intreaties can â—â—ke off Oh how often have Gods Ministers intreated you and beseeched you to give over your sinnes and yet you will not how often have they besought you to be zealous and meeke and holy and you will not thou art tichie and revengefull in speeches how often hast thou beene sought to leave it thou art proude and stout-hearted how oft hast thou beene sought for to be humble thou art carnall and worldly how often hast thou beene besought to be spirituall and heavenly Thou hast no assurance of Christ in thy soule how oft hast thou beene besought for to get him Ministers beseech thee every Sabboth Ministers intreate thee every weeke They breake their braines and breake their sleepe and spend their lungs and all to invent and speake acceptable words to prevaile with your soules with heart-cutting intreaties they beseech you if notwithstanding all this you will not be intreated to part with your sinnes rhen it is evident you hate reformation If we did not hate a thing we would doe it though we were never besought to doe it if thou didst not hate a reformation of thy sinnes thou wouldest have beene reformed without these beseeches but if beseeches and intreaties cannot woe thee thou hatest it indeed that is hatred indeede which beseeches cannot reconcile The Lord Jesus sent his Ministers in his Name we are Gods Embassadours in Christ his stead we pray you to be reconciled to God We have besought you by the bloud of Christ we have intreated you by the Bowells of Gods mercies to become new men we beseech you in the Bowells of the Lord Jesus Christ to give over your sinnes We beseech you as you love your soules give over your sinnes we beseech you as you are men as you know what is what give over your sinnes we beseech you let the drunkard give over his drunkennesse the swearer his oathes and blasphemies the Idolater his Idolatry and wilworship let the idle talker give over his fruitlesse communication the covetous person give over his covetousnesse the secure Christian and lukewarme professor and deadhearted server of God come out of his security and dead-heartednesse c. I beseech you by the mercies of God saith Saint Paul present your bodies a living sacrifice holy c. Rom. 12. 1. Sacrifice your tongues unto God we beseech you and speake holy conference sacrifice your hearts we beseech you and use holy meditations sacrifice your hares unto God and suffer not idle language to be spoken in your hearing we beseech you doe this yea by all the mercies of Christ we beseech you as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ his stead and will you not yet Certainly you hate the light if all these beseeches cannot reconcile you we have besought you that there be no disorders in any of your families and yet there are we have besought you that there be no losse of time in your meetings that there be no roote of bitternesse in your hearts and yet there is we have besought you to mende your repentance and to better your obedience and to repent of your rotten formality and to come out of your sandy and quagmire bottomes and not to content your selves with this beggarly form of religion onely but as ever you love your soules and would be loved to get the power of grace and a thousand more things have we besought you Is it done no God knowes all the beseeches and intreaties under heaven have not yet done it Now therefore you must needs stand convinced in your consciences that you hate the light if all these beseeches cannot bring you to it They must needs be sayd to hate one another when neither money nor price nor any thing can make freinds That is inveterate cankerous hatred which can never be out-bought which can never be hired to cease I make no question but that the Damosels Master at the first did hate that his Maide should be possessed with a divell but when he saw that it brought him in great gaine he tooke off his hatred he would then be content that the divell might have stayed in his house so he might have gained by it and therefore we reade that he was angry at the Apostle for dispossesing the divell out of her Act. 16. 19. It must be a greivous hatred that profit cannot mollifie Brethren you know that God offereth you pardon of your sinnes he offers you mercy he offers you a Kingdome if you will come out of your sinnes If thou wouldest rather lose father mother wife and children houses and lands goods and livings rather then shake hands with such a one as thou art fallen out with I am sure thou hatest him with a witnesse and if thou wouldest rather hazard thy owne mercy hazard the love and favour of God hazard the Kingdome of heaven lot Christ goe and mercy goe and heaven goe â—â—ther then let thy sinnes gâ—â— surely thou hatest to be reformed I will give you a kingdome saith God if you will be new men I will give thee a Kingdome if thou will take up Christ his Croffe and be plâ—â—â— I will give thee a Kingdome if thou wilâ— walke precisely and circumspectly But you will not though you might have a kingdome for it Repent faith Christ for the kingdome of heaven is at hand Math. 3. 2. Repent and here is a Kingdome aâ— hand for thee Downe with thine old luâ—t thou knowest what I meane and here is a Kingdome at hand for thee Repent of your formall repentance repent of your fashionary prayers repent of your overly performances of holy duties and behold here is a Kingdome for you Wilt thou hazard the very Kingdome of grace and of glory rather then thou wilt steppe out of thy old wont thou hatest repentance if a Kingdome cannot hire thee to love it They must be sayd to hate one another whom all the dearest love in the world can never â—nite and soder together Love is able to burst all the hatred in the world if the divell be not in it love is more forcible then hatred and therefore that hatred is most cankerous that love cannot overcome What is so pleasing or delightfull to the â—lesh of a man but love may command it the love of God hath given thee the bloud of his owne Sonne if thou wilt part with thy corruptions thou mayest have it That is hatred indeed which the bloud of thy owne Saviour cannot disswade thee from The Apostle Peter thought he had used an excellent argument to perswade men to holinesse when he setteth forth the love of God to us 1 Pet. 18. 19. For asmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vaine conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious bloud of Christ as of a Lambe undefiled and without spotte What doth Christ give his bloud to thee to redeeme thee from thy vaine conversation hath
