not to delay the time seing we know not what shall be on the morrow Iam. 4.14 First it is a just thing with God to contemne that man dying that despised him living He that calleth not upon God in his prosperity will God heare his cry Iob. 27.9 when trouble commeth upon him The best way to kil a Serpent is to bruise his head and when it is young so the safest and surest way to withstand sinne and Satan will be in the beginning not the latter and of our dayes in health not in sicknesse in life not in death betimes not when it is too late See this in the foolish Virgins that lingred their time of repentance but when the season was past they cryed againe and againe Lord Math. 25.11.12 Lord open unto us And what answer did they receive Verily I say unto you I know you not Luk. 13.24 verifying the saying of our Saviour Many I say unto you will strive to enter in and shall not be able because doubtlesse they strive when it is too late Secondly we must looke for a time when there will be judgement without mercy now is the time of mercy without iudgment Now are the dayes of grace now is the time of turning and repenting when this time is gone and past there will come a day of blacknesse and utter darknesse when there is no place nor time of turning For as the day of death taketh us the day fo judgment shal find us as we see in Caine Esau Iudas the rich man in the Gospell and such like Thirdly the houre of death to which the greatest sort post over their repentance hath many hindrances accompanying it that the sicke man cannot freely thinke of the state of his soule neither call to remembrance his sinnes that he hath committed Lastly beware of all lettes and impediments which as so many stumbling blockes lye in the way and keepe us from repentance Never was there good worke to be done but it hath found many oppositions Satan standeth at our right hand ready to catch hold of us The manifold impediments of true repentance when he seeth us sliding from him and resolued to leave sinne As then they that were bidden and called to the feast had all of them their excuses so such as are stirred up to repentance make not that hast which they ought but are wise to their own hurt and become the greatest enemies to their owne soules Let us therefore see their reasons or rather pretences which they use to hinder their returne into the right way First they alledge that repentance is full of difficulty a way hedged with thornes hard and painfull Be it so the harder the worke is the more excellent it is But what is the hardnesse of the worke in respect of the greatnesse of the wages and reward Besides this yoke of Christ is easie and this burden is light because the often practise thereof will make it so familiar unto us that we shall take pleasure and delight in it because we shall have God to put under his hand and assist us in the practise thereof because such vertue proceedeth from the death of Christ Rom. 6.6 that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sinne and we have him after a sort to draw in the yoke with us and because God powreth sweet and secret consolation into the hearts of such as resolve to turne to him whereby they find that peace of Conscience which passeth all understanding Another impediment is presumption of Gods mercy and a foolish and ungrounded perswasion that God will accept of them whensoever they returne to him True it is we have many precious promises of grace and mercy in holy Scripture Ezek. 18.32 33.11 Psal 103. 1 Tim. 2.4 But these men do abuse them and build upon a weake foundation they dreame of a God made all of mercy and forget his justice which is to set up an Idoll in their hearts they dwell so much upon the promises of the Gospell that they cast from them the curses of the law These are like to the Spider that gathereth poyson out of the sweetest flowers The goodnesse of God is published and Proclaimed so often for the comfort of the weake not for the encouragement of the wicked to raise up the penitent not to hearten or harden the obstinate it is bread for the Children to eate not for dogges to devoure To conclude Nah. 1.3 let us remember that as the Lord is slow to anger so he is great in power and wil not surely cleere the wicked The third impediment is contrary to the former and that is despaire of Gods mercy The former hoped too much this sort hopeth too little and both of them without cause This possessed the heart of Caine despairing of Gods goodnesse as if it were lesse than his sinnes Thus also Iudas perished who saw his sinne in the glasse of the Law but could not lay hold on Gods mercy and therefore died without hope Sathan hath two deceitfull glasses and brast asunder through despaire Thus doth Satan shew forth two false glasses to deceive the sight of sinners before sinne is committed he sheweth them his mercies greater than they are and his justice lesse than it is but after the committing thereof he maketh his mercies to appeare lesser and his justice greater than indeed it is But he is a lyar from the beginning and the father of lies trust him not beleeve him not the contrary to that which he speaketh is commonly true God hath mercy in store for all that doe repent from the bottome of their hearts Ezek. 18.21.22 and hath promised to put all their sinnes out of his remembrance To deny the infinitenesse of his mercy is to deny him to be God Remember the examples of old how he hath dealt with penitent sinners with Rahab the harlot with Manasses the King with Peter that denyed him with Paul that persecuted him with such as crucified the Son of God and delivered him into the hands of murtherers Luk. 7.38 with that woman which washed the feete of Christ with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head To conclude let us call to minde the description of the name and nature of God The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in truth Exod. 33.6.7 reserving mercy for thousands for giving iniquity transgression and sinnes The next impediment is the cares of this life and the deceitfulnesse of riches the pleasures of this world These are dangerous snares and baites of Satan wherewith he hunteth after the soules of men and catcheth them as fishes are with an hooke Luk. 14.17 Math. 13.22 Luk. 12.19 2 Tim. 4.10 and as corne is choked with thornes Luk. 8. For as full hands are able to hold and receive nothing no not the purest gold when they are
