mens Projects are cast beyond that time that is measured out in Gods Counsel And what a ridiculous thing must that be to him if it be not done with submissive and humble dependence on him In a word Time is with Child of innumerable things conceived by the Eternal Counsel of God Infinite and inconceiveably Various are these Conceptions which the Womb of Time shall at length bring forth to Light Every Day every Hour every Minute is travelling in pain as it were and is delivered of some one Birth or another and no Creature can open its Womb sooner or shut it longer then the appointed and prefixed Season There is no miscarying as to him whose Decrees do properly conceive them tâ—ough to us they seem often Abortive Now joyn unto this to make the Allusion full as long as they are carried in the Womb of Time they are hid from all the World The Womb is a dark Lodging and no Understanding nor Eye can pierce into it to tell what is in it till it break forth And therefore Children born are said to come to the Light for till then they are to us in a Cloud of darknesse that we cannot tell what they are So then every Day every Hour every Moment is about to bring forth that which all the World is ignorant of till they see it And Oh that then they understood it We know not whether the Morrows or next Hours Birth may be a proportioned Child or a Monster whether it will answer the Figure and Mould that is in our mind or be mishapen and deformed to our Sense Mans desires and designes may be said to conceive for they form an inward Image and Idea within themselves to which they labour to make the Product and Birth of Time conformable And when it answers our preconceived form then we rejoyce as for a Man-child But for the most part it is a Monster as to our Conception it is an Aberration from our Rule It is either mutilate and defective of what we desire or superfluous or deformed which turns our expectation into vexation and our boasting into lamentation But the truth is Time brings forth no Monsters as to the Lords Decrees which are the only just measures of all things It may be said of every thing under the Sun as David speaks of himself in the Womb My substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously formed in the lowest parts of the Earth c. Psal 139. 15. His Eyes see all their substance Yet being imperfect and in his everlasting Book all their Members are written The Portraicture of every thing is drawn there to the Life and these in continuance are fashioned just as they were written and drawn and so they exactly correspond to his pre-conception of them whatever deformity they may have as to us yet they are perfect Works and beautiful to him SERMON VIII Isaiah 1. 10 11. c. Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom give ear unto the Word of the Lord ye People of Gomorrah IT is strange to think what Mercy is mixed with the most Wrath-like Stroaks and Threatnings There is no Prophet whose Office and Commission is only for Judgment Nay to speak the truth it is Mercy that premises Threatnings The entering of the Law both in the Commands and Curses is to make sin abound that Grace may superabound So that both Rods and Threatnings are the Messengers of Jesus Christ to bring sinners to him for Salvation Every thing should be measured and named by its end So call Threatnings Promises call Rods and Judgements Mercies Name all good and good to you if so be ye understand the purpose of God in these The shortest Preaching in the Bible useth to expresse it self what it means though it be never so terrible This is a sad and lamentable beginning of a Prophets Ministery The first word is to the Heavens and to the Earth A weighty and horrible regrate of this People as if none of them were to hear as if the Earth could be more easily affected then they The Creatures are taken witnesses by God of their ingratitude and then who shall speak for them If Heaven and Earth be against them who shall speak good of them Will their own Conscience No certainly it will in the day of Witnessing and Judging precipitate its sentence and spare the Judge the labour of probation A mans enemy shall be within his own house though now your Consciences agree with you Nay why doth the Lord speak to them Because the People consider not because Consciences have given over speaking to them Therefore the Lord directs his Word to the dumb Earth Yet how gracious is he as to direct a second word even to the People though a sad word Iâ— is a complaint of iniquity and backsliding and such as cannot be uttered Yet it is Mercy to challenge them yea to chasten them If the Lord would threaten a man with pure and unmixed Judgements if he would frame a threatning of a Rod of pure Justice I think it should be this I will no more reprove thee nor chasten thee And he is not far from it when he sayes why shall