Another saith but I hope my time is not Object 3 past for the Lord hath given me a tender heart Hath he so it is well and wilt thou then Sol. harden it thou mayest repent when it is too late and ergo I tell thee that good and holy desires are joyned with honest endeavours neede makes the old wife trot as we say so a soft heart will make thee use all good and honest meanes Seeing that God strives with many and Vse 1 at last gives over goe thou home and blesse God that he hath not dealt so with thee it is enough that the Lord hath brought thee home to himselfe many may say with Paul I was a persecutor I was injurious c. 1 Tim. 1. 14. but I received mercy so thou mayest say the Lord knowes what a deale adoe he hath had with me this heart was as hard as the neather milstone but the Lord in some measure hath mollified it this heart was as proud as the devill but blessed be Gods name he would let me see it at the last goe home and say who am I and what is my Fathers house that the Lord hath brought me hither Oh that God should thus stoope to man the Lord hath stood and knockt thus many yeares and he might have given over but blessed be his name I have received mercie I lived under the meanes but that prevailed not with me the Lord sent such and such sicknes but that wrought not on me at the last I went to heare a Minister and me thought that Minister spake nothing but what he spake to me and then the Lord set conscience on worke and that affrighted me Looke to it the Lord will either breake thy necke or thy heart doe not thinke to goe to heaven by good meanings no it will cost thee somewhat more before thou come there Another time the Lord set on me and then I set on good duties I would have Christ to justifie and sanctifie me and blessed be his name he was not wanting unto me in any meanes the Lord make me thankfull c. I tell thee thou wilt be in deede and God shall have all let the voluptuous man have his pleasures c. what is that to thee so thou have Christ For the just reproofe of all such as are Use 2 yet in the gall of bitternesse and in the bonds of iniquitie there will come a time when God will strive with thee no more the old man thinks he hath time enough to repent in and the young man thinks he need not so much as enter into a Parley with godlinesse Esau went away when he had eate and drunke he esteemed not his birth-right I have heard some goe away with this resolution when they are married then they will live thus and thus c. suffer me first to goe bury my Father c. Master Minister you speake well I like your counsell but I have a rich Unckle and he hath no childe and I am likely to be his heire but he cannot abide a Puritan of all the men in the world and if I doe not humour him I shall never have a foot of his Land let me bury him first when Father and Friends are dead then the children must provide for themselves and then they will seek after God and repent and by this time they grow old and though they cannot make so good a shew as others yet their hearts are as good as the best but soft a while all is not gold that glisters alas poore soules they were given over many yeares agoe this is also the sinne of young men and women for the most part and this is the great sinne of England the sinne of many Gentlemen and Gentlewomen God must pardon when they call and that must not be till they be old and then in all post-haste send they to and for master Priest and he must bring God to them or them to God but the God of Heaven and earth cannot endure this mockerie For terrour to all wicked and ungodly men Vse 3 woe woe woe that ever they were borne that are thus given over and of these there are two sorts Some are insensible and some sensible The insensible are they who die like stones as did Nabal We have many King Harry Protestants Others are sensible God hath opened the eye of their soules and hath let them read the red letters of the Gospell It is a heavie thing for old friends to part so Acts 20. 38. They grieved most in that he said you shall see my face no more so when soule and bodie part it is heavie but when the soule and God part it is lamentable when God takes his leave never to be seene more then whether thou looke upward or downeward there is nothing but amazement and astonishment If thou looke upward there is the anger of God if downeward there is the bottomlesse pit if on the right hand thou shall see all his mercies which could not allure thee if on the left hand all his Judgements which could not terrifie thee if before thee the black day if behind thee the Devills this will be fearfull I remember a Storie of an adulterate woman her Conscience pricking her she determined to repent but God in the meane time did visit her so sore that she lay crying out oh my time my time Another time a covetous woman her House being on fire she to save her goods left her child in the Cradle but a neighbour of hers hearing it crie tooke it away she afterwards remembring her child ran about crying oh my child my child and would not be comforted So when the fire and indignation of the Lord breaks out if not now yet at the last day it will then the parties against whom it breaks will crie oh my soule my soule what will become of thee my soule It had been better I had never been born for neither Mercies Judgements nor the Word could allure mee oh woe is me Now the condition of such is miserable in three respects First because if God forsake thee then all forsakes thee when thou liest a dying thou sendest for the Minister and thou wouldest faine have a word of comfort from him but alas if thou dost not receive comfort from Heaven how can the Minister comfort thee If thy outward Estate faile Friends may help but if they faile there is a God in Heaven and he will help but if He goe away then all help is gone Secondly when God goes restraining grace goes this was Sauls case and you may observe that such as have been enlightnâ—d and fall away fall into one of these three sinnes either into the hands of the world and that is their Master or else into the sinnes of uncleannesse or into the spirit of Malice to persecute them that are holy Thirdly if God leave us then common protection leaves us we are left to the clutches of all things both in Heaven and earth Ergo
against earthlines and worldlines and art earthly and worldly still thou hast praied against security and deadnes of heart and lukewarmenesse in Gods service and art lukewarm dead hearted and secure still to what end are all thy praiers when thou enjoyest not the end of thy praiers to what end is plowing of thy ground if it be not fallow when thy plowing is done to what end is the worke of thy servant if thy businesse be not done and dispatched when all is done As good never pray as pray to no end as good that thou never hadst begun to pray as to cease and to give over thy praiers before thou hast obtained the grace thou prayest for The prayers of the wicked are an abomination unto the Lord but the prayer of the upright is his delight Prov. 15. 8. that is the praiers of a wicked man that continues in his wickednesse when his praiers are done his praiers are an abomination to the Lord but the praiers of the upright though he were before he praied never so wicked yet if it be the praier of an upright and godly man when his praiers are done that his praiers rid him of his sin and make him an upright man his praiers are Gods delight Beloved many pray against distrust in Gods providence Infidelity in Gods promises Impatiency under Gods corrections c. and yet have never the more trust and affiance in God never the more patience under the hand of God all these praiers are endlesse Secondly thy praiers are fruitlesse to what purpose is a beggers begging of an almes if he be gone before the almes be bestowed his begging is fruitlesse so all thy praiers are lost if thou art gone from the Throne of grace before grace is given thee for if such a praier be endlesse then is it also fruitlesse it will never do thee any good what is a fruitlesse tree good for but to be cut down what is a fruitlesse Vine good for but to be burned So all thy praiers are lost all thy beginnings of grace are lost we know saith the man that was borne blind John 9. that God heareth not sinners we know it Why may some say how do you know that God heares not sinners why we know it by ezperience by examples A drunkard prayeth to God to cure him of his drunkennes yet he doth not leave his ill company all the world may see that God hears not the drunkards praier because he cures him not but lets him go on in his sin and so for all other sins seest thou a man goe on in his sinnes thou mayest see that God heareth not his praiers if a man should be sicke on his death bed and