Damnation it is some peevish Baruch that instigates the Prophet shall this man the Minister that came to sojourn amongst us became a Lord over us and the like now I may say if Cain shall be punished sevenfold surely Lamech seventy fold if they that know not the Masters Will are punished how many stripes shall he have that knew and did not if these in the Text who made such plausible Excuses were shut out what shall become of them who made light of it fell upon the Messengers and slew them many there be if they will speak out have made worse less tolerable Excuses some accusing Satan some God his Decrees have made them careless his Severity desperate his Mercy presumptuous the Bloud of Christ more filthy his Grace wanton his Patience impenitent yea hast thou not said in thy heart who is the Lord I know him not what will the Lord do for us what profit shall we get if we walk humbly before him Let us to Egypt let who will go to Canaan that hard Land that eateth up maintaineth not the Inhabitants give us Flesh-pots take you the Manna give us the Pleasures take you the Recompence of Reward we see no such Excellency in Christ Beauty in Holiness Preciousness in the Promises Glory in Heaven as to make us willing to die to Sin and the world and our selves and give up our selves to this strange life of Austerity strictness watching praying Repenting and renouncing the world If those fair Excuses were condemned what shall become of them that make foul repulses and persist in their Rebellions yet the one or the other is the case of most But that you may not think so slightly of Excuses we shall tell you a little more of their sinfulness They are the grand Sin of the world the great Apollyon the oldest mother of Iniquity the closest Sin that doth so easily beset us a Big-bellyed Monster hath in it all manner of sins rip it up and you will find it guilty of every Breach of the Law and every miscarriage against the Gospel First it stands guilty of the Breach of the whole Law both of the first and second Table and particularly of every several Command e. g. The first Command which requires that inward natural holy worship and honour which is due to God is broken 1. By omission the Knowledge Love Joy Delight in God obedience to him calling upon praising and serving him is neglected upon pretence of the Marchandize Farm Oxen c. 2. By commission this fills the world with false Gods sets up others in his stead which are preferred esteemed trusted in sought after more than God Hence some charged to have loved their Belly Pleasures Profit Children Mammon more than God The Papists honour their He and Lud. Viâ—â—es she Gods saith one of their own and worship them no otherwise then God himself They pray to the Virgin Mary as to God and preferr her sometimes to Christ himself they call her Mother of Grace Mother of Mercy pray to her to deliver them from Satan save them from Hell yea some have been so shameless as to say God hath divided his Kingdom between himself and her reserving Justice to himself and settling Mercy upon her so that it is lawful to appeal from the Sons Justice to her Mercy and that the Souls Plaister is compounded of the Mothers Milk and the Sons Bloud no greater Blasphemy or Impiety can be uttered yet have they their Arguments their Authority their priviledged and allowed Books of Offices to excuse them These things are notoriously known I do therefore spare Quotations So had Saul somewhat to Excuse his leaving 1 Sam. 28. 15. God to go to the Witch viz. Because God would not honour him with an Answer at his Desire Ahaz had somewhat to plead for his renouncing God and setting up the Gods of Edom because 2 Ch. 28. 23. he was smitten by the Edomites 2. As for the second Commandment concerning Instituted Worship a world of Excuses have been found out to evacuate it till they at Rome have turned it out of the Decalogue and set an Et Caetera only in the room of it Jeroboam had an Excuse for his neglect of the Instituted Worship in the Temple and setting up his Calves it was to ease the People of much unnecessary Labour The Papists 1 K. 12. 28 think the spiritual and simple Worship prescribed in the Gospel to be low mean untaking therefore set up Image Worship to stir up Devotion call their Images good Lay-mens Books affirm the Image may be worshiped with the same worship with the Prototype as the Crucifix with Latreia the same worship whch is given to the Deity so it be with these Excuses and Crotchets of distinctions improperly reductively c. 3. For the third comes in the Swearer with his Excuses may I not swear so long as it is to the Truth again so long as I do not swear by the Name of God but by the Mass this Light my Hand Faith or Troth c. But this is forbidden by the Prophet Jer. 5. 7. By our Saviour Mat. 5. 35 36. By the Apostle Jam. 5. 12. Or again if I did not swear by the Name of God I may be excused I should not otherwise have been believed or I was urged to it or was in passion c. 4. Excuses are the great Sabbath breakers If I rest though I sanctifie not that Day to the solemn service of God publick and private may I not be excused I plow not market not if I go to the Church though I do nothing at home besides before or after If I hear a Sermon once a day what need I go again the second time If I keep it my self though my Servants or Children travel sleep play what is that to me These forget the Commandment runs Thou thy Son thy Daughter c. 5. If we come to the second Table we shall find Excuses as faulty there as injurious to men as guilty of impiety against God These fill Church State Families with confusion and disorder The Mother of Sedition Rebellion and Disobedience in the State of Schism contempt of all good Order and Ministry in the Church Somtimes in Defect If Magistrates be bad they think they may be contemned if weak resisted If Parents old poor indigent they think they may be neglected so taught the Corbanists Mar. 7. 11. If Ministers be not Eminent or live as you would have them slight them and slight the Service and Offerings of the Lord as they did upon the account of Elies Sons If Magistrates be remiss and 1 Sam. 2. 17. 2 Chron. 13. 7. weak cast off their Yoke as did Jeroboam who conspired to depose his Lord and Soveraign Sometimes again in Excess what Superiours command we must obey as they lead we may follow what they prescribe we must follow They shall answer for us c. If I have to do with my Equal then I am
