.13 because his patience serveth to leade us to repentance Rom. 2.4 The daies of his patience last long but they are not everlasting if we repent not Let us meete him betimes while hee is in the way before he approach nearer unto us and come upon us Sinne separateth betweene him and us and maketh God our utter enemy Let us make an attonement with him before his wrath burne like fire True it is he beareth long but if we greeve his Spirit we shall beare his indignation and our owne condemnation whosoever we be He forbeareth long but he will not alwaies forbeare Exod. 34.6 he will come speedily and suddainly upon us The longer he is in drawing his bow the deeper do his arrowes pierce Thus much of the generall doctrine Yet forty daies Before we come to the cheefe point offered to our considerations in these words Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intiellgit post 40. dies non intrà ut quidavolunt Vide Drusij Lection a question may bee demanded how this threatning standeth with the truth of God and the issue and event of the matter mentioned in the end of this prophesy to pronounce such a dreadfull sentence against a City and the inhabitants thereof which tooke not that effect or shall wee thinke that God changed his minde to propose that which he purposed not and doth not the Scripture teach us that he is unchangable and no shaddow of turning with him I answer the threatnings of God are oftentimes conditionall though the condition be not expressed as appeareth in the last verse of the 3. Chapter Chap. 3.10 God repented of the Evill that he had said that he would doe unto them and he did it not True it is he might have destroyed them justly for their crying sins if it had pleased him Chap. 1.2 seeing their wickednesse was come up before him calling for judgement and it had beene as easy for him to have sent a destroying Angell to overturne them as a preaching Prophet to turne them unto him From hence wee learne Doct. 2 that the threatnings of God and denouncing of his judgements are not absolute but conditionall toward his people Gods threatnings are conditionall Gen. 6.3 1 Pet. 3.20 1 Cor. 6.9.10 Eph. 5.5 they containe an exception and limitation except they repent and amend their waies The condition is understood So it was to the old world Their daies were an hundred and twenty yeares which S. Peter calleth the time of his patience while the Arke was preparing See the same 2 King 20.1 Gen. 20.3 Mic. 3.12 and Ier. 26.18 Sometimes it is expressed as Lu. 13.3.5 Re. 2.5 Let us see some reasons Reason 1 First because after threatnings if we repent and lay them to our hearts it causeth forgivenesse and blotting of our sinnes out of his remembrance For sinne the cause of Gods judgements being removed Ezek. 33.14 c. the effect will cease as Ezek. 33. If I say to the wicked you shall dye the death if he turne from his sinne and doe that is lawfull and right none of his sinnes that he hath committed shall be mentioned he shall live and not die Secondly God is a God of long sufferance and much patience ready to forgive and receive to mercy yea in judgement to remember mercy as 2 Sam. 24 16. and Hab. 3.2 when once we turne unto him Ier. 3.22 and 33.20 as Ier. 3. O ye disobedient children returne and I will heale your rebellion and Chap. 31. when Ephraim after his corrections lamented saying Thou hast chastened me and I was chastened as a Bullocke unaccustomed to the Yoke surely after that I was turned I repented the Lord answered My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him he is my deare sonne he is my pleasant child Thirdly it is a speciall end and purpose why God doth denounce his judgements and threaten his plagues that we should repent and so that he might repent therefore they are not absolute but limited with condition except we change and amend And thus did the King of Nineveh understand
this in the consideration of the power of God how we erre two waies In time of adversity we contract it and make it to little as if he could not do so much as he had promised and we cannot beleeve more then we see Numb 11.4.13.21.22.23 Psal 78.19 neither can looke beyond the ordinary meanes as Numb 11. with Psal 78. they spake against God saying Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse Yea Moses himselfe spake unadvisedly with his lippes Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people whereunto the Lord answereth by way of reproofe Is the Lords hand waxed short thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe unto thee or not So in the seige of Samaria a noble person on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God who had prophesied of great plenty If the Lord would make windowe in heaven 2 King 7.2 might this thing be but when men live in peace and plenty how many do extend his power too farre and encourage themselues in the excesse of all ungodlinesse and propha esse of life because he is able to pardon their sinnes though they be never so great and there upon harden their hearts and gather that they need not make conscience of any thing Thus upon a firme foundation they build a false conclusion The like we may say of the presence of God When we have all that heart can desire that we prosper in the world and encrease in riches we dreame we must needs be highly in Gods favour and that he is present with us with his grace but when we are plagued and chastened every morning how do we presently conceive that he is departed farr from us that he hath forgotten to here us and will remember us no more Eâ—ccl 9. but no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them and if sinne do not seperate betweene us and our God Esay 59.1.2 his hand is not shortned that he cannot save neither his eare heavy that he cannot heare Lastly touching the second branch hence ariseth a reproofe of such wicked and envious men that will never remember any good thing or any grace of God that appeareth in his faithful servants unlesse it be to lessen them discredit them mock and scoffe at them and to deride them as Ismael did at Isaac Gen. 21.9 as Michal did at David 2 Sam. 6.20 Nay there be some so fowle-mouthed and corrupt hearted if they can find nothing whereby to defame them they will inuent and devise matter out of their owne braine See the partialily of these brainsicke men and the difference betweene God and them for first though they see never so much grace the way to glory shine in the servants of God they passe it over and will take no notice thereof Secondly what blemish defect or infirmity so ever be in them they bruit it and blaze it abroad no time no place no company is free but they ring of them they proclaime and publish them in every place before every person at every meeting and they will be sure to adde something of their own beyond the truth And what marveil is it if being evill theÌ„selues they speake evill of others Thirdly they can readily passe over the foule spottes and prophanesse not onely in themselues Malèdeme loquuntur sed malâ— Sen. but in their owne crue and companions because therein they have oftentimes themselues a great and principall hand and therefore they see the discrediting of them tendeth to their owne reproch Fourthly if there be the least civill vertue breake out of the ungodly that they after a sort stumble upon them accidentally rather then purposely and that but once or if it be onely a shadow of vertue appeare in any of their fellowes O how they praise and applaud them they light up a candle to see them and they blow a trumpet for men to heare of them In all which they shew themselues contrary to God for he passeth over the frailties and infirmities of such as feare him and have given their hearts unto him though sometimes they stumble and fall as we see in Iob. Iob. 42. Iam. 5.11 1 King 15.5 Math. 13.31.8 25.23 12.20 42.8 Iam. 5.11 and in David 1 King 15.5 and wheresoever he seeth any grace to grow though it be as little as agraine of mustardsecd if he encrease but two talentes or bring forth only thirty fold if they be but as the smoking flaxe or as the bruised reed he accepteth it maketh much of it highly commendeth it On the other side he hateth and abhorreth wickednesse as he loveth righteousnesse and albeit the ungodly have the glory and applause of the world because the world will love his owne yet will he bring upon them shame and perpetuall contempt And God repented of the evill that he had said Albeit the threatning against this citie expressed no condition Doct. God is merciful to all pâ—nitent sinners as we have already declared yet we see in this place by the issue and event that it included it As the threatning denounced was very fearefull so the fruit of their repentance was as joyfull This teacheth that God is mercifull and gratious to all penitent sinners he turneth their mourning into mirth and all their heavinesse into laughter All such as truely repent them of their sinnes shall find pardon forgivenesse at his hands as Ezek. 18. Ezek. 18.21 If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and do that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live and shall not die Thus in sundry places we are cummanded to turne to God and then he promiseth to turnt to us to save us Ioel. 2 12.13 Ier. 31.18 Lam. 5.21 Hereunto come sundry examples of Manasses 2 Chro. 33. of Paul Act. 9. of the Iewes that crucified the Lord of life Act. 2. The like I might say of sundry others The reasons Reas 1 First No penitent person ever perished from the foundation of the world to this present neither shall from this present to the end of the world God which cannot lie hath promised grace to the humble and and contrite heart Repentance is as a table on which we take hold after shipwracke to bring us safe and sound to land Nosinne is unpardonable if the sinner could repent no not the sinne against the holy Ghost Secondly Gods mercy is above all his workes he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust he is slow to anger and of great kindnesse Psal 103. Thirdly he hath shewed some mercy in a temporall deliverance for a temporall repentance 2 King 21.27 as we see in Ahab who obtained the respite of punishent when he had but an outward humiliation 2 King 21. if wicked Ahab who did sell himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight to the Lord repenting with fasting
sackcloth God deferred his judgment threatned how much more shall true repentance obtaine the love and favour of God and blot out all our offences out of his sight From hence arise sundry uses Vse 1 First from the nature of contraries we learne that to such as continue in sinne and have hearts that cannot repent there is no mercy to be looked for because they treasure up vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds And therefore the Apostle saith Vnto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath Revel 2.5 tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evill of the Iew first and also of the Gentile Woe then to all such as lie in sinne and please not God they fill up their sinnes alway and his wrath shall come upon them to the uttermost True it is every unrepentant sinner can say the Lord is mercifull and Christ is the Saviour of the world but to whom is he mercifull and whom will he save Not every one that can say Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of the father which is in heaven To this purpose consider these few rules First God hath made no promise in all the Scripture to impenitent persons Search the Scriptures for in them ye looke to have eternall life but in the whole volume of that booke ye shall not find one line or letter that will minister comfort to the soule that continueth in evill doing Secondly they deceive themselues that looke for mercy that lie under wrath and see not their owne misery Indeed there is promise of mercy yea sundry promises in every Prophet and in the writings of the Apostles but they are made to the penitent The Lord God hath no pleasure at all that the wicked should die but then they must returne from their owne waies Ezek. 18.21.23 that they may live he will put all their wickednesse out of his remembrance but first they must turne from all their sinnes that they have committed and do that which is lawfull and right he hath promised to draw neere unto them Iam. 4.8.10 but then they must draw neere unto him yea they must clense their hands and purifie their hearts he hath said he will lift them up but first they must humble themselues in the sight of the Lord. Thirdly Christ Iesus is a Saviour but he saveth none but such as are his people none are his people but such as beleeve in him and none beleeve in him but those whose hearts are purified by faith Except we be new creatures let us never say we are in Christ or that he is a Saviour unto us he hath wrought the great worke of redemption and paid a deare price to ransome us his own pretious blood but let us remember and never forget that he gave himselfe for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquity Tit. 2.14 and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Tit. 2. Lastly consider that notwithstanding the shield sheiter of the mercy of God to which every man runneth he hath brought sundry both generall and particular judgments upon the children of disobedience and his wrath hath beene revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Rom. 1.18 who no doubt builded with the untempered morter of supposed mercy but were swallowed up with his justice Such were the old world who no doubt set up an Idol all made of mercy but they found him to be a God of justice Such were the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrah with the rest of the plaine Gen. 19. Such were Pharaoh and the Egyptians that pursued Israel to the red Sea and infinite others Nay see how God hath whipped his owne children Pro. 11.31 1 Pet. 4.17.18 and scourged them with greevous chastisements as we see in David and other Saints if judgment have begun at Gods owne house what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel of God and if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare Secondly hence ariseth matter of much comfort to the humble and contrite spirit that is weary and heavy laden with the waight and burden of his sinnes lying heavy upon his conscience Math. 11.28.29 Nothing indeed can come hereby to the impenitent that is to the obstinate and wilfull offender thaâ— resolveth to continue in his sinne neither can he looke for any thing but judgement that hangeth over his head and lyeth at the dore but to the humble and repentant sinner there are a thousand comforts a treasury of mercies laid up in store for him to keepe preserue him from doubting and despaire Such Christ Iesus calleth unto him embraceti them in the armes of his mere that they should not be dismaied all the multitude or greatnesse of their sinnes but rather lay hold upon the multitude and greatnesse of his mercies which are infinite higher then the heavens broader then the Seas deeper then the earth and surmount all the sinnes which they have committed O what comfort is it to a sicke man lying and languishing upon the bed of sorrow to heare of a certaine and Soveraigne medicine a present and effectuall remedy of his discase and ought it not to find rest in our soules when we are willed to come to Christ the Physitian of the soule ought it not to be as marrow unto our bones and bring peace to our soules forasmuch as his yoke is easie and his burden light Who ever came penitently unto him and weat away heavily or discomfortably Suet. in vita Titirespatâ—c If it were the saying of a great Prince that none should depart from his presence heavy-hearted how much more may we be assured it is the voyce of the King of kings that no penitent person shall ever go from him without grace and favour comfortlesse Repentance is a salve that healeth all the woundes of the soule Search into the examples of all the Saints from the beginning of the word What was it turned Noahs drunkennesse into sobriety Gen. 9.25 19. cum 2 Pet. 2.8 1 Tim. 1.13 2 Chro. 33.12 Esay 11.9 Repentance What changed the unnaturall lust and excesse of Lot into eleannesse and purity repentance What was it that cast Manasseth Paul and many others into a new mould and of oppressors persecuters blasphemers made them meeke and gentle as Lambes repentance No man was ever saved without repentance for finall impenitency bringeth damnation Damnation is a necessary effect of divine justice from the just God brought upon vniust offenders Such sinners and transgressours can have no peace with God without reconcilement there is no reconcilement without remission no remission without Christ no Christ without faith no faith without repentance Woe
the punishment the sin would never trouble or torment them but thus Caine repented Gen. 4.13 who cryed out My punishment is greater then I can beare Besides what contrition or compunction of heart soever they may have it is but as a flash of lightning it is not constant it is not constant it is not joyned with an unfained desire to forsake sinne and to turne unto the Lord neither with any perswasion of Gods goodnesse and mercy in Christ Iesus To conclude we may be assured of true repentance and of our turning to God by these three infallible tokens first when we can say before the Lord How to be assured that our repentance and sorrow are true that there is no sinne but we doe as heartily desire never to commit it and as unfainedly crave of God to give us strength to leave and forsake it as we desire he would not plague and punish us for it Every man desireth to be freed and exempted from the punishment happy are we if we have as great a desire to be freed from the sinne Secondly when we as earnestly crave and covet to forsake sinne as we desire that God would forgive us our sinnes and not impute them unto us Lastly when we as truly hate sinne as we desire to be partakers of eternall Glory in the kingdome of heaven These are unfallible signes of true repentance and turning unto God which were never found in any wicked man in any age of the world neither indeed can be Secondly must all repent and amend their lives as the onely meanes and remedy which God hath appointed to turne backe his judgments then it is necessary for us to know what we are by nature or of our selues that we may learne what is our owne and what is not our owne For we shall never returne unto God untill we know how far we are turned from him neither come into the right way till we heare how farre we are gone out of it nor will we labour to reforme our lives untill we know how much we are deformed nor become wise in God untill we see our owne folly Math. 9.12 The whole saith Christ need not the Physition Rules touching tonuersion but they that are sicke Now that we may search throughly into our selues and make an Anatomy of our soules and plowgh up the ground of our hearts let us obserue these few rules following The first rule First every man that commeth of Adam and issueth out of his loines as all mankind doth is guilty of his sinne and disobedience in eating of the forbidden fruit And if we had no inherent sinne of our owne this imputed sinne of his were enough to condemne us for we even we our selues in his loynes did eate of the forbidden fruit we beleeved not God we hearkned to Satan we were seduced and deceived as well as he In this the proverbe holdeth true Ezek. 18.2 which is justly reproved in the Iewes The fathers have eaten sowre grapes the childrens teeth are set on edge This the Apostle teacheth at large Rom. 5. Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world death by sinne Now this sinne of Adam passeth to his posterity be two meanes by imputation and propagation The punishments which all men suffer do plainely argue that the sinne of Adam is imputed to us therefore he addeth in the next wordes Death passed upon all men for that all have sinned to wit in him But because this rule is not easily yeelded unto but we are ready to say with Nicodemus How can these things be Iohn 3. and with the Disciples that followed him This is an hard saying who can here it Iohn 6.60 We will propound and answer a few objections Ob. that may seeme to stand in the way contradict the former rule First it may be alleaged We were then unborne and lived many thousand yeares after him how then can his sinne be ours more then ours be his How then can we be guilty in that respect before God I answer Answ that the sinne of Adam was not onely personall neither did he sinne as a singular person but as carrying all mankind in the stocke and originall no otherwise then our Saviour satisfying for us on the crosse hath not satisfied for us as a private person but as sustaining and representing the whole Church in the head as 2 Cor. 5. If one died for all all likewise were dead 2 Cor. 5.15 Rom. 6.6.8 and Rom. 6. We are dead with Christ crucified with him If then we died in Christ dying and were likewise crucified with him who can doubt but it may be said that we sinned in Adam For if the righteousnesse and satisfaction of the second Adam be imputed to us why shall not the sin of the first Adam in like manner be imputed especially seeing the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed unto us that the sin of Adam might not be imputed unto us And besides the sacred recordes of holy Scripture doth not this accord with good reason For inasmuch as Adam received good things not for himselfe alone as we do but for his posterity it is not to be marveiled at if being spoyled or rather spoyling himselfe of these good things he lost them for himselfe his posterity If a man be capitally punished for high treason against his Prince and forfeit his estate and be thereby brought to poverty his children also have their blood stained and loose their nobility Even as he that is borne of Parents infected with the Leprosie draweth from them like contagion so it is with such as are borne of Adam out of his loynes issueth a naturall deprauation and contagion So then we must consider that we are all Adams seed and posterity he was the common father of us all whatsoever he receiued it was for himselfe and his posterity and whatsoever gift he lost he lost them for himselfe and all his posterity Calu. justit lib. 2. cap. 1. as it is said that Levi payed tithes in Abraham albeit by his office he received tithes Heb. 7.9 Religion and the image of God in which he was created if he had stood fast in his estate had beene hereditary and entailed to his posterity as an inheritance to be conveied from the father to the children but when he fell from God Gen. 5.3 he is said to beget a sonne in his owne likenesse after his owne image not in the image of God This the Apostle toucheth in many places Rom. Rom. 1.14.15 16.17.18.19 5. Death riegned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression And againe Through the offence of one many be dead And againe The judgment was by one to condemnation And againe by one mans offence death reigned by one And againe By the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation And againe by one mans disobedience many were made sinners