send for the Physicians and Apothecaries in the Country and send for his Father Mother and for all his friends to come to him to minister to him yet I know he is not cured by them so long as I see his deadly disease remaines upon him so if I see a mans pride hypocrisie security deadnesse of heart his lust anger c. lie upon him notwithstanding all his praiers I know God heares not his praiers he prayes to be cleansed from his sinnes and to be purged from his lust and to be redeemed from his vaine conversation if now God let his sinnes continue in him and lets him goe on in them we see plainely God heares not him O what a pittifull and miserable case are such men in that pray and pray and yet all their praiers are endlesse and fruitlesse is not that man in a pittifull case that all physick all cost and charges is lost upon him when his eating and drinking his sleeping and winding and turning from this side to that side do him no good do we not say of him that he is dead man so if a mans praiers and supplications to God be endlesse and fruitlesse that man must needs be a dead and a damned man so long as he goeth on in that case Now we come to the second part of the Text the sensiblenesse of the godly soule whether it speed or no the soule that praies aright that praies unsatiably it is able to say the Lord doth heare me the Lord doth grant me the thing that I praied to him for Thus saith Jonah I cried unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of Hell cryed I and thou heardst my voice Jonah 2. 2. How could Jonah say God heard his voice if he had not known it therefore he knew it But against this some may object How can this be how can the soule Objeâ—â—â— know that God heares it we have no Angels nor voices from Heaven now to tell men as the Angel told Cornelius that his praiers were accepted and come up before God or to say as Christ to the woman in the Gospell Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee I know God heares me with his All-hearing eare and therefore I have a good beliefe in God but how shall I know that God heares my praiers in mercy so as to grant that I pray for There be fixe wayes to know whether Answ the soule shall speed in prayer yea or no. The first is the having of a Spirit of further and further praying When God gives the soule a further and further ability to pray when God opens a way for the soule to the Throne of grace and gives him a free accesse to the gate of mercy and a spirit to hold out in prayer It is a signe that God meanes to hear it When a Petitioner hath accesse to the King and presents his Petition If the King imbolden him in his speech and let him speak all that he would speak it is a signe that the King meanes to grant that man his petition because otherwise the King would never have endured to have heard him so long but would have commanded him to be gone So it is with the soule at the Throne of grace if it come with a petition and prayer to God if God dispatch the soule out of his presence so that the soul hath no heart to pray nor to continue its suite but praies deadly and dully and is glad when he hath said his prayers and hath done it is a fearefull signe that God never means to heare that mans prayers but if thou praiest and praiest and hast not done in thy praiers but God by casting in a spirit of prayer and zeale and fervency in prayer imboldens thy heart in its petitions it is a signe that God will heare thee and grant thee thy prayers Blessed be God saith the Prophet that hath not turned away my prayer nor his mercy from me How could the Prophet say that the Lord did not turne away his mercy from him How because he turned not away his prayer from him Many Expositors expound it of not turning away his prayer from his heart as if he should say Lord thou continuest my heart to pray thou hast not taken away my
the Author of all punishments then this may make their haire to stand upright upon their heads That God whom thou hatest is the punisher of thee even he whose-Sonne thou despiest and whose Sabbaths thou prophanest He is able if his wrath be kindled to consume thee in a moment Oh if thou haddest not an adamant heart this would daunt it and dissolve it into teares of bloud God will infinitely punish thee who is a consuming fire but if thou wilt not be daunted there is nothing but fearefull looking for of fire and brimstone for ever in hell When God punisheth his children it is in mercie but to the wicked his wrath is punishments and his Judgements is anger and great wrath and therefore when he punisheth thee thou mayest say a just Judge brandeth me in the hand Is it so Then when Calamities come Use 3 let us not so much stand upon men or upon the helpe of them but let us looke to God as David did it may be the Lord sent Shimei to raile on me and so did Job the Lord gives and the Lord hath taken away The Caldeans did it but they were Gods Instruments We should not doe as doggs that gnaw the stones that are throwne at them God takes stones as it were and throweth them upon mens heads and sometimes whips them by wicked men Now the wicked are but Gods rod and when he hath scourged thee he will cast the rod into the fire Therefore goe unto the Lord make peace with him and he will remove it The wicked I confesse are in fault but God is the Author of all and he will deliver you in his good time Secondly wherefore will God deale thus with Israel because they have sinned with a rebellious spirit not by infirmity but in disobedience Whence you may learne this point of Instruction That sinne and disobedience against Gods Law is that which brings downe punishments and judgements upon a Nation or a people or Church Sinne is the brooder and hatcher of all judgments and the very spawne of all punishments Ah this sinne and disobedience and willfull rebellion against God it will bring swâ—rd and famine amongst us and let in the enemie and send out God from amongst us and stoppe the mouthes of his Ministers and breake off the Parliament Another cause why God sends punishments amongst us is this because Kings will not be subject to the Lawes of God and Queenes will doe what they list when Bishops and all people will have elbow roome to doe that which seemes good in their owne eyes as giving toleration for the prophanation of Gods Sabbâ—ths that the people may dishonour the Lord and runne headlong to hell this and such like sets up wickednesse and brings the wrath of God upon us and his vengeance upon our Land and Kingdome when thus sinne gets the upper hand and day of the word for which I cannot chuse but pittie our poore Land neither could you doe lesse if your hearts were not as hard as an adamant and your eyes glued together Ah poore Nation now thou liest a bleeding and drawing to an end and the bell now tolls for this Nation and the Lord is a going from this Land and her punishments and judgments are comming on apace so that all Nations may say Wherefore hath the Lord done this unto this Land what meaneth the heat of his anger then shall men say they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers and served other Gods Judges 4. 2. When they forgatte the Lord their God then he sold them into the hand of Jabin King of Canaan this was the ground why the Lord drowned the old world Genes 6. 