God which he never made so bad and these their good outward state which he never made so good Thus those wicked one Zachary who had enriched Zach 11. ◠themselves by oppressing the Poor would intitle God to their wickedness They cry out applauding themselves Blessed be the Lord for I am rich Thus Ephraim plays the cunning Merchant gets an Estate by wicked means Balances of deceit yet crys out I am become Rich I have found Hos 12. 7 8. Substance there is no Iniquity or Sin in all this Thus the insatiable Chaldaean when by Rapine and Spoil he had possessed himself of all the Kingdoms and Treasures of the Earth he imputeth all to his god as we Hab. 1. 9 10 11. have known some have done in our dayes crying out Providence Providence yet might he be better excused for entitling his ill-gotten power and wealth to his god a cursed Idol then we Christians any ill acquired state to the true God who loveth Righteousnesse and hateth Iniquity and is 1 Thess 4. 6. an Avenger of all acts of injustice A fourth excuseth himself with a foul 4. From God's Austerity reflection upon God for his Austerity as he will pretend Thus the evil and slothful Servant pleads when he had done nothing at all in discharge of his duty I knew thee Mat. 25. 24. to be an austere man reaping where thou dost not sow c. therefore I hid thy Talent q. d. I had been a better Servant if I had had a better Master I thought all was a case I had as good sit still for nothing as work for nothing for it would have come to nothing But I pray consider whose arguing this was The two endeavouring Servants said not thus found not God such a hard Master But received an Euge of praise and for a small measure of faithfulness and diligence had full measure heaped pressed down and running over of Reward Thou shouldst have found the like if thou hadst shewed like diligence But observe what shifts men will use to spare their pains There is a Lyon in the way Prov. 26. 13. saith the Sluggard There is difficulty impossibility in the way When the Devil can once get thee to entertain an hard thought of God he first drives thee from thy duty and at last drives thee into despair Cain's Judas's and Spira's despair sprang first from such a horrid thought But it is the whole design of Scripture as Luther well observed to set out God as gracious and merciful and abundant in goodness as Exod. 34. 6 7. Psal 145. 9. Heb. 11. 6. 1 Cor. 15. ult But men will not do thus in other cases If a gangrened Leg or Arm Cuncīa prius tentanda they will not presently cut it off but try all means first and if no remedy cut it off to preserve the whole at last But here as if men had made an Agreement with Death and Covenant with Hell they throw off all endeavours and think to charge their Condemnation upon God's inflexible severity 5. Another again destroys himself and 5. From God's mercy excuseth it when he hath done by a clean contrary pretense of God's mercy Deut. 29. 19. I shall have peace saith he though I walk after the imagination of my heart and add drunkenness to thirst q. d. though I add sin to sin God is so merciful I shall do well enough though I neither fear nor repent Thus Justice abused sends some to Hell and Mercy others and all must be laid upon God When he pipes they will not dance when mourns not lament If he command warn threaten Behold severity enough to drive men to despair Again if he exhort intreat beseech men to be reconciled wait to be gracious swear he delighteth not in the death of the wicked Behold mercy enough to make us secure and lazy The Lord may justly complain I am Amos ◠13. pressed under you as a Cart full of Sheaves One man saith I have only fears had I any hope or the lest assurance I should have some heart to pray and reform but now what joy to stir or endeavour And another saith because I have such hopes and so full assurance a lying presumptuous assurance I will cast off all fears sure I am I cannot out-sin the grace and mercy of God But Tertullian answereth such well They who can Salvo metu fide peccare salva venia in Gehennam detrudentur They who can live in sin and yet say they have never the less of Faith and fear of God shall be cast into Hell and yet God have never the less of mercy 6. There be that would be excused 6. For not giving Grace by casting an imputation upon God for his denegation and with-holding his Grace for thus they plead It is not in the power of man to direct his own way to convert himself Jer. 10. The Scripture saith No man can receive any Joh. 3. 27. thing except it be given him from Heaven And if God give not his Grace and Spirit how should I have it or how should I be better But give me leave to ask Didst thou ever go and ask these and desire them Ye have not saith St. James because Jam 4. 