sanctifieth all Gods creatures unto our use It obtaineth a good right and title to them and a blessing upon them 1 Tim. 4.5 Our callings our labours our actions and the workes of our hands are sanctified by it as Psal 127. Except the Lord keepe the City Psal 127.1.2 the watch-man waketh but in vaine it is in vaine for you to rise up early to sit up late to eate the bread of sorrowes c. Seing these things be thus that these be the fruits of prayer Ezr. 9.6.10.11.13 Neh. 9.32.33 Psal 79.8.9 80.3 Dan. 9.7.8.18.19 let us put it in practise and double our zeale and never cease to follow the example of this Dresser to cry to the Lord for our brethren Lord let them alone this yeare also spare thy people and give them not over into the hands of the destroyer we are ashamed and blush to lift up our faces to thee O our God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespasses are growne up unto the heavens And now O our God what shall we say after this for we have forsaken thy Commandements which thou hast commanded and all this evill is come upon us for our evill deedes and for our great trespasses for asmuch as thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserue Now therfore O our God the great the mighty and the terrible God who keepest Covenant and mercy let not all the troubles which are most heavy upon us and our chiefe Cities seeme little before thee howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly and dealt foolishly and frowardly with thee O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low helpe us O God of our Salvation for the glory of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sinnes for thy names sake wherefore should the enemies of the Gospel say where is their God turne us againe O God and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved O Lord God of hostes how long wilt thou be angry against the prayers of thy people O Lord righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces to our Princes to our fathers to our people incline thine eare and heare open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the City which is called by thy name For we doe not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord hearken and doe deferre not for thine owne sake for the City and thy people are called by thy name Now is the time of this humiliation now God calleth to us to call upon him now is the time of trouble and affliction Let us give him no rest you that are the Lords remembrancers stand in the breach which his right hand hath made Numb 16.48 as it were betweene the living and the dead let us never give over neither let him alone untill we have received a gratious answer that our iniquities be pardoned his present judgments removed and his ancient favours recovered Till I shall digge about it and dung it The labour of the Lord of the Vineyard hath beene before expressed so that the complaint of the Prophet may be renewed Esay 40.4 53.1 65.23 I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine and in another place who hath beleeved our report Doct. and againe I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people which walke in a way that is not good We must have hope touching the salvation of others albeit they runne aâ— stray yet the barren fig-tree is not forsaken and given over so long as there is any hope but the Dresser wil still be digging about it and dunging of it This teacheth that we must not despaire of the salvation of any howsoever they have long gone astray We see this in the example of Manasses he built altars for all the host of heaven he caused his children to passe through the fire he used Witch-craft and enchantment he dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizards 2 Chro. 33.5.6 he shed innocent blood very much till he had filled Ierusalem from one end to another and wrought much evill in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger yet the Lord was intreated of him 2 King 21.16 and heard his supplication when he had learned by wofull experience that the Lord was God Act. 2.37 10.11.12.13.14.15 Thus it was with those that crucified the Lord of life they were pricked in their hearts and had Salvation preached vnto them Hereunto commeth the vision of Peter he saw heaven opened and a certaine vessel descending unto him as it had beene a great sheet knit at the foure corners wherein were all manner of foure-footed beasts of the earth wild beasts and creeping things and soules of the aire and there came a voyce to him Rise Peter kill and eate And when he refused because he had never eaten any thing that is common or uncleane the same voyce answered What God hath clensed that call not thou vncleane This was the interpretation of the vision that which is uncleane God is able to cleanse Paul before his conversion was a blasphemer and a persecuter and a great oppressour 1. Tim. 1.13 but he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly through unbeleefe The Gentiles wandred many yeares even thousands of yeares in superstition and Idolatry yet at length when the time of their conversion was come Gen. 9.27 Ioh. 10.16 God perswaded Iapheth to come and dwell in the tents of Shem Gen. 9. and our Saviour speaking of them saith Other sheepe I have 2 Tim. 2.25 which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shall be one fold and one shepheard So the servant of the Lord must not strive but be patient and gentle unto all proving if God will give them repentance The reasons are plaine First Reason 1 because God calleth at all houres of the day who hoth the times and seasons in his owne power Math. 20.3.5 6. some at the third some at the sixt some at the ninth and some at the eleventh houre and we have a notable example thereof in the penitent theefe converted by the powerfull word of Christ upon the Crosse Luc. 23.34 he that was running a pace to hell hath promise to be carried into Paradise whereby the common proverbe is verified if in any thing else that he runneth far which never returneth Secondly God waiteth the time that he may be gracious unto us Esay 30.18 and have mercy upon us for he is a God of judgment and blessed are all they that wait for him Esay 30. ought not we therefore to follow his example and to hearken who will
hand Ioh. 10.28 or who shall fight against his Sheepe and the Flocke of his pasture and prevaile This the Prophet teacheth Ier. 2.3 Israel was holinesse unto the Lord and the first fruits of his increase all that devoure him shall offend evill shall come upon them saith the Lord. Ier. Iob 1.3 2 3. The Sheepe of Job are reckoned in the account of his substance so are Gods Sheepe a part of his substance which he chose to himselfe so great is the kindnesse and mercy of God toward us For why doth hee take them for his Sheepe and let the rest goe as Goats being by nature no better Is it any worthinesse or excellency in them before others Rom. 2.12 19. No we are all gone out of the way there is none that doth good no not one that every mouth might be stopped and that all the world may become guilty before God Is it for their multitude Iohn 14.6 No they are called by Christ in this place a little Flocke and hee is the truth it selfe that speaketh it Thus Moses sheweth that the Lord did not set his love upon Israel neither chuse them because they were moe in number then any people Deut. 7.7 For they were the fewest of all people Deut. 7.7 Is it for their strength might and power they have Ezek. 16.5 6. No he found them weake and wallowing in their blood none eye pittied them to have compassion upon them so that wee may not say in our hearts Deut. 8.17 18. My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth but wee must remember the Lord our God for it is he from whom wee receive all good things What then is it because we are more righteous The Israelites are charged not to speake so in their hearts Deut. 9.4 5. Deut. 9.4 5. because It was not for their righteousnesse or uprightnesse of heart that they entred to possesse the Land but for the wickednesse of those Nations which were driven out before them Who is it among the sonnes of men that will not spend land and limme and life it selfe to defend that which hee hath bought and purchased with a great price and at a deare rate And will not God defend and avenge his Children whom he knew to be his before the foundation of the world was laid though they bee oppressed for a time and he beare long with the vessels of wrath who cry out against them Downe with them downe with them even to the ground 2 Tim. 2.19 Rom. 11.1 2 3 howbeit the foundation remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and hee will not cast off the care of them for ever Fourthly here is matter offered unto us to stirre our hearts to thanksgiving considering the infinite mercy of God toward us who hath vouchsafed to make choise of us to be his Sheepe passing by so many thousands in the world Of this duty the Prophet putteth us in minde arising from this doctrine Psal 100. Psal 100.3 4. It is the Lord that hath made us and not we ourselves for we are his people and the Sheepe of his pasture What followeth he maketh this use thereupon Enter into his Gates with thankesgiving and into his Courts with praise be thankefull unto him and blesse his Name It is no small token of his love toward us to make us to be his Sheep that are by nature Lyons Leopards Beares Bulls Dogs Psal 22.12 13 16 21. Matth. 15.26 Wolves and wild Beasts and what not Is not his love who loved us first worth our love to him againe If it be a great blessing that we are made to bee reasonable men how much greater is it to be received and regarded as his owne inheritance then which nothing is dearer to him nothing ought to be better to us The unfaithfull are the worke of God by naturall generation but they are the new-worke of God by spirituall regeneration It is not our owne free will that can frame and fashion us to be the people of God for then we might say It is we our selves that have made us and not the Lord. Particular branches of thankfulnesse This thankfulnesse consisteth not in words onely but in divers other particular branches noted by the Prophet in that place First let us give to him our hearts that our tongues may bee guided thereby let us first offer him all that is within us and then all that is without us will follow also for other worship God accepteth not In vaine they worship him Matth. 15.8 that draw neere unto him with their mouth and honour him with their lippes when their hearts are farre from him Secondly we must never bee ashamed to praise the Lord and to confesse his wonderfull workes to the children of men We see how men are not ashamed to sinne before the Lord openly publikely proudly presumptuously and prophanely and they blush at nothing but at godlinesse prayer profession hearing the Word and such like workes of Christian piety These men glory in their owne shame Phil. 3.19 Ier. 6.15 but they are ashamed of their glory nay of Gods glory and even of their owne good Thirdly the service which we performe to God wee must yeeld willingly readily joyfully 2 Cor. 9.6 and with a glad heart for hee loveth a cheerefull giver Thankes constrained or wrung and wrested from us are rejected of God Wee must give unto him backe againe as he giveth to us But how is that and in what manner bestoweth he upon us hee giveth us his gifts freely we must therefore returne to him our thankes frankly Lastly he calleth us to the assembly of his Saints which he nameth the Court and presence of God which was the place appointed for his publike service and worship Indeed God is not confined to a certaine place Act. 7.48 Iohn 4.21 neither is there any place wherein he is not to bee worshipped neverthelesse such as are indued with true faith must follow the communion of the Saints as Sheepe that feed not alone but with their fellowes Gods Sheepe and servants must shew themselves in the publike Assemblies being publikely thankefull for publike benefits received at his mercifull hands Psal 84.10 considering that one day in a his Courts is better then a thousandelsewhere Fiftly all that are Pastors and Teachers under Christ are bound to feed the Flocke that dependeth upon them They are Vnder-shepheards as it were Christs Vicars or Curates hee is the great Shepheard of our soules to whom the rest must be subject for the Sheepe are his This use is gathered from the exhortation that Paul giveth to the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20. Take heed unto your selves and to all the Flocke Act. 20.28 over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne blood Where he reasoneth thus It is the Flock of
of man what is that proverbe that yee have in the Land of Israel saying The dayes are prolonged and every vision faileth Tell them therefore thus saith the Lord God I will make this proverbe to cease they shall use it no more but say to them The daies are at hand the word that I speake shall not be prolonged for in your dayes O rebellious house will I say the word and in your daies I will performe it saith the Lord God Let us therefore stirre up our selves to repentance and amendment of life to prevent his wrath least we rushing on in sinne doe rush into our destruction Thirdly if God threaten and there follow no repentance be well assured that which he hath threatned shall come to passe Gen. 15.16 Gen. 15.16 the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full but when they had filled up the measure then his judgements were to fall upon them O how many examples have we to terrify us and to verify this to our hearts and consciences as the old world Sodome and Gomorrah the falling of the Israelites into the hands of the Cananites the Ammonites and the Amalekites mentioned almost in every place of the booke of Iudges the carrying away of the ten Tribes never restored the captivity of the rest the seven Churches of Asia the destruction of the Iewes by the Romans called the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place Dan. 9.27 Matth. 24.15 and sundry others all which assure us of the truth of this point Let us apply this to our selves and reason as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 11.20.21 If God spared not the naturall branches take heed least he also spare not thee and if the branches were broken off through unbeleefe let not us be high-minded but feare We heare the threatnings of God denounced and his fearefull judgements published and pronounced by his faithfull servants but what repentance what amendment followeth May we not say with the Prophet I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright Ier. 8.6.7 no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done every one turne to his course as the horse rusheth into the battell c. And is it not so in our times nay rather is it not worse We are so farre from repentance and turning to God that the Lord seemeth in his just judgement to have given us over and forsaken us and to have blinded our eyes to have stopped our eares and to have hardned our hearts least we should see with our eyes and heare with our eares and understand with our hearts and should returne and bee saved Sometimes he doth take away his word utterly and hee threatneth it as a grievous judgement unto the Iewes Matth. 21.43 The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof and we are assured of the accomplishing thereof Rom. 11.12 because the fall of them was the rising of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles Sometimes he will have it to remaine and continue among a people for the farther hardning of their hearts and the increasing of their just judgement and condemnation This is a secret judgement and therefore more sharpe and greevous than the former as Esa 6. Make the heart of this people fat Esay 6.10 as they had fatted and fleshed themselves in sinne and even glutted themselves in iniquity make their eares heavy as they had stopped and stuffed them with vanity that the word could not enter and shut their eyes as they had drowsie and sleepy eyes and had closed the eyes of their bodies so God threatneth to shut the eyes of their minds as men benummed and past feeling least they should see with their eyes and convert and be healed Lastly as it is with the threatnings of God so on the other side it is with his promises We have many worthy and precious promises mentioned in the word some of this life some of the life to come some temporall and some eternall but all sorts are conditionall and all sorts are to us as if they were never made except wee leave our sinfull waies and so turne to the Lord with all our hearts Psal 130.4 Exod. 20.5 Deut. 28.3 4 5. c. Matth. 6.33 We have the promise of mercy and forgivenesse reserved for us under hope but to whom is it made to them that feare him and love him Wee have the promise of earthly blessings to be ministred unto us Deut. 28.3.4 c. but to whom To such as first seeke the kingdome of God and to none others We are ready to lay hold on the promise but we forget the condition like hirelings that regard the wages more than the worke There is a promise to heare our prayers and to save us but to whome is it made Not to the prophane and to unbeleevers Ioh. 9.31 Psal 66.18 for God heareth not sinners and if we regard wickednesse in our hearts the Lord will not heare us as wee shall shew afterward This admonisheth us of two things One that wee despaire not nor distrust the mercies of God toward us in earthly things or in spirituall transitory or eternall in things of this life or the life to come we have comfort and strong consolation when wee are truly and unfainedly turned to God Psal 37.25 Heb. 13.5.6 The other that we blesse not our selves in our wickednesse adding drunkennesse unto thirst as the manner is promising unto our selves peace when wee are at warre and open defiance with God It may bee said to such as Iehu answered unto Iehoram 2 King 9.22 Esa 57.20.21 what hast thou to doe with peace What peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Iezabel and her witchcrafts are so many and Esa 57. The wicked are like the troubled sea when it can not rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt Iussus fuit pradicare aliquid amplius quà m hìc dicitur collego ex cap. 4 2. Io. Drusij Lection in cap. 1. Ioâ—ae there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Nineveh shall be overthrowne That is the City and the Citizens young and old rich and poore one and other This is the summe and effect of Ionahs Sermon We may not imagine that hee cryed nothing else or spake no more than is here expressed Iussus fuit pradicare aliquid amplius quam hic dicitur colligo ex cap. 1.4.2 Io. Drusiij Lection in cap. 1. Iona. Strabo lib. 5. Geograph Dio. Siculus lib. 3. cap. 1. Herod in Euterpe For no doubt the Prophet lifted up his voyce as a Trumpet and shewed them their sinnes and transgressions as the Lord had before shewed unto him that their wickednesse was come before his face Chap. 1.2 This was a great and wealthy citty seated by the river Tygris famous for the compasse of it and the tops and towers where with it florished as sundry histories doe
Israel when they saw the wrath of God kindled against them the chosen men of Israel smitten down Iosh 7.8 the Canaanites to preuaile against them to cry out O Lord what shall I say when Israel turneth their backes before their enemies And when the people were smitten by the children of Benjamin with a greeuous slaughter they went up and came to the house of the Lord and wept and sate there before the Lord Iudg. 20.26 and fasted that day untill the even The third cause is Gods threatning to destroy for some generall or notorious sins reigning in the land crying unto God for vengance This moved these Ninevites to fast when Ionah the Prophet cryed out against them Chap. 1.2 because their wickednesse was come before the Lord. This is so urgent a cause that it prevailed with Ahab who by the instigation of wicked Iezabel sold himselfe to worke wickednesse for when he heard the fearful threatning denounced against him by the Prophet against his house he rent his garments put on sackcloth fasted 1 King 21.27 and humbled himselfe whereby he obtained a respit of the judgement a temporall reward for a temporal repentance The fourth cause is the calamity and misery of the neighbour Churches lying under the Crosse Psal 80.13 when the boare out of the wood doth waste them and the wild beast of the field devoure them to witnesse our communion of Saints and to shew a fellow feeling of their sighes and sorrowes that they also may doe the like for us This seemeth to be the cause of the assembly of the Congregation at Antioch they laboured mightily in praier fasting for the people of God dispersed among the Gentiles Act. 13.2.5 and specially for the poore Saints at Ierusalem persecuted through the cruelty of Herod Act. 12. The last cause why the Churches assembled in this manner was to crave a blessing from God when they did enterprize or execute any special work which highly cōcerned the church or cōmon wealth Act. 13.3 When the Church did lay their hands on Paul Barrabas they fasted and prayed cōmended them to the grace of God that he would prosper their ministery These were the reasons of such solemne assemblies And are not the same causes found among us Yes doubtlesse all of them presse us to the practise of this duty and call upon us for humiliation to move the Lord to shew mercy in these daies of trouble heavinesse Are not dāgers threatned on every side nay are they not already inflicted upon us Hath not the Lord a controversie against us for our common sinnes hath not iniquity the upper hand and is not godlinesse troden under foot And as for the miseries and desolations of the neighbouring Churches are they not in paine like a woman in travaile bring forth nothing but wind Psal 79.1.2.3.4 may we not say The heathen are come into thine inheritance thine holy Temple have they defiled and shed the blood of thy Saints like water that they are become a reproach to their enimies a scorne and derision to them that are round about them who say where is their God Lastly we enterprize great things how can we looke for a blessing if we crave it not with fasting and prayer doubtlesse this is the cause why we have no better successe in our endeavours because we trust in our multitudes munition pollicies and seeke not aright the God of heaven Let us come to the uses Vse 1 First it reproveth such as hold fasting to be meerly Iudaicall and ceremoniall a part of the rudiments of the Law which are shadowes of things to come and that it hath no use in the times of the Gospel And true it is this exercise had in it somewhat ceremonial and proper to the Iewes annexed unto it as one certaine and fixed day of the yeare Levit. 16. Levit. 16.29 Zach. 7.5 This shall be a statute for euer unto you in the seuenth moneth on the tenth day of the moxeth ye shall afflict your soules c. and it had sundry legal rites and facrifices annexed unto it But may we not say the like of the Sabbath is it to be holden wholly ceremoniall not to be obserued as moral because the day is changed and all the rites abolished together with the strict rest No doubtlesse there remaineth a Sabboth and holy day of rest for the people of God to the end of the world or else religion would soone perish out of the earth So we may say touching fasting true it is we find no setled time in the new Testament appointed and set apart to fast by the ordinance of Christ neverthelesse because the causes of fasting remaine which we noted before as great a necessity lyeth upon us as ever lay upon the Iewes when the like occasions shall be offered unto us that were offered unto them Now where the causes of the institution remaine there the things themselues must continue but the causes of the institution remaine therfore fasting it selfe must continue Be sides when our Saviour was blamed by the Pharisees Disciples the Disciples of Iohn because his disciples fasted not doth he exempt them vtterly from it discharge them from such practise as impertinent unto them No doubtlesse he only sheweth the unfitnesse of the present time Math. 9.15 but layeth a commandement upon them to do it afterward then shall they fast And they performed it accordingly Act. 13. Secondly it reproveth the Popish fasting to whom I may say as Paul sometime did to the men of Athens Act. 17.22 I perceive that in all things yee are too superstitious And indeed here is one mystery of iniquity The chiefe points of religion remaine in the Church of Rome howbeit in name onely not in nature in shew not in substance in appearance not in truth I may say therefore of them as Iohn doth to the Angel of the Church in Sardis I know thy workes Revel 3.1 that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead They have the name of Christ of justification of the Scripture of prayer of faith of the Sacraments of repentance but they have set up a mock-Christ they have overthrowne his humanity and destroyed all his Offices they beleeve justification but it is by their owne workes they receive faith but it is nothing but a beleeving the word to be true which also the Devils doe they admit repentance but it is nothing else but penance and corporall chasticement they acknowledge the Scriptures but they have patched their Apochryphal additions unto them and their owne Traditions as unwritten verities to be of equall authority with them they use prayer but it is in an unknowne tongue they have the Sacraments but one of them they have defiled the other they have destroyed and turned it into the idolatrous and blasphemous Masse And herein lyeth the depth of Satan For if he should utterly have