12. because they had corrupted all their waies this was the cause why the Lord burned Sâ—dome and Gomorrah with wild-fire from heaven this was the cause the Lord destroyed Jerusalem forty yeares after Christ because they would have none of the offers of Christ and of grace and mercie And thus much for proofe Good Lord what a poore weake Land Use 1 have we if sinne and rebellion be the cause of all punishments then in what a poore case is England how weake are we our hearts may shake within us and our knees may knock together to consider of it having so many sinnes of all sorts of all degrees and committed with so high a hand and in most fearefull manner We are sicke from the Crowne of the head to the soale of the feete there is no soundnesse in us we are sicke in head sicke in heart sicke in stomacke we have had peace and that hath surfeited us and now we have gotten the plurisie and nothing but letting of bloud will cure us God grant the Lord let us bloud in our hearts also God must purge and physicke us and fetch out the drosse which we have gathered by our disobedience If sin and rebellion will doe it we have given God cause enough so to plague us Is it so Then we see who are the greatest Use 2 traytors in the Kingdome and what they are that pull downe punishments upon a Kingdome they are disobedient rebells and traytors full of sinne I protest the greatest traytors King Charles hath this day are the prophaners of Gods Sabboths and such as doe give liberty to prophane them and to sweare and be drunke these are the plague sores of this Kingdome and bring downe heavie judgements upon us yea of what place or dignity soever they be It is not onely poore drunkards but silver and velvet Coate drunkards even the Lordly men of this Kingdome who give libertie to sinne for the greater the men are the greater are their sinnes and they are the most dangerous even as great Cut-purses doe more harme then little ones for as Haman was hanged before the Jewes saw good daies and the seven sonnes of Saul were slaine before they could have any peace in Israel So while these rebells be not hanged what peace can be expected while Jonah was in the ship there could be no quâ—etnesse so whilst these rebells and vile wretches live and have favour and are respected and goe on still unpunished they are in the Land as Jonah was in the shippe and so long there can be no quietnesse in the Land One Achan did plague a whole Land but here are many Achans in this Land Oh poore Land thou art wonderfully laden by every ungodly person both in Countrey and City O let us begge of God that these may be hanged and dispatched or that God would turne their hearts Is it so that sinne is the brooder of all Use 3 punishments O then let it teach every one of us to sâ—t heart and hand and all to worke to joyne all our forces of prayers and teares against these enemies and labour for the reformation of these When Jonas was in the shippe the Marriners came about him and asked him from whence comest thou So if ever we would see good dayes we must joyne
to God in the hardest blows and say good Lord if thou seest no remedy to purge this Land and Church but by desolation and the removing of the Gospell good Lord doe what thou wilt if thou wilt have my liberty take it if thou wilt have my children spoiled by the enemy and pitched upon speares points doe it Lord if there be no remedy to purge a sinfull Land but by taking the Gospell out of it even I Lord submit my selfe unto it good Lord sacrifice us or burne our Cities doe what thou wilt with us onely save our soules at the last I have knowne some could have no quietnesse at all till they came to this pitch and then they had peace in their mindes When Isaac saw that he was to be bound then he yeelded to it and our Lord Christ did this in the garden when he did bear the wrath of God then he said if it be possible let this cuppe passe from me and this he did three times yet not my will but thy will be done if thou wilt have me to drinke of the cuppe I will sucke off the dregges and all Also come and lay thy head upon the blocke and let God doe what he will with thee Ezek. 16. 36. They shall loath themselves for all their abominations and this is the practise of an humble soule and this will beare through all Thirdly pray and crie mightily to God before thou dyest even all the time thoâ— hast to live for mercie and for the peace of the Church of God and for the poore people and posterity Esay 62. 16. I have set watchmen upon the walles of Hierusalem that never hold their peace day nor night You that make profession of the Lord keepe not silence let not God rest till he helpe and shew mercie unto our poore Land wives and children I am perswaded if dumbâ— Zachary were here he would open his mouth to pray and crie for this miserable Land But alas poore soules many of you are so bound in the chaines of your sinnes that you cannot finde any leisure to pray you save your prayers and teares till you come to hell and then they will doe you no good Oh thy Mother lies a dying and wilt thou not mourne for her O dead and drie hearted wretches me thinkes the poore Church of England is like the shippe of Jonas and he fast asleepe in it the Gospell and all are drawing into a sea of troubles and thou poore wretch art asleepe and canst not pray The Church is like a sicke man upon his bed and the Parliament is like a Colledge full of Physicians they cast the State of the Kingdome and then give it over for lost The Lord knowes how soone the bell may ring out and yet thou canst not pray nor weepe Ah the Lord be mercifull to the hardnesse of our hearts Hast thou but one teare in thine eyes but one prayer in thy heart then spend them now for the poore Church of God Make all sound within and get sound faith in the bloud of Jesus Christ that may support and hold you up as the Arke did Noah in the floud O my deare people of this Parish a fearefull floud is come upon this Land therefore make you an Arke of Gopher and pitch it within and without get in it hang not about it but get into your Lord Christ and shut up your selves in him as Noah did in the Arke and never come out This is your safegard if you be in him you shall be supported against all troubles and so shall the case goe well with you For as the Prophet said to Ahab high thee hence for here is a sound of much raine and there came a shower indeed So say I high you away to Christ for it may be you shall not heare many Sermons more there is a sound of many punishments and stormes falling downe upon us Oh thrice happy are we that have got Christ upon good termes and good grounds if a floud come it doth me good to see how safe I am for the higher troubles arise the higher the Arke will arise and the higher your faith and comfort will arise and you shall sit like Noah in the Cabin Isai 26. 20. Come my people and enter into the chamber and shut the doores about thee and hide your selves as it were for a little moment untill the indignation be overpast What would Noah have beene hired to come out of the Arke no by no meanes nothing would have got him out I may even pitty you my people that have no Faith What will you doe and whether will you flie all you that have not gotten into the Arke and have not made sure worke if the flood should come to morrow you must certainly be drowned If you looke to God he is your Enemy if you looke within there your Consciences dogg you and if thou lookest for comfort to the Minister there is none for thee in all Gods word if thou hang on a Minister he must say as Samuell said to Saul since the Lord hath forsaken thee I can doe thee no good Oh thinke on this and get all thy friends into the Arke with thee as Noah did Let â—e begg this at your hands get a poore husband into the Arke with thee with thy poore children and shut them all up into the Arke with thee Would it not grieve thee when thou sittest in the Arke to see a poore husband or a child a drowning in the flood and going to Hell For the Lords sake o my deere