2. you ask not And if Grace and the Spirit are not worth asking thou art worthy to go without them Shall the Sun be faulted for not giving light when thou shuttest thy Windows and drawest the Curtains Or the Springs of niggardliness because they spurt not their waters into thy mouth Or the Earth be charged with illiberalness and unkindness because it putteth not its Corn into our Sacks or its Treasure into our Laps without ploughing for the one searching and digging for the other And if thou searchest for Grace as for Silver and Prov. 2. 4 5. seekest for it as for hid Treasure there is a promise thou shall have it Thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God We expect as I said before every thing else should ask pains but Grace none at all But that it should drop into our mouths as the Rain from Heaven or be brought to us and set at our Beds-head 1 Kings 19. 5 7. when we are asleep or sick as Elias had his meat brought to him by an Angel We must have a short and easie way to Heaven or we will have none 7. The last Excuse we shall mention in 7. God did owe them a shame relation to God is of such who when they or theirs have fallen into some soul sin as Theft Whoredom c. are ready to excuse themselves and say It could not be helped God ought them a shame and hath now paid it them and they now hope God hath done with them Some again are so ignorant as to say The Devil ought them this shame But know O vain man God owes thee no such shame till thou hast shamefully cast him off
ANTAPOLOGIA Or a Discourse of EXCUSES Setting forth the Variety and Vanity of them the Sin and Misery brought in by them as being the greatest Bar in the way to Heaven and the ready high way to Hell being the common snare wherein most of the Children of Men are Intangled and Ruined By Jo. Sheffield M. A. Minister of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In animam suam peccat qui se Excusat repellens proinde a se Indulgentiae Medicinam sic vitam sibi proprio ore intercludens Bernh Qui se accusant Excusantur qui se Excusant recusantur Eccles 7. 29. This only have I found that God made Man upright but he hath sought out many Inventions Prov. 21. 2. Every way of Man is right in his own Eyes but the Lord pondereth the Hearts Prov. 28. 13. He that covereth his Sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy Esay 42. 22. But this is a people robbed and spoyled they are all of them snared in Holes and they are hid in Prison Houses they are for a Prey and none delivereth for a Spoil and none saith Restore LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapside 1672. TO THE READER Reader THou hast in thy Hand a Discourse of rather against Excuses the greatest and most over-spreadeng Evil in the World and the greatest Enemy to Grace and Godliness And take this account of my Vndertaking I have observed among all the Arts and Engines the old Enemy hath made use of none have proved so beneficial and expeditious as those two mentioned Esa 5. 20. The one to call Evil Good the other to put Darkness for Light By the first he casts a mist before our Eyes when he tempts to sin saying Ye shall not die but shall be as Gods making Evil to appear Good that we may sin with less fear and by putting Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness when we have by his sollicitations faln into sin he puts a Vail upon our Consciences that we may either lie still more securely or go on more boldly when he hath furnisht us with some specious Excuses to â—over our nakedness and sins deformity thus leading poor Souls blind-folded as those Syrians once were who supposing themselves conducted by a friend and in a safe way were led into the mouth of danger and no sooner were their Eyes opened but they were sensible of their gross mistake With these two did he begin the World when he set up for himself and affected the Principality of this Lower World having failed in his higher Aym above aspiring to more greatness among his fellow Angels And so beneficial have they proved to him that he may as if laughing at his own policy and man's simplicity say to his Associates what once that Atheistical Name-sake and Vicegerent of his Leo X. said to one of his Cardinals Qâ—antum nobis nostro Coetui profuit illa fabula c. The cursed Atheist spake it of the very Gospel it self How much have we and our Colleagues gained by that Fable But by the way had he said how much have those two Fables profited us viz. That of Peters Supremacy and the Keys delivered to him alone and of Romes Infallibility as succeeding Peter in all his Apostolical priviledges he had not said much amiss for these have been the Popes two Keys by which he hath opened the way to his Vice-Godship on Earth he is so styled by his Canonists and Parasites Vice-Deus in Terris and to his Vniversal Monarchy over the blinded Christian World trampling sometimes upon the very Necks of Kings and Emperours These are the two main supports of the Antichristian Kingdom and the Rocks on which the present Church of Rome is founded So those two fore-named black Arts have been the Keys by which the Prince of Darkness hath opened his way to his Conquest of the World and hath arrived to his wished Supremacy too to his Godship in the World so is he called 2 Cor. 4. 4. Deus hujus saeculi and hath attained his desired Vniversal Monarchy trampling upon high and low and triumphing over the deluded sons of men So that he who shall shake these two Pillars as Sampson did those two on which the Philistins house was built will throw down the strongest holds of Satan and make his Kingdom fall about his Ears and will deserve his Name should be enrolled among the Chief of Christian Heroes And as David said once of the Inhabitants of Jebus who had put such scorn upon him He that shall get up into the Gutter and take away the lame and blind which are hated of Davids Soul he shall be Chief and Captain 2 Sam. 5. 