conceale a thing secret Nay in this many miracles on an heape concurre together Is it not a miracle in the body to open the eyes of the blind Math. 10.8 11.5 Act. 26.18 2 Cor. 7.1 Eph. 2.1.5 to restore hearing to the deafe to raise the dead to clense the Lepers The penitent person hath received all these in his soule his eyes are opened his eares are boared he is clensed from his filthinesse and restored to life for being naturally borne dead in sinnes and trespasses he is quickned O how great a change and alteration is this But here a question may be asked Object whether this be a worke and effect of the Law are the threatnings thereof able to do it Answ or is it a fruit of the Gospell I answer the Law helpeth it forward it cannot worke it or bring it forth It prepareth to repentance but produceth it not so that the law is not excluded or quite shut out Rom. 3.20 Gal. 3.24 It serueth to bring us to the knowledge of our sinnes and miseries and thereby fitteth us to receive grace and mercy like eating salues that make way for curing medicines or like the sharpe needle that maketh way for the threed But it is the Gospell that hath the promise of pardon and forgivenesse and worketh repentance from dead workes and therefore it is a fruit of the Gospel The Law knoweth no remission of sins but is a letter that condemneth it promiseth no mercy but threatneth the curse against the transgressors Gal. 3.13 Vse Vse 1 1. This condemneth such as forsake and forget the ordinary way that God hath left to bring us to saluation and gape after miracles or revelations This is all one as if when the Lord heareth the Heauens and they heare the earth Hos 2.21.22 and the earth heareth the corne and the corne the people they will not feed thereof as base food but looke for Manna and bread from heaven are not such worthy to perish Hence it is that Abraham is brought in Luk. 16.31 answering the rich man that would have the dead sent to his brethren to reclaime them and bring them to repentance If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead How vainely then and idlely doe they prattle who to disgrace the Ministery of the word and the high ordinance of God to teach man by man alledge that they know not whether men speake the truth because all men are lyars and they are not able to try their doctrine but if they should heare the Lord himselfe speake or an Angel from heaven they would beleeve Iudg. 6 2â— 13.22 Gen. 16.2 Esay 6.3 These men neither know their owne weakenesse nor the power of God Not their owne weakenesse that are not able to endure the glory of him that speaketh from heaven nay this was the common voyce of such as heard an Angel We shall surely dy alas because I have seene an Angel of the Lord face to face not the power of God because he is infinite the Angels cover their faces before him the heavens are not cleane in his sight the earth trembleth when he sheweth his glory When the Israelites saw the lightnings and heard the noise of the thunder and sound of the Trumpet waxing lowder and lowder in the mount Exod. 20.18.19 so that Moses himselfe said I exceedingly feare and quake they sayd unto Moses Speake thou unto us and we will heare Heb. 12.21 but let not God speake unto us lest we die Deut. 5.25.26.28.29 If we heare the voyce of the Lord our God any more then we shall die for who is thereof all flesh that hath heard the voyce of the living God and lived This they spake and the Lord said They have well spoken all that they have spoken O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes that it might goe wel with them and with their Children for ever If this were wisedome in them to call for Moses to speake to them and not God what a foolish choise doe they make that call for God to speake to them and not Moses But of this also else where Secondly their case is fearefull and dangerous that are without the word there is no vision and therefore the people must needes perish Pro. 29.18 There the sheepe are without a sheepheard See examples Exod. 32.1 2 King 12.2 and none to have compassion upon them Math. 9.36 Neither is their state any better who albeit they are not without it yet regard it not but despise it in their hearts These are both alike saving that the latter is worser and more fearefull then the former The one are without the ordinary meanes the other without the use of the meanes and therefore without hope to come to repentance It was a fearefull judgement when our Saviour commanded the twelue saying Go not into the way of the Gentiles Math. 10.5 and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not And when the Apostles went through the Cities to preach the Gospel Act. 16.6.7 they were forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia and afterward when they assaied to goe into Bithynia the Spirit suffered them not Was not this in effect as much as if the Lord had sayd give them no bread let them be famished I will not have these converted and consequently saved He that taketh away the meanes of life it is plaine he would not have that man live Woe then to all such retchlesse and carelesse persons as set light by this high ordinance of God that neither have it nor desire it but doubly wretched are they that despise it and wish in their hearts to be without it Can these perswade themselues they have attained to repentance What without the meanes but such is the necessity of repentance that without it we must perish for ever I may therefore say to such as the Apostle doth to the Iewes Well spake the holy Ghost unto our fathers Esay 6.9 Act. 28.26 Go unto this people and say hearing ye shall heare and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive for the heart of this people is waxed grosse and their eares are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed least they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and understand with their hearts and should be converted and I should heale them Thirdly behold the happy condition of such if they knew their owne happinesse to whomsoever God hath vouchsafed the preaching of the Gospell It is a manifest proofe he hath a people there whom he would have converted For as he shewed the Disciples to whom they should not goe Math. 10.6 Act. 18.9.10 so he sent them to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Thus also he spake to Paul Act. 18. Be not afraid but speake and
hold not thy peace for I am with thee and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee for I have much people in this City shewing thereby that he continued his word among them a long time because he had much people there whom he meant to save So likewise wheresoever God sendeth his word and giveth gifts to his Ministers in some measure for who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2.16 and a conscience to Preach the word truly diligently and faithfully it is a signe he favoureth and loveth them and will blesse them that he would have them converted and saved Not that every one that heareth beleeveth The word is sometimes senâ— for other ends then repentance or that commeth to the word repenteth of his sinnes for the word is sometimes sent for other end first to make them inexcusable that have the light yet shut their eyes that heare the sound yet stop their eares Ioh. 15.22 Therefore our Saviour sayd to his hearers Ioh. 15. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sinne but now they have no cloke for their sinne Secondly to harden them and so to increase their judgement and just condemnation For it shall goe worse with them than with the Turkes and infidels nay than with Sodome and Gomorrha that were overthrowne with fire and brimstone from heaven Ezek. 3.6 Hence it is that the Lord saith to the Prophet Thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech of an hard language surely if I had sent thee to them they would have hearkned unto thee And when our Saviour upbraided the Cities wherein most of his mighty workes were done he sheweth that if such had beene in Tyre and Sidon Math. 11.21 they would have repented long agoe in sackcloth and ashes Thirdly to justifie the Lord and to shew that he is just and holy in all his wayes Ezek. 2.5 and that it might appeare he desireth not the destruction of a sinner as Ezek. 2. whether they will heare or whether they will for beare for they are a rebellious house they shal know that there hath bin a Prophet among them But God openeth the hearts eares of such as he wil convert and call effectually We must acknowledge this mercy of God that hath sent his Gospell among us walke worthy of this benefit for diverse causes that we may have comfort in our owne hearts and assurance of our calling thereby by the holy and sanctified use of the meanes that we may thereby be provoked to thankfulnesse to Almighty God who as he raineth upon one field and not upon another and the place whereupon it rained not withered away so he causeth the Gospell to be preached upon one place and not upon another and where it was not preached they perished that we may leave it as a Iewel to our posterity which doubtlesse will be the best portion and possession we can conveigh to them and that it be not removed and taken away from us and given to a nation that will bring forth the fruits thereof better fruits than we have done Lastly let us submit our selues to the word and regard it as Gods word otherwise it will never worke in us true conversion Iam. 1.19 The Apostle S. Iames brancheth out this point into three duties Chap. 1. My beloved brethren let every man be swift to heare slow to speake slow to wrath Swift to heare that is take all occasions and opportunities that we may entertaine and embrace the truth Slow to speake against the truth delivered and preached unto us slow to crosse and contradict it to resist it and reason against it Slow to wrath that is not to be ready to be offended nor easily provoked when our sinnes are reprooved But for the most part it goeth quite contrary with us we are slow to heare dull to hearken swift to speake against the truth and soone mooved to wrath against such as are the teachers Touching the first It is our duty to be swift to heare we must learne to take all occasions to heare the word and to attend unto it in season and out of season This is required of the Minister to take all occasions 2 Tim. 4.2 Eccl. 11.6 in season and out of season to be instant in preaching the Gospell as Eccl. 11. In the morning sow thy seed and in the evening let not thine hand rest for thou knowest not whether shall prosper either this or that or whether they both shall be a like good We must be faithful in our places as we love the great Sheepheard so we should feed his sheepe we know not what time it may please the Lord to give them repentance to come out of the snare of Satan of whom they are taken captive Let us then sow morning and evening and let the people have the earely and the latter raine Be it we have here no good successe we shall find a reward else where Only let us doe our duty and watch all occasions to doe good leaving the successe to God So must it be with the hearers they must take all occasions to heare the word to learne it to understand it to receive it and to practise it and wherefore Ioh. 15.1 because we know not at what time the husbandman will make the seed of the word to grow and fructifie in our hearts Wherefore they are to be reproved that accuse the Lord of hard dealing like the evill servant in the Gospell when the fault was in himselfe and lay all the blame upon him that they are not converted saying Quest How can I beleeve except the Lord give me faith or how can I attaine to repentance except he give me to repent doe you not teach it is God must worke in us both the will and the deed at his good pleasure why then am I blamed for not beleeving and for not repenting and why am I stirred up to beleeve the Gospell and to turn to the Lord seeing they are not in my power and seeing he giveth me neither the one nor the other I may as well be stirred up and moved to stirre and remove a mountaine Answ I answer out of Ecclesiastes before rehearsed the sower must sow his seed in the morning and in the evening so they that are hearers must heare in the morning and hearken in the evening and the rather because they know not whether this or that shall prosper and bring forth fruit unto repentance and salvation Will we not cease or give over to plow our land but till it in the morning and afternoone and shall we not thinke the furrowes of our hearts have as much need to be striken Hath the earth need of the earely and latter raine and are not we as barren and dry wanting the morning and evening shewres to make our soules fruitfull It may well be when we pursued and sought after with greedinesse our worldly businesse
not to delay the time seing we know not what shall be on the morrow Iam. 4.14 First it is a just thing with God to contemne that man dying that despised him living He that calleth not upon God in his prosperity will God heare his cry Iob. 27.9 when trouble commeth upon him The best way to kil a Serpent is to bruise his head and when it is young so the safest and surest way to withstand sinne and Satan will be in the beginning not the latter and of our dayes in health not in sicknesse in life not in death betimes not when it is too late See this in the foolish Virgins that lingred their time of repentance but when the season was past they cryed againe and againe Lord Math. 25.11.12 Lord open unto us And what answer did they receive Verily I say unto you I know you not Luk. 13.24 verifying the saying of our Saviour Many I say unto you will strive to enter in and shall not be able because doubtlesse they strive when it is too late Secondly we must looke for a time when there will be judgement without mercy now is the time of mercy without iudgment Now are the dayes of grace now is the time of turning and repenting when this time is gone and past there will come a day of blacknesse and utter darknesse when there is no place nor time of turning For as the day of death taketh us the day fo judgment shal find us as we see in Caine Esau Iudas the rich man in the Gospell and such like Thirdly the houre of death to which the greatest sort post over their repentance hath many hindrances accompanying it that the sicke man cannot freely thinke of the state of his soule neither call to remembrance his sinnes that he hath committed Lastly beware of all lettes and impediments which as so many stumbling blockes lye in the way and keepe us from repentance Never was there good worke to be done but it hath found many oppositions Satan standeth at our right hand ready to catch hold of us The manifold impediments of true repentance when he seeth us sliding from him and resolued to leave sinne As then they that were bidden and called to the feast had all of them their excuses so such as are stirred up to repentance make not that hast which they ought but are wise to their own hurt and become the greatest enemies to their owne soules Let us therefore see their reasons or rather pretences which they use to hinder their returne into the right way First they alledge that repentance is full of difficulty a way hedged with thornes hard and painfull Be it so the harder the worke is the more excellent it is But what is the hardnesse of the worke in respect of the greatnesse of the wages and reward Besides this yoke of Christ is easie and this burden is light because the often practise thereof will make it so familiar unto us that we shall take pleasure and delight in it because we shall have God to put under his hand and assist us in the practise thereof because such vertue proceedeth from the death of Christ Rom. 6.6 that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sinne and we have him after a sort to draw in the yoke with us and because God powreth sweet and secret consolation into the hearts of such as resolve to turne to him whereby they find that peace of Conscience which passeth all understanding Another impediment is presumption of Gods mercy and a foolish and ungrounded perswasion that God will accept of them whensoever they returne to him True it is we have many precious promises of grace and mercy in holy Scripture Ezek. 18.32 33.11 Psal 103. 1 Tim. 2.4 But these men do abuse them and build upon a weake foundation they dreame of a God made all of mercy and forget his justice which is to set up an Idoll in their hearts they dwell so much upon the promises of the Gospell that they cast from them the curses of the law These are like to the Spider that gathereth poyson out of the sweetest flowers The goodnesse of God is published and Proclaimed so often for the comfort of the weake not for the encouragement of the wicked to raise up the penitent not to hearten or harden the obstinate it is bread for the Children to eate not for dogges to devoure To conclude Nah. 1.3 let us remember that as the Lord is slow to anger so he is great in power and wil not surely cleere the wicked The third impediment is contrary to the former and that is despaire of Gods mercy The former hoped too much this sort hopeth too little and both of them without cause This possessed the heart of Caine despairing of Gods goodnesse as if it were lesse than his sinnes Thus also Iudas perished who saw his sinne in the glasse of the Law but could not lay hold on Gods mercy and therefore died without hope Sathan hath two deceitfull glasses and brast asunder through despaire Thus doth Satan shew forth two false glasses to deceive the sight of sinners before sinne is committed he sheweth them his mercies greater than they are and his justice lesse than it is but after the committing thereof he maketh his mercies to appeare lesser and his justice greater than indeed it is But he is a lyar from the beginning and the father of lies trust him not beleeve him not the contrary to that which he speaketh is commonly true God hath mercy in store for all that doe repent from the bottome of their hearts Ezek. 18.21.22 and hath promised to put all their sinnes out of his remembrance To deny the infinitenesse of his mercy is to deny him to be God Remember the examples of old how he hath dealt with penitent sinners with Rahab the harlot with Manasses the King with Peter that denyed him with Paul that persecuted him with such as crucified the Son of God and delivered him into the hands of murtherers Luk. 7.38 with that woman which washed the feete of Christ with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head To conclude let us call to minde the description of the name and nature of God The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in truth Exod. 33.6.7 reserving mercy for thousands for giving iniquity transgression and sinnes The next impediment is the cares of this life and the deceitfulnesse of riches the pleasures of this world These are dangerous snares and baites of Satan wherewith he hunteth after the soules of men and catcheth them as fishes are with an hooke Luk. 14.17 Math. 13.22 Luk. 12.19 2 Tim. 4.10 and as corne is choked with thornes Luk. 8. For as full hands are able to hold and receive nothing no not the purest gold when they are
Thirdly it is a very difficult and hard worke to attaine to any good Vertue is planted groweth upon the top of an high hill it is painfull to climbe up unto it or upon a steep rocke to which we can hardly ascend we shall be driven to creepe up on all foure 1 Sam. 14.13 as Ionathan and his armour-bearer did to the garrison of the Philistims This is that which the wise Solomon teacheth Pro. 15.24 The way of l fe is above to the wise that he may depart from hell beneath Hence it is also Psal 15.1 Phil. 3.19 Col. 3.1 that the Rrophet David compareth heaven to an high hill Psal 15.1 We should clime and get up nearer and nearer unto it euery day So our Saviour teacheth that the way to life is narrow Math. 7.14 and the gate strait it is not wide and broad as the path that tendeth to death and therefore much striving and strugling much fighting and wrastling is needfull for us Math. 11.12 that the kingdome of heaven may suffer violence and the violent take it by force The way is onely one that leadeth to life and we must make straight steppes unto it but the by-pathes and crooked lanes and crosse turnings that tend to death are many nay infinite This instructeth us to admonish one an other Vse 1 to consider one an other to provoke to love and to good workes to exhort one an other and so much the more Heb. 10.24.25 because we see the day approching This the Saints have practised thus the Prophet foretelleth it should be in times of the Gospel under the kingdome of Christ Esay 2. Esay 2.3 Mic. 4. â— many people shall goe and say Come let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob he will teach us his wayes and we will walke in his pathes So the Apostle chargeth us to exhort one an other to reprove and comfort We see in the things of this life how ready men are to helpe one another and to doe good to the body nay we are commanded to shew our love and compassion to the beast yea of our enemy Exod. 23.5 If he lye downe under his burden wilt thou forbeare to lift him up thou shalt surely helpe him up how much more then should we doe good to the soule which is more precious than the body and further him in the matters of salvation which are of more worth a thousand times than a temporal possession Especially this duty is to be performed by parents and masters that are bound by a nearer and straiter band to their families than others are and so are charged with the same in a double respect and generally it is required of all to keepe watch and ward over others for their good For they that are truly religious must approve themselues to be so by seeking to draw others thereunto Where true religion possesseth the heart of a man The properties of true religion there also cannot but be a desire kindled and inflamed to bring others to it also This is not onely as a good tree that bringeth forth good fruit but it is also as a fire which having matter to worke upon will send forth light and heat to comfort and refresh others And who is he that knoweth and considereth from what misery he is delivered and to what freedome from sinne and Satan he is brought that can be so unthankfull to God and so mercilesse and hard-hearted to his brethren as to rest contented in his owne happinesse and be altogether carelesse to give glory to God for his happinesse Cant 1.4 Iam. 5.19.20 and to testifie his love to his neighbour and desire to pull him out of the state of damnation and make him partaker of the inheritance in the heavenly places We see in the examples of the Disciples how diligent they were so soone as they were brought to Christ to perswade draw others to the knowledge and feare of God When Andrew was brought to Christ he never rested till he had found his brother Simon Ioh. 1.41.42 and sayd unto him We have found the Messias and he brought him to Iesus and when the Lord Iesus had called Philip and willed him to follow him Philip findeth Nathaniel and sayd We have found him vers 45.46 of whom Moses and the Prophets did write come and see him The like also we see afterward in the woman of Samaria when once Christ had touched her heart and given her to drinke of the fountaine of living waters springing up into everlasting life she could not rest her selfe contented therewith to be partaker of so great a benefit alone Ioh 4.29 but shee lest her waterpot and ranne into the City and called them out to tast of those waters whereof she had drunke Indeed he asked of her but he gave unto her waters of life Let us be therefore like to those Lepers who being almost affamished and ready to dye and finding a rich booty meat and drinke silver and gold in great abundance would not nay could not keepe such a benefit long to themselues but they accused themselues and reproved one another 2 King 7.9 saying We doe not well this day is a day of good tidings and we hold our peace if we tarry till the morning some mischiefe will come upon us now therefore come that we may tell it abroad So when God in great mercy hath opened himselfe unto us which is better than to find siluer and gold should we then hide his mercy as the unfaithfull seruant did his talent and not rather put it out to the exchangers Math. 25.27 that the Lord at his comming might receive his owne with usury And should we not say with those Lepers This day is a day of good tidings and should we hold our peace and not communicate this good to others This is the charge that the Lord layd upon Peter Luk. 22. I have prayed for thee Luk. 22.32 that thy faith faile not when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Thus the sheepheards after the Angels were departed into heaven encouraged one another to see the thing that was come to passe and to make that knowne abroad in the City which the Lord had made knowne to them in the field Luk. 2 1.5 Secondly it reproveth sundry sorts that offend against this doctrine First such as shake off this duty The first reproofe as too heavy a burthen from their owne shoulders and lay it upon the Ministers of the word and it is posted over from one to another as Adam laid the blame vpon the woman and the woman upon the Serpent whereas every private man ought to be a meane according to his calling to perswade others to the hearing of the word that they might be saved If every one would perswade himselfe that it is his duty to perswade others then would the Church be enlarged