sackcloth God deferred his judgment threatned how much more shall true repentance obtaine the love and favour of God and blot out all our offences out of his sight From hence arise sundry uses Vse 1 First from the nature of contraries we learne that to such as continue in sinne and have hearts that cannot repent there is no mercy to be looked for because they treasure up vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds And therefore the Apostle saith Vnto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath Revel 2.5 tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evill of the Iew first and also of the Gentile Woe then to all such as lie in sinne and please not God they fill up their sinnes alway and his wrath shall come upon them to the uttermost True it is every unrepentant sinner can say the Lord is mercifull and Christ is the Saviour of the world but to whom is he mercifull and whom will he save Not every one that can say Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of the father which is in heaven To this purpose consider these few rules First God hath made no promise in all the Scripture to impenitent persons Search the Scriptures for in them ye looke to have eternall life but in the whole volume of that booke ye shall not find one line or letter that will minister comfort to the soule that continueth in evill doing Secondly they deceive themselues that looke for mercy that lie under wrath and see not their owne misery Indeed there is promise of mercy yea sundry promises in every Prophet and in the writings of the Apostles but they are made to the penitent The Lord God hath no pleasure at all that the wicked should die but then they must returne from their owne waies Ezek. 18.21.23 that they may live he will put all their wickednesse out of his remembrance but first they must turne from all their sinnes that they have committed and do that which is lawfull and right he hath promised to draw neere unto them Iam. 4.8.10 but then they must draw neere unto him yea they must clense their hands and purifie their hearts he hath said he will lift them up but first they must humble themselues in the sight of the Lord. Thirdly Christ Iesus is a Saviour but he saveth none but such as are his people none are his people but such as beleeve in him and none beleeve in him but those whose hearts are purified by faith Except we be new creatures let us never say we are in Christ or that he is a Saviour unto us he hath wrought the great worke of redemption and paid a deare price to ransome us his own pretious blood but let us remember and never forget that he gave himselfe for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquity Tit. 2.14 and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Tit. 2. Lastly consider that notwithstanding the shield sheiter of the mercy of God to which every man runneth he hath brought sundry both generall and particular judgments upon the children of disobedience and his wrath hath beene revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Rom. 1.18 who no doubt builded with the untempered morter of supposed mercy but were swallowed up with his justice Such were the old world who no doubt set up an Idol all made of mercy but they found him to be a God of justice Such were the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrah with the rest of the plaine Gen. 19. Such were Pharaoh and the Egyptians that pursued Israel to the red Sea and infinite others Nay see how God hath whipped his owne children Pro. 11.31 1 Pet. 4.17.18 and scourged them with greevous chastisements as we see in David and other Saints if judgment have begun at Gods owne house what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel of God and if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare Secondly hence ariseth matter of much comfort to the humble and contrite spirit that is weary and heavy laden with the waight and burden of his sinnes lying heavy upon his conscience Math. 11.28.29 Nothing indeed can come hereby to the impenitent that is to the obstinate and wilfull offender thaâ— resolveth to continue in his sinne neither can he looke for any thing but judgement that hangeth over his head and lyeth at the dore but to the humble and repentant sinner there are a thousand comforts a treasury of mercies laid up in store for him to keepe preserue him from doubting and despaire Such Christ Iesus calleth unto him embraceti them in the armes of his mere that they should not be dismaied all the multitude or greatnesse of their sinnes but rather lay hold upon the multitude and greatnesse of his mercies which are infinite higher then the heavens broader then the Seas deeper then the earth and surmount all the sinnes which they have committed O what comfort is it to a sicke man lying and languishing upon the bed of sorrow to heare of a certaine and Soveraigne medicine a present and effectuall remedy of his discase and ought it not to find rest in our soules when we are willed to come to Christ the Physitian of the soule ought it not to be as marrow unto our bones and bring peace to our soules forasmuch as his yoke is easie and his burden light Who ever came penitently unto him and weat away heavily or discomfortably Suet. in vita Titirespatâ—c If it were the saying of a great Prince that none should depart from his presence heavy-hearted how much more may we be assured it is the voyce of the King of kings that no penitent person shall ever go from him without grace and favour comfortlesse Repentance is a salve that healeth all the woundes of the soule Search into the examples of all the Saints from the beginning of the word What was it turned Noahs drunkennesse into sobriety Gen. 9.25 19. cum 2 Pet. 2.8 1 Tim. 1.13 2 Chro. 33.12 Esay 11.9 Repentance What changed the unnaturall lust and excesse of Lot into eleannesse and purity repentance What was it that cast Manasseth Paul and many others into a new mould and of oppressors persecuters blasphemers made them meeke and gentle as Lambes repentance No man was ever saved without repentance for finall impenitency bringeth damnation Damnation is a necessary effect of divine justice from the just God brought upon vniust offenders Such sinners and transgressours can have no peace with God without reconcilement there is no reconcilement without remission no remission without Christ no Christ without faith no faith without repentance Woe