8. So may I say whosoever shall take away the Blind and Lame The blind pretences whereby Evil is called Good And the lame Excuses where Light is put for Darkness deserves in my mind the Name among the first Three as he that hath done most to the taking away the Reproach of Israel by disarming the strong man and taking away his Armor wherein he trusted and spoiling his House I have laid my weak hand to this latter and have endeavoured I will not say Pro virili sed pro Senili pro Imbecilitate tenuitate mea for as the man is so is his strength Jud. 8. 21. to give it a shake or may rather say have been as that weaker guide to Sampson led him to the two Pillars where he may try his strength I am not ignorant of my own many Infirmities and therefore might well put in my Excuse had I not professedly written against Excuses for adventuring to appear in publick in this Critical Learned and Eagle-eyed Age my Weaknesses are many Stile homely Method happily not so well digested and by some I look to be Censured as having said too much by others too little I have only this for Excuse and some Excuses you will see are here allowed that I have not met with much written designedly on this Subject which may in some sort Excuse both Author and Matter and Manner and Method and Stile and the many other Infirmities which the whole Discourse may labour under I have taken notice of above an hundred Bad Excuses and have spoken somewhat to the Reproving I would I could also say to the Removing of them And another I doubt not of more Insight into the wayes of God and wiles of Satan may come after and glean an hundred more and his Gleaning better than all my Vintage and yet this Hydra hath more Heads than can easily be cut off Some I have willingly pretermitted to ease my self and thee Reader in some sort and have only touched upon some not thinking it necessary to inlarge upon all then should I have written a Volume and not so short a Treatise the variety and number of the particulars is so great that to speak fully and satisfactorily to each would require a workman
glory So again when we call upon men to duty to come in and receive Christ How do all with one consent make Excuse my Calling Oxen Farm Merchandize will not permit and give me time the work is good I confess I speak not against it but the time is not yet I am a Child ignorant an unlearned person I have a full purpose hereafter when more at leasure when out of debt settled in the world when I have buried my aged Father and my self my own man and my estate in my own hand but let me alone till then or till I am old sick dying and then I will do what you will have me So again when we perswade men to believe how backward and slow of Heart are many to embrace the Promises rejecting and in as much as in them is frustrating the grace of God with such like put-offs the Promise is good and too good for me I too bad altogether unworthy neither holy nor humble enough the means are unlikely c. or I fear it is now too late the day of Grace is past the Decree is gone forth Providences are dark Promises delayed my sins afflictions fears doubts temptations great and dreadful Satan assaults dogs insults triumphs and which is saddest of all God hath forsaken me my Prayer are not heard the Vision doth not speak my Flesh fails my Heart fails and my Hope is even giving up the Ghost I might go on Reader thus to enlarge and multiply particulars but must crave thy pardon for this tediousness if either thou desirest more or art not at leisure to read the whole let me advise thee to turn to Chap. 9 10 11. and seriously consider what thou there readest of the veariety vanity sinfulness and danger of Excuses But here thou seest enough to convince thee how common and frequent Excuses are and how justly to be spoken against All the world is undone by them nothing but Excuses Excuses every where Every man hath his Omer full So that call for what you will and put men upon what you will all you must look for is to be put off with an Excuse As he said once To will is present to perform I find not so to Excuse is present to perform I find not an inclination To fly from repent of and turn from sin requireth pains to perform the duties of Sobriety Righteousness and Godliness requires pains to exercise Faith and Patience requireth pains and so the whole of Real Christianity but an Excuse is easie cheap and costeth little I shall trouble thee no longer Reader but desire God to give us all his grace to avoid all sinful and destructive Excuses and that in stead of these we may get our selves furnisht with some of those Better Excuses recommended in the end of this Discourse in particular these five I would commend at present in stead of all others First that of a good Conscience then thou needest no other of which Saint Bernad saith well Optima Câ—ique Excusatio est Testimonium Conscientiae The best Excuse of all is an Excusing Conscience This was St. Paul's Excuse Our rejoycing is this The testimony of our Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. It is above a thousand Witnesses we say and I may add above ten thousand Excuses Saint Peter calls it the saving answer of a good Conscience and prefers the vertue of it above that of Baptisme alone 1 Pet. 3. 21. 