sorts of the Ministery of our selves of our families Dan. 9.3.7.8 of our fathers of our Princes of our people and of our whole land For all our fasting is nothing worth without this Fasting is no part of Gods worship but onely joyned to prayer to be an helpe unto it or as a wing to mount is up toward heaven and make it ascend into the presence of God Prayer is avaylable without fasting because it is a lifting up of the heart to him but fasting never without prayer because it goeth not beyond the outward man Prayer is a spirituall exercise of our faith wherein as in an acceptable sacrifice God delighteth but fasting is a bodily exercise which in it selfe pleaseth not God who is a Spirit Ioh. 4.24 and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth God being of a spirituall nature requireth a spirituall service and agreeable to his nature And cry mightily vnto God This is the life and the very quintessence of all the great abstinence before commanded For what had it availed to cover themselves with sackcloth and ashes and to abstaine from food had they not used prayer to God to crave mercy and forgivenesse at his hands Yea this is the end of private or publike fastes that we should call upon God the more fervently and effectually They are not prescribed as hath beene shewed as parts of Gods seruice for whether we eate we are never the worse or whether we abstaine we are not at all the better in respect of any religion or holinesse that consisteth in them but onely as they are meanes to further us in his seruice Now in these words we must observe three things the matter the manner and the object that is their prayer their zeale and the person to whom they prayed their prayer is noted by their crying their zeale by doing it mightily the person to whom they prayed unto God Let us consider these in order The first is the matter they prayed they cryed the end is that thereby God might turne away from his fierce wrath Doct. This teacheth us that prayer is a principall meanes appointed and sanctified of God to remove his judgements Prayer is a meanes to remove Gods judgments This is as it were the tongue or voyce of repentance The prayer of this people was more worth a thousand times than the crying of the beasts and the loud noyse of men women and children They cryed they cryed mightily they cryed to God This the heathen by the light of nature have confessed The Marriners acknowledged this to be the only meanes to obtaine mercy at the hands of God Ion. 1.6 and to remoove his judgement when they were like to perish So did Pharaoh he was glad to fly to it in his misery and calamity Exod. 8.28 Pray for me and for my people to the Lord that this plague may depart So it was with Ieroboam little better than the former 1 King 13.6 1 King 13. So it was with Simon the forcerer they all thought it was the readiest way to remove his judgments from falling upon them Behold sundry examples of this truth in traveilers in captives in sicke men in sea-men and sundry other troubles of which the Prophet saith They cryed unto the Lord in their troubles Psal 107.6.13 19.28 Amos. 7.2.3 4.5.6 and he delivered them out of their distresses We see this oftentimes in Moses the servant of the Lord when he praied for the Israelites Exod. 32. Numb 14. Yea so forcible were his prayers with God that they after a sort tyed up his hands that he could not smite but said Exod. 32.10 Let me alone that I may destroy them So Gen. 19. he said to Let I can doe nothing till thou art gone and Exod. 17. Gen. 19.22 the prayer of Moses prevailed more for the overthrow and destruction of the Amalekites than the sword of Ioshua and the people The reasons are Reas 1 first it hath a promise of blessing to such as use it a right Math. 7. Psal 50. We do not beat the aire nor build upon the sand our labour in the fire Psal 50.15 when we pray unto him but we lay a sure foundatiō upon the certaine rocke of his promise Math. 7.7 which shall never faile us who hath said Aske and ye shall receive Secondly our sinnes cry up to heaven pierce the cloudes Gen. 18.20 4.10 come into Gods presence and call for vengance Gen. 18. Our prayers cry to God for mercy and drowne the noise of our sinnes that the cry of them cannot be heard though they cry never so loud Thirdly we obtaine not because we aske not aright Iam. 4. We aske and receive not Iam. 4.3 we seeke and find not but the cause is not in God the fault is in our selves Vse 1. This reproveth such as pray not at all Vse 1 nor desire to have conference with God as if they stood in no need of him as if they enjoyed all things by their owne labour as if they did not live and move by his blessing as if it were not in his power to stoppe our breath when we must goe hence and be no more and as if any thing could do us good without a sanctifying of the creature to our use Psal 14.4 whereas he can take away the staffe of bread whensoever it pleaseth him All these should be motives to move us to paryer Rom. 10.13 The Prophet maketh this the note of Atheistes they call not upon the Lord. If a man should be waighed in this ballance alas how many would be found to light and if whosoever would be saved must call upon the name of the Lord how many are there that stand not in the state of salvation because they know not what prayer meaneth it is a stranger to them and they unto it Secondly it is our duty to practise this duty to call upon his holy name But it may be said what needeth prayer God hath foreappointed what to do and our prayer cannot altar Gods purpose decree which is unchangable I answer we do not pray to chage Gods decree but to shew our obedience faith toward God It pleaseth him to try them this way whether as his children they will depend upon him or not Again it may be said He knoweth what we need what need we then to put him in mind as if he had forgotten to shew mercy I answer we do not pray to teach God any thing that he knoweth not neither to bring to his remēbrance what he hath forgotten yet this ought to be farre from discouraging of us in prayer and from stopping our mouthes Math 6.8 9. that it rather openeth them wider for asmuch as therefore we ought to be encouraged in prayer because our heavenly father knoweth whereof we have need and thus our Saviour reasoneth your father knoweth your necessities after this manner therefore pray ye
Thirdly continue in prayer supplication without ceasing and never give over to be his remembrancers such praier evermore hath mercy joyned with it This doth our Saviour teach Luk. 11 8. 18.1.5 Math. 15.22.24.26 I meane this perseverance by sundry parables of the poore widow of the vnjust judge Luk. 18. of the friend that did lend three Loves Luk. 11. by the example of the woman of Canaan who followed our Saviour and would not give him over till she had obtained Math. 15. And the rather ought we to do so because sometimes God will proove our faith patience obedience and constancy sometimes to make us more earnest in prayer for we are to dull cold must be stirred up sometimes to teach us the value and price of the graces of his spirit because such as are soone and easily obtained are oftentimes dispiced or at least lesse regarded and not so carefully preserued sometimes to make us more watchfull and heedfull that we might not easily loose them when we have them The Prophts themselues complaine oftentimes that God heareth them not that they have called day and night and are weary of their crying Wherefore not that he will not heare much lesse that he cannot heare but that his mercy might the more appeare for the greater our necessity is the more is his power and mercy seene sometimes he delayeth us Iudg. 7.2 to teach us to renounce all confidence in the flesh as Iudg. 7. the Lord said to Gideon The people that are with thee are to many for me to give the Midianites into their hands least Israel make their vaunt against me and say mine hand hath saved me so would it be with us if we had alwayes helpes at hand 2 Cor. 1.9.10 and 2 Cor. 1.9.10 that we should not trust in our selues but in God which raiseth the dead Lastly sometimes we are differred that our danger being the greater wherein we are his glory might be the greater in our deliverance As the skill of the Phyfition is most seene in most desperate diseases and of the Surgeon in the deepest woundes for what great knowledge in his art doth he shew in curing the scratch of a pin or a little razing of the skin so the power of God is most of al seene in delivering of us from troubles dangers wherein we have lienand languished a long time and from thence also ariseth his glory Lastly it is our duty to give thankes to God when he hath heard us as Psal 50. I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Our owne wants and necessities constraine us oftentimes to remember the former precept Call upon me but our deliverances cannot make us remember the latter clause thou shalt glorifie me We are ready with the Lepers to opon our mouthes for mercy but our mouthes are soone shut when we should give him the glory Luk. 17.12 and we quickly forget his goodnesse with the same Lepers There is no triall of our selues by prayer in our wants for it is often forced not free wrested not voluntary but rather by our thankesgiving whether we make conscience of our duties to God or not Forced prayer is no prayer As he loueth a cheerefull giver so he loveth a cheerfull prayer O how often was the Prophet David in praising God! how doth he provoke his owne heart not to forget his benefits and others O that men would praise the Lord for his goodnesse Psal 116.12.103 107.8 and for his wonderfull workes to the children of men Cry mightliy Hitherto of the first point the matter or substance of the Kings coÌ„mandement they must all zeale The pray Doct. from the highest to the lowest the second point solloweth Prayer must â—e seruent the maner of their pray mightily this noteth their danger was certaine in a manner present therfore their prayer must not be cold Hence we must obserue that it is not enough to pray but prayer must be earnest fervent Hereunto commeth the double and trebled commandement of Christ to aske to seeke to knocke which repetition importeth and imposeth upon us this fervency True it is that prayer joyned with fasting ought to be earnest too fold but though it go alone without fasting yet it must not go alone without fervency of spirit The Apostle Iames speaking of ordinary prayer teacheth that the prayer of a righteous man prevailâ—th much Iam. 5.16.17 if it bâ—forment not otherwise This he proveth by the example of Elias â—e prayed earnestly that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeares and sixe mâ—â—â—thâ— c. And least any should pretend that he was a great Prophet and in high favour with God no marveil therfore if his prayer prevailed who raised the dead to life and brought fire from heaven as also he obtained that the heaven should be as brasse and the earth as jron but all cannot be like to him every Christian cannot be an other Elias besides his prayer was extraordinary The Apostle answereth that notwithstanding his great graces yet he was a man subject to the same passions infirmities that others are and yet God heard him And true it is his prayer was extraordinary in regard of the manner we caÌ„not pray that the heaven should not give rain nor the clouds senddown their shewres because we have not that spirit which he had but we must have the spirit of Sanctification to pray â—erveÌ„tly as he did or else we shal never be heard as he was The reasons Reason 1 first God looketh not onely what we do when we come before him but how we do it he regardeth the maâ—ner as well as the matter not only that we do good things but that we do them well For as we must take heede not only what we hearâ— Mar. 4.24 Mark 4.24 Luk. 8.18 but likewise how we heare Luk. 8.18 so we must looke to our selues that we pray what we pray but withall how we pray seeing we must faile neither in the one nor in the other Secondly the Lord only loveth zealous servants that â—erue him faithfully and servently as he is sayd to love a cheerfull giver 2 Cor. 8. Thirdly cold suiters among men teach them to deny such suites If a man come to our dores and bâ—g coldly as if he cared not whether he speed oâ— not who will take any pittie or have compassion on such persons and shall we thinke that God will regard those that regard not in what cold and carelesse manner they present themselves before him Lastly he is cursed that doth any worke of the Lord negligently yea such as are luke-warme shall be spâ—â—ed onâ— of his mouth Rev. 3.16 Râ—â— 3. Such are they that caâ—e not which â—â—dge for wâ—rd whether they obtaine or not obtaine These are dead prayers without life as of dead men without breath This reproveth such Vse 1 as come negligently to the throne of
ever he intend to attaine the end of his journey This unproper speech is very proper to expresse the nature of repentance because we are all traveylers toward heaven we are all gone farre out of the way like sheepe going a stray from the fold therefore we must turne backe againe and as we were going to hell so we must turne our feet toward heaven and as we have turned our backes to God so we must set our faces toward him This is repentance And touching the manner of turning we must obserue there are foure sortes of substance of quantity of place of quality Change of substance is when one substance is changed into an other as Lots wife was turned into a Piller of salt Gen. 19. Gen. 19.26 Exod. 4.3 Ioh. 2.9 The rod into a Serpent and the Serpent into a rodde Exod. 4.3.4 And water into wine at the feast in Canna of Galilee Ioh. 2. But repentance is not such a change because before and after repentance our substance is the same we have the same bodies and the same soules Change of quantity is either by encreasing or diminishing as when Christ fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes Math. 14.15 and 15.32 and foure thousand with seven loaves and a few little fishes but repentance is not such a change by encreasing from few sinnes to moe or from lesser to greater neither contrary wise a diminishing from moe to few or from greater to lesser but rather this is a turning from one sinne to another whereas true repentance is a turning from all sinne to God in our whole life Change of place or local mutation when we passe out of one place into another as Peter out of prison into a place of liberty Act. 12. But repentance is not such a change because a sinner may change his soile and not his soule he may go from place to place yea from Countrey to Countrey and change ayre yet not let go one of his sinnes as a sicke man doth he may change his chaire and his Chamber and be carried from bed to bed but this cannot free him from his sicknesse and restore him to his former health so it is with sinne Change in quality is when things change from once condition to another as when the leper was clensed or the dead raised Such a change is repentance when new qualities or properties or put into the soul and body when they are altered from unrighteousnesse to righteousnesse from all sinne to the living God In this the nature of true repentance consisteth as Hos 6.1 14.2 Ezek. 18.30.32 36.26 Ier. 4.1 Luk. 1. Act. 26.20 in which places repentance is expounded to be a turning to God a doing of workes meete for amendment of life In this turning obserue these particulars first it is a turning of the whole man both of soule and body both of the outward man and the inward Iam. 4. Secondly it must be constant and continued not flitting or starting backe like a deceitfull bow or vanishing like the morning dew Hos 6.4 Thirdly It must be a turning from all sin to God for one knowne sinne wherein we live without resistance separateth from God as well as many Devâ— 30.2 Ier. 4.4 This appeareth first because the word here used importeth that we are gone out of our way Reas 1 we would travail toward heaven and we take the right course that leadeth to hell we would seeme desirous of Salvation but we go in the broad way that bringeth to destruction Math. 7.13 we make as though we would go to God and we follow after the Devill Math. 7. Secondly we were made according to the image of God in holinesse and true righteousnesse Eph. 4. and had fellowship with God man delighting in his Creator the Creator in his creature but sin hath turned all upside down man had no sooner fallen transgressed Gen. 3.8.10 but he fled from the presence of God as an evill servant from his Master or a malefactor from the judge for feare of punishment and was afraid of his comming into the Garden Thus we became the children of wrath Eph. Eph. 2.3 4.18 2.3 But when once we have grace to repent then we begin to repaire and recover the image of God and to be reconciled to him againe Repentance therefore is as a miracle of the Gospel the quickning of a dead man and the raising of him up from death to life or as the reedifying and repayring of a royall Pallace that was fairely builded but foully battered and decayed The image of God is as a faire Pallace the transgression of man is as the ruine thereof repentance is nothing else but a raising again of that image which is to be done all the dayes of our life This is in a manner a miraculous worke in regard of the greatnesse of our fall that in regard of our spirituall estate which we recover we may say as Math. 11.5 Math. 11.5 The blind receive their sight the lame walke the leaprs are clensed the deafe heare and the dead are raised up to life Happy are we if this spirituall miracle be wrought upon us Let us apply these things to our selues First Vse 1 hereby it appeareth The first reproofe that many men are greatly deceived both in the doctrine and practise of repentance in the doctrine because they thinke that to be which is not repentance and in the practise because they perswade themselues that they have it when indeed they want it Some are so silly and sotish that they presume they need it not and that it belongeth not at all to them no more then physicke to a whole or sonnd man or a plaister to him that hath neither wound nor hurt like the young man in the Gospel Math. 19.20 All this have I done from my youth up what lacke I yet or like such as suppose Christ came not to call them but other notorious sinners Others slight and slubber over this matter with a little sorrow and sighing with Esau Ahab and Iudas and if they live and have leisure to say Lord have mercy upon us like those that in the end of the world shall say Lord Lord open unto us they thinke they shall undoubtedly be saved never remembring the words of our Saviour Not every one that sayth unto me Lord Math. 7.21 Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven Secondly The second reproofe it condemneth all wretched and prophane persons that lie wallowing and weltering in their sinnes like Swine in the mire or dogges in their vomit who as they were once so they are still They were horrible swearers and common blasphemers so they are still They were scoffers and scorners mockers and deriders of all good things and all good men so they are still they are no changelings They were contemners of Gods word and prophaners of his
are truly turned unto God True it is repentance taketh not away all fayling and falling neither freeth us from all sliding and slipping of the foot and albeit we stumble and fall we walke not from God but toward him and rise againe The penitent person is like to a man that walketh up an high hill though he have many fals slips yet still he is said to go up the hil because his face is toward the top of the hil nay his falles make him more wary and heedfull so it is with the faithfull he may take a fall The faithfull make profit by their falles with the fall defile himselfe yet he taketh profit by it and becommeth more circumspect and every fall helpeth him one step toward the kingdome of heaven Thirdly marke how repentance changeth us and altereth our hearts from time to time how sinne weakneth decayeth and dieth in us on the other side how grace and Godlinesse encrease and strengthen in us Philem. 10.11 and how we grow in love with righteousnesse that we may say as Paul doth of Onesimus once unprofitable now profitable and of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified But if we find no steppes no degrees or proceedings in good things we may justly suspect our selues that we are not yet truly turned This is a certaine and infallible rule repentance and continuance in sinne in our old wicked courses cannot possibly stand together Lastly whether it have wrought a through change in us 1 Thess 5.23 2 Cor. 7.1 that our spirit and soule and body be presented blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Many content themselves to give the halfe turne like Agrippa Act. 26. These turne up and downe as the dore upon the hinges so these are here and there but it is in their sinne and are as farre from God as before Or they turne from sinne as Lots wife did go out of Sodome she went forward for a while but shee had an eye still looking backe toward Sodome Or else they turne as the wheele that ever is in motion but at night it abideth where it was before for they are ever the same men their turning is without turning they are alwayes the same without any change 9 Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger thas we perish not In these words we have the reason wherefore they fasted prayed and repented It is not a speech of infidelity for then it should not be said before they beleeved and doubtlesse they would here have concluded God will not returne though we returne to him and he will not repent of the evill threatned though we repent of our evill practises and if they had fallen into utter desperation they would not have cryed at all unto God much lesse mightily as they are commanded to do This verse containeth three things feeling feare and faith First a feeling or sense of sinne Secondly a feare of judgement Thirdly hope of deliverance It is to be supposed that albeit they doubted of the issue of the sentence as a thunder-bolt throwne out against them yet not of the favour of God toward them neither of his receiving of them to mercy in the next life albeit they should perish according to the flesh yet their soules should be saved in the day of the Lord. For if they had beene overthrowne and destroyed though it had been with fire and brimstone from heaven as Sodome and Gomorrah were yet had it beene no argument of their eternall condemnation and dying out of Gods favour because punishment suffered cannot prove a man to be rejected no more then it did Moses who never came into the land of promise because he had provoked God to wrath Numb 20.12 and sanctifie him not in the eyes of the children of Israel Besides no man can be eternally condemned which hath truly repented he may be chastised but he cannot be accursed So then here was faith and feare mingled together in the same persons as it were wine and water in one vessell A true faith but a little and weake faith which they found and felt in themselues like the father of the possessed who professed his faith but withall confessed the weaknesse of his faith Mark 9. Lord I beleeue helpe thou mine unbeleefe Mark 9.24 Math. 6.30 and 8.26 and 14.31 Rom. 4.19 2 Cor. 10.15 Rom. 4.20 Col. 1.23 and 2.7.5 Heb. 10.27 Act. 6.5.8 There are degrees of faith a little faith a doubting faith a weake faith the Apostle also speaketh of an encreasing faith 2 Cor. 10 We read of a strong faith Rom. 4.20 of growing in faith 2 Thess 1.3 Or of abounding in faith 2 Cor. 8.7 of a faith grounded and setled Col. 1.23 rooted built up and established chap. 2.7 of the stedfastnes of faith 5. of the assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 and of the fulnesse of faith Act. 6.5.8 But whatsoever titles it hath the strongest faith and deepest rooted is mingled with doubtfulnesse like the ayre overcast with cloudes or a ship beaten with stormes and tempestes Luk. 22. Such was the faith of these Ninevites doubting but not despairing shaken but not cast downe tossed with waues but not suffering shipwracke because as they feared his judgements so they hoped for his mercies and beleeved that their sinnes were pardonable which is the first step and degree of faith This was in the Prodigall sonne when he resolved to goe to his father Luk. 15.18 and confesse he had sinned against heaven and against him and was no more worthy to be called his sonne when as yet he felt not his offences already pardoned This was in the Ninevites in this place The meaning of the words they conceive a good hope of God albeit he threatned them and beleeve that his wrath may be appeased when they say Who can tell if God will returne and therefore some doubting was joyned with it as Ioel. 2.14 Ioel. 2.14 Who knoweth if he will returne and leave a blessing behind him 2 Sam. 12.22 and 2 Sam. 12.22 Who can tell whether God will have mercy on me that the child mâ—y live So likewise Ester Ester 4.14 4.14 Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time as this So then this phrase is used in matters not fully certaine and manifest unto them but in such as are doubtfull Object Againe when the Prophet saith God will repent the question may be asked how repentance can agree to God Tit. 1.2 who is by nature unchangable and cannot lye Tit. 1.2 Especially considering we find Scripture to affirme 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lye nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent 1 Sam 15.29 yet before it was said it repented him that he had set up Saul to be king how are these things to be