Brethren spare no paines to doe them good Fifthly and lastly get a more strong Faith then ordinary deep dangers must have a stronger Faith a man cannot row upon the maine ocean in a paire of scullers but hee must have a good ship well ballaced and a good Pilot so doe you thinke to rowe upon the maine ocean of Gods wrath in a paire of scullers therefore labour to strengthen your Faith and to get a good ship well pitcht and ballasted and substantiall Faith for the winde will trie it whether it be so or not a Summers dublet will not serve the turne in a Winters frost so a little strength and comfort will not serve the turne in the stormes that are comming on us but we must get winter garments the East winde will trie a mans clothes Though a weak Faith may carry thee to Heaven yet not with so much comfort as a stronger especially if it be but a little before the downefall of the Pope for then there will be the greatest combustions that ever was or ever shall be and by all likelihoods the time is now at hand Then thy Faith had need to bee greater then ever it was As the Angell said to the Prophet up and eat for thou hast a great journey to goe so say I to thee thou fainting soule make a good meale of Faith strengthen thy Faith upon the promises for thou hast a great worke to doe and
prayer from my heart therefore I know that thou continuest thy mercy unto me Secondly the preparednesse of the heart to pray is a signe that God means to heare When the Merchant stretcheth his bagge wider and wider it is a signe that he means to put something in it so when God opens the heart of a poore soule it is a signe that he means to fill it when God prepares the soule with more hunger and thirst after grace with more longings and breathings it is a signe that God hath already prepared his eare to heare that prayer it is a signe that heart shall speed with God in prayer Psal 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare First God prepares the heart to pray and then he bows his eare to heare Examine thy soule then art thou more and more prepared to pray hath-God spoken with a powerfull voice to thy soule to open it selfe wide it is a signe that God meanes to fill thy soul with his graces But if thou canst rush into Gods presence and leave thy preparednesse behind thee leavest thy soule and thy thoughts and thy affections behinde thee and comest with a straightned heart in thy deadnesse and lukewarmenesse this is a fearefull signe that God will not heare thee Thirdly Gods gracious looke is a signe that he will heare thee for sometimes beloved God answers his people by a cast of his countenance with a gratious smile of his face Psal 22. 24. he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted neither hath he hid his face from him but when he cryed unto him he heard Hereby was the Prophet able to know that God did heare his prayer because he did not hide his face from him when his poore soule saw God smile on him and set a favourable eye upon him this made him say that God heard his cry This is a riddle to the world If you should aske the men of the world what the meaning of Gods gracious countenance is or what they see of it alas they can say nothing of it they know not what it meanes onely the godly man understandeth Psal 34. 15. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his eares are open unto their cry These two goe together their prayers enter into Gods eares and they know it why because they see it in his countenance upon them as a Petitioner may read his speeding with the King by his countenance towards him so a poore soul may see how prayers prevaile by Gods countenance and look upon him If thou then art a stranger to Gods countenance if God never admitted thee into his presence to see his face and countenance it is a signe that God little regards thy prayers and hath no minde to heaâ—â— thee A wicked man is like a varlet that stands without dores and begges an almes but is not suffered to goe into the Gentlemans presence and therefore knowes not how he speeds whether the Gentleman will give him an almes or whether he be providing a cudgell to beat him away so a wicked man prayes and puts up his petitions to God but he is not able to come before God he cannot see whether God looke as if he meant to heare his prayers yea or no he knows not but that God may be providing a curse and plague for him in stead of a blessing But a child of God comes within the list of Gods countenance he can tell when God smiles on him and when he takes another looke he is able to come into Gods presence Job 13. 16. He also saith Job shall be my salvation for an hypocrite shall not come before him A strange verse Job saith God is his salvation and he gives this reason why he was able to say so for an hypocrite shall not come before him One would think that this were no reason but yet it is an undeniable reason as if Job had said I come into his presence and he lookes like a Saviour a Redeemer upon me but an hypocrite shall not come before him he stands like a rogue and begs without the gate Indeed a wicked man comes into Gods presence in regard of Gods Omnipresence but this is not enough thy Oxe and thine Asse stands in Gods presence yea so the very Devils themselves are in Gods presence But if thou come not into Gods presence of grace if God doe not admit thy soule into the list of his Throne it is a signe that God heares thee not Men should therefore examine their consciences what face or presence of God they come into or see when they pray in their prayers whether they come before God yea or no. Beloved no wicked man under heaven can come before God this is made the marke of a godly man onely Psal 140. 13. The upright shall dwell in thy presence marke here dwelling in Gods presence is onely determined to the righteous the upright shall dwell in thy presence And here I appeale againe to the hearts and consciences of wicked men what presence of God doe they finde in their prayers they see their Pews and the walls or hangings c. before them they see the heavens and the clouds above them they are like rogues that know nothing within dores Doe they see Gods presence and countenance no it is the upright man onely that dwels in Gods presence He sees how God lookes on him how his face smiles on him and therefore it is not a wicked mans coming to Church and falling on his knees and uttering the words of prayer that is a coming into Gods presence then this would be a false saying of the Prophet For a wicked man may go to Church and fall upon his knees c. but never come before God This presence is to see the face of God Fourthly the conscience of a man doth answere him whether God heare him yea or no. As it was with the high Preist whensoever the high Preist came into Gods presence to inquire of him though God did not appeare visibly unto him yet he might reade Gods answer in his Vrim and Thummim he might there know Gods minde so a mans conscience is his Urim and Thummim When he comes before God his own consâ—ience gives him an inckling whether he speede or no 1 Ioh. 3. 20 21. If our hearts condemne us God is greater then our hearts knoweth al things Belived if our hearts condemne us not then have we confidence towards God If a mans conscience tell a man that his praiers are rotten that his humiliation is rotten that his heart is not upright that yet he is not purged from his sinnes that his seeking of God is fained and hypocritical it is the very voice of God in his soule and if our consciences condemne us God saith the Apostle is greater then our consciences There no is condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.