2. Next to that ready sincere and universal obedience then no need of any devised Excuse when thou canst say with Jacob My righteousness shall answer and speak for me Gen. 30. 33. and with the Apostle we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness as Excuse-makers do 2 Cor. 4. 3. 3. Because Conscience may yet accuse and our Obedience falls short the next good Excuse is Humiliation and Repentance timely and true Shemei after all his foul-mouthed rayling and cursing sped better at David's hands by his making hast to humble himself and crying mercy 2 Sam. 19. 20. then that less guilty Amalekite who brought a Crown coming in his confidence of good Service 2 Sam. 1. 5. And the self-condemning Publican at Gods hands than the self-justifying Pharisee Neither were any received to mercy at Josuah's hands but the self-humbling mercy-begging Gibeonites all that stood upon their defence were cut off 4. With humble Confession and Prostration joyn fervent Prayer This was David's Excuse or Relief Against thee have I sinned turn thy face from my sins and the Lord answered I have taken away thy Sin Self-accusation and Repentance with Prayer obtains absolution and remission This is the Apology or self-clearing mentioned 2 Cor. 7. 11. If we therefore cannot come in with the elder Brothers Apology I have served thee these so many years neither transgressed at any time then come in with the younger Brothers confession and supplication Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son c. 5. Lastly above all fly to Christ by Faith that he may make thy Excuse by interceding for thee His Office is to mediate reconcile and plead for us as our Advocate to undertake for us our Surety to take away Sin as our Propitiation then what need of Excuses wheas Sin is taken away through him we shall be presented unblamable unchangeable before God Col. 2. 22. Ar thou therefore overwhelmed with Sin Guilt Fear and Dismaydness cry to him as Hezekiah did Esay 38. 14. Lord I am oppressed undertake for me and with the words of the expiring Thief Lord remember me now thou art in thy Kingdom Luke 23. 42. And now I have no more to do but to commend thee to God and to the word of his Grace and to intreat thy favourable acceptance of this Discourse such as it is and to pray that thou maist make thy best of it This I hope thou wilt find at leâ—st as St. Austin said of his Writings while he was taken up in writing that he was kept from being Idle or worse employed so while thou art Reading thou art kept from spending thy time more unprofitably unless thou bast in thy hand some more profitable Book of which blessed be God our present age is well stored and therein I would by no means be thy hinderance only desire thy Prayers for a Blessing upon this and all the Endeavours of other Godly Men whether Preaching or Writing whose aim is next to the glory of God and the declaring his Will to seek and further the Peace and welfare of his Church and to contribute their utmost to the furthering of the salvation of Souls In which number is The meanest of Gods servants Io. Sheffield THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. THe Text opened and Observation raised Page 1 CHAP. II. Several kinds of Excuses 1 Good 2 Bad. 7 Evil Excuses referr'd to three heads 1 Sin 2 Duty 3 Faith 8 1 Excuses as to Sin are 1 fetcht from self 2 from others
7. Sometimes again Providences run not 7. Providences cross Promises even with Promises and then is a weak Faith much disheartned This caused some haesitation in Moses who expected Israel should have been forthwith delivered God having so promised but after his speaking to Pharaoh their slavery was more increased so that the People fell foul upon Moses for his undertaking Exod. 5. 21. And Moses himself seemed to be at a stand when he broke out into those words Lord why hast thou so ill intreated this People why is it that thou hast sent me For since I came to speak to Exod. 5. 22 23. Pharaoh in thy Name he hath done evil to this People and thou hast not delivered them at all But this occasioned many a sad murmuring in the carnal Israelites all along in the Wilderness who had promised themselves nothing but Prosperity Ease Plenty and a present Possession of the promised Land And for this their Unbelief they fell short of the Promise and fell in the Wilderness God will train up his People in the exercise of Faith and Patience before they inherit the Promises Thus did he to Abraham and Sarah Heb. 6. Hab. 2. 3 4. 15. The Vision is for an appointed time and will certainly speak and not lye But it may tarry long therefore must we wait as well as believe for it will surely come and not tarry saith the Prophet In the mean time the just must live by Faith And as he that believeth shall never be confounded so he must not make hast by Impatience and prescribing to God his time Esay 28. 16. But wait and tarry the Lord's leisure who is never slack to make good his Promise But 2 Pet. 3. 9. waiteth to be gracious Esay 30. 18. And usually mans extremity is his opportunity according to what was said of old In the Gen. 22. 14. Mount will the Lord be seen 8. It is now too late saith Unbelief again 8. The time is past at other times I fear I have slipt the day of my Visitation and therefore fear that Faith Repentance and all my endeavours come too late and will prove as fruitless as Esau's Tears and the Blessing is gone past recalling Oh that time could be call'd back Oh that I were as in times past Job 29. 2 3. when the Candle of God shined in my Tabernacle Oh that I had known the day of my Visitation in that my day and the Job 29. 