reconciled I Answer Answ the Scripture speaketh of God two wayes sometimes properly and sometimes unproperly properly it agreeth not to God because in him is no change nor shadow of turning unproperly it may by the figure Anthropopatheja which is an attributing or ascribing unto God the parts properties passions and affections of men the more lively to represent the things spoken off before our eyes So then it is a borrowed speech from men in God it is a change of his worke not of his will as Gen. Gen. 6.6 6. it repented God that he had made man that is he purposed to destroy man whom before he had made From hence we learne where true faith is to apprehend and beleeve the truth and certainty of Gods threatnings Doct. there is a feare of judgements to come Faithworketh a feare of Gods judgments Faith worketh feare and feare often worketh faith This we see in these Ninevites they beleeved God and proclaimed a fast and therefore they feared the dreadfull sentence published and pronounced against them This appeareth in the commendation of the faith of Noah Heb 11.7 Heb. 11.7 He being endued with a justifying and saving faith is also touched with feare and reverence at the consideration of Gods judgements to come So it was with Iehoshaphat he beleeved the Prophets 2 Chro. 20.3 and therefore he feared and set his heart to seeke the Lord 2 Cor. 20. See the further practise of this in Hezekiah Ier. Ier. 26.18.19 26. Micah the Morashite prophesied and spake to all the people of Iudah Thus saith the Lord of hostes Zion shall be plowed like a field and Ierusalem shall become heapes did Hezekiah the king of Iudah and all Iudah put him to death did he not feare the Lord and besought the Lord and the Lord repented him of the evill which he had pronounced against them 2 King 22.19 The like we see in Iosiah 2 King 22. when he heard the plagues and curses that should come upon Ierusalem his heart was tender he trembled himselfe before God and when he heard the wordes against that place he rent his cloathes and wept before him The reasons are evident First God hath coupled both these together Reas 1 and therfore whosoever beleeveth his threatnings cannot but feare the evils threatned He that apprehendeth the wrath of a Prince to be as the roaring of a Lyon cannot but tremble it cannot but worke in him feare Amos. 3. Amos. 3.6 Can a trumpet be blowne in the Citty and the people not be afraid Secondly faith maketh things unseene to be seene Heb. 11.1 Heb. 11 1.1â— For it is the evidence of things me sinneâ—s Moses by faith saw him that is invisible vers 27. and Noah â—aw the worlds destruction as present though it 〈◊〉 an hundred and twenty yeares before it came and 〈◊〉 it But it may be objected Object the faithfull is not afraid of any euill â—idings for his heart is fixed and beleeveth in the Lord Psal 112.7 and therefore faith expelleth all feare I answer the words of the Psalme teach the contrary Answ Blessed is the man that feareth God and therefore to clâ—â—re this seeming-contradiction we must observe a two-fold feare as also care a distrustfull feare and an awefull or reverent feare The distrustfull feare argueth want of faith in God the awefull feare maketh us seeke to God and to fly to his mercy But where the true faith is it expelleth and driveth out distrust Psal 133.18 147.11 and therefore the Prophet ioyneth these two together Psal 133 The eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him that trust in his mercy and 147.11 the Lord delighteth in them that feare him that hope in his mercy Behold the true cause Vse 1 why there is so little feare of God in the world and of his judgments though imminent and ready to fall nay present and already fallen We never had more cause to feare generall judgments in regard of the generall corruptions and floods of wickednesse that overflow in all places yet never more security never lesse feare And what is the cause because there is so little faith Math. 24.37 as Christ our Saviour sheweth that iniquity should abound in the last dayes and men mind nothing else but their profits and pleasures as they did when the flood came and swept them all away at once disobedience to the word proceeding from infidelity was the cause of that cause 1 Thess 5. For when they shall say peace peace suddaine destruction shall come upon them as paines upon a woman in travaile and they shall not escape These shall make a mocke of the last judgment and never feare it untill they feele it These may be sent to schoole to Ahab to Iudas the sonne of perdition nay to the Devils themselues for they have not so much faith as Ahab had 1 King 21.27 not so much as Iudas had Luk. 18.8 Math. 27.3.5 not so much as the Devils Iam. 2.19 who beleeve and tremble where as the ungodly beleeve not and therefore tremble not but they would if they beleeved onely so much as the Devils do How then can prophaine persons escape the torments of Hell who come farre short of these that are already in hell and how fearefull an estate is it to be condemned of such as be condemned themselues Secondly see the difference betweene Gods children and carnall or worldly men these are quite contrary the one to the other as light and darknesse and as farre distant as heaven and hell Hic ubiopus est none verentur illic ubt nihil opus est the verentur Terent Andr. act 4. seen 1. When Gods judgements are threatned and men warned to take heed and looke to themselues they do feare least of all who have most cause and whom they most neerely concerne and they on the other side most of all whom they concerne We see this in the old world evidently and expresly for whom did the threatning of the drowning and destruction therof most neerly touch and concerne Doubtlesse the disobedient world of the ungodly But they feared least nay nothing at all they ranne on in their worldly and wicked courses till the flood came and swept them away Whom did the threatning least of all concerne as being in least danger to be drowned Surely Noah and his family for whom the Arke was prepeared but they feared most of all Nay Gods children oftentimes feare for the wicked Psal 119.53.136.158 when they feare not for themselues as Psal 119.53.136.158 as they pray for them when they pray not for themselues and desire their conuersion when they minde nothing lesse The Prophet was greeved for them when they were not greeved for themselues 2 Cor. 12.21 So it is said by the Apostle God will humble me among you and I shall bewaile many which have sinned and have not repented of the sinnes committed the more sorry he was for
of his Angels Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish We have heard before that the scope of Christ in these words to which the examples one going before the other following after are referred is to perswade men to repentance This we must lay as the foundation of our weekly meeting together to make profession before God before men and Angels of our repentance to renew our Couenant with God and to seale to it with our hearts and to cry unto him to remove his judgements that lye heavy upon us Consider in this threatning farther an other doctrine to wit what danger it is to omit and reject repentance such persons are subject to death and destruction thâ—â— repent not Doct. This teacheth Such as continue in sinne without repentance shall certainly perâ—â— that howsoever God for a time spare and forbeare the Church and do not alway strike upon every occasion as he might do yet it is a sure and certaine thing concluded with him that such as continue to walke and wallow in evill without repentance their end is confusion their reward and wages is to perish See the truth of this in the Prophet remembred in a parable answearable to that which followeth of the Vineyard he had pruned trimmed and hedged about it he had digged and dunged done all that he could Esay 5.4 he looked for grapes but it brought forth wild grapes the conclusion is this I will take away the hedge and it shall be troden downe I will command the clouds and they shall raine upon it I will lay it waste and there shall come up briers and thrones This will farther appeare by sundry examples and by the wofull experience of many desolations made in all ages of the Church through default of repentance When the Lord had heaped his mercies upon the old world Gen. 6.3 and given them 120. yeares the dayes of his patience as the time of their repentance he sent the Patriarkes that called upon them and appointed Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.5 who confirmed his doctrine by building the Arke which was a figure of the destruction of the world of the ungodly yet they continued their evil wayes Luc. 17.27 eating and drinking c they never though of the day of the Lord they never considered the day of their visitation the flood come and destroyed them all a small remnant reserued and a few soules saved The like we might say of the Sodomites Gen. 13.13 19.25 Gen. 19. They were exceeding sinners before the Lord and were overturned with fire from heaven because they repented not And was it any otherwise with the Israelites themselues 2 Chro. 36. he sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes because he had compassion on his people and desireth not the death of a sinner 2 Chro. 36.16 Math. 23.37.38 but that they should turne vnto him but after all this they mocked his messengers and despised his word and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord in the end arose against his people till there was no remedy So then howsoever God sometimes spareth the sonnes of men yet such as continue in sinne and wholly delight in the workes of the flesh the end of them is fearefull they repent not and therefore they must perish Reason 1. Reason 1 He hath pure eyes and cannot like or allow that which is evill For can two walke together Amos. 3.3 except they be agreed but the Lord hath no agreement with evill neither have the evill any agreement with him He is holy in all his wayes but impenitency is contrary to his wayes and hath all sinnes following after it and attending upon it and consequently also all plagues Ier. 5. Secondly he taketh away his mercy and louing kindnesse from such What is it then that turneth away his heavy wrath and displeasure from us Is it any worthinessein our selues we are alas an uncleane thing Doth any deserve life or can he plead with his maker we are all corrupt and abominable The world the Church the Common-wealth our selues our owne Consciences know it and witnesse against us Lam. 3.22 It is his mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not His mercy is not reserved for the impenitent that proceed and goe forward in their sinnes this were to confound heaven earth nay heaven and hell God and the devill Therefore the Prophet Ieremy declareth that God had taken away his mercies from them Ier. 5. If then he will not shew mercy to such as walke in the stubbornnesse of their euill hearts conclude with me this point for a certaine truth that howsoever God forbeare the children yet wearying him by vrging and provoking him by our sinnes destruction is reserued for such impenitent persons Seeing such as have hearts that cannot repent Vse 1 doe heape up wrath as a treasure against the day of wrath and iust declaration of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2.5 let us put farre from us the wayes of the impenitent let them not clea◠〈◊〉 as pitch unto our soules lest if we follow their workes we be partakers of their Plagues Let us be grieved for our former evils and returne to the Lord that be which hath sâ—ricken us may heale us againe But alas while we goe forward in our wicked wayes doe we hold this point that the impenitent are reserved to wrath So many of us as hold and beleeve this truth let us depart from our old courses and labour to heape up mercy upon mercy Iob. 21.30 being assured that the wicked is reserved to the day of wrath and destruction O how many things have we neede to repent of the dayes of our ignorance the sinnes of our youth our presumptuous sinnes If the Lord call us to an account who shall be able to abide Secondly let no man mocke at his judgements or set light by them let no man thinke himselfe safe and secure and no danger to be neere him because he seeth not his judgements at hand or upon him or evermore to fall out O how deepe are his judgements how neere oftentimes when we suppose them to be farthest off how unsearchable are his Counsels and his wayes past finding out Esâ—y 28.15 2 Pâ—t 3 3. Carnal men promise peace and have made a covenant with death and with hell and make a mocke of all judgements They see the wicked prosper and the ungodly florish but they cannot mealure him that is not to be measured there is no measure of that which is infinite God hath more workes to worke then one he will not speake peace for ever Esai 28.24 The husbandman doth not plough al the yeare long neither reap or gather into his barne all the yeare and God hath given to man this wisedome and understanding to observe the times and seasons and shall we not thinke that the Lord also hath his times of his judgements and of
his mercies Hee hath preached unto us by his mercies a long time and the dayes of his patience have long continued among us How neere hath Gods hand bin unto many of us in the great plague When it hath beene in the same house one hath bin taken away and another hath bin spared Nay in the same bed one hath bin smitten another hath had his life granted him for a pray Consider this yee that have forgotten this mercy of God and labour to appease his wrath before his judgement falleth upon us He commeth with a leaden foote but he striketh with a rod of iron and dasheth his enemies in pieces as a potters vessel The Lord complaineth in the Prophet Ier. 8.7 that the storke in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times and the turtle and the crane and the Swallow obserue the time of their comming but my people know not the judgement of the Lord they have rejected the word of the Lord c. Every man even by the light of nature obserueth his times for his several workeâ— Skilfull Physitians have their times of the yeare and of the Moone for their purges and potions The Mariner stayeth not when the tide is come the Husbandman soweth while it is winter the Smith striketh while the iron is hote the Merchant buyeth while the market lasteth thus doe these take their time while the time tarrieth onely men in the matters of God and their owne Saluation know not or will not know the time of their returning Eph. 5.14 They will not awake from their deepe sleepe in sinne they will not stand up from the dead that Christ may give them light and life They will not heare his voyce while it is called to day but suffer themselves to be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne The Lord speaketh in the time present behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation but we will take a further day with God as desperate debters doe with men they can abide no present reckonings Thus doth Satan beguile carelesse sinners he promiseth them time enough hereafter like to biting Vsurers as one saith who are wont to give day to young heires from yeare to yeare untill at last they wind and wring their inheritance from them So the Prince of darknesse August Confâ—s lib. 8. cap. 5 the God of this world suggesteth to the children of disobedience that they may let repentance alone a little and it will be soone enough to come anone to repent heereafter Remember that Esau losing the opportunity of the blessing sought it afterward with teares Heb. 12.17 and yet found no place for repentance Remember that the rich man cryed for mercy but it was too late Lne 16.24 Remember the foolish Virgins that cryed Lord Lord open unto us Math. 25.11.12 7.22.23 but the doore of mercy was shut and they received their answer verily I say vnto you I know you not Remember that many shall say in that day Lord have we not Prophecied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderfull workes but it shall be said to them Depart from me yee that worke iniquity Let us therefore beginne betimes to turne to God while the day of grace endureth let us cease to doe evill learne to doe well eschew evill and doe good Lastly let no man flatter himselfe with the enioying of earthly blessings health wealth peace plenty and prosperity nor with the bare continuance of the Gospel among us as though it must therefore goe well with us and that we must needes be highly in Gods fauour This was the folly of Micah Iudg. 17.13 Now I know that the Lord will doe me good seing I have a Levite to my priest This was the vaine flattery of the Iewes who because they had Abraham to their father together with the law and the Oracles the Arke and the Covenant thought themselves in a good case and that they must needes be Gods people they cryed the Temple of the Lord this is the Temple of the Lord. But Iohn the Baptist putteth them from this foolish confidence in the flesh Math. 3. Math. 3.9 thinke not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham And the Prophet Ieremy chap. 7. Ier. 7.8.9 Behold ye trust in lying words that shall not profit will ye steale murther and commit adultery c. and then come and stand in this house before me which is called by my name and say we are delivered to doe all these abominations behold I see it sayth the Lord. O let it not be so with us to prophane the house house of God to continue in our sinnes farre be it from us to bring them to the place of Gods worship for this will cause him to curse all our meetings and assemblies that they shall be for the worse not for the better to encrease our plagues not decrease them and to double his judgements not diminish them Let us therefore leave them behind us and cast them from us never to returne to them againe 2 Pet. 2.22 lest we be like the Dog that returneth to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Otherwise let us not boast of the Gospel and flatter our selves because we have the Gospel as the Iewes did glory in the Temple but seeke to bring forth the fruit of the Gospel For our sinnes are the causes of all plagues and judgements neither can we looke that he should stay his hand or say to the destroying Angel 2 Sam. 24.16 It is enough stay now thy hand as he did in the dayes of David And doubtlesse then we have begun to profit vnder the correcting hand of God when we seeke the cause of his judgments within us and acknowledge out sinnes to be the cause of all For what is the true cause of this plague and pestilence Our sinnes And what is the cause of the continuance of his heavy judgement Rom. 1.18 doubtlesse the continuance in our sinnes We must confesse that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men When Israel had received an overthorw and turned and their backes to their enimes Iosh 7.10.11 When we are chastened we must looke to our sinnes 1 Cor. 11.30 Esay 64.5.7 Lam. 3.39.40 Levit. 26. the Lord said unto Ioshua Get thee up wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned and they have also trespassed my Covenant which I coÌ„manded them for they have even taken of the accursed thing and have also stollen and dissembled also Nay as we encrease our sinnes in number and measure he will not onely continue his judgements but encrease them also and if we will not for all this hearken vnto him but walke contrary unto him he will walke
fighting and quarreling chalenging and provoking others contrary to the earnest persuasion of the Apostle As the elect of God Col. 3.13 holy and beloved put on tender mercy and kindnesse hum blenesse of minde meekenesse long suffering forbearing one another and for giving one another if any man have a quarell to an other even as Christ forgave you even so doe ye And doubtlesse if the spirit of the Lord were in us and we had any feeling of his love in sparing and forgiving us we could not but expresse the power thereof and the spirit of meeknesse would mortifie in us more and more this thirst after revenge and we would learne of our Saviour Math. 11.29 who hath said I am meeke and lowly in heart and ye shall finde rest unto your souleâ— Thirdly to procure any way the death of others and the shortning of their dayes What cruelty is shewed in infectious times This may be done many wayes either by the sword or by famine or by false accusations and such like But not to speake of all these meanes it is done in these infectious times when the pestilence walketh in darknesse destruction wasteth at noone day three wayes especially by such as restraine them by such as are restrained and by such as are appointed to attend them that are restrained First they offend that restraine them but doe not relieve them that are very carefull to shut them up and then shut up their compassion from them and their farther care of them like those that bind a man hand and foot and then beate him This is extreme cruelty that a naturall man would not shew to his bruit beast If a carnall man have any of his cattell sicke and he shut them up he will use all meanes to recover them and ought we not much more to supply the wants of our poore brethren made after the jmage of God and for whom Christ Iesus died shall we adde affliction to them that are afflicted and make the heavy burden they beare more heavy and cause them to breake out into unlawfull and ungodly courses which may not be warranted Secondly when such as are infected goe about to infect others These are unruly persons the very sons of Belial that breake all lawes of God and man that cry out shall we be restrained cooped up as it were imprisoned like malefactors we will breake their bands and cast away their cordes from us We will have our liberty and who shall hinder us we will have what we list or else we will make those rich grubbers repent it These are impatient under the hand of God and will not stoope downe at his correction but as refractary beasts lift up the heele against him whereas they should consider that it is God which restraineth them and not man Hence it is that the Lepers in the law were shut up Levit. 13.46 and dwelt apart by themselves as Levit. 13. All the dayes wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled 2 Chro. 26.21 he is uncleane he shall dwell alone without the campe shall his habitation be yea even Kings and Princes dwelt in sever all houses and were cut off from the house of the Lord. This rule holdeth by proportion in contagious diseases Therefore when God visiteth us and striketh us we must not strike others and when we are infected we must not infect others for then we make our selves guilty of blood in Gods sight Be it that we may goe away scotfree and not be accounted as murtherers in the courts of men yet we shall be arriagned as guilty in the high court of heaven and albeit the lawes of men should not take hold upon us yet the law of God will find us out wherein we are commanded to preserve life and therefore much more forbidden to shorten the dayes of any bring them to an untimely death This is an heinous crime and horrible cruelty and bringeth a blot upon our own soules True it is we may hurt their bodieâ— but we hurt our own soules wound our consciences more then we can annoy others and we may carry the plague into their bodies but we admit a greater plague into our owne soules Thirdly when such as are appointed or hired to looke to such as are infected doe not only shew no mercy but rather cruelty and rather regard to enrich themselves then recover the diseased The properties required in Church-widdowes that were to attend the sicke and the poore ought to be found in these that they be such as be well reported of for good workes and have relieved the afflicted washed the Saints feete and have diligently followed every good worke 1 Tim. 5.10 This is a glasse wherein such should behold themselves and their office that are called to looke to others in their extremity to exhort to counsell and comfort them to support them to feed them that are not able to helpe themselves An other branch of cruelty is by using any of the creatures of God hardly This doth Salomon reprove Pro. 12.10 a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast how much more ought he of his servant though he be never so meane poore or simple In the institution of the Sabbath the Lord had regard and reference to the servant Deut. 5. Deut. 5.14.25 That thy man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou and remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt c. And wherefore did the God of all mercies forbid in the law to kill the damme when they had taken her young ones away Deut. 22.6 but that he would have it known that he alloweth cruelty wrong to be offered no not so much as to the seeliest birds or beastes It is true that the mercies of the wicked are cruel and it is true that many wicked men regard the liues of their beasts and provide plenty of fodder for them but wherefore doubtlesse it is not simply in mercy and love to the creature but in love to themselves covetousnesse and desire of their owne gaine either that they may doe them the more worke or carry them the better on their backes or live the longer to doe them service or be more sailable to yeeld them mony and not to obey God therein that made them The mercies of the wicked how they are cruell True it is the wickedst man will pretend mercy but their mercy pretended is cruelty extended for first they are or would seeme to be very carefull that their people and families should have their recreation and refreshing their liberty from their labour and times for their sports and delights yea they pretend necessity and plead their cause that they must have it What say they would you not have them take any pleasure what nothing but droyling and moyling and never be at rest But when shall this be if at any time I warrant you upon the Lords day