I believed and therefore did I speake He beleeved Gods promise and then he spake with condition So we believe saith the Apostle and therefore doe we speake First the soule beleeves and then every action of a Christian wherin it moves to the keeping of the condition springs from this root nay beloved a man cannot keep any condition in the Bible without faith he must believe Secondly faith is the inabling cause to keep the condition Dost thou thinke to get weeping mourning and humiliation for thy sinnes and then thereby to get the promise to thy selfe then thou goest in thy owne strength and then in Gods account thou dost just nothing John 15. 5. Without me ye can doe nothing saith Christ therefore first lay hold on me beleeve in me abide in me What! doe you first think to pray to mourne to lament and bewaile your sinnes to do this and that in turning your selves and sanctifying of your selves Indeed you may fumble about these things but you can never do any of them in deed and to the purpose without me ye can doe nothing I had fainted saith the Prophet unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living Psal 27. 13. where we may see three things First the Promise that he should see the goodnesse of the Lord otherwise he could not have beleeved Secondly the Condition if he doe not fâ—iâ—â— Thirdly the method the Prophet went by First he beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord. As if he had said if he had not first laid hold on the Promise if I had not beleeved to have seen the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the living I had fainted Beloved it is true that the keeping of the Condition is before the fruition of the Promise but not before beleeving the Promise because the doing of the Condition is effected by beleeving the Promise This is the cause that many fumble about grace but never get it they are ever repenting but never repent ever learning but never learne the knowledge of the truth everlasting ever striving but never get power over their corruptions c. because they fumble about it in their own strength and take it not in the right method Let the soule come with faith in Christ and believe it shall speed and have grace and power from Christ his grace and from Christs power and then it shall speed Christ hath promised John 16. that whatsoever we aske the Father in his name he will give it us Christ beloved is an excellent Surety Indeed our credit is crackt in Heaven we may thinke to goe and fetch this and that grace in our owne names and misse of it as the servant may goe to the Merchant for wares in his owne name but the Merchant will not deliver them to him in his own name unlesse he come in his Masters name and bring a ticket from him and then when the servant sheweth his Masters ticket the Merchant will deliver him what wares he asketh for in his Masters name So when a soule goeth to the Throne of grace with a ticket from Christ if he can say Lord it is for the honour of Christ I come for grace and holinesse and strength against my corruptions Lord here is a ticket from Christ most certainly he shall speed But men must take heed that they foyst not the name of Christ that they foyst not a ticket to say that Christ sent them when it is their own selfe-love and their owne lust that sends them it is not enough to pray and at the end to say through Christ our Lord Amen No for this may be a meere foysting of the Name of Christ But canst thou pray and shew that Christ sent thee and say as the servant I come from my Master and he sent me Lord it is for Christ that I come it is not to satisfie my owne lust nor to ease and deliver me from the galls of my conscience nor to free me from hell but for Christ Lord I begge grace and holinesse that I may have power to glorifie Christ It is for the honour of my Lord Christ that I come When the soul comes thus in Christs name beleeving it shall speed then his prayer shall prevaile Whatsoever saith Christ ye shall aske the Father in my Name he will give it you We come now to the third and last part of our Text to wit the supplies they had against danger and discouragements The Lord upheld their hearts from being dismayed in prayer thou saidst feare not There be two things that do much hurt in prayer First groundlesse incouragements Secondly needlesse discouragements First I say groundlesse incouragements and these the wicked are most subject to especially who because they pray heare the Word and performe many duties of religion therefore they incourage themselves in the goodnesse of their estates judgeing themselves happy though notwithstanding they go on and continue in the hardnesse of their hearts and rebellions against God We have abundance of sayings amongst us that if they were examined would prove false and unsound As that the vipers die when they bring forth their young for say they the young eate out the old ones bowels that beares shape all their young by licking of them that the Swanne singeth sweetest at her death that the Adamant stone is softned by Goats blood c. These things are not so as may be shewn out of ancient Writers So beloved there are abundance of sayings that goe up and down amongst men concerning Divinity which if they were examined will prove to be rotten sayings as he that made them will save them It is not so saith the Prophet Esal 27. 11. He that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will not pitty them It is commonly beleeved if men come to Church heare the Word and call upon God that then presently they are good Christians Beloved it is not so Matth. 7. 21. Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Men are ready when they can but call Lord have mercy on me O sweet Saviour pitty me most mercifull Lord Jesus have compassion on me if they can pray in their families and pray at Church c. to think now all is well with them and Christ cannot but save them and give them the Kingdome of Heaven but our Saviour puts a not upon it and saith not every one that saith Lord Lord it is not a Lord a Lording of Christ with the tongne onely it is not a taking up of an outward profession of Christ only that is sufficient for a man that shall inherit the Kingdome of Heaven no saith Christ but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven But of this by the by Secondly there are needlesse discouragements which doe much hurt in prayer Needlesse discouragements doe much hurt to many a poore soule that hath forcible wouldings and
lie sicke and they see death in his face they call it the foretelling signe so the Ministers of God may foresee the death and destruction of a Kingdome I am sure we have better grounds then the Physicians can have And therefore why may not the Ministers which are Gods Physicians doe it The signes of Gods punishments that are comming upon us are these The first is of Gods Ministers which with one voice doe foretell judgements to come Then this is a signe that God hasteneth to battell Amâ—s 3. 7. Surely the Lord will doe nothing but he revealeth his secrets to his servants the Prophets but especially when they agree all in one thing then the Kingdome is dangerously gone Luke 1. 70. The Lord giveth one mouth as he spake by the mouth of all his holy Prophets I will say nothing in this but let me appeale to your owne consciences whether all good Ministers in the Church of England have not declared by Gods word that judgements are comming out against this Land and us for many yeares together And as our Saviour saith Whatsoever ye shall binde on earth shall be bound in heaven Secondly when sinnes of all sorts doe abound frequently and with a bold face and a whorish forehead For when the harvest is ripe then commeth so many sickles to cut it downe so when the sinnes of a Kingdome are ripe then it is time to cut that Kingdome downe Gen. 6. 