ye be stricken any more c. vers 5. As if he would say it is in vain now to send a Rod ye receive no correction I sent the Rod that it might open your hearts and eares to the Word and seal your instruction but to what purpose is it Ye grow worse and worse Well the Prophet campares here Sin and Judgement and the one far surmounts the other Ye would think a desolate Countrey burnt Cities Desolation made by Strangers a sufficient recompense of their corruption and misorders of their forsaking and backsliding Ye would think now if your present condition and the Lands pressed you to utter Jeremiahs Lamentation a sadder then which is not almost imaginable ye would think I say that you had received double for all your sins And yet alas how are your iniquities of infinite more desert All that were Mercy which is behind infinite and eternal punishment that there is room left for complaint it is Mercy that there is a remnant left it is Mercy Now to proclaim unto this People and to convince them that their Judgement was not severe He gives them one word from God And indeed it is strange that when the Rod is sent because of the despising of the Word that after the despising of both Word and Rod another word should come Alwayes this word is a Convincing Word a Directing Word and a Comforting Word These use to be conjoyned and if they be not alwayes expressed we may lawfully understand them We may joyn a Consolation to a Conviction and close a Threatning with a Promise if we take with a Threatning Jonahs Preaching expressed no more but a Threatning and Denounciation of Judgement but the people undeâ—stood it according to Gods meaning and made it a Rule of
thou hast spent thy substance on the Physicians and in vain come to me I can heal that desperate Disease by a word I create peace when natural Causes have given it over I create it of nothing I will keep you in perfect peace You have then here three things of special concernment in these times and all times â— blessednesse a perfect peace attainable the way of it and the Fountain of it The Fountaiâ— of it the preserver of it is God himself Thâ— way to attain it is trusting in God and stayinâ— on him This sweetnesse of peace is in Goâ— the Tree of Life Faith puts to its hand anâ— plucks the Fruit of the Tree Hope and Dependance on God is a kind of tasting of thaâ— Fruit and eating of it and then followeth thiâ— perfect peace as the delightful relish and sweetnesse that the Soul finds in God upon tastinâ— how gracious he is God himself is the life oâ— our souls the fountain of living waters the life anâ— light of men Faith and trusting in God drawâ— out of this Fountain out of this deep well oâ— Salvation and staying on God drinks of it tilâ— the soul be refreshed with peace and tranquility such as passeth Natural Understanding Christ Jesus is the Tree of Life that grows iâ— the Gaâ—den of God trusting in him by Faith implants a Soul in him roots a Soul in him bâ— vertue of which Union it springs up and grow into a living Branch by staying and depending upon him we live by him and hence spring this blessed and sweet Fruit of peace of soul anâ— conseience which grows upon the confidencâ— of the soul placed in God as the stalk by whicâ— it is united to the Tree Trusting and stayinâ— upon God is the souls casting its Anchor upon him in the midst of the waves and storms of sin wrath and trouble The poor beaten sinner casts an Anchor within the Vail on that sure ground of immutable Promises in Jesus Christ And then it rests and quiets it self at that Anchor enjoyes peace in the midst of the storm there is a great calm it is not moved or not greatly moved as if it were a fair day David flieth unto God as his refuge Anchor 's upon the Name of the Lord Psal 62. 1 2. And so he enjoys a perfect calm and tranquillity I shall not be moved because he is united to the Rock he is tyed to the firm Foundation Jesus Christ and no storm can dissolve this Union not because of the strength of that Rope of Faith it is but a weak Cord if Omnipotency did not compasse it about also And so we are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation The poor wearied Traveller the Pilgrime sits down under the shadow of a Rock and this peace is his rest under it Faith lays him down and peace is his rest and sleep Faith in Jesus Christ is a motion towards him as the soulâ— proper place and center and therefore it is called a coming to him flying to him as the City of refuge It is the Souls flight out of it self and misery and sin within to apprehended Mercy and Grace and happinesse in Christ Now Hope is the Conjunction or Union of the Soul with him the Soul then staying and resting on him as in its proper place And so it enjoys perfect peace and rest in its place so that if ye remove it thence then ye offer violence to it These two things are of