being borne in a forraine land are willing to forsake it to come and dwell where the word of God is truly and plentifully preached being peacable to the state and proselytes to the same religion and serue the same God with us doubtlesse God will be avenged of such as hurt or oppresse them for he will not have such vexed wrenged This was forbidden to the Iewes Exod. 22. Exod. 22.21 Levit. 19.33 Thou shalt neither vexe a siranger oppresse him for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt Levit. 19. If a stranger sojourn among you ye shal not vexe him he shal be as one borne among you thou shalt love him as thy selfe for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt so Deut. 24. Deut. 24.18 Thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt and the Lord thy God redeemed thee thence therefore command thee to doe this thing This was often remembred and repeated to the Iewes But what may some say doth this belong to us who were never in Egypt Ioh. 8.33 much lesse strangers in Egypt or any other land as the Iewes said We were never in bondage to any man I answere though we were not yet we know not whether we shall be neither how soone we may be Pro. 27.1 Math. 7.12 we know not what hangeth over our heads neither what a day may bring forth Besides the common rule leadeth us to this homanity Whatsoever ye would that other men should doe unto you doe ye even so to them for this is the law and the Prophets Our forefathers have for the truths sake beene driven from house and home and beene constrained to forsake wife and children lands and goods and have received comfort and releefe in a strange land where God inclined the hearts of the magistrates to favour them is it not then reason that we now should doe the like and shew mercy But how many wicked and envious men are there among us which murmure and grudge that such should come over and dwell among us who have left their countrie for their conscience sake and the Gospels They pretend and plead that they grow rich and wealthy they see it and grudge and grieve at the fight of it For answere unto these 1 Sam. 2.8 observe these few points First who made them so 1. Tim. 4.8 Is it not God he maketh poore and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up and doe we envy them and repine at them Or shall our eye be evill toward them because his is good Secondly it is Gods blessing upon them no doubt for the faiths sake because they have preferred the Gospel of God before their owne goods And indeed godlinesse is profitable to all things and hath the promise of the things of this life and of that which is to come To this purpose our Saviour teacheth Every one that hath forsaken houses Math. 19.29 Luc. 18.29.30 or bretheren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my names sake and for the kingdome of Gods sake shall receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come life everlasting Thirdly Is it not better they should be rich then poore better I say not for them onely but even for others If they were poore they must be releeved for we are debters to Iew and Gentile even to the Turkes and infidels so farre as we doe not helpe them against Christ and Christianity If they be rich they will not be chargable to any of us but will rather be helpfull unto others Fourthly What is the cause they grow so rich because they are painfull and industrious And wherefore are many poore and in need among us but because they are idle and will not labour nor use the meanes that these do Lastly I am perswaded that God blesseth us and the land the better for giving entertainment to the distressed members of the Churches scattered abroad We have done some good to them but much more to our selves as the Shunamite that entertained the Prophet of God did him and his servant good but she did more to her selfe and her owne house Thus we see what sundry branches there are of cruelty all which as we should alwayes consider so most especially in these dayes of our publike humiliation when we make solemne profession of our unfained repentance Secondly judge by this note and property of the religion of the Church of Rome Such as have not understanding to judge of the doctrine let them open their eyes and behold their practises for by these fruits ye shal know them Whom have they in their fury spared What age what sexe what person Surely neither high nor low infant nor suckling no not such as never saw the light neither living nor dead neither distressed nor distracted sheading the blood of the Saints as water spilt upon the ground and making themselves drunke with the blood of poore Christians a thousand times better and more righteous then themselves Never did the Turkesand savages shew themselves so beastly and barbarous as these counterfeit or bastard-Christian-Papists who boast they serve Christ but serve Antichrist They can suffer the Iewes that daily blaspheme Christ Iesus our blessed Saviour to dwell among them but they will not suffer those to buy or sell or abide among them that professe Christ as wel as themselves nay better and looke for salvation and eternall life wholly through his merits and not their owne The soules that lye under the Altar cry unto God without ceasing day and night for vengeance against such blood-suckers saying Revel 6.10 How long Lord holy and true doest thou not judge avenge our blood on them that dwel on the earth Their king-killing doctrine is of the same stampe that Princes have forfeited their crowne and Scepters their subjects discharged of the duty of alleageance whensoever the Pope pleaseth to pronounce them heretickes and to thunder against them his Excommunications The Gun-powder treason shall remaine for ever as a monument of this unmatchable cruelty It is and hath beene ever otherwise with the true Church of God there shal no such murtherings and massacres be found and commited in all the mountaine of Lord Esay 11.9 but the Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe they shall not hurt nor destroy in all mine holy mountaine saith the Lord. Lastly let us earnestly and often desire of God to preserve us from such unreasonable and wicked men Object nay wild beastes in the outward shape of men 2 Thess 3. It wil be objected touching those of the Romish religion though they be enemies to the Gospel and to our profession yet we see no such matter in them they live as peaceable men and the quiet of the land they meddle not with others or against others Answ But what is the reason or where is the cause doubtlesse not in the persons but in the times Charge the times and the persons will
particular parts thereof in order as they lye And first there is propounded in the parable the greatnesse of Gods patience waiting long for fruit the first the second and the third yeere Some read the words by warrant of an ancient coppy after this manner Behold there are three yeeres since the time I come c. and thus also the vulgar Edition readeth the place Whereby it may appeare that this communication was had in the beginning of the fourth yeare after the baptisme of Christ And albeit he speake in the time present I come Doct. yet he meaneth he came in the time past or I am wont and accustomed to come God is very patient as Math. 26.23 From hence we learne that the favour of God to his Church his patience is great infinite he is not easily moved nor quickly provoked He is of much patience even toward them that obey not much more toward his deare children he is of a forbearing nature and will not poure out all his wrath neither execute his justice upon offenders so soone as they deserve it He expecteth many dayes moneths and yeares for the conuersion of sinners Esay 65.2.3 48.9 he spreadeth out his hand all the day long unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way that is not good c. Ier. 35.15 Math. 22. a people that procureth me to anger continually to my face and chap. 4.8 for my names sake will I deferre mine anger and for my praise will I refraine for thee that I cut thee not off His patience is so great that it exceedâ—th the height of heaven Psal 103.11.13 and goeth beyond the love of women We see it in the old world nay we need not seeke farâ—e to prove it nor goe out of our selves we have all good experience thereof The reasons are plaine Reasons 1 Sometimes to the inten this enemies should not thereby take occasion to blaspheme his name which is holy throughout all generations as Deut. 32. I said I would scatter them into corners Deut. 32.26.27 I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemie lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely and should say Our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this Hence it is also that Moses groundeth his prayer upon such a point as this Exod. 32. Exod. 32.11 Why doth thy wrath waxe hote against thy people which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand Numb 14.13.14 wherefore should the Egyptians speake and say for mischiefe did he bring them out to slay them from the mountaines and to consume them from the face of the earth and againe in an another place Then the Egyptians shal heare it and they will tel it to the inhabitants of this land c. Secondly are not we the workmanship of God he knoweth our weaknesse that we are nothing but dust and ashes neither able to answer him one of a thousand he considereth whereof we are made he remembereth that we are but flesh Psal 103.14 yea as a wind that suddenly passeth away as Psal 103. So the Prophet Esay speaketh chap. 57. I will not contend for ever Esay 57.16 neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made Thus God rejoyceth not to be alwayes smiting in regard of our enemies lest they should insult over the Church and in regard of our owne frame and frailty lest we should be consumed and come to nothing First Vse 1 therefore take notice how the Lord exerciseth his patience toward his servants which he doth divers wayes first he powreth not out all his wrath he proceedeth by steppes and degrees Hab. 3.2 and when his people pray unto him in judgement he remembreth mercy Or else wee should immediatly be consumed Heb. 12.29 for why our God is a consuming fire Math. 17.5 Secondly he sent a Saviour and redeemer as a remedy of our sinnes in whom he is well pleased and he hath appeased the wrath of his father 1 Ioh. 2.1 1.7 Ioh. 3.16 for we have an advocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous his blood clenseth us from all sinne Is it then any marvell if God be patient toward his people and do not keepe his anger for ever Esay 65.1 Thirdly he sendeth to his enemies an Ambassage of peace before they seeke to him and is found of them that never asked for him he setteth up his ordinances among them Psal 147.19.20 as meanes to reclaime them for he sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgments they have not knowne them Hence it is that he hath committed the word of reconciliation to his Ministers who as the ambassadours of Christ beseech us to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Fourthly he is infinitly patient in that he putteth off the day of judgment to so long a day 2 Pet. 3.9 as 2 Peter 3. the Lord is not slacke of his comming but is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Secondly is his kindnesse great then blessed are they that belong to him who have the God of Iacob for their refuge because his mercy is endlesse and his compassion infinite Such shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty happy are they that put their trust in him as Iam. Iam. 5.11 5. Behold we count them happy that endure we have seene the end of the Lord for he is very pitifull and mercifull Lastly it putteth us in minde of sundry good duties both toward God and toward one another First to seeke the Lord with a steadfast faith because we deale not with one that stoppeth his eares against us but heareth the cryes of his servants helpeth them This the Prophet presseth Amos. 5. Seeke the Lord and ye shall live Amos. 5.6.14.15 seeke good and not evill c it may be that the Lord God of hostes will be gratious unto the remnant of Ioseph The ungodly haue no promise of his patience who hate the good and love the evill Secondly it behoveth us to repent us of our sinnes withall our hearts and that betimes For albeit he be patient yet he is also just and therefore we may not dreame of such a patience as shall destroy his justice Mockers at Gods judgments This reproveth such as make a mocke of his threatnings and feare them no longer then they are upon them The Lord threatned the Egyptians to raine downe a very grievous haile upon man and beast Exod. 9. and willed them not to abide abroad in the field but what followed Gen. 19.15 he that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh
strong servants of God strong in faith that send up many strong cries to the throne of grace nay the strong God that hath commanded this duty to pray one for another hath also promised to heare them This no doubt was a comfort even to Peter himselfe put in prison that he knew Act. 12.5 Heb. 12.5.12.13 Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him and for his deliverance Let us not therefore faint under the Crosse when we are rebuked of him neither despise the chastening of the Lord who aymeth at our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse but rather lift up the hands which hang downe and the feeble knees and not cast away our confidence which hath great recompence of reward And let this be our comfort in these rerillous times that God heareth us for our brethren and our brethren for us and our elder-brother Christ Iesus our mediatour for us all who for his mercies sake for his truthes sake for his promise sake for his sonnes sake will in his good time send an happy deliverance that albeit for a season we be kept in affliction 2 Cor. 1.5.12 yet as our sufferings have abounded in us so our consolation should abound through our restoring when we had in a manner the sentence of death in us that thankes also may be given by many on our behalfe Secondly seeing Gods children for our comfort and consolation make request and intercession for us and are heard O how much more ought we to remember the sweet mediation of Christ Iesus our Lord and Saviour and comfort our selves and one another therewithall True it is we may and ought not a little to comfort our selves with the prayers and intercessions of other weake men our fellow servants like to our selves and subject to the same passions we are especially seing we know our whole Church at the same time assemble together to pray for us and to turne away his wrath from us and to call backe his destroying Angel that he may at length say It is enough 2 Sam. 24.16 stay now thy hand and so repent him of the evill upon our repentance and humiliation if I say we have much matter of comfort offered unto us by the publike prayers of the Church often as it were with one mind and with one mouth made and renewed on our behalfe how much more doth peace and consolation arise unto us by the mediation and intercession of Christ our Saviour the head of the Church the beloved sonne of God Heb. 1.2.3 Math. 17.5 the sonne of his love the heire of all things the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his person in whom the father is well pleased Herein consisteth our cheefe comfort that we rest and repose our selves in him as our Advocate and rely upon the merit of his passion Ioh. 11.42 whom the father alwaies heareth Indeed he commandeth that supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thankes be made for all men 1 Tim. 2.1 and that we pray one for another that we may be healed Iam. 5.16 But if God at any time vouchsafe to heare any of his children it is for his sonnes sake not for any worthinesse or merits in them but for the Lords sake that is for Christs sake Dan. 9.1.7 for he is the Angel of the Covenant Revel 8.3 to whom was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the throne Therefore also the Apostle saith Heb. 5.16 In the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares was heard in that he feared because he prayed to him that was able to save him from death Lastly it is our duty to performe this duty our selves toward others and to require this duty to be performed for us by others Thus did Daniel a man greatly beloved of God who had many deepe mysteries by vision declared unto him he spake to his Companions Dan. 2.18 that they should desire the mercies of the God of heaven to reveale his secret to him that they might not perish So the Apostle prayed the Church of the Thessalonians 2 Thess 3.1 to pray for him and the rest of his fâ—llow-labourers that the word of the Lord much hindred by the opposition of potent adversaries might have a free passage As then he prayed before for the Thessalonians so here he prayeth the Thessalonians to pray for him that he might be comforted together with them by the mutuall prayers both of them and of him The use of mutual praier To this duty we should be stirred up in regard of the mutuall profit that proceedeth from the practise and performance thereof For first it serveth as the ordinary meanes ordained and sanctified of God to prevent judgments threatned and to remove judgments already inflicted Remember the devout and zealous prayer of Salomon 2 King 8.33.35.37.44 when the people of Israel be smitten downe before their enemies because they have sinned against thee when heaven is shut up and there is no raine c. if there be in the land famine if there be pestilence blasting mildew locust or caterpiller c. whatsoever plague whatsoever sicknesse there be heare thou in heaven thy dwelling place and forgive the sinne of thy servants c. Secondly it is a cordiall to preserve and strengthen us in all spirituall graces as we see that by Christs prayer Peters faith was kept from failing Luc. 22.32 Luc. 22. and thus he prayed not onely for the rest of the Apostles but for all them that should beleeve on him through their word Ioh. Iob. 17.20.24 17. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me c. Prayer therefore is a notable preseruative to keepe the precious treasures and iewels of grace in the Closets of our hearts and serveth to strengthen and encrease good things in us For as it obtaineth blessings at Gods hands so it procureth the encrease of them and it is no lesse vertue to keepe and continue to enlarge and encrease what we have obtained then at the first to obtaine it Thirdly to bring remission of sinnes to subdue in us the power of sinne Iam. 5.15 Psal 19.13 Iam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the sicke and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sinnes they shall be forgiven him For the cause of sicknesse and all diseases is sinne and therefore our Saviour healing the man sicke of the Palsie said unto him Math. 9.2 Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes be forgiven thee dealing like a good Physitian who removeth the cause that he may remove the effect So then faithfull prayer and a purpose or resolution to continue in sinne cannot poffibly stand together Lastly it
is not so easie to let it out againe so it is with sinne it is no hard thing to make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience and to pull up the bankes of the feare of God whereby sinne is kept out but we shall find it one of the hardest things in the world to cast it out of the heart when it hath gotten firme possession and therefore it must be our labour and wisedome to prevent sinne in the beginning lest by continuance it take roote and be as a disease that is incurable Secondly it serveth as an instruction to the Ministers of God that we cease not with the Dresser in this place to digge about them that remaine unfruitfull and dung them that is to labour 〈◊〉 â—yeth in us to further their conversion Let us all follow the example of Peter when the Lord had said unto him Launch out into the deepe and let downe your nettes for a draught he answered Master Luk. 5.5 we have toyled all night and have taken nothing neverthelesse at thy word I will let downe the net Matt. 13.27 so must we cast out the net of the Gospel into the sea and gather the good into vessels but cast the bad away And if it fall out that we draw none to the shore 2 Cor. 2.15 yet are we the sweet savour of God as well in them that perish as in them that are saved and God no lesse accounteth of our labours if we have beene faithfull and conscionable then if we had converted many thousand soules To this end the Lord himselfe commandeth Paul not to hold his peace at Corinth Act. 18.10 but to speake boldly because he had much people in that City The husbandman must digge and dung his ground and cast the seed into the earth but he cannot give the earely and the latter raine and albeit he finde a thinne harvest he may be greeved yet het he is not discouraged We are commanded to feed the flocke committed unto us woe to us if we preach not the Gospel but we must evermore commit the successe to him that hath the hearts of all men in his owne power Mat. 3.11 Iohn Baptist did baptize with water to the remission of sinnes but he could not Baptize with the holy Ghost So we may teach and preach the word of the kingdome but as it fell out with the sower that went out to sow some fell by the high way side Matt. 13.4.5.7 some in stony ground and other among thornes so must we make our account it will be with us yet this is our comfort our judgment is with with the Lord and the reward of our worke with our God Esa 49.4 1 Pet. 5.4 and when the cheefe shepheard shall appeare we shall receive a crowne of glory that fadeth not away Lastly it teacheth generally a good duty and direction to all the faithfull namely that upon this ground we exhort and admonish one another and seeke to winne and gaine them to God that so we may bring home the lost sheepe upon our shoulders This the Apostle prescribeth exhort one another daily Heb. 3.13 while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Who accounteth not him a mercilesse man that having escaped danger of robbing or drowning yet giveth not warning to him which traveleth that way lest hee fall into the hands of theeves and be robbed or passe by the waters and be drowned but much more is he without mercy and guilty of the blood of the soule that seing his brother overtaken in sinne and taken in the snare of the Devill ever seeketh to set him at liberty Now we have sundry motives to move us to this worke of mercy farre more profitable to men and acceptable to God then the sacrifice of Almes-giving that toucheth the body in respect of God in respect of our selves and in respect of others In respect of God Rom. 11.23 for it maketh manifest his power to be infinite that he is able to graft them in againe as the Apostle speaketh of the unbeleeving Iewes albeit through unbeleefe they were broken off and it turneth to the greater praise of his glory and the honour of his name which we ought to seeke above all things The more dangerous the disease is and the longer it hath continued the more doth the skill and learning of the Physitian appeare Rom. 5.20 so are we the more to magnifie the mercy of God in that where sinne bounded grace doth much more abound Touching our selves we thereby exercise the giftes that God hath given doe not as wicked and sloathfull servants Mat. 25.26 digge them in the earth and hide our Lords mony besides we know not how soone it may be said to us Come give an account of thy steward-ship Luk. 16.1 for thou maist be no longer steward Lastly we shall free our owne soules and not make our selves partakers of other mens sinnes for by conuivence and holding our peace we draw guiltinesse upon our owne soules In respect of others we may be meanes to save a soule as Iam. 5. Iam. 5.19.20 If any of you doe erre from the truth and one convert him let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the errour of his way shall save a soule from death and shall hide a multitude of sinnes Vers 9. And if it beare fruit well and if not then after that thou shalt cut it downe We heard before of the intreaty and intercession of the Dresser now the condition followeth which is double first if after all his labour it bring forth fruit Secondly if it bring not forth fruit one of the twaine it must of necessity doe there is no third either it must be fruitfull or vnfruitfull either we must make the tree good or evill The first part of the speech is defective for there is nothing in the originall to answere to the Condition the translaters have supplied the word Well and somewhat is necessary to be supplied to make the sense and sentence perfect I would thinke a word might be borrowed and supplied out of the former verse where the Vine-dresser saith Let it alone this yeare also so in this place If it bring forth fruit Let it alone or thou shalt let it alone as also appeareth by the contrary condition in the last words If not thou shalt cut it downe He expresseth bearing fruit first besore he mention the cutting of it downe because it was the chiefe and principall in the dressers intention and because all his labour of digging and dunging tended to this end and purpose Now he intreateth that it may be let alone if it bring forth fruit he yeeldeth to the cutting of it downe Doct. if it continue unfruitfull This teacheth in both the conditions Promises and threatnings are both of them condicionall 1 King 8.25 that as well the promises of grace mercy as all the