standeth Esay 1.6 might I not say with the Prophet from the sole of the foote even unto the head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not beene closed neither mollified with oyntment and after this might I not lead you a long in the spirit Ezck. 8.6.15 as God did the Prophet Ezekiel and after many sinnes much prophanenesse say Turne thee yet againe and behold greater abominations then these I might point out unto you such not to speake of the greater and higher sort whose doings I know not as make religion nothing else but a matter of pollicy and forget the high God that hath set them up on high but turne ye yet againe and ye shall see other abomination How many in this cleere light of the Gospel remaine in darknesse and blindnesse and in the shadow of death that know not the right hand from the left that is truth from errour which know nothing of God neither can give any even the least account of their faith worse then children in understanding yea how many say to God with the wicked Iob. 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes what is the almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him and behold greater abominations then these Others are wholly given over to the world men possessed with a spirituall dropsie the more riches encrease the more they desire and the more they set their hearts upon them that they bury the remembrance of heaven and of heauenly things as if they should abide and continue upon the earth for ever the cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choke all good things How many perswade themselves to be highly in Gods favour because they are blessed with outward blessing who shame not to say I see God blesseth us as well as the purest and precisest of them all But understand ye unwise among the people must all needes be well because God forbeareth for a time to punish or shall we continue in our sinnes because he continueth his mercies towards us What should I speake of the contempt of his word and the prophanation of the Sabbath May we not turne our selves yet againe and see these greater abominations then the former which are common and capitall crimes swarming in every place And might we not from these turne our selves to swearing and and drunkennesse in every streete A rare thing to find a parish without a common drunkard and as rare to find an house without a common swearer These are the principall causes of his visitations these are the sinnes that bring the pestilence among us let us labour to keepe out these The ends of Gods lenity and patience or all the care we can take and diligence that we can use shall not be able to keepe it from us Let us not therefore flatter our selves in our sinnes and so abuse his patience let us not thinke we are justified because we are not striken Gen. 15.16 Math. 23.32 There are other end of Gods bounty and patience First to let us alone to fill up the measure of of our sinnes that then he may fill up the measure of his judgements from whence arise sundry profitable meditations we see his infinite mercy and compassion who ceaseth not nor giveth over to waite for their conversion who have deserved already to be punished and such as he hath determined to destroy so that we may say with the Prophet he desireth not the death of a sinner Ye see that he is most just and never punisheth without our deserts neither will he suffer sinners to go unpunished albeit he hold his peace keepe silence a long time We see that howsoever we offend all is cast upon an heape that the measure being full Ioh. Feri in Gen. 15. enarrat pressed downe and running over certaine destruction might fall upon us Let us not account sinnes to be small or slight matters for how light and little soever they may seeme to be yet they adde somewhat to the heape as every graine of corne serveth to fill the bushell We see it is a speciall token of his mercy and favour when he punisheth quickly or at the beginning and suffereth us not to runne on from one sinne to another for thereby the heape of our sinnes is diminished We see on the contrary it is a token of Gods great displeasure when he delayeth and differeth to punish for thereby the heape of sinne groweth and encreaseth and consequently the punishment Lastly as God is faithfull and suffereth not his to be tempted above that they are able so also he is just and beareth with the wicked untill they proceed to a certaine point or period beyond which they cannot passe Thus he suffereth sinners to grow to their height to teach us that our nature declineth from worse to worse unlesse we be staied by a stronger hand And this is the first end of his lenity Secondly it may be the dressers of this barrâ—ne vine by their continuall intercession as his faithfull remembrancers have obtained some respit and forbearance as this fig-tree mentioned in this parable Thirdly it may be there is yet a remnant to be gathered from among us and the number of the elect not yet accomplished as Iob. 10. Other sheepe I have that are not of thiâ— fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voyce Ioh. 10.16 and there shall be one fold and one Sheepheard Such then as belong unto him must in his good time be brought to repentance Fourthly that the reprobate may be more and more hardned and so perish everlastingly 1 Sam. 2.24 Secondly concluded the wofull wretched estate of those that despise the riches of his goodnesse and patience For they are most certainely in worse case of all others whom God doth most blesse and beare with all except they repent nay worse then Turkes and Infidels and it had been a thousand times better for such prophane sinners that they had never received such blessings and tasted so plentifully of his fatherly kindnesse then to take occasion by his bountifulnesse to continue and increase in sinne as may plainely appeare by those cities which our Saviour upbraided where his word had beene preached and his workes had beene seene Math. 11. Math. 11.22.42 because it should be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment and more easie for the land of Sodome and Gomorah then for them It shall not be enough for us to say Oh God is mercifull and Christ died for us For because God is mercifull shall we be sinfull or because he hath beene more mercifull to us then to others shall we be more sinfull then others Or because Christ Iesus hath died for us shall we live in our sinnes Heb. 10.29 and by our prophanenesse crucifie him againe and tread under our feete