greatest importance to you to know What this perfect Peace is and what is the way to attain it The one is the Priviledge and Dignity the other is the Duty of a Christian and these two make him up what he is I would think that man perfectly blessed who is at peace with two things God and himself If a man be at peace with Creatures without him and be not at peace with himself but have warr within his own Mind that mans Peace is no Peace let be perfect peace A mans greatest enemy is within his own house And within indeed when it is in his bosome and soul When a mans Conscience is against him it is worse then a world beside Conscientia mille testes so I say it is mille hostes It is a thousand witnesses and a thousand enemies It were better to endure condemnation of any Judge of many Judges in the world then to sustain the conviction of a mans own Conscience When it accuseth who shall excuse Joh. 8. 9. Rom 2. 15. A merry spirit saith Solomon is a continual feast Prov. 15. 15. And what must a heart be which hath such a gnawing worm within it as an accusing Conscience to eat it out This is the worm of Hell that dies not out which makes Hâ—ll Hell indeed This indeed will be a painful Consumption a broken spirit dryeth up the bones it will eat up the marrow of the spirit and body Pro. 17. 22. What infirmity is there which a man cannot bear Poverty Famine Warr Pestilence Sickness name what you will but a wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18. 14. And there is reason for it for there is none to bear it A sound and whole Spirit can sustain infirmities but when that is wounded which should bear all the rest what is behind to bear it It is a burden to it self If a man have trouble and warr in this world yet there is often escaping from it A man may fly from his enemy but when thy enemy is within thee whither shall thou fly Thou cannot go from thy self thou carries about thee thy enemy thy tormenter But suppose a man were at peace within himself and cryed peace peace to himself yet if he be not at peace with God shall his peace be called peace Shall it not rather be named supine security If a man be at variance with himself and his Soul disquieted within there is more fear then danger if he be at peace with God It is but a false Alarme that shall end well But if he have peace in his owâ— bosom and yâ—t no agreement with God then destructions are certainly coming his dream of peace will have a terrible wakâ—ning A man may sleep soundly and his enemies round about him because he knoweth noâ— of it but he is in a worse estate â—or he that is in great fear and his enemies either none or far distant The one hath present dangâ—r â—â—d no 〈◊〉 the other present fear and no daâ—geâ— and which of these think ye bâ—st Sudden destruction awakes the one from sleep Ezâ—k 7 25. Their fear and destruction come both at once when it is now in vain to fear because it is past Hope Prov. 1. 27. Therefore the Lord swears thaâ— there is no peace to the wicked Isai 48. 22. What Do not they often cry peace to themselves and put the evil day far off No men are so without Bands in life and death as they they have made agâ—eement with Hell and Death and their
his hope he hath no reason to change his hope The Lord hath often done things we looked not for but we never looked for any thing according to the grounds of the word but it was done or a better then it He doth not always answer our limitations but if he give Gold when we sought Silver are we not answered Are we disappoynted There are three things that use most to disquiet and toss mens spirits sin and wrath future events and present calamities Faith establisheth the Soul on God in all these and suffereth it not to be driven to and fro with these winds It finds a harbour and refuge in God from all these If he be pursued by the avenger of blood Gods Wrath and Justice here is an open City of Refuge that he may run to and be safe If iniquities compass me about yet I will not fear but oppose unto that great company the many sufferings and obedience of Jesus Christ My coâ—science challengeth and writteth bitter things against me yet I have an answer in that blood that speaketh better things nor Abels If sinns prevail he will purge them away His Mercy is above all my â—â—n and his Vertue and Power is above my sin He hath promised and will he not do it Oftimes mens Souls are perplexed and tossed about future Events careful for to morrow this is a great torment of spirit it cutteth and divideth it putteth a man to his own providence as if there were no God But he that trusteth in God is established in this his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord he hath commited his Soul to him and why may he not his body He hath nothing but his promise for eternal Salvation and may not that same suffice for temporal He careth for me saith Faith why then should we both care about one thing He hath given his Son for me the most precious gift which the world cannot match and will he not with him give all these lesser things And thus the Believer incloseth himself within the fathers love and providence and iâ— fixed not fearing evil tidings For what tydings can be evil seing our Father hath the Soveraign disposing of all Affairs and knoweth what is best for us Present dispensations often shake men and driveth them to and fro their feet slip and are not established thou bid thy face and I was troubled But if you trusted in God and considered what is in him to oppose to all difficulties and calamities you would say I shall not be moved though the floods lift up their voice If you believed his love would not this sweetten all his dealing He maketh all work together for good Soveraignty Righteousness and Mercy are sure and firm ground to stand upon in all storms You may cast Anchor at any of those and ly secure It is the Lord let him do what be pleaseth This was enough to quiet the saints in old times Should he give account of his matters to us Sball the clay say to the potter why is it thus His absolute right by Creation maketh him beyond all exception do what he please But beside this he is pleased and condescendeth to reason with us and give account of his matters to testify to our Conscience that he is righteous in all his ways It was the ground of Jeremiahs setling Lam. 3. It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consumed It should have allayed and stayed Job know this thou art punished lesse then thy iniquities deserve who will set a time to plead with him Shall any be found righteous before him And this might stop all mens mouths and put them in the dust to keep silence seing he hath Law to do infinitely more then he doth why should not we rather proclaim his Clemency then argue him so very hard If to both those you shall add the consideration of his Mercy that all his pathâ— are Mercy and Truth unto you even when he correcteth most severely so that you may blesse him as well for Rods as for Meat and Cloathing and count your self blessed when you are taught by the Rod and the Word the one speaking to the other aâ— the other sealing its instruction If you believâ— that it were a fruit of his Love He chasteneth â—very son whom he loveth that because he will nâ— let you depart from him will not let you settâ— upon a present world and forget your Countreâ— above therefore he compasseth you about witâ— Hedges of Thorns to keep in your way And therefore he maketh this world bitter and unpleasant that you may have no continuing City If all this were believed would not the soul triumph with Paul What can separat me from thâ— love of God not past things for all my sins are blotted out and shall be remembered no more not present things for they work to good and are a fruit of his Love not things to come for that is to come which shall more declare his love then what is past Would not a Soul sleep securely within the compass of this Power this Love and Faithfulness of God without fear of dashing or sinking Now judge whither a perfect peace may not flow from all this may it not be a perfect calm when the Mountains that inviron go up to Heaven Not only doth the Soul trust in God but God keepeth the trusting Soul in peace He is the creator of peace and the preservator of it I creat peace I keep him in peace The same power and vertue is required to the preserving of a thing and the first beeing of it Our Faith and Hope in God is too weak an Anchor to abide all storms Our cords would break our hands faint and weary but he is the everlasting God who failâ—â—â— not and â—â—arieth not he holdeth an invisible grip of us we are kept by his power to salvation and we are kept by his power in peace Thy right band holdeth me saith David and this helpeth me to pursue thee What maketh believers inexpugnable impregnable is it their strength No indeed but salvation will God appoynt for walls and bulwarks Almighty Power is a strong wall though invisible this power worketh in us and about us Now Believers pity the world about you that knoweth not this peace when they ly secure and cry peace peace Alas they are a City open without walls as the plain field there is no keeper there nothing to hold off destruction Entertain your own peace do not grieve the Spirit who hath sealed it If you return to folly after he hath spoken peace to you I perswade you you shall not maintain this peace there may be peace with God but no peace in thy Conscience as long as the whoredoms of thy heart are to the fore Thou may be secure but security is worse then fear Know this that continuing in a course of sin entertaining any known sin shall trouble thy peace If God have spoken peace to thee thou shalt not lodge that enemy
Binnings Miscellany Sermons August 23. 1670. IT is Ordered by the Lords of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council That none shall Re-print or Import this Book of Miscellany Sermons by Mr. Hugh Binning nor any other of the said Authors Books for the space of 19. years to come without licence of the Printers hereof A. G. HEART-HUMILIATION OR Miscellany Sermons Preached upon some choice Texts at several Solemn occasions Never before Printed By that eminent Preacher of the Gospel Mr. Hugh Binning late Minister at Govan Jer. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved c. EDINBURGH Printed by James Glen Anno DOM. 1676. Christian Reader THis holy Preacher of the Gospel had so many convictions upon his spirit of the necessity of the duties of humiliation and mourning and of peoples securing the eternal interest of their souls for the life to come by fleeing in to Jesus Christ for remission of sins in his blood that he made these the very scope of his Sermons in many publick Humiliations as if it had been the one thing which he conceived the Lord was calling for in his dayes A clear evidence whereof thou shalt find manifested in these following Sermons upon choice Texts wherein the Author endeavoureth not only to lay before thee the necessity of these duties of soul-humiliation but also sheweth thee the Gospel-manner of performing them the many soul-advantages flowing from the serious exercise of them and the many soul-destroying prejudices following upon the neglect of them But above all thou shalt find him so fully setting forth the sinfulness of sin and the utter emptiness of self as may convince the most Pharisaically elated spirits and make them cry out with Ezra Chap. 9. 6. O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespass is grown up unto the Heavens Here thou mayst read such pregnant demonstrations of the righteousness and equity of the Lords dealing even in his severest punishments inflicted upon the children of men as may silence every whisperer against providence and make them say as Lam. 3. 22. It is of the Lords mercies we are not consumed even because his compassions sail not And lastly thou shalt perceive the inconceivable fitness and fulness of Christ as a Saviour and his never enough to be admired tenderness and condescending willingness to accept of humble heart-broken and heart-panting sinners after him with such plainness of speech demonstrat as may enable the most bruised reed to quench all the fiery darts of the devil whereby he laboureth to affright them from making application to Jesus for salvation Now that the Lord would make those and such like labours of his faithful servants useful and advantagious to thy soul Christian Reader is the prayer of Thy Servant in the Gospel of our dearest Lord and Saviour A. S. At a publick Fast in July first Sabbath 1650. SERMON I. Deut. 32. 4 5 6 7. He is the Rock his Work is perfect for all his wayes are judgement c. THere are two things may comprehend all Religion the knowledge of God and of our selves these are the principles of Religion and are so nearly conjoyned together that the one cannot be truely without the other much lesse savingly It is no wonder that Moses crave attention and to the end he may attain it from an hard hearted deaf People that he turns to the Heavens and to the Earth as it were to make them the more inexcuseable The matter of his Song is both divine and necessary throughout it all he insists upon these two to discover what they were to themselves and what God was to them he paralels their way with his way that they finding the infinite distance might have other thoughts of themselves and of him both It is a Song it is true but a sad Song The people of Gods mourning should be of this nature mixed not pure sorrow It s hard to determine whither there be more matter of Consolation or Lamentation when such a comparison is made to the life when God's goodness and our evils are set before our eyes which may most work the heart to such affections Nay I think it is possible they may both contribute to both these Is there any more abasing and humbling principle then Love How shall the sinner loath it self in his glorious presence will not so much kindnesse and mercy so often repeated as oft as it is mentioned wound the heart in which there is any tendernesse And again when a soul beholds its own ingratitude and evil requital of the Lords kindness how vile and how perverse it is how must it loath it self in dust and ashes yet is not all ground of hope removed such a sad fight may make mixed affections if we be so perverse and evil then he is infinitely good and his mercy and goodnesse is above our evils if we have dealt so with him yet is he the Rock that changes not he is a God of Truth and will not fail in his Promise Nay though it be sad to be so evil void of all goodness yet may the soul blesse him for evermore that hath chosen this way to glorifie his Name to build up his praise upon our ruine May not a soul thus glory in sad infirmities because his strength is perfected iâ— them and made manifest May not a souâ— choose emptinesse in it self that it may be behold en to his Fulnesse How refreshing a view might the sadest look on our misery and emptiness be if we did behold his purpose of manifesting his Glory in it Ye see here a comparisâ— instituted between two very unequal partieâ— God and Man there is no likenesse let be equality in it yet there is almost an equality in unliknesse The one is infinitely good and perfect well what shall we compare to him who is like thee O God among the gods Angels goodnesse their perfection and innocency hath not such a name and appearance in his sight so then there can be no comparison made this way let no flesh glory in his sight in any thing but let him that glorieth glory in the Lord for in the sight of the glorious Lord all things do disappear and evanish But surely nothing though most perfect can once come within termes of reckoning beside him for any worth Moses sees nothing to set beside God that will appear in its own greatnesse and native colours but the Creatures evil and sin and if this be not infinite absolutely or equal to his goodnesse yet it comes nearest the borders of infinitenesse so then is God most perfect is he infinite in Goodness in Truth in Righteousnesse c And so infinite that before him nothing appeares good none good save one that is God Yet we may find another infinite and it is in evil sinful man and these two contraries set beside other do much
and doing what his Mouth hath spoken And this is established in the very Heavens Psal 89. 2. His everlasting purpose is in Heaven where he dwells And if any man can ascend up to Heaven if any creature can break through the Clouds then may his Truth be shaken His Word comes down among men Nay but the foundation of it is in Heaven and there is his Purpose established and therefore there is nothing done in time can impare or hinder it Ye think this World very sure the Earth hangs unmoveable though it hang upon nothing All the tumults confusions and reels hath been in the World have never moved it to the one side Heaven goeth about in one Tenure perpetually keeping still the same distance Nay but his Truth is more established then so Heaven and Earth depends but upon a word of Command he hath said let it be so and so it is Nay but his Word is more established of it saith Christ One jot or title of it cannot fail though Heaven and earth should fail He may change his Commands as he pleases but he may not change his Promise this puts an obligation on him as he is Faithful and true to perform it and when an Oath is superadded O! how immutable are these two When he promises in his Truth and swears in his Holinesse Is there any power in Heaven and Earth can break that double cord Matth. 5. 18. Heb. 6 18. There is no name of God but it is comfortable to some and as terrible to others What comfort is it to a godly man that trusts in his Word He is a God of truth An honest mans word is much his oath is more What shall his Word be who is a God of Truth Who though all men should be liars yet God is true Ye who have ventured your Souls on his Word ye have an unspeakable advantage his truth endures for ever and it is established in the Heavens the ground of it is without beginning the end of it without end Ye are more sure then the frame of Heaven and Earth for all these shall wax old as a garment We speak of a naked word of truth Indeed it is no naked word that is Gods Word His Works of Providence and his Dispensation to yow is a naked and bare foundation nay a sandy foundation and ye who lean so much to them is it any wonder ye so often shak and waver All other grounds beside the Word are uncertain unstable this only endures for ever The creatures goodnesse and perfection is but as the Grasse and the Flour of the Field Venture not much on your dispositions and frames thou knows not what a day may bring forth but his Truth is to all generations and it is well tryed as Gold seven times all generations have tryed it and found it better then pure Gold His Dispensations are arbitrary no rule to you he loveth to declare his Soveraignty here and to expatiat in the creatures sight beyond its conceiving but he hath limited himself in his Word and come down to us and laid bonds on himself Will he then unty them for us Give him liberty where he loves it take him bound where he binds himself How may God expostulate with this generation as these of little faith How long shall I be with you saith Christ How long will Christians tempt the Lord in seeking signs And will not rest upon his only Word and Promises O Adulterous generation how long shall I be with you and ye will not believe Is it not righteousnesse in him either to give you no signe at all or to give you a signe darker then the thing it self as he did to the Pharisees Ye will give credit to a mans word and will ye not believe Gods An honest man will get more trust of us then the True and Living God Shall he not be offended with this We declare it unto you that he is Truth it self and will not fail in his promise let that be your Castle and Refuge to enter into Mercy and Truth are two sweet companions to go along with you in your pilgrimage David prayed for them Psal 61. 7. O prepare thy mercy and truth to preserve me Who will not ly safe within these everlasting Arms what power can break through And this he promised to himself Psal 57. 3. God shall send them out c. Mercy made so many precious Promises and Truth keeps them Mercy is the Fountain and Sourse of all our Consolation and Truth and Faithfulnesse conveighs it to us and keeps it for us It is these two that go before his Face when he sits on a Throne of Majesty and makes himself accessible to sinners Psal 89. 14. and so they are the path way he walks in towards those who seek him Psal 25. 10. But this sweet and Precious Name that is as Oyntment poured forth to these who love him how doth it smell of death to those who walk contrair to him He is a God of Truth to execute his Threatnings on those who dispise his Commands and though ye flatter your selves in your own eyes and cry peace peace even though ye walk in the imagination â—â— your heart yet certainly he is a God of Truth I pray you read that sad and weighty word that will be like a Milstone about many mens necks to sink them in Hell Deut. 29. 20 21 Ye who add drunkenness to thrist whose rule of walking is your own lust and whatsoever pleaseth you without respect of his Commands and yet flatter your selves with a dream of peace know this for a truth the Lord will not spare thee he that made thee will not have mercy on thee his jealousie will smoak against thee and all the eurses written in this Book shall ly upon thee and thy name shall be blotted out from under Heaven It was unbelief of Gods Threatning that first ruined man â—â— is this still that keeps so many from the remedy and makes their misery irrecoverable The Serpent brought them to this question Hath God said ye shall die And then presently the question intertained becometh a conclusion ye shall not surely die Thus ye see how the lyar from the beginning was contrair to the God of Truth And he murdered us by lying of that God of Truth And it is the same that shuts out all hope of remedy Ye do not as yet believe and consider that curse that was pronounced against Adam but is now also inflicted upon us Therefore there is no solid belief can be of the promises of the Gospel And ye who think ye believe the Gospel do but indeed fancy it except ye have considered the true curse of God on all flesh But if any man have set to his seal that God is true in his Threatning and subscribed unto the Law Then I beseech you add not the unbelief of the Gospel unto your former disobedience He is a God of truth in Promises and Threatnings It is
and a resolution of amending this then is all your covering and ornament something done by you as many will make the wings of two good works stretch themselves out so far as to cover and hide a multitude of offences between them Therefore I declare in the Lord Jesus his Name unto you whose Conscience must go alongs in the acknowledgment and owning of your case that you have covered your selves with your own righteousnesse that you have taken as filthy rags to cover your nakednesse and sin with as your sins are and so you have made an addition to your uncleanness you are more unclean by your prayers and repentance then before And so God is of more pure eyes then to look graciously on such as you are You have gone about to establish your own righteousnesse and hath not known the righteousnesse of God and so you have come short of it you are yet persons in a state of enmity God is your Judge you are rebels It concerns you much to heed this well to judge of your own actions and persons as God judgeth of them for if God shall judge one way and you judge another way you may be far mistaken in the end If you have so good an opinion of your selves and your duties that you can plead interest in God for them and absolve your selves from such grounds And if God have not the same judgement but rather think as evil of your prayers as of your cursing and abhor the thing that satisfieth you will it not be dreadful in the end For his judgement shall stand and you will succumb in judgement since you crossed Gods mind Therefore we would have you solidly drink in this principle of Religion That man is so unclean and God so abhorreth him that whatever he doth or can do it cannot make him righteous that no good action can make him acceptable and take away the uncleanness of the evil actions and that any sinful action taketh away all the cleanness of the good actions Once believe this If I should sweat out my life in serving God and never rise off my knees If I should give my body to the fire for the truth If I should melt away in tears for sin all this is but filthy raggs and I can never be accepted of God for all that but the matter of my condemnation groweth If I justifie my self my own mouth proves me perverse God needeth no more but my good deeds to condemn me for in all justice And therefore it is a thing impossible I will never put forth a hand or open a mouth upon that account any more I will serve God because it is my duty but life I will not expect by my service when I have done all it is wholly mercy that I am accepted my good works shall never come in remembrance I resolve to be found not having my own righteousnesse I will appear among the ungodly sinners as one that hath no righteousnesse that I may be justified only by faith in Jesus Christ I say drink in this truth and let it settle in your hearts and then we would hear numbers cry O what shall I do to be saved Now as for you who have fled unto Christs righteousnesse only have cast away your own as dung and dross as filthy raggs as you have done right in the point of Justification judge so likewise after it We would exhort you to judge so of your best actions that are the fruits of the Spirit judge so of them as you have a hand in them All our righteousness Mark Isaiah a holy Prophet joyneth himself in with the multitude And the truth is the more holiness the more humility and self-abasing for what is holiness I pray you but self-denial the abasing of the creature and exalting of Christ Jesus This is the Cross that the Saints must all bear Deny your self and follow me Grace doth not swell men above others it is gifts such as Knowledge that puffeth up Charity or Love puffeth not up Men are naturally high-minded for pride was the first sin of Adam and grace cometh to level men to make the high mountains valleys for Christs Chariot It maketh men stoop low to enter the door of the Kingdome Therefore if you have attained any measure beyond others if you would prove it real grace and holinesse do not exalt your selves above others be not high minded come down and sit among the ungodly among the unclean and let not grace given diminish the low estimation of your self in your self There is a growing that is but a fancy and mens conceit when men grow above Ordinances above other Christians and can see none or few Christians but themselves such a growth is not real it s but fancy it s but swelling and wind and must be pricked to let it out A holy Prophet came in among an unclean people he did not say Stand by I am bolier then thou Such a man as can find no Christian about him even though to the judgement of all others they seek God more then he such a man hath not real solid grace his holiness is profane holiness and proud holiness for true holiness is humble holiness and in honour prâ—ferreth others There is a great fault among those who have fled to Christs righteousness in Justification that they use to come full from duties as a stomach from a honey comb Oft times we make our liberty and access to God the ground of our acceptation and according to the ebbings and flowings of our inherent righteousness so doth the faith and confidence of Justification ebb and flow Christians this ought not to be In so doing you make your own righteousness your righteousness before God for when the unsatisfaction in the point of duty maketh you question your interest so often is not the satisfaction of your minds in duties made the ground of your pleading interest Give you liberty and access you can believe any thing remove it and you can believe nothing Certainly this is a sandy foundation you ought to build nothing on performances you should be as vile in your own eyes and think your nakedness as open when you come nearest God when you have most liveliness as when he hideth his face duty withereth will filthy raggs be your ornament No Christians be more acquaint with the unspotted righteousness of the Immaculat Lamb of God and find as great necessity of covering your cleanest duties with it as your foulest faults and thus shall you be kept still humble and vile in your own eyes and have continual imployment for Christ Jesus your best estate should not puff you up and your worst estate should not cast you down Therefore be much in the search of the filthiness of your holy actions This were a spiritual study a noble discovery to unbowel your duties to divide them and give unto God what is Gods and take unto your selves what is your own The discovery of filthiness in them