name of good workes which neuerthelesse are neither the onely good workes nor the chiefest good workes For we looke upon our selves in the glasse of the law and try our selves thereby These workes are of two sorts some generall and others speciall The generall are such as concerne all among which the workes of the first Table being the first and great Commandements Math. 22.38 must have the first place to love God above our selves to feare him to beleeve in him to trust in him to pray unto him to serve and worship him to reverence his name and to sanctifie his Sabbath and the workes of the second Table are like Gal. 5.22.23 for the fruits of the spirit are manifest love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse faith meekenesse temperance and such like These belong to all and must be practised of all persons high and low rich and poore none may excuse themselves The speciall workes are such as belong to every man in his particular calling For as we have all a generall calling as we are Christians so we are set in severall callings such as are superiors and inferiors as the Magistrate and subject the husband and wife father and sonne master and servant we must labour to be found faithfull in these how low so ever our place be if we be found carefull and conscionable even the meanest servant that drudgeth in the Kitchin if his calling be nothing but to scoure spittes Eph. 6.6.7 or to wipe shooes yet if he be obedient to his Master as unto Christ not with eye-service as men pleasers but as the servant of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men he is no lesse accepted of God in his place then he that preacheth the word or he that ruleth a kingdome Well or thou shalt let it alone These words are expresly mentioned but they or some such like must necessarily be understood as if it were said let it stand and continue in the Vineyard that it may bring forth more fruit as Ioh. Ioh. 15.2 15. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Doct. This teacheth us that the fruits of repentance obtaine the pardon and forgivenesse of all sinnes and offences Repentance obtaineth forgivenesse of sinnes and the favour of God and prevent Gods wrath and judgements and procure his love and favour He hath made a sure promise of remission of former offences to all such as truly turne unto him Thus the Prophet hath Wash you make you cleane take away the evill of your workes from before mine eyes c. then though your sinnes were as crimsin Esay 1.16.18 55.6.7 they shall be as wooll and though they were as scarlet they shall be as white as snow and chap 55. Seeke the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is neere let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous his owne imaginations c. let him returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him Ezek. 18.23 And the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 18. I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he repent and live where he coupleth these two together The truth of this point is farther confirmed by sundry examples as 2 Sam. 2 Sam. 12.13 12.13 When David had acknowledged his sinne against the Lord the Prophet said for his comfort The Lord also put away thy sinne The like we see in Manasseth when he was carried away captive and clapt up in prison being in great tribulation prayed unto the Lord 2 Chr. 33.12 and humbled himselfe greatly be fore the Lord God of his fathers and God was intreated of him and heard his prayer and brought him backe againe to Ierusalem and set him upon the throne of his fathers The Publican smote his brest saying Lord Luk. 18.13.14 be mercifull to me a sinner I tell you this man went downe to his house justified rather then the proud Pharisee The like I might say of Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 he obtained mercy and forgivenesse when he was converted so the penitent theefe upon the Crosse said to the Lord Iesus Lord Luk. 23.42.43 remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome and Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Mar. 1.4 Hence it is that the Evangelist witnesseth that Iohn did baptise in the wildernesse and preach the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes where we see he knitieth repentance and forgivenesse of sinnes together The reasons first Reason 1 all penitent persons shall have the blood of Christ Iesus to wash clense their soules from all their sinnes a singular benefit This reason the Prophet vrgeth Esay 1.17.17.18 For to speake properly nothing can clense us but Christs blood so foule and filthy we are and therefore it is called cleane water Ezek. 36.25 1 Ioh. 1.7.9 I will powre cleane water upon him and thus the Apostle Iohn saith If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and the blood of Iesus Christ his Sonne clenseth us from all sinne Secondly such shall have right to carthly blessings and to a right use of them to their everlasting comfort as Esay 1. Ye shall eate the good things of the land Esay 1.19.20 but if they refused and rebelled they should be destroyed for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Let us apply these things First conclude Vse 1 that all impenitent persons are out of Gods favour and protection and lye under all the plagues and punishments that God denourceth against sinners This is a fearefull estate and condition Deut. 28.16 to be cursed in the whole course of our life at home and abroad in the City and in the field in all that we put our hand unto Deut. 28. The curse of God bringeth with it all miseries of this life and of the life to come If then we repent not we die Secondly they that are truly penitent are truly happy for that man is blessed Psal 32.1.2 38.4 whose transgressions are for given and whose sinne is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity There cannot be a greater blessing befall us in this world then to get pardon of our finnes for all the burdens that we can beare are not to be compared to the burden of sin and therefore to be lighted of it is one of the greatest blessings of all the spottes staines that can sticke unto us Iam. 1.21 sinne is the filthiest and therefore to be clensed and washed from it maketh us cleane in his sight Lastly hence ariseth matter of comfort to all such as earnestly endeavour this worke of clensing and purging of themselves The vvay and the meanes to attaine
grace life by Christ be fruitfull effectuall Let us then be warned that we do not coÌ„tent our selves to live in the Church for so false Israelites doe and hypocriticall Christians who professe Christ in word Tit. 1.16 Revel 3.1.2 but deny him in their workes who have a name that they are alive but indeed are dead Let us therefore be watchful strengthen the things which remaine that are ready to dy repent speedily because wee know not what houre hee will come upon us This is the use that the Apostle teacheth having shewed that in a great house are sundry vessels some to honour some to dishonour he addeth 2 Tim. 2.21 Let us purge our selves from these that we may be vessels unto honour sanctified meet for the masters use and prepared to every good worke Math. 3.8 Let us strive to bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life Let us clense our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God and purging our consciences more and more from dead workes that so we may gather comfort and assurance that we are vessels to honour and for our better assurance let every one depart from iniquity that nameth the name of Christ 2 Tim. 2.19 Doct. After that thou shalt cut it downe Here is the finall doome of this fig-tree without any farther repriving or sparing thereof Though the Lord suffer long yet he punisheth at the last if it cannot be made fruitfull From whence I might observe that the Lord howsoever he be very patient and doth forbeare long yet at the last he wil come to visit and punish men for their sinnes Ier. 5.7.9 How shall I pardon thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworne by them that are no gods when I had fedde them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troupes in the harlots houses So Esay 42.14.15 1 Sam. Reason 1 5.6 The reasons first in regard of his love and mercy to his children he will not suffer them to live in their sinnes unpunished thus he doth manifest his goodnesse yea that he is goodnesse it selfe and consequently opposite to evill and so will visit them for their sinnes Secondly his justice will not suffer him to let the wicked escape but hee will and must punish He is just nay justice it selfe and therefore cannot but doe justice Rom. 2.6 3.5.6 and give to every one according to his workes as Rom. 3. Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance I speake as a man God forbid for then how shall God judge the world This teacheth the children of God Vse 1 that they have no cause at all to be envious against the wicked for their prosperity and happinesse in this world for let them waite a while and abide but a short time which the Lord in his providence hath appointed they shal behold him comming against them with his drawne sword and visit their iniquities to the full Exod. 34.7 for hee will by no means clearethe guilty Secondly it admonisheth every man to labour to breake off his sinnes whatsoever they be and not to harden himselfe because God spareth him because howsoever God spareth him and maketh as though he did not perceive him yet at the last he payeth home How neere hath Gods hand beene to many in this great visitation in the same house and in the same bed when the one hath beene taken away and the other spared and his life given him for a prey O consider this ye that have already forgotten this mercy of God and labour to appease his wrath before yee come to his judgement-seate for then it will be to late to call and cry for mercy let us labour too repent betimes here that so we may find mercy before the throne of God hereafter Lastly it warneth us of the wofull estate of all such as despise his patience for what doe such but heape up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Thou shalt cut it downe Dcto The Lord of the Vineyard waited yeare after yeare to receive some fruit Such as grow desperate are neere to destruction and the dresser thereof obtained the continuance of the standing thereof another yeare if nothing will serve none will intreat any farther it must be cut downe This teacheth us that when once we grow desperate without hope of amendment and past recovery God is determined to destroy us and to pull us up by the rootes as trees that are altogether withered dead and rotten Thus it was with the sonnes of Eli the sonnes of Belial 1 Sam. 2.12.25 they knew not the Lord neither would they give eare to the warning of their father but what was the end They hearkned not to the voyce of their father because the Lord would slay them This we see also 2 Chro. 36. the Lord gave his people over into the hand of the Caldeâ—s but when came the wrath of the Lord upon them to the uttermost when there was no remedy He had sent his Prophets continually and successively one after another among them 2 Cor. 36.15 16. but they could do no good with them they grew worse as those that are desperately diseased caÌ„not be healed There was therfore no remedy neither other way with them then to cut them off utterly Thus our Saviour speaketh Math. 23.37.38 I would have gathered you together but ye would not behold your house and habitation is left unto you desolate Esay 6.10 so that it came to passe as the Lord had threatned Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and herewith their eares and understand with their heart and be healed The reasons are first because there is nothing left that can doe them any good Reason 1 All the meanes that the Lord hath used or can use will not profit them but like Dogges and Swine they tread the precious pearles of the Gospel under their feet Ier. 17.6 They are like the heath in the wildernesse which shall not see when any good commeth but shall inhabit the parched places in a salt land and not inhabited The heath hath good meanes comming upon it to make it good the Summer commeth the Sunne shineth the raine falleth the influence of the heavens descendeth yet euermore it remaineth the same a dry and barren heath It is with the barren soule as with the barren soile the word the Ministers the Sabbathes the Sacraments the dayes of grace nay Christ Iesus himselfe can doe them no good no good nay the Word which in it selfe is the savour of life to life becommeth to them the savour of death to death 2 Cor. 2.16 Christ himselfe is a recke of offence and a stone to stumble at and all the rest of the meanes ordained to Salvation turne to their finall destruction 1 Pet. 3.8 Secondy such
confession For as Christ Iesus at the last Day shall say to the reprobate Inasmuch as they shewed no mercy to his brethren they did it not to him so may I say to these scoffers In as much as they doe it against the Word they doe it against the Lord himselfe whose Word it is To conclude I will speak to them in the words of the Prophet Esay 57.3 4. Draw neere hither ye sonnes of the Sorceresse the seed of the Adulterer and the Whore against whom doe yee sport your selves against whom make yee a wide mouth and draw out the tongue are ye not children of transgression a seed of falsehood Secondly here is peace and comfort against all discouragements that arise in the world from prophane persons and a soveraigne preservative to all those that truely feare God though they see themselves alone like a Pellican in the Wildernesse like an Owle in the Desart and like a Sparrow upon the house top If wee be as a signe and wonder in Israel Esay 8.28 yea as a monster among men yet let us not be discouraged but remember that the Lords portion hath beene but as the tenth that is in comparison of the multitude in all ages the least part as it were an handfull If then we have heretofore run into all excesse of riot with the world of the ungodly and made conscience of nothing that is good or pleasing to God and now have learned better things by the direction of the Word to refraine from every evill way to have respect to all the Commandements of God and to make conscience of all even the least sins albeit we finde our selves left alone as Eliah the Prophet did when they had killed the Prophets of the Lord and digged downe his Altars and walke in a rugged and untrodden path like Jonathan and his Armour-bearer having few to follow us 1 Sam. 14 13. or to accompany us many to disswade and discourage us and some ready to hinder us and to pull us backe yet let us say with Peter Though all men should forsake thee Matth. 26.32 Iohn 6.68 yet will I never leave thee and elsewhere Whither shall wee goe thou hast the Words of eternall life when Iesus said unto the Twelve Will yee also goe away And let this bee our comfort and give us rest that thus it hath gone evermore with the faithfull this hath beene the state of Religion and few in comparison of the rest have found the true path-way that leadeth to life and salvation to their endlesse comfort Thirdly learne that the number of the wicked and reprobate is exceeding great and the way to Hell hath many people and passengers that thrust and throng by heapes that way The way is broad and the gate wide that leadeth to destruction Matth. 7.14 and many there be that enter in thereat Matth. 7. We are ready to follow a multitude to evill but Christ Iesus giveth us counsell to shun that way as a dangerous rocke which the multitude treadeth Hence it is that the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 1. Not many wise after the flesh not many mighty 1 Cor. 1.26 27. not many noble are called but the foolish things weake and base and despised and things which are not hath God chosen to confound and bring to nought the glory of the world The worst courses have commonly the most followers and the worst number is for the most part the greatest number forasmuch as the greatest part are left out of the Booke of Life and the Catalogue of Gods election And as in the old world when the flood came 2 Pet. 2.5 Gen. 6.22 Luke 18.8 all flesh had corrupted his wayes upon the earth so at the comming of the Sonne of man shall he finde faith upon the earth The greatest part shall bee given to carnall security and worldly profits without any respect to heavenly things Such as came out of Egypt were for the most part of them murmurers and therefore perished There were foure hundred and fifty false prophets standing to plead Baals cause 1 King 18.19 when one onely Elias stood for the honour and glory of the true God of Israel 1 King 22.6 There were also foure hundred flattering prophets against one plaine Preacher Michaiah that spake the truth from his heart yea even for the good of the King himselfe if he had knowne the things that belonged to his owne peace but they were hidden from him Hereby then we learne the vanity of all such as goe about to excuse themselves because they have many fellowes that are followers of their folly and multitudes of companions in throngs and heapes partakers of their evil courses They say We are not alone We have a world of people in the same case If this be all they can alleadge for themselves and their sinnes and their consorts woe unto them for as they have many joyne with them in evill so they shall have multitudes partake with them in punishment God will judge all the ungodly he regardeth neither might nor multitude What store of carcasses perished in the waters and what heapes went to Hell among them and at the last Day the Lord will give iudgement against all men Iude 15. and rebuke all the ungodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their cruell speaking which wicked sinners have spoken against him Every man shall receive the things which are done in his body 2 Cor. 5.10 according to that he hath done whether it be good or evill 2 Cor. 5.10 Hee hath evermore plagued multitudes as well as a few persons with whom it is easie to doe execution inasmuch as he commeth with thousands of his Saints and Angels Jude 14. The worst waies have evermore found the greatest applause consent and countenance of the world When it was agreed to compasse Lots house they assembled together both young and old Gen 19.4 all the people from every quarter Gen. 19. When the golden calfe was to be made Exod. 32.3 all the people brake off the golden earings which were in their eares Exod. 32. When Pilate demanded what should be done with Christ Matth. 27.22 they all cryed out Let him bee crucified Matth. 27. So in maintenance of Idolatry the zeale was so great Acts 19.34 that all with one voyce cryed out Great is Diana of the Ephesians Every place is full of evill the greatest part ready to backe and bolster it to uphold and countenance it Esay 59.15 and such as never so little oppose against it make themselves a prey Who seeth not what plenty is every where of Atheists unbeleevers ignorant persons disobedient swearers blasphemers prophane breakers of the Sabbath contemners of the Gospell and what not It is not their multitudes that can protect and patronize them but shall rather encrease their sorrow and punishment Lastly it is our duty to seeke nay to strive to enter
his Sonnes with the comfortable heate thereof Seventhly 1 Iohn 4.17 we have boldnesse to lift up our heads in the Day of Judgement because as hee is so wee are in this world if we be regenerate we are partakers of the heavenly nature ready to render love for love Lastly if we say we love God as who will not say it and how many ready to sweare it and yet hate our brother 1 Iohn 4.20 5.1 we are lyers and speake not the truth for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene how can hee love God whom he hath not seene forasmuch as every one which loveth him that begate loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 All these are as so many chaines whereunto I might adde sundry other linkes to couple us together and to hold us close one to another If we breake these bands in sunder that nothing will hold us like the man distempered and distracted in the Gospel How can we have any communion with God that have no fellowship with the brethren Fiftly we all have need of patience seeing wee are assured to finde such as will be sure to exercise it and we must earnestly crave it of the God of patience For how shall we goe thorow-stitch with our profession for which we shall not onely be little esteemed but hated of all men Luke 21.19 Heb. 10.36 except we possesse our soules with patience against the contempt which all for Christs sake are subject unto in this present world We are commonly esteemed as the reffuse and off all of all others but let us keepe faith and a good conscience and then say with the holy man Job whose patience and constancy was many wayes prooved and sundry false imputations charged upon him Behold my witnesse is in Heaven Iohn 16.19 1 Cor. 4.3 and my record is on high And with the Apostle With me it is a very small thing that I should be iudged of you or of mans iudgement yea I iudge not mine owne selfe The Faithfull are Gods hidden Ones deare to him and beloved of him And as they are the members of Christ so he accounteth his body after a sort maimed and unperfect without us for He is the Head over all things to the Church Ephes 1.23 which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Eph. 1.23 where the Apostle sheweth that his body is his fulnesse Is it not a blemish and deformity in the naturall body wherein one member onely if it bee but a little finger is wanting so Christ Iesus should be unperfect as a body maimed and disfigured if any of his members should be missing which hee will not suffer to bee taken from him If at any time great men favour and respect us we passe not greatly what inferiour persons thinke of us So should it be with us concerning the matter in hand we ought to digest the disgraces and reproaches of the world more easily and with all patience considering the mighty God and Christ his Sonne and our Saviour have us in such estimation Rom. 8.31 For if God bee on our side who shall be against us Wee commonly affirme A friend in the Court is as good as a penny in the purse and we finde it so If then wee have a friend in the Court of Heaven which is the highest Court and from whence lyeth no appeale we shall not need to feare or be disquieted what man doth or can doe unto us And if we had the greatest friends that can be upon the earth what benefit can we promise to our selves by it when he that is higher then the highest is our enemy Lastly as wee are hated and shall bee hated in the world so we must learne and acknowledge that it is not lawfull to avenge our selves or to recompence and requite like for like Matth 5.44 2 Cor. 2.10 Acts. 7.59 Luke 17.3 Rom. 12.19 but we must love our enemies Matth. 5.44 and forgive them Luke 17.3.2 Cor. 2.10 and pray for them Acts 7.59 Hence it is that the Apostle teacheth Rom. 12.19 Avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. He is the Iudge of the whole world and to him it belongeth to punish and shall not the Judge of the whole world deale uprightly Gen. 18.15 He judgeth without all passion or perturbation whereas we are partiall and passionate and sometimes peevish in our owne causes It is the office of God that properly belongeth to him Psal 94.1 to revenge all our wrongs whatsoever who will more sharpely and severâ—ly right our causes then any other man can doe whereas if we be avengers of our owne private injuries wee make our selves Iudges of the earth we take upon us the perfect knowledge of all things we make our selves searchers of the heart wee wrest the sword of justice from the Magistrate nay we usurpe the office of God and make our selves to be witnesses parties and punishers in our owne matters which was never allowed in any Court where there was any colour of upright dealing and we cannot expect the Divine revenge which onely keepeth due measure and proportion betweene too much and too little Little flocke The last observation taken from the limitation added to the flocke of Christ that it is little and arising from the former interpretation is that it is said to bee little in respect of the opinion that these poore sheepe have of themselves Their hearts are not hauty neither are their eyes lofty Psal 131.1 2. neither doe they exercise themselves in great matters or in things too high for them but they behave themselves as a child that is weaned from his mother their soule is even as a weaned childe This teacheth us Doct. 6 that the faithfull are little and lowly in their owne eyes This we learne by sundry examples in the Old and New Testament Jacob an holy Patriarke saith of himselfe Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies Gen. 32.10 18.27 and of all the truth which thou hast shewed to thy servant Thus doth Abraham the Father of the faithfull confesse in his prayer I have taken upon me to speake to my Lord which am but dust and ashes Gen. 18. Ezra the learned Scribe of God was ashamed and blushed to lift up his face to God Ezra 9.6 Iob 1.1 4.3 4. 42.6 Ezra 9.6 Job a just and upright man one that feared God and eschewed evill who had none like to him in the earth answered the Lord and said I am vile what shall I answer I will lay mine hand upon my mouth once have I spoken yea twice but I will proceed no further yea I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Esay 6.6 The Prophet Esay cryeth out Woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips Chap.