2 3. things of my Peace but they are now hid from my Eyes Oh that God would come once again and call Samuel Samuel as he did when I lay down and slept but now all is too late and all is in vain Thus said once the Servants of Jairus The Damosel is dead trouble not the Master any further Mark 5. 35. Thus said Martha If thou hadst been here when time was my Brother had not died now he is departed four dayes ago and by John 11 32 39. this time stinketh Oh ye of little Faith why reason ye thus in your hearts Nullum Tempus occurit Christo Christ and his Grace incurs no Lapse by loss of time Believe Jairus Thy Daughter is not dead but sleepeth Dead to thee asleep to me Believe Martha and thou shalt see the glory Joh. 11. 40. of God Take heed of taking up such sad Conclusions as to say My strength and hope is perished from the Lord Lam. 3. 18. Ezek. 37. 11. Our Bones are dryed up and our hope is lost and we are cut off for our parts I am as certainly damned some have cryed out as if I were already in Hell yet despair not it is not yet the twelfth hour All the day long the Lord stretcheth forth his Hand and it is not yet the night of Death when none can work Look up to the Mercy-Seat out of this Belly of Jonah 2. 4. Hell as Jonah did and thy Prayer will be heard and thy Repentance accepted Christ is able and ready to save to the utmost period of time the utmost period of life the utmost period of hope or despair when thy hope is giving up the ghost Job 11. 20. 9. Blame me not saith another if I can't believe what is above all reason and sense 9. It is above all humane Reason imaginable imaginable what was seldom or never known Thus reasoned he that heard the Prophet foretel there should be so sudden a change from the greatest dearth to the greatest cheapness such a fall of Corn in one dayes space as was never heard of A measure of fine Flour for a Shekell and two 2 Kings 7. 2. measures of Barley at the same rate How can this be saith he if God should make Windows in Heaven yet how can this be Thus is impotent and short-sighted man bold to prescribe a measure to Omnipotency and to set down what he can and what he cannot do This made Luther once to chide Melancthon cast down under the difficulties the first Reformation met with Thou thinkest Philip saith he that God must act intra infra within or according to what Philip propounds But saith he he will act ultra supra beyond and above all that we can ask or think Thus it is with many a poor Creature who as if they did study industriously to make themselves miserable Eph. 3. 20. when they are pressed to fly to Christ and hope for Mercy and the Minister tells them Believe and Repent and your Sins shall be blotted out as a Cloud why saith he if the Lord should open the Windows of Heaven all his Treasures of Grace and Mercy yet can this be Know O man God hath opened the Windows of Heaven when he sent his Son that Day-Spring from Luk. 1. 79. on high to visit and redeem us and to give Light to them that sate in Darkness and in the shadow of Death God opened the Windows of Heaven again when he set open that Fountain for Sin and Vncleanness Zach. 13. 1. Esay 55. 1 2. and proclaimed Ho every one that thirsteth come to the Waters buy Wine and Milk without Money and without Price yea let him that is athirst come and take of the Water of Life freely There is cheaper then a Shekel for fine Flour and half a Shekel for a Rev. 22. 17. measure of Barley He gives freely Rev. 21. 6. He forgives freely Luke 7. 42. 10. Another holds it unreasonable for 10. Continued afflictions him to believe that God hath Love and Mercy in store for him he is so often under great and manifold afflictions Deep calls to Deep all the Waves and Billows of the Almighty are gone over him And whence come Afflictions but from Anger and Job 5. 17. why but for sin Answ Then hath the Scripture told us wrong which saith more Prov. 3. 1â— Heb. 12 â— Gen. 30. 33. then once Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth Look into all
sinful Actions the godly sincere man is the happiest man in the world that in this sense he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Excuse as needing none the only Excuseless person in the world and the more excused because he hath the fewer Excuses 4. What a sad difference is there between Gods Care of mans salvation and Mans Care or rather Carelesness What could God do more he provideth a Feast inviteth the Guests sends out his Servants once and again Come all is ready Mercy is ready to save you what could Man do less to save himself or more to undo himself slighting all by frivolous Excuses The Shepherd doth all he can to preserve his Flock and the silly Sheep love to stray and wander and so become a Prey to the devouring Wolf The tender Mother would keep the Child in her Lap and that seeks to get loose and meets with a knock The Mother puts on fair Cloaths to keep her Child clean and the first thing the Child doth is to paddle in the Dirt and make a Beast of it self The Father provides his Son a Portion and sets him up that he may live like a Man and he by improvidence makes all away and becomes a Beggar Here is much Care on the one hand and woful Carelesness on the other yet neither Shepherd Father or Mother are blamed in the former Cases but here all is cast upon God as if we would father and fasten our perdition upon him 5. This shews us what a vast difference there is upon this account between the Sincere and the Hypocrite in 3 respects 1. The sincere doth all he can to fortifie himself by serious Arguments and Excuses against Sin and for Duty How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39 9. The other doth all he can beats his Brains studies Arguments baffles his Conscience frames Excuses to fortifie himself against Duty and to encourage himself unto sin 2. What a difference is there between the one Excusing applauding and admiring his state and the other questioning suspecting and disliking his state judging and abhorring himself The proud Pharisee cryes up his own Righteousness and his many good Deeds The poor Publican cryes out of his Sins and begs for Mercy Holy Job abhorrs himself in Dust and Ashes and wicked Saul extolls himself to the Sky I 1 Sam. 15. 