as afterward he beheld with his owne eyes so worthy and glorious an effect of his preaching 1 Thess 2.19.20 as might rejoyce his heart and be his crowne and glory before the Lord and in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ aâ— his comming who as a fisher of men cast his net into the sea and inclosed a great multitude of fish of all sorts But yet for all this it did not sufficiently content the Prophet through a carnall misdeeming and misjudging of the successe of his labours as if by Gods shewing of mercy his ministery were contemned his credit empaired and his person scorned and exposed to contempt because the Citie was spared and not destroyed as appeareth in the next Chapter In the 4. Verse and the rest that follow to the end of the Chapter we are to consider two things First the preaching of Ionah Verse 4. A Sermon consisting of judgement he singeth a mournfull song foretelling them of their full and final destruction Secondly the effect of his preaching in the residue of the Chap. The preaching of Ionah is a fearfull threatning of a fearful overthrow to come upon them for their wickednesse Circumstances in the threatning which was come up before the Lord did cry for vengeance to heaven Chap. 1 2. In this denunciation we may observe sundry circumstances to passe over the beginning of the verse first the circumstance of the time to come forty dayes are limited for their repentance as the dayes of Gods patience which once expired they must looke for suddaine destruction Secondly the circumstance of time already past implied in the word Yet putting them in remembrance that he had already spared them a long time not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance As if the Lord should have said by his Prophet I have spared you long enough already that I might justly poure upon you all my wrath yet neverthelesse I will spare you a little longer Thirdly the subject of the judgement Nineveh a great a mightie a populous and proud Citie whereby also are understood the inhabitants thereof from the greatest to the least and lowest of them Lastly the measure or quantitie of the judgement an utter overthrow not of one person or one family but of the whole Citty now whether it were by sword or famine or pestilence or by fire from heaven as God overthrew Sâ—dome and Gâ—morrha and the Cities of the plaine or otherwise is not expressed Now let us come to the words And Ionah began to enter c. Albeit the Lord might forthwith have destroyed the Ninevites yet he giveth them some time of repentance and sendeth his holy Prophet unto them which declareth the infinite and endlesse patience of God even toward these Infidels that knew him not neither called upon his name Rom. 2.4 First let us observe the generall doctrine out of the whole threatning and afterward come to the particulars Before the Lord would utterly destroy the City he raised up Ionah the Prophet to foretell their destruction Doct. 1 This teacheth Before the Lord destroyeth he warneth by his ministers that the Lord for the most part never bringeth any judgement upon any people or person but hee first foretelleth of it and maketh it knowne unto them hee warneth them and threatneth it by his Ministers This truth is to be seene every where in the Scripture Amos 3.6.7 Luk. 13.7 We reade that the world was once destroyed by water and it shall bee destroyed againe by fire Of the first destruction we finde that be foretold it unto Noah and by Noah to the world before ever the flood came And touching the second destruction which shall bee by fire 2 Pet. 3.10 when the Elements shall melt with fervent heate the earth also and the workes that are therein shall bee burnt up God hath not left us ignorant but in diverse places hath plainely set it downe unto us The reasons of this course and order of Gods dealing who warneth before he smiteth are eyther in respect of God or in respect of the godly or in respect of the ungodly In respect of God to justifie his proceedings and judgements with men even before the sonnes of men to stop the mouth of iniquitie that it might have nothing to object or plead against him 2 Chro. 36.15 Ier. 25.3 and 35.15 Secondly in respect of the godly because hee would not take his people at unwares who is friendly unto them and loveth them as his owne children Now it were the part of an enemy and not of a friend to come upon them surprise them at unwares as they doe that come to assault a Citty and therefore God to shew his favour and friendship to them that are his doth foretell and give them warning before hand that so they might happily prevent it by their repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 and thereby have judgements kept from them Thirdly in respect of the ungodly themselves because God would have those that are none of his to be left without excuse that they might not be able to accuse God of any unjust dealing or murmure against him for as much as they had warning but would not bee warned they heard of his judgements but they would not judge themselves neither labour to prevent them Matth. 24.14 therefore the damnation of such is just Vse 1. Vse 1 Behold from hence the wonderfull mercy goodnesse and patience of our good God whose manner is alwaies to give warning before hee proceede in judgement He seeketh not to take any at advantage neither desireth hee the death of a sinner And therefore the Prophet saith Lam. 3.33.36 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth to subvert a man in his cause the Lord approveth not Lam. 3.33.36 He would have none to perish that are his but all to repent and to be saved He instructeth that he may not threaten he threatneth that he may not smite he smiteth that he may not destroy 1 Cor. 11.32 yea and sometime he destroyeth temporally that he may not destroy eternally This is the course which he neede not observe because upon our owne perill the perill of our soules wee are bound to take heed of judgements to come that wee should prevent them before they come He would have us to send out our Embassadours which are our prayers to treate of conditions of peace betweene God and us Such as intend revenge and the execution of their wrath are not wont to give warning but to watch their opportunity as we see in Absolom 2 Sam. 13.22 who spake neither good nor evill to his brother Amnon because he hated him and then suddenly when his heart was merry with wine commanded him to be smitten If God had a purpose to destroy us as his enemies and to come upon us at unwares hee would never threaten us and give us