6.6 The like we might say of Moses Exod. 4.10 13 Ier. 1.6 Dan. 9 8. I hn 1.27 Matth. 11.11 Exod. 4.10 13. of Jeremy chap. 1.6 and of Daniel chap. 9.8 John Baptist maketh it knowne that he was not worthy to unloose the shooes latchet of Christ that came after him albeit among them that were borne of women there hath not risen a greater then he The Prodigall Sonne being come to himselfe Luke 13.21 18.13 and to his Father confesseth Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight I am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne The Publican being come up to the Temple to pray stood a farre off and would not lift up so much as his eyes unto Heaven but smote upon his brest saying O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner So Paul testifieth that he was as one borne out of due time 1 Cor. 15.8 9. not worthy to be called an Apostle not onely the least of the Apostles Ephes 3.8 1 Tim. 1.15 1 Cor. 15.8 but the least of all the Saints Ephes 3.8 and the greatest of all sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 The reasons are many and waighty Reas 1 For first what have we to be proud of or wherefore should we advance our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 we are not able of our selves to thinke any thing that is good and without the helpe and assistance of Christ we can doe nothing at all Joh. 6. so that to be proud of our selves is to be proud of nothing Secondly they know their sinnes to be moe in number then the haires of their head that they provoke him every day and are not able to answer him one of a thousand their iniquities are increased over their heads Ezra 9.6 Lam. 3.22 and their transgressions are gone up to the Heavens Ezra 9.6 so that it is his mercy that they are not utterly consumed The more the Lord vouchsafeth his grace unto them the more they behold their owne waies and are privy to their owne wants They know they have many knowne and open sinnes They know they stand in need to pray to God to clense them from their secret faults They know they must begge of him Psal 19.12 13. to keepe his servants from presumptuous sinnes that they may not have dominion over them They know they are daily to crave pardon for their errors ignorances and negligences for omitting good for committing evill They know their owne hearts smite them 1 Ioh. 3.20 and if their owne hearts condemne them God is greater then their hearts and knoweth all things And have they not therefore cause in all these respects to hang downe their heads and to humble themselves in the sight of God As for the ungodly it is not so with them they are blinde and can see nothing they are deafe and will learne nothing they are sencelesse and can feele nothing be it never so palpable Thirdly Christ Iesus hath left himselfe as a patterne and president unto us for he is meeke and lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 Matth. 11.29 who being in the forme of God and thinking it no robbery to bee equall with God tooke upon him the shape of a servant Phil. 2.6 7. and made himselfe of no reputation Thus he humbled himselfe and became obedient unto the death even the death of the Crosse Yea he disdained not to wash the feet of his Disciples Ioh. 13.5 15. and gave them an example what they should doe even as he had done to them Thus he that was both God and Man the Lord of Heaven and earth the eternall Sonne of the Father the brightnesse of his glory Heb. 1.3 the expresse Image of his person the Heire of all things upholding them by the Word of his power the King and Priest of his Church did stoope downe and abase himselfe for us even to the death and that also the cursed death of the Crosse Luke 21. 27. and was in the world as he that serveth Luke 22.27 Ought not we therefore to set evermore his example before our eyes as a glasse to looke upon and in lowlinesse of minde each one of us to esteeme of others better then of our selves that the same minde might be in us which was in him Fourthly wee are but dust and ashes whether we consider our rising or our falling our beginning or our ending Gen. 3.19 Iob 1.21 1 Tim. 6.7 our first or our last for dust we are and to dust shall we returne Gen. 3. We brought nothing with us in this world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out Is not the basenesse of the matter out of which we were formed and into which wee shall bee resolved argument waighty enough to pull downe every high conceit of our selves and to preach humility unto us Lastly God giveth all men somewhat to humble themselves in soule or in body or in name or in some that are neere unto them or in all these combined together at least if they know themselves It is an hard matter to know our selves aright for few doe it Wee are for the most part ignorant of our selves and strangers at home how quick-sighted soever we are abroad Wee cannot looke upon our selves or cast our eyes about us but we have causes and occasions of humiliation as Jacob after he had wrastled with God had his thigh out of joynt Gen. 32.25 31. 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. and he halted of it all the dayes of his life afterward Gen. 32. So had the holy and blessed Apostle Paul asplinter in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations that were given unto him And albeit he besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him yet he obtained in not but received this gracious answer My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakenesse The best servants of God therefore have had something to cast them downe even to the ground and if wee have not eyes to see this which every where offereth it selfe before us we are blinde and can see nothing at all First of all this serveth for reproofe Vse 1 and that of sundry sorts of persons It giveth a checke to all Iusticiaries and Merit-mungers who like Pharises being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse Rom. 10.3 and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God Such men swelling very bigge with the winde of their owne workes are farre from the humility and humblenesse of minde which we read to have beene in all the Saints of God from the beginning The continuall song and saying that hath beene evermore in the mouthes of all the godly of the Patriarkes of the Princes of the Kings of the Captaines of the Priests of the Prophets of the Apostles and of all true Converts and penitent persons when they speake of themselves hath beene this I
taken sometimes personally and sometimes essentially Personally when it is restrained to one of the Persons as to the first Person in the holy and blessed Trinity Matth. 28.19 Ephes 2.3 2 Cor. 13.13 to wit God the Father begetting the Sonne and sending forth the holy Ghost whensoever mention is made of any of the other Persons also Thus likewise it is taken when it is limited to the second Person in Trinity to wit God the Sonne begotten of the Father before all worlds â—say 9.6 as Esay 9.6 Vnto us a Childe is borne unto us a Sonne is given his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father And in this sence the holy Ghost the third Person proceeding from the Father and the Sonne may also be called Father because he together with the Father and the Sonne giveth being to all things Sometimes the Word is taken essentially without consideration of any personall relation and then it is referred simply to God and is extended to all the three Persons Deut. 32.6 as Deut. 32.6 Doe yee so reward the Lord Mal. 2.10 Iam. 1.27 O yee foolish people is not he thy Father that hath bought thee and Mal. 2.10 Have yee not all one Father and thus it is taken in this place for the whole God-head the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who have a Soveraigne Father-hood over the Church loving it defending it delighting in it caring for it bestowing all blessings upon it and withholding nothing that is good from it Doct. 7 This title teacheth us that God is the Father of his Church and Children As a Father loveth his Children to whom hee hath given breath and being as he feedeth and clotheth them nourisheth and layeth up for them so God loveth his Children to whom he hath given their first life their second life and to whom he will give a third life The first life is in the flesh the second in grace the third in glory The first is a naturall life the second a spirituall life the third an eternall life The first is their generation the second their regeneration the third shall be their glorification and therefore he loveth them with a love infinitely above the love of all Parents toward their Children whose love must needs be as finite as themselves when it is at the highest What the love of Parents is toward their Children the Scripture setteth downe by sundry examples 1 King 3.26 2 Sam. 18.23 1 King 3.26 Esay 66.13 Zach. 12.10 2 Sam. 19.37 Gen. 17.18 49.1 1 King 14.2 Esay 49.15 Psal 103.13 17. 68.5 Esay 63.16 69.8 2 Thes 2.6 2 Sam. 18 23. they rejoice at their good Prov. 101. they moutne for their trouble and evill that befalleth them Zach. 12.10 they comfort them in sorrow and anguish Esay 66.13 they procure them what good and preferment they can 2 Sam. 19.37 Gen. 17.18 they provide for the time present and to come Gen. 49.1 they tender them in sicknesse and in health 1 King 14.2 they prevent dangers that doe hang over their heads and may befall them Gen. 27.43 28.2 they regard them in prosperity and adversity in wealth and in poverty so that they cannot leave them nor forget them nor forsake them Esay 49.15 All these being onely in part and unperfectly in men are fully infinitely and perfectly in God as his nature and essence and therefore he commendeth his love to us above all this Esay 49. Matth. 7. of which places before The Prophets and Apostles are full of such testimonies as Psal 103. As a Father pittieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him and as the Heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that feare him And 68.5 A Father of the Fatherlesse and a Judge of the Widdowes is God in his holy habitation So Esay 63.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father our Redeemer thy Name is from everlasting And 64.8 Thou O Lord art our Father we are the clay and thou our Potter and wee all are the worke of thine hand Thus the Apostle 2 Thes 2.6 The Lord Iesus and God even the Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation comfort your hearts This title is indeed proper to God alone Reas 1 that albeit there be that are called Fathers as indeed there be many upon the earth Magistrates Ministers Masters naturall Parents Exod. 20.12 and all Superiours Exod. 20.12 Yet to us as there is but one God and one Lord so there is but one Father as we heard before out of the Prophet to whom this name is properly and peculiarly belonging Matth. 23.9 This Christ himselfe teacheth Matth. 23.9 Call no man Father upon the earth for one is your Father which is in Heaven neither be yee called Masters for one is your Master Obiect even Christ But is it unlawfull to call any Father the Apostle calleth himselfe the Father of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9.15 1 Cor. 9. Though yee have ten thousand Instructours yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospell Answ I answer He doth not simply forbid the appellation but restraine them from ambition neither condemneth he properly the title but absolutely the affecting of the title We may not therefore imagine that Christ would utterly abolish from among Christians the name of Father or Master or Teacher as if it were unlawfull for Children to call those their Fathers of whom they received their beeing or for Servants to call any their Masters to whom they owe their service forasmuch as the Scripture willeth Children to honour their Fathers and Servants to be obedient to their bodily Masters but his purpose is to forbid these names in such sort as the Pharises were called by them who loved or desired to be called Rabbies Fathers and Masters and challenged the names as proper and peculiar to themselves It is not therefore the bare title but their vaine glory that is condemned Againe so to be called Rabbi Father or Master that the people of the Lord should wholly and absolutely depend upon their mouthes 1 Cor. 7.23 to become servants of men and rest slavishly in their opinions and traditions as the onely true Teachers and Fathers of the Church as the Iesuits would be accounted in these dayes may not be admitted in any case or that their doctrines were not subject to triall and examination by the Scripture is wholly to be rejected forasmuch as the spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14.32 Thus to be called Father or Master agreeth to no mortall man but God is the onely true Father and Christ Iesus the onely true Master as the onely Law-giver that is able to save and to destroy Jam. 4. whose Precepts we must receive and are bound to obey though all the world should teach otherwise God then must be held to be supreme others are
subordinate unto him Secondly God hath set his whole delight on his to love them above all other people Deut. 10.15 21. and doth great things for them that hee hath not done for the whole world beside Hee hath given his owne Sonne for them and to them which is the fountaine of all his love Joh. 3.16 For he so loved the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And 1 Joh. 4.9 10. in this was manifested the love of God toward us because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world 1 Ioh. 4.9 10. that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes From hence flow all spirituall and eternall blessings as reconciliation and atonement sanctification and likewise our justification consisting in the forgivenesse of sinnes and the imputation of his righteousnesse unto us yea hence doe flow temporall blessings to us as they are blessings so that he careth for us as the Eagle for her Birds Deut. 32.11 12. and tendreth us as the apple of his owne eye Zach. 2.5 Thirdly this truth further appeareth unto us by the titles given to the faithfull For as the Names of God set forth his nature toward us so also doe the names that are given to the Godly The names that he giveth are not like names given by men who onely hope or desire to finde them as they are named but they often prove the contrary as we see in Abshalom who had his name of his Fathers peace but hee sought the destruction of his Father It is not so with God he doth not deceive neither can bee deceived in calling his Children by their names They are called sometimes the Lords portion Deut. 32.9 Exod. 19.5 and the lot of his inheritance Deut. 32. Sometimes his chiefe treasure above all people though all the earth be his Exod. 19 5. sometimes his Sonnes and Daughters 1 Ioh. 3.1 begotten of him to a lively hope of an inheritance unspeakable and glorious 1 Joh. 3.1 sometimes the Spouse of Christ Hos 2.19 23. Ioh. 15.24 Hos 2. sometimes his Jewels Mal. 3. and sometimes also his friends labouring to doe whatsoever he commandeth them Joh. 15.14 All these titles and testimonies teach us how dearely hee loveth and accounteth of his people The uses of this point serve Vse 1 partly for information partly for instruction and partly for consolation First for information or bettering of our knowledge we must consider that from hence wee have boldnesse and confidence in prayer to approach neere to the Throne of Grace that he will give us whatsoever we aske according to his will Hence it is that in the Lords prayer we are willed and warranted to begge the sanctifying of his Name the comming of his Kingdome c. and whatsoever serveth for his glory or our owne good and to call him by the name of our Father Matth. 6. â— to stirre up our faith to come with assurance and without doubting to be heard and helped Will a Father deny his Childe any thing that is good for him God is our Father and we his Children he our Shepheard and we his Flocke hee the Creator and we his creatures Hee seeth what wee have need of and hee knoweth better then our selves what is good for us so that we may boldly come in faith and not waver as the Romanists would have us to doe Now to the end we may approach and appeare before him aright and come unto him as to a Father we must come partly with cheerefulnesse and boldnesse and partly with awefulnesse and reverence And these two must be compounded and mingled together boldnesse with reverence and reverence with boldnesse that we may pray and make supplication to him with a reverent boldnesse and with a bold kinde of reverence lest boldnesse severed from reverence breed basenesse and contempt and reverence severed from boldnesse turne into a slavish and superstitious feare To worke in us boldnesse and willingnesse the Scripture layeth before us the promises of God whereupon we must build as upon a sure foundation To strike in us reverence it propoundeth sundry threatnings and admonitions which we ought to call to minde so often as we goe to praier to prepare us thereunto First we must acquaint our selves with the gracious promises of God which he hath made to us in his holy Word that our dull and dead spirits may thereby be quickned and our unbeleeving hearts may be fully perswaded that hee will deliver our soule from death Psal 116.8 our eyes from teares and our feet from falling For as the amiable Word of a Father implieth a readinesse and willingnesse in God to shew mercy so it should stirre up in us a forwardnesse to come unto him and to aske whatsoever wee want The Scripture is full of such heavenly promises Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will heare thee Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 If wee humble our selves in his presence and turne from our sinnes and wicked waies then He will heare in Heaven 2 Chron. 7.14 15.2 Esay 65.24 and be mercifull unto our sins 2 Chron. 7. If we seek him He will be found of us 2 Chron. 15. Before we call he will answer and while we speake he will heare Esay 65. If we which are evill can give good gifts to our children Luke 11.13 how much more will our heavenly Father give the holy Ghost to them that desire him Rom. 10.22 Luke 11 He that is Lord of all is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. Draw neere to God and He will draw neere to you Iam. 4.8 Iam. 4. All these are so many encouragements to draw us and to drive us to God who by these and a thousand such other promises inviteth us into his holy presence Againe on the other side we must consider that the Scripture withall giveth us sundry advertisements and threatnings to admonish us to come to him with feare and reverence The name of a Father is a title of familiarity but familiarity many times breedeth too much boldnesse and boldnesse breedeth contempt and contempt a base estimation of God and therefore it must bee seasoned with other considerations lest wee come to him in vaine and to our owne hurt Hence it is that as Christ our Saviour teache thus to call God our Father when we fall down before him so withall he willeth us to remember that he is in Heaven that is of infinite glory power and majesty Let us therefore have before us these and such like meditations If I regard wickednesse in my heart Psal 66.18 26.6 Prov. 1.28 15.8 21.27 the Lord will not heare me Psal 66.18 26.6 and often in the Proverbs They shall call upon me but
done away in the great Day of the Lord when the time of refreshing shall come from the presence of God 2 Thes 1.11 then indeed he shall be made marveilous in all them that beleeve And as the ends of the world are come upon us and the Day of our perfect reconciliation draweth neere so ought we to rejoyce the more and to lift up our heads the higher that as we have said in our trouble Psal 22.15 Thou hast brought us into the dust of death so we may say againe with joy of Spirit Thou Lord hast drawne us out of many waters His right hand hath done great things for us for which we reioyce Lastly it is our duty to walke worthy of such a Kingdome and to live godly in Christ Iesus that so wee may have comfort in that Day Such as looke and hope hereafter to be made like unto Christ must wash their hands 1 Ioh. 3.3 and clense their hearts and purifie themselves even as he is pure But it may be said Wee may repent at leisure and at the last Day and that is farre off Nay the Scripture putteth such foolish conceits from us and telleth us that the Lord is at hand 1 Pet. 4.7 the comming of the Lord draweth neere Besides then is not the time of mercy but of justice to the impenitent For as death leaveth us so shall the Iudgement Day finde us Rom. 2.5 Rom. 2.5 Wee must all appeare before the Judgement Seat of Christ But wherefore to bring us to repentance and to see whether we will turne from our sinnes to him No that is not the end but to receive the things which we have done in our body whether good or evill The old world no doubt when they saw the raine that fell were desirous to enter into the Arke but the flood was come and it was too late Exod. 14.23 25. The Egyptians pursuing Israel into the middest of the Sea were desirous to turne backe and to flye from the face of Israel but the Lord tooke off their Chariot wheeles that they drave them heavily and it was too late The foolish Virgins cried Lord Lord open unto us Matth. 25.11 12. but the doore was shut and they received this uncomfortable answer Verily I say unto you I know you not which verifieth the saying of Christ elsewhere Many Luke 13.24 I say unto you will seeke to enter in and shall not be able Such as can wish for Heaven should also study to learne the way to Heaven It was the wish of Balaam the false prophet though himselfe were unrighteous that hee might dye the death of the righteous Numb 23 10. For albeit hee regarded not to lead the life of the righteous yet hee could be content to die their death though he were at warre with God yet he was desirous to enter into their peace and though he would not be like them in the beginning of his daies yet he was willing his latter end should be like theirs But as hee was ignorant of the way so he was as carelesse to enter into it This putteth us in minde of sundry meditations First it is our duty to consult with the Word and to try all our actions by it whether they please God as the gold is tryed by the touch-stone whether it bee currant or counterfeit and as the worke is tried by the rule whether it be right or crooked Hence it is that Christ teacheth Ioh. 3.21 He that doth truth commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God but he that doth evill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deeds should be reproved For naturally men love darknesse rather then light because their deeds are evill 1 Cor. 11.31 Secondly we ought to iudge our selves here that so we may escape the Iudgement of God hereafter If we will not judge our selves we shall be condemned with the wicked world for the Lord himselfe will enter into Iudgement with us We must to this purpose summon accuse examine convince and condemne our selves that he may acquit us discharge us and absolve us Wee must try and examine our selves by the Touch-stone of the Law and looke into it as upon a glasse whereby wee may see the least spot and wrinkle Thirdly we must watch and pray alwayes Luke 21.36 that wee may bee found so doing when the Lord commeth Luke 11. and be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to passe and that wee may stand before the Sonne of man But if the evill servant say in his heart My master deferreth and delayeth his comming Luk. 12.45 46. and shall begin to beate his fellow servants and to eate and drinke and to bee drunken the Lord of that servant will come in a day when hee looketh not for him and in an houre when hee is not ware and wil cut him in sunder and will appoint him his portion with the unbeleevers Fourthly we must practise the workes of mercy toward the members of Christ and bountifulnesse to the godly in all their distresses Happy will that Day be and joyfull to them that have fed and clothed and visited Christ in his members that have come to such as have beene sicke and in prison which workes of mercy the Lord Iesus will account accept and reward as done to himselfe But woe shall it be to such as shall have this charged upon them by Christ himselfe the Iudge of quicke and dead Matth. 25 4â— I was an hungred and ye gave me no meate I was thirsty and yee gave me no drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke me not in naked and ye clothed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not Neither will it serve their turne to excuse their want of charity to say Lord when saw we thee an hungred or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sicke or in prison and did not minister unto thee For then it shall be answered them Verily I say unto you in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me Lastly let us hold fast the faith and the heavenly graces given unto us and not give over neither suffer them to be wrested from us by any illusion of Satan for then wee lose all our labour and all the paines that we have taken Let us stand out to the end Revel 3.11 and be faithfull unto the death and then we shall receive the Crowne of eternall life This is the exhortation to the Church in Philadelphia Hold fast that which thou hast that no man take away thy Crowne from thee And the Apostle John Looke to yourselves 2 Iohn 8. 1 Cor. 15.58 that ye lose not the things that yee have done that so ye may receive a full reward The Lord God Almighty who hath promised to reward our service even to a cup of cold water grant that we may be steadfast and unmovable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord forasmuch as wee know that our labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord Amen FINIS
threatnings of judgments and punishments are conditionall and to be understood with limitation See this 1 King 8. Now O Lord God of Israel keepe with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him saying There shall not faile thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel so that their children take heed to their way that they walke before me as thou hast walked before me Of this did David himselfe put his sonne Salomon in mind 1 Chro. 28.9 Know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts c. if thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever So doth our Saviour threaten the Church of Ephesus to remove the Candlesticke out of his place except it did repent Revel 2.5 The reason is plaine both of the one and of the other He promiseth mercy with condition that we should be stirred up to obedience that no defect might be on Gods behalfe and againe he threatneth judgement that he might not enter into judgement and denounceth punishment that he might not punish but that we should repent and amend our lives and remember from whence we are fallen Revel 2.5 This appeareth evidently in his threatning against Nineveh who can tell Ionah 3.9 if God will turne and repent from his fierce wrath that we perish not When we repent he repenteth we of the evill of sinne he of the evill of punishment but if we repent not of our sinne he will never repent him of the punishment that he hath threatned to bring upon us It reproveth all such as remember what God hath promised to us but forget what he requireth of us Vse 1 God hath made a Covenant with us as he did with Abraham Gen. 17.7.1.2.6 and we binde our selves interchangably one to another He said unto Abraham I will be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee but how on this condition Thou shalt keepe my Covenant and what was that Obedience whereof circumcision was a signe walke before me and be upright If Abraham had called unto God to performe his part to blesse him as his God and in the meane season had never performed his owne part of the Covenant to walke before him in the uprightnesse of his heart had he not dallied with God and deceived himselfe But thus the case standeth with us we are ready to cōplaine murmur if the Lord do not blesse us when in the meane season we forget what promise we have made to him If we should deale so with men like unto our selves would not all accuse us of folly Secondly let us not flatter our selves and beare our selves bold and presume because we have many precious promises of grace and helpe in time of neede These promises howsoever they be in themselves surer then the heavens and more stable then the earth yea be ratified confirmed by an oath that by two unchangable things wherin it is unpossible that he should lye Heb. 6.18 we might have strong consolation I say these promises are no promises to us if we doe not keepe the Covenant it is all one as if they had never beene made Mat. 6.25.33 Our Saviour willeth us to take no thought what to eate or what to drinke or wherewith to be clothed he promiseth that he will never leave us nor forsake us but it is with condition first seeke the kingdome of God and then all these things shall be ministred unto us then he saith my mercy will I keepe for them for evermore my promise shall stand with them my covenant will I not breake Psal 89.28.34 neither alter the thing that is gone out of my lippes Lastly let us serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind seeke to know his will and serve him when we do know it Let us not be discouraged in his threatnings seing they also are conditionall as well as his promises Let us breake off the course of our sinnes and amend our lives then we may be well assured he will turne from all his wrath and remember our sins and iniquities no more For he is faithfull he never forsaketh us untill we forsake him This is it that the Prophet is sent to tell Asa and all Iudah and Benjamin The Lord is with you while ye be with him 2 Chr. 15.2 and if ye seeke him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you And is it not just with God to deale with us as we deale with him and to measure to us againe as we have measured to him Let us therefore seeke him while he may be found and call upon him while he is neere let us forsake our evill wayes and returne unto the Lord then he will have mercy upon us and he will abundantly pardon all our sinnes If it beare fruit well Doct. The barren estate is very dangerous neare to bee burnt up The fig-tree in this place is not said expresly to be dead but to be barren and to bring forth no fruit at all which is all one This teacheth that the barren condition hath no life nor comfort in it but is full of danger even neere to burning This Iohn the Baptist teacheth Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Math 3.10 Math. 3.10 So the Apostle Heb. 6.6 The earth which beareth thornes and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.7.8 whose end is to be burned A man may say of such as the Disciples of the fig-tree Math. 21.29 against which the curse was passed by the mouth of Christ How soone is the figge-tree withered away Such then doe lye under an heavy curse We thinke we have said much in praise and commendation of many and indeed of many it is too much to say they are harmelesse men they doe no man any hurt you may live long among them and you shall receive no wrong nor jniury from them but is this enough no doubtlesse for what shall this profit if we bring forth no good fruit Ier. 17.8 Ezek. 47.12 The reasons are plaine for first Reason 1 the law of God is not onely negative but also affirmative it commandeth good as well as forbiddeth evill The negative part is but halfe the Commandement and he that performeth so much hath done but halfe his duty like a Dove that flyeth with one wing or like a lame man that hoppeth upon one legge The Commandement which saith thou shalt not kill saith also inclusively Thou shalt preserue thy neighbours life Secondly to omit the duties which a man ought to performe is a kind of contempt against God For not to honour or obey is to contemne A servant which will not doe what his Master commandeth Mal. 3.6 because a servant honoureth his