13. have done all that the Lord commanded me The holy Apostles suspect themselves and in an holy Jealousie say Is it I and impudent Judas full of desperate Malice dips in the Dish and looks his Master in the face and saith what is it I Humble Smyrna bewayls her Poverty and Defects when the Lord said she was Rich Rev. 2. 9. And vapouring Laodicea vaunts of her Riches when the Lord saith she was wretched and miserable poor 3. As to confessing and concealing Sin The one doth freely and voluntarily confess it the other useth all his skil to deny or conceal it Judah unasked unforced said What shall I say God hath found out our Sins Gen. 44. 16. when indeed there was pure Innocence Gehazi questioned and examined denyes the Fact Thy Servant hath been no where 2 Kings 5. 25. What a difference was there between David's Repentance and sense of Sin and Saul's unsensibleness The one cryes out I have done foolishly it is I what have 2 Sam. 24. 17. these Sheep done The other said It is not I that sinned but these Sheep the People 1 Sam. 15. 21. that went with me 6. This shews us what a difference there is between Man's Judgement of himself and Gods Judgment Let but Man be his own Judge he hath so many fair Excuses none would be guilty but when God enters into Judgement with him there is none will be found innocent 7. What a difference is there between a man's judgement of Sin at present while Conscience is benummed they make a mock of Sin make light of Reproofs and Threats and please themselves in their Excuses as Cain and Judas and when Conscience is awakened and affrighted how have they then thrown away all their Excuses turning all into self-accusation self-condemnation utter desperation and sometimes self-destruction Desperate Cain cryes out Now I see what Sin is and apprehend mine so great as it cannot be forgiven And cursed Judas cryes out I have sinned I have sinned the Bloud of the Son of God rings in my Ears and cryes for Vengeance and I whither shall I cause my Shame my Sin and Guilt and Horror to go 8. This may inform us again and think seriously of it what a difference there is in God's Carriage now to man and man 's to God to what it will be in that day First God here calls men graciously beseeeheth 2 Cor. 5. 20. them to be Reconciled offers Grace Mercy and Forgiveness freely but then the Sinner will find the Case altered Man will be the Petitioner then and beseech God to be reconciled and beg for Mercy and Forgiveness in vain for then is the time of retribution and God will deal with Man as he had dealt with him before There is now Intreating on God's part and Slighting on Man's But oh what intreating will there be then on Man's part and slighhting on God's wretched Man slights God's Grace Promises Precepts Threats here and God will slight man's Cry Tears Prayers Repentance and Torments there God must have thee Excused when thou goest on in thy Sin and thou must have God Excused when thou goest on to thy punishment There Excuses will be met withal in their kind and match'd with Excuses When God calls thou sayest Excuse me if I shew no Obedience and when thou callest God will say Excuse me if I Qui salvo metu salva fide peccant salva Venia in Gehennam detrudentur Tertul. shew thee no Compassion Thou couldest formerly be full of Sin yet full of Hope and I am now full of wrath to thee yet a God full of mercy You once said Who is the Lord that I should serve him and now saith the Lord who are ye that I should save you you then said to me I know thee not now I answer you in your own Language I know you not It was once your answer to me Depart from us it is now my final answer to you Depart for ever from me ye despisers of my mercy you once mocked at my Threats and laught at my Commands and I will also Prov. 1. 25 26. mock at your Misery and laugh at your Calamity 2. There will be old pleading then to little purpose thou wilt then be ashamed of these pleas it was my Nature Custom I had got it was in my Drink Passion or the like 3. It will be in vain to say Lord Lord I was a Christian professor of Religion a constant Church-man I have heard thee preach in the Synagogues teaching in our Streets or Houses I have eat and drank in thy presence and at
thy Table done many good works and spoke many good words 4. It will be to as little purpose to say Lord I trusted in thy mercy to the promise of the Gospel to the Bloud of thy Son when the Lord shall reply My mercy was declared to them that fear me my Gospel for them that deny ungodliness and Luk. 1. 50. Tit. 2. 12. 1 Jo. 1. 