12. The earth was filled with violence all flesh had corrupted their waies therefore make an Arke for the end of all flesh is come God will wash away their filthienesse Consider whether it be not thus with England or no. Was ever drunkennesse and blasphemie and scoffing at religion and prophaning Gods Sabboths nay liberty given so to do was it ever come to that height that now it is were ever great ones as Bishops and Ministers so defiled as now they are our Land hath often beene overcome when men were growne desperately wicked then they were destroyed Now what sinnes what blasphemies what hating of God lyeth raging in our times I thinke there is none in this Congregation but sees and heares how Citie and Countrey are venomed and benummed and defiled with sinnes of all sorts Thirdly when the devill and wicked men cast bones of dissention that is a signe of ruine When there was a disseâ—tion betweene Rehobâ—am and the people then God pulled away ten Tribes and much bloud was shed So when King and Commons and all are divided Ephraim against Manasses and Manasses against Ephraim but both against Judab then it is a fearefull signe that that Nation shall be destroied I say to apply this if ever a Kingdome were divided then this is if we could all accord then we might expect something but now our best bloud is gone and our hearts are gone the Lord in mercie raise us up from dead ashes O consider this I beseech you and lay it to heart Will God deceive his Ministers and make them all blindefold no no. When God puts his Spirit into his Ministers and makes them all with one mouth to call and crie desolation and when all manner of sinnes so fearefully abound and when there is such divisions in the State then let us looke for desolation Fourthly the fourth signe of Gods anger on a Nation is when all the hearts of men faile then it is a signe that vengeance is at the doore when there is a kinde of Cowardise through the guilt of the conscience Josh 2. 11. It was a certaine signe of destruction when the peoples hearts failed them thus it is with every man almost amongst us every mans heart is faint and sicke Judges 7. 13. When Gideon was to goe against the Midianites being a wonderfull Army one dreamed that a cake of barley bread tumbled into the hoast and overthrew them Then Gideon said be of good courage for I see that the Lord hath given them into our hands because their hearts were fearefull so he tooke three hundred men and put a Trumpet in every mans hand with empty pitchers and lamps and they all cried the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon and in the twelfth verse see what followed All the hoast ran and cried and fledde Even so it is with us we faint upon every occasion Gods Spirit is gone from England While Sampson had the Spirit of God upon him he was too hard for the Philistins but when the Spirit of God was gone from him he had no heart no spirit no courage then every man was too hard for him and then he was taken and had his eyes pulled out So when the Spirit of God was with this Nation we had courage and got the day but now alas every slavish Nation is too hard for us and every bug beare scares us O poore England heavy is thy case therefore we may expect nothing but miserie one way or another Now I might set downe a Comment or Theame with many teares for this cause that every one may reade his owne destruction from this point I am not a Prophet nor the sonne of a Prophet but from the word of the Lord I speake this thing unto you and upon these grounds I can say so That where these signes are destruction and calamities follow at the heeles of them We having all these signes in our State certainely destruction is at our heeles therefore let me give you some directions what to doe in these dangerous times First let every man knocke off the love of the world of houses of lands and corne and flockes they shortly shall leave thee or thou them O therefore cast them quite out of thy heart I would to God I could bring my heart and yours to this pitch that we could give wise and children and all as lost I confesse it is hard so to doe but God will sire us out shortly from these things if we part not from them in these our deepest afflictions Jer. 45. 5. Baruch was so much glued to the world that he began to feather his nest and therefore the Prophet said seekest thou great things for thy selfe seeke them not for behold I will bring evill upon all flesh So let me say to you as the Prophet said to Gehazi is it now a time to build Therefore at night when thou goest to bed take thy leave of thy wife and children and of thy houses and all and say this house may be mine enemies before the morning or may be set on fire this is not my wife these are not my children As Doctor Taylor said when he was going to his execution when he saw his wife and children he embraced them and blessed them in the name of the Lord and set them downe againe and made no bones of them and so doe you plucke away your hearts from all these things here below and give them all for lost let thy heart be contented that God should doe with thee what he will and submit thy selfe
to be drunke more never to sweare lie nor steale more c. and yet these come to nought He that hath had many Proclamations as Ezek. 24. 13. Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged I tried thy wayes what might do thee good and thou seemedst to be good but thou wast not good in earnest ergo thou shalt not be purged Such a man who hath lived under the Gospell and hath had his heart shaken yea and the world hath good hopes of him but the devil sees it tempts him so that on the sudden this man wanders away and his hopes are vain Heb. 10. If any man draw back my soule shall have no pleasure in him verse 38. He speakes of holding out in a Christian course unto the end looke how it was with Lots wife Gen. 19. she looked backe as if she were loth to goe from that pleasant garden fine houses such and such gold in such a corner what thinks she shall I leave all this ergo the Lord turned her into salt viz. He left such a remarkeable note upon her that it remaines unto this day Now if he dealt so with her how will he deale with thee and others some it may be have a good minde to come home but what say they shall we leave all our pleasures and profits will not a little profession of Religion and a great deale of the world goe together for currant Take heede the Lord may justly turne thee into salt Thirdly Those that have much greived the good Spirit of God in bringing in some sinne contrary to the light of conscience and the suggestions of the good Spirit of God as did the children of Israel who resisted the good Spirit of God and ergo he sware c. The Minister bids thee cut off thy long haire and the word saies it is a shame for a man to weare long haire yet for all this saiest thou I will not what will the world say of me then away with these fashions leave off cards and dice c. saies the Spirit of God and whatsoever is of evill report yea but I will not for what will Sir John and my Lady say then Turne you unto me saith the Spirit of God no I will not saith the stubborne walker Put him on in a good course yet he wil not walke therein speake the truth saith the Spirit of God for all liars shall be turned out yea but not yet I have got thus much wealth by lying and I will not yet leave it Fourthly Such as have a common base vile and contemptible esteeme of the Gospell and Ministers thereof They mocked the Ministers till the wrath of God broke out against them and there was no remedy 2 Chron. 36. 16. A Minister cannot be plaine but wicked men will abuse him in their hearts I called and cried saith wisedome but you set at nought all my counsell Prov. 1. 24 25. and going away they make a tush at it I saith one Master Minister you mette with mens hearts to day but I beleeve yours is as bad as anothers else how could you have hitte them so right see what the Spirit of God saith of such Esay 22. 21. In that day did the Lord call to weeping c. the text told them of a judgement and nothing to be expected but miserie but they make a tush of it and say come we shall all die ergo let us eate and drinke and be merrie while we may the Minister tells us we shall all to hell then let us have the other pot and the other pipe if it must needs be so Oh my beloved can the God of heaven indure to be thus disgraced in his Gospell and Ministers Another saies care I what the Minister saith I will goe and drinke at every Ale-house and see whether these judgements will come or no. Now I come to the fourth thing which is the grounds of it viz. Why the Lord in this life doth give men over and strive with them no more This truth is troublesome and cursed hearts cannot abide it The grounds of this point arise from these two Attributes of God his justice and his wisedome First from the justice of God God is a just God and is it not just that those who have rejected him that he should reject them I have called but you answered not Jer. 7. 13. ergo c. Now as it is just with God to fulfill every word that he hath spoken and to fulfill all his promises to the faithfull so is it just with God to bring judgment on them that have slighted him Secondly From the wisedome of God and his long suffering and this is because his compassions faile not else the first day of our sinning had beene the first day of our rejection yea it is his goodnesse that we have any favour but Oh our God is a wise God A man that knocks at the dore if he be wise will not alwaies lie knocking if none answer so the Lord knocks at our hearts by mercies to allure us by judgements to terrifie us yet he can finde no entrance Is it not wisedome then to be gone Why should I smite you any more saith God Esay 1. 5. As if he should say t is to no purpose for my life I know not what to doe with you it is wisedome to give over when there is no good to be done on you What could I have done more for my Vâ—neyard c Esay 5. There is no wise man that will alwayes water a dry stake And doe you thinke that God will always be sending Paul to plant and Appollos to water no our God is a wise God and our mercifull God is a just God you that will have your wayes and wills take them and get you to hell perish everlastingly Now in the fift place we come to the Objections Some say If we shall be damned then we Object 1 must be damned if we shall be saved then we shall be saved why then neede we pray and keepe such a quoile as the Minister speaks off Secret things belong to the Lord but Sol. revealed things to us and to our children Deut. 29. 29. ergo doe thou use the meanes and be thou humbled according to the word of God and thou shalt be exalted according to the word of God see what God hath said to thee in his word for neither I nor thou nor the Angels of heaven can tell what the will of the Lord is concerning thee if not revealed in the word Another saith Why doe you limit God Object 2 you take too much upon you you sons of Levi. The Lord saith at what time soever a sinner doth repent c. yet will you limit God T is true at what time soever a sinner doth Sol. repent but thy heart may be given over as Rom. 2. 4. 5. c. and what if thou then livest twenty yeares or more and have not a heart to repent
your houses are left unto you desolate Matth. 23. 38. All the creatures are up in armes against us the stiles we goe over look up to Heaven and say Master shall we breake his neck the Horse we ride on says Master shall I throw him downe to destruction thou knowest that he hates thee and thine So the ayre we breath in and all Creatures are readie when the Lord gives the watchword to lay us in the goale Conscience will witnesse against us then fight Dogg fight Beare as we use to say oh what will become of such men I will tell you either the world heales them up or else some carnall companion saith you have been a good neighbour you have kept a good house amongst us c. tush tush man it may prove a lye for all this I but the Minister tells me so pish pish as if all were true the Minister speakes I but the Scripture sayes it Is all true that is in the Scripture the Lord have mercy upon us and thus like fooles they build with untempered morter Ergo I exhort all such as are yet in the gall of bitternesse to listen to what I say Redeeme the time yeild to the motions of The Authors Exhortation Gods Spirit and blesse God for Mercy offered unto you in the meanes and if any affliction be laide on you intreat the Lord that he will doe you good by it If thy Conscience speak or the Spirit worke doe as Joseph did who got him into a corner and there wept his belly full so intreat the Lord that he will breake the Heavens and come downe on thee to thy comfort put not off till thou art old A gentleman will not alwayes waite at the gate neither say thou as Felix to Paul I will send for thee at another time but say with Samuel speake Lord for thy servant heareth Meanes Meanes First consider the fearfull condition of such as are given over Suppose one should come from Hell with the fire about his eares you would aske what is the newes the cry is my time my time Oh my people sayes the Minister Oh my Minister saies the People The young man cries oh my time Doe not make a tush at this lest thou say the word was preached but I scorned it the Spirit said this is the way walke in it the meanes of grace was sent unto me but I refused Mercie and now for ever I am in Hell to be tormented Secondly consider the great danger of putting off If thy will be stubborne to day it will be worse to morrow Thirdly consider the time 1. Pet. 4. 3. It is enough for the time of our life we have lived that we have wrought the workes of the Gentiles let us live no longer in sinne it is too much that you have resisted the Gospell so much say then oh that the Lord would break this heart of mine Fourthly and lastly though God should be calling and egging you all the day long yet your lives are but short and Ergo crie out with David teach me o Lord to numbet my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisedome doe not say it is too late as one did once say of Prayer doe you thinke that I can pray now which never prayed in all my life I am sure it will be too late when God comes to Judgement for then the Devill will stand on tip toe and say what dost thou now thinke to goe to Heaven the Lord did waite on thee untill he was weary but here is a company of Drunkards I did but hold up my finger and they presently followed me Heaven came downe to them but they would none of it they could not heare of that eare and would you now goe to Heaven Ergo goe for now the Lord Jesus Christs sake and when Mercie is offered refuse it not but blesse God for it A SERMON FOR Spirituall Mortification COLLOSS 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your Members which are upon the earth Fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and Covetousnesse which is Idolatry THE Apostle having in the Chapter foregoing shewed that the Colossians were buried together with Christ in his death and that they were also risen with him maketh two speciall uses thereof First in regard of the resurrection if then yee be risen with Christ seek those things that are above The second is in regard of their buriall with Christ in these words Mortifie therefore your members c. There be many men that looke for participation in Christ yet notwithstanding wortifie not themselves they would faine live with Christ yet are loth to dye to sinne but we may say to these men as Paul to the Atheist thou foole that which thou sowest is not quickned unlesse it first die so unlesse the seed of the word be sowen upon thy heart thou canst not be quickned unlesse thou first die The things to be mortified are described two manner of waies either in generall the members or else in particular Fornication uncleannesse evill affections c. or as in the tenth verse all the fruites of the old man The words containe in them these three Parts parts or truths First He that ever meanes to have Christ must have him with a therefore As if he should say if you looke to have benefit by the death of Christ looke to have a therefore with it for no man can have Christ without a Condition Secondly this condition consists in mortification we must mortifie our earthly members this is the qualification of all those that partake of the death of Christ even mortification Thirdly those that are made partakers of the death of Christ are enabled thereto so as the Apostle may well put this exhortation unto them mortifie therefore your members c. He doth not say civilize your members many there be that civilize their earthlie members as from mortifying to purifying of them they come out of prophanenesse and enter into Civility and a formall kind of profession but the Apostle saith mortifie and not civilize your members doe not pare the nailes of your corruptions but cut them quite off and give them their deaths wound that so your sinnes may breath out their last breath in you Sin may be civilized five waies First when it is laide asleepe Pharaohs sinnes were asleepe but not dead Many mens sinnes are asleepe in them though they seeme to be dead in them for a time A man while he is asleep is like a dead man yet he is alive yea and his sinnes are alive in him also but when temptation comes to awaken him out of his sleepe though before he seemed to be patient and meeke and hardly to be provoked yet let a temptation come and rouze him then he will finde his old wrath anger and impatiencie So likewise for a covetous man though he seeme to mortifie that sinne yet it is but asleepe in him for let a temptation come and he will quickely finde out his