such faire warning to avoyd the stroke of his sword drawne out against us For wherefore doth hee not destroy us Is it for want of desart on our part No doubtlesse he findeth just cause to proceede against us and hee is of infinite power to punish us The Prophet teacheth Num. 11.23 Esay 59.1 that his hand is not weakned as though he could not strike us neither is his arme shortned as though hee could not reach us Esa 59.1 v. Secondly if any man bee overtaken with any judgement he must know thus much that certainely God was true and that his purpose was we should prevent it or else he would never have given warning of it There is no man that can justly say that the silence of God is the cause of his security for Gods manner is never to come with any judgement and to discharge a whole volly of shot but he alwayes sendeth a warning peece before But you will say we have no Prophets to foretell Ob. they are all gone it is not with us as it was in former times Answ To this I make answer as our Saviour saith of the rich man in the Gospell that his brethren had both Moses and the Prophets among them Luk. 16.29.31 when indeed both Moses and the Prophets were all dead long before but his meaning was that they had the bookes of Moses and the writings of the Prophets before them So may I say that wee have the Prophets and Apostles still among us I meane we have the holy Scriptures wherein are contained the workes of the Prophets and of the Apostles and besides these God hath given to us his Ministers that they might as it were put life againe into the dead Prophets that they might open and declare unto us those things which are doubtfull and obscure and therefore if any man be admonished by these that judgements shall certainly come let him take heed he withstand not the Spirit of God for it is as true and evident as if the Prophets and Moses himselfe were alive and uttered these threatnings and it is the wonderfull goodnesse of God that hee will foretell us of his judgements and after a sort send them home to our owne hearts Our consciences tell us that wee are guilty of those sinnes which have formerly beene reprooved and whereof we have beene forewarned let us therefore conclude with our selves that it is the mercy of God that hee doth threaten hell and judgements unto us as well as promise heaven and happinesse and let us blesse his name in our hearts that he hath granted such a gracious warning unto us and endeavour to breake off our sinnes that so hee may bee pleased to proceede no farther with his judgements against us Lastly this dealing of God must provoke us to repentance and to turne unto God Rom. 2.4 2 Pet. 3.13 because his patience serveth to leade us to repentance Rom. 2.4 The daies of his patience last long but they are not everlasting if we repent not Let us meete him betimes while hee is in the way before he approach nearer unto us and come upon us Sinne separateth betweene him and us and maketh God our utter enemy Let us make an attonement with him before his wrath burne like fire True it is he beareth long but if we greeve his Spirit we shall beare his indignation and our owne condemnation whosoever we be He forbeareth long but he will not alwaies forbeare Exod. 34.6 he will come speedily and suddainly upon us The longer he is in drawing his bow the deeper do his arrowes pierce Thus much of the generall doctrine Yet forty daies Before we come to the cheefe point offered to our considerations in these words Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intiellgit post 40. dies non intrà ut quidavolunt Vide Drusij Lection a question may bee demanded how this threatning standeth with the truth of God and the issue and event of the matter mentioned in the end of this prophesy to pronounce such a dreadfull sentence against a City and the inhabitants thereof which tooke not that effect or shall wee thinke that God changed his minde to propose that which he purposed not and doth not the Scripture teach us that he is unchangable and no shaddow of turning with him I answer the threatnings of God are oftentimes conditionall though the condition be not expressed as appeareth in the last verse of the 3. Chapter Chap. 3.10 God repented of the Evill that he had said that he would doe unto them and he did it not True it is he might have destroyed them justly for their crying sins if it had pleased him Chap. 1.2 seeing their wickednesse was come up before him calling for judgement and it had beene as easy for him to have sent a destroying Angell to overturne them as a preaching Prophet to turne them unto him From hence wee learne Doct. 2 that the threatnings of God and denouncing of his judgements are not absolute but conditionall toward his people Gods threatnings are conditionall Gen. 6.3 1 Pet. 3.20 1 Cor. 6.9.10 Eph. 5.5 they containe an exception and limitation except they repent and amend their waies The condition is understood So it was to the old world Their daies were an hundred and twenty yeares which S. Peter calleth the time of his patience while the Arke was preparing See the same 2 King 20.1 Gen. 20.3 Mic. 3.12 and Ier. 26.18 Sometimes it is expressed as Lu. 13.3.5 Re. 2.5 Let us see some reasons Reason 1 First because after threatnings if we repent and lay them to our hearts it causeth forgivenesse and blotting of our sinnes out of his remembrance For sinne the cause of Gods judgements being removed Ezek. 33.14 c. the effect will cease as Ezek. 33. If I say to the wicked you shall dye the death if he turne from his sinne and doe that is lawfull and right none of his sinnes that he hath committed shall be mentioned he shall live and not die Secondly God is a God of long sufferance and much patience ready to forgive and receive to mercy yea in judgement to remember mercy as 2 Sam. 24 16. and Hab. 3.2 when once we turne unto him Ier. 3.22 and 33.20 as Ier. 3. O ye disobedient children returne and I will heale your rebellion and Chap. 31. when Ephraim after his corrections lamented saying Thou hast chastened me and I was chastened as a Bullocke unaccustomed to the Yoke surely after that I was turned I repented the Lord answered My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him he is my deare sonne he is my pleasant child Thirdly it is a speciall end and purpose why God doth denounce his judgements and threaten his plagues that we should repent and so that he might repent therefore they are not absolute but limited with condition except we change and amend And thus did the King of Nineveh understand