7. live soberly righteously and godly my Son's Bloud was shed to cleanse and take away Sin I am amazed and tremble to think what amazement and horror will then seize on all workers of Iniquity when they see themselves thus disappointed of all their Lying hopes and it calls to my mind the sad plight that that cursed Haman was in when he saw the King Queen Mordecai Harbonah all against him The Kings favour he so relyed upon that he never questioned a change he could but ask and have The Queen had invited him and none but him to a Banquet Harbonah was one of those that bowed to him Mordecai was the only man he meant to Ruine but now on a sudden the Scene is changed his Plots fail his Sin is discovered Mordecai is advanced the Queen that Feasted him is his Accuser and it was in vain to fall down and beg Mercy the King whose favour he had abused pronounceth Sentence and he is immediately hurried to Execution and made a Spectacle to all the Court and a dreadful Example of God's just Judgement to all ages Harbonah and all Officers about the Court not once opening their mouth in his behalf but all ready to aggravate his Crimes and to further â—is destruction Little did he ever think he should have seen such a day The like or worse will be thy case presuming Sinner who now rely'st on the mercy of God the bloud of Christ the promises of the Gospel and the many Favours God hath bestowed on thee all which thou hast made ill use of Thou wilt find to thy sorrow God Christ the Gospel all the former savours and mercies of God rise up against thee to condemn thee and none to speak a good word for thee Angels or Men but to aggravate thy Offences and then will it be too late to fall down and supplicate They shall have Judgment without Mercy that have despised and abused Mercy 5. Consider what will be in that day when God shall summon all the World together both good and bad face to face what fending and proving what accusing and excusing will there then be The Friend will not spare to accuse his Friend to save himself the Child the Father the Husband the Wife the Adulterer and Adulteress will each impeach other the people cry out of their silent or seducing Ministers and all say It is long of you that I am in this place of Torments my Bloud be upon your Head Had it not been for your Perswasion Counsel Encouragement Example I had never been so bad then or so miserable now Then will those that were thy Companions in Sin leave thee in the Lurch as the Priests did Judas to shift for thy self See thou to that There will wicked Ahab who sold himself to work wickedness see himself stript naked of all his old Excuses and cry out and condemn himself unhappy accursed Ahab and justifie Elias Micaiah Naboth saying Oh that I had never wronged hated or persecuted you Cursed Covetousness that set me on to desire my poor Neighbours spot of Ground Cursed Jesabel that didst contrive the procuring it Cursed Witnesses who out of baseness of Spirit would make Oath against an Innocent Cursed Judges and Ministers of State to comply with such illegal Commands Cursed false Prophets to send me to Ramoth Gilead Cursed Satan who put that delusive answer into their mouths And cursed my self most of all who sold my self to work wickedness It is I unhappy I that must now pay for all 9. This may inform us further that fair words good Language and civil Carriage may be shut out of Heaven as well as Prophaneness Persecution and slighting of Mercy Those in the Parable had specious Pretences delivered themselves in fair Language I pray thee have me Excused and I pray thee have me excused said the two first neither of them said I will not I care not one said I cannot but none I will not yet all shut out Trust not then to good words and a plausible Carriage 10. This may inform us again that Heaven may be lost by an undue eager and immoderate pursuit of things Lawful following our Callings Trade and Business the Oxen Farm and Wedlock are to be regarded but in a lower and subordinate measure never to justle out the one thing necessary The great Husband and good Huswife may be as far from Heaven as the Spendthrist and ill Huswife One Calling minded makes not the Christian without the other Rest not then in thy diligence and painfulness in thy outward Calling 11. Lastly this informs us that Relative Duties alone make not a Compleat Christian if Religious Relations be neglected as they oft are I have marryed a Wife and therefore I cannot come Cannot the Wife be observed and respected but God must be unserved and neglected It is small commendation to be the most loving Husband and the best Wife in the world if not also the best Christian To be the most provident and indulgent Father the most dutiful Child if regardless of God What a Solecism and Incongruity is that the Man to have great respect to his Wife little to God the Wife careful to please the Husband careless of pleasing Christ a Child dutiful to Father disobedient to God a Subject loyal to his Prince disloyal to his God and a Rebel true to thy Countrey and false to thy God This is to be faithful in the little and unfaithful in the much and main There are Relations wherein all stand in to God have an equal regard to these Relative Duties relating to God as to them to men and thou art the right Christian 4. An Use of Examination 4 An Use of Examination We shall now proceed to an Use of Examination and only make three Enquiries 1. Art thou one that do'st abandon all frivolous Excuses and givest up thy self to the call and will of God as the Disciples when call'd to follow Christ left all immediately and followed him Do'st thou say with Samuel speak Lord thy Servant Mat. 4. 22. 1. Sam. 3. 9. heareth with Esay here I am send me with Job What I know not teach thou Job 34. 32. me and if I have done Iniquity I will do so no more This is the Character of a gracious Heart the Language of a willing people This Obedience is above Sacrifice and readiness to hearken above the fat of Lambs But if thou studiest delays and put-offs Let me first bury my Father Bid my Friends farewell try my Oxen settle my Land c. Take heed thou be not set down Tardy Delinquent and