are truly turned unto God True it is repentance taketh not away all fayling and falling neither freeth us from all sliding and slipping of the foot and albeit we stumble and fall we walke not from God but toward him and rise againe The penitent person is like to a man that walketh up an high hill though he have many fals slips yet still he is said to go up the hil because his face is toward the top of the hil nay his falles make him more wary and heedfull so it is with the faithfull he may take a fall The faithfull make profit by their falles with the fall defile himselfe yet he taketh profit by it and becommeth more circumspect and every fall helpeth him one step toward the kingdome of heaven Thirdly marke how repentance changeth us and altereth our hearts from time to time how sinne weakneth decayeth and dieth in us on the other side how grace and Godlinesse encrease and strengthen in us Philem. 10.11 and how we grow in love with righteousnesse that we may say as Paul doth of Onesimus once unprofitable now profitable and of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified But if we find no steppes no degrees or proceedings in good things we may justly suspect our selues that we are not yet truly turned This is a certaine and infallible rule repentance and continuance in sinne in our old wicked courses cannot possibly stand together Lastly whether it have wrought a through change in us 1 Thess 5.23 2 Cor. 7.1 that our spirit and soule and body be presented blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Many content themselves to give the halfe turne like Agrippa Act. 26. These turne up and downe as the dore upon the hinges so these are here and there but it is in their sinne and are as farre from God as before Or they turne from sinne as Lots wife did go out of Sodome she went forward for a while but shee had an eye still looking backe toward Sodome Or else they turne as the wheele that ever is in motion but at night it abideth where it was before for they are ever the same men their turning is without turning they are alwayes the same without any change 9 Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger thas we perish not In these words we have the reason wherefore they fasted prayed and repented It is not a speech of infidelity for then it should not be said before they beleeved and doubtlesse they would here have concluded God will not returne though we returne to him and he will not repent of the evill threatned though we repent of our evill practises and if they had fallen into utter desperation they would not have cryed at all unto God much lesse mightily as they are commanded to do This verse containeth three things feeling feare and faith First a feeling or sense of sinne Secondly a feare of judgement Thirdly hope of deliverance It is to be supposed that albeit they doubted of the issue of the sentence as a thunder-bolt throwne out against them yet not of the favour of God toward them neither of his receiving of them to mercy in the next life albeit they should perish according to the flesh yet their soules should be saved in the day of the Lord. For if they had beene overthrowne and destroyed though it had been with fire and brimstone from heaven as Sodome and Gomorrah were yet had it beene no argument of their eternall condemnation and dying out of Gods favour because punishment suffered cannot prove a man to be rejected no more then it did Moses who never came into the land of promise because he had provoked God to wrath Numb 20.12 and sanctifie him not in the eyes of the children of Israel Besides no man can be eternally condemned which hath truly repented he may be chastised but he cannot be accursed So then here was faith and feare mingled together in the same persons as it were wine and water in one vessell A true faith but a little and weake faith which they found and felt in themselues like the father of the possessed who professed his faith but withall confessed the weaknesse of his faith Mark 9. Lord I beleeue helpe thou mine unbeleefe Mark 9.24 Math. 6.30 and 8.26 and 14.31 Rom. 4.19 2 Cor. 10.15 Rom. 4.20 Col. 1.23 and 2.7.5 Heb. 10.27 Act. 6.5.8 There are degrees of faith a little faith a doubting faith a weake faith the Apostle also speaketh of an encreasing faith 2 Cor. 10 We read of a strong faith Rom. 4.20 of growing in faith 2 Thess 1.3 Or of abounding in faith 2 Cor. 8.7 of a faith grounded and setled Col. 1.23 rooted built up and established chap. 2.7 of the stedfastnes of faith 5. of the assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 and of the fulnesse of faith Act. 6.5.8 But whatsoever titles it hath the strongest faith and deepest rooted is mingled with doubtfulnesse like the ayre overcast with cloudes or a ship beaten with stormes and tempestes Luk. 22. Such was the faith of these Ninevites doubting but not despairing shaken but not cast downe tossed with waues but not suffering shipwracke because as they feared his judgements so they hoped for his mercies and beleeved that their sinnes were pardonable which is the first step and degree of faith This was in the Prodigall sonne when he resolved to goe to his father Luk. 15.18 and confesse he had sinned against heaven and against him and was no more worthy to be called his sonne when as yet he felt not his offences already pardoned This was in the Ninevites in this place The meaning of the words they conceive a good hope of God albeit he threatned them and beleeve that his wrath may be appeased when they say Who can tell if God will returne and therefore some doubting was joyned with it as Ioel. 2.14 Ioel. 2.14 Who knoweth if he will returne and leave a blessing behind him 2 Sam. 12.22 and 2 Sam. 12.22 Who can tell whether God will have mercy on me that the child mâ—y live So likewise Ester Ester 4.14 4.14 Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdome for such a time as this So then this phrase is used in matters not fully certaine and manifest unto them but in such as are doubtfull Object Againe when the Prophet saith God will repent the question may be asked how repentance can agree to God Tit. 1.2 who is by nature unchangable and cannot lye Tit. 1.2 Especially considering we find Scripture to affirme 1 Sam. 15.29 The strength of Israel will not lye nor repent for he is not a man that he should repent 1 Sam 15.29 yet before it was said it repented him that he had set up Saul to be king how are these things to be
other men that they are not all for the present but have their eyes in their fore head to foresee and so to prevent evils to come as Eccl. 2. The wise mans eyes are in his head Eccl. 2.14 but the foole walketh in darknesse The naturall man seeth with one eye to witt the carnall eye of naturall reason that can pierce no farther then the light of nature reacheth but Christian men have together with it the spirituall eye of faith also to foresee evils to come such as sense and reason are not able to apprehend Bernard in Psal Quihabitat Serm. 1. There are foure sortes of men in this case to be considered of us some hope but feare not others feare but hope not some neither hope nor feare others both hope and feare The first sort is of those that hope but feare not these runne through thicke and thinne and stand at nothing they feare not when there is cause but they presume without cause These hope for his mercy but they feare not his wrath they have their eyes fastned upon his mercy but they shut them upon his wrath least they should looke upon it and thereby take liberty to sinne without any remorse of conscience or of repentance from dead workes We have infinite examples both written and unwritten of such persons and therefore the Prophet David prayeth to God to keepe his servant from presumptuous sinnes least they have dominion over him Psal 19.13 This faith is no faith but a fancy or rather a frenzy These set up an idoll instead of God made all of mercy that is an other kind of God then he hath described himselfe to be in his word Exod. 20 and 34 he will by no meanes cleare the wicked Exod. 34.7 visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children unto the third and to the fourth generation Wherefore all mercy and no feare is all fansie and no faith An other sort is of such as feare but hope not at all These are contrary to the former They feare his judgments too much but they hope in his mercies too little as Caine Saul Achitaphel Iudas and such like who had no more hope then the Devils have and so come to be swallowed up in the deepe gulfe of desperation The third sort neither hope nor feare neither hope in his mercy neither fear his justice It is al one with such which end goforward whether God be offended or not whether he be pleased or displeased These are like the Laodiceans neither hote nor cold but luke warme whom God wil spew out of his mouth Revel 3.16 Rev. 3. These are seiled in their lees or dregs of their sins that say in their hearts the Lord will do neither good nor evill Zeph. 1.12 These are Epicures or Atheists that make God sit idle in heaven and do nothing The Fourth and last sort are such as both hope and feare also In the first sort raigneth presumption in the second desperation in the third prophanation in the last religion These so hope in his mercy that they stand in feare of his wrath as Noah David Iosiah and sundry others Such must we be to regard both of his mercy and judgment We must not be any of the former sinners neither presumptuous nor desperate nor prophane but fearefull of his wrath and yet confident in his mercy 10 And God saw their workes that they turned from their evill way and God repented of the evill that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not Hitherto we have heard what the Ninevites did Knowledge is of Apprehension Heb. 4 13 Approbation Psal 1.6 Math. 7.23 here we are to consider what the Lord did he saw their works and repented of the evill which he had denounced Let us first marke the meaning of the words and consider them in order as they lie He saw First he not onely beheld what they did but he approved their workes Chap. 1.2 and conceiveth a liking of the service they performed as Gen. 1.31 4.4 Lam. 3.6 But doth not the Lord see the wicked and their workes Ob. did he not see before this their wickednesse Yes doubtlesse Answ or else how could it come up before him For answer unto this we must understand that he is said to have a two fold eye the eye of knowledge and the eye of alowance He seeth all persons and all things good and evill with the eye of his knowledge that nothing can be hid from him for he that formed the eye shall not he see the night Psal 94.9 139.11 and the light are both a like with him but he seeth not all things in this maner with the eye of his alowance liking loving and approving In this sence he did not looke upon Caine and upon his offering but upon Abel and his offering to whom he had respect Their workes First their faith their conversion from their evill wayes their fasting and prayer how they cryed mightily unto him God repented of the evill First God is after a sort transformed and transfigured into our nature as we sometimes read of his eyes eares hands heart feet nostrils and other bodily members not that he is so indeed not that he hath these parts but the Scripture speaketh after our capacity and understanding as they do that speake to children we are not ignorant what use office and property these severall parts have in our selues and we conceive not how a man should see without eyes or heare without eares or walke without feet or worke without hands and to teach us therefore that God seeth heareth worketh and understandeth all things those parts are ascribed unto him by which we see heare worke walke and understand But properly repentance is not in God as we have noted before but the effect is Repentance not properly in god which is nothing else but the undoing of a worke which he had formerly done So then the Ninevites turned and God turned they turned from their evill and God from his evill Howbeit these evils differ the one from the other for theirs is criminall his penall Doct. they turned from the evill of their sinne he from the evill of his punishment God knoweth whatsoever we do and approoveth of that which is good From hence we may obserue two points which because they have affinity one with an other we will consider together namely that God seeth knoweth and heareth whatsoever we do speake or thinke yea he acknowledgeth aloweth Whatsoever we do and approoveth of that which is good Psal 139.2.3.4 33.13.14 praiseth and commendeth good things in whomsoever they are Touching the first branch the Prophet saith Psal 139. Thou vnderstandest my fitting my rising my thoughts afarre off there is not a word in my tongue but thou knowest it wholly thou possessest my reines my bones are not hid from thee and 33.13.14 The Lord looketh from
made his servants and cattell fly into he houses Exod. 9.20.21 but he that regarded not the word of the Lord left them in the field and there they all both man and beast perished Is it any better with the most sort no doubtlesse for why hath God executed his judgements and doth daily cast them abroad as the firebrands of his wrath is it not because we regard neither his promises nor his threatnings doubtlesse if we had taken his word he had never drawne his sword and had we beleeved his threatnings we had not felt his punishments if we had hearkened to his mouth to heare his voyce he had not stretched out his hand to smite with his rod. So it was with the Iewes when the Prophet denounced the 70. Ier. 25.12 29.10 yeares captivity they would not beleeve it till the Babylonians came indeed and carried them away It is a great mercy of God to open our eares and to give us beleeving hearts before his plagues fall upon us whereas others runne on and are pâ—nished Thirdly seing our God is thus patient and gentle even towards us that provoke him every day what ought we to be one toward an other As he is not soone provoked so we should be kind toward those that provoke us and disturbe our peace and patience forgiving one another as God hath forgiven us and as he is called the God of patience sowe should approove our selves to be the children of patience It is our duty therefore to learne meeknesse and mercy toward our brethren As we are exhorted to be perfect Math. 5.48 because our heavenly father is perfect and to be mercifull because he is mercifull so we should be patient because he is the God of patience This is the exhortation of the Apostle Luc. 6.36 put on the bowels of mercies kindnesse humblenesse of minde meekenesse long-suffering Rom. 15.5 forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrell against any Col. 3.12.13 even as Christ forgave you so also doe ye Eph. 4.31.32 But on the other side if we be given to hatred and revenge and doe not put away all bitternesse wrath and anger and evill speaking let us take heed we doe not make a law against our selves and so finde the same measure at the hands of God which we shew toward our brother Cut it downe c. Hitherto of the patience of God now followeth his Commandement directed to the dresser of the Vineyard to cut it downe When once the dayes of his patience are expired at the last he executeth judgement Dcto and chargeth him to cut downe the Fig-tree And wherefore Patience abnsed causeth destruction he had waited for fruit three yeares and yet findeth none now the time approched that it must be hewen downe For where the acceptable time of grace is neglected there judgement is most worthily called for This reacheth that patience neglected bringeth forth destruction If we make not his patience to worke in us repentance he will cause his patience to worke out his judgements He doth desire our amendment that we should not deserve revengement As then Gods patience tendeth to this end to bring forth repentance so his patience and kindnesse abused and despised bringeth forth utter confusion Thus the Prophet speaketh Esay 5. Esay 5.5 I will tell you whâ—â— I will doe to my Vineyard that bringeth forth no fruit I will take away the hedge thereof it shall be eaten up troden downe and laid waste This doth Nathan preach to David in the name of God 2 Sam. 12. 2 Sam. 12.9.10 I have given to thee the house of Iudah and Israel c. if that had beene too little I would have given unto thee such and such things Wherefore then hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord to doe evill in his sight thou hast killed Vriah with the sword c. now therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house c. We have examples hereof in the old world in Sodome and Gomorah in Pharaoh and the Egyptians yea in the Israelites themselves Rom. 2.5 of them all we may say with the Apostle Thou after thine hardnesse and heart that cannot repent heapest up wrath against the day of wrath c. behold here a sharpe and severe threatning of most heavy vengeance to come at the last upon such as abuse the great lenity and long-sufferance of God and are not bettered but hardned thereby and not made wiser but worser by them And wherefore shall this abuse cause destruction Reason 1 First because God will take vengeance and execute judgement upon every man according to his workes It is justice to give to every one that which is his owne and of right belonging unto him but destruction is as due to such as neglect his patience as wages is to the labourer Gen. 18.25 Thus doe such deserve to be proceeded against for shall not the judge of all the earth doe right This is the reason rendred by the Apostle where the doctrine hath his confirmation Rom. 2.6 He will render to every man according to his deedes Rom. 2. Secondly there is no respect of persons with him it skilleth not whether we be rich or poore Iew or Gentile bond or free all that neglect his patience ly with all under his punishment as it is concluded vers 11. of the same Chapter Thridly sinne is thereby encreased for the longer he waiteth by his patience the more heavily will he pursue us by his vengeance Luc. 12.48 as our Saviour teacheth To whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more This reproveth the fond perswasion of such as imagine Vse 1 that albeit all other mens sinnes should be punished yet they alone may escape Gods judgements as if they had made a covenant with death and were at an agreement with hell We promise to our selves impunity even in those sinnes for which his wrath hath lighted upon other the children of disobedience Marveilous have beene the mercies of God toward us in this kingdome we have had peace within our walles and plenteousnesse within our dwellings he hath made us hitherto the head and our enemies the taile defeating their policies and turning their mischeivous plots devises upon their own heads and what could he have done that he hath left undone But what hath all this bountifulnesse of God wrought among us and what effect have his blessings taken in us but a blessing of our selves in our wickednesse and an adding of one sinne to another as it were drunkennesse unto thirst and running up and downe from one extreme to another Have we not nay doe we not for the most part heape up our sinnes without measure or conscience of turning to God If we would behold with a single eye the state of Church and common-wealth as now it
mell with Christians as it was in the Apostles times for we are all Christians we have beene all baptized we meet in the House of prayer Answ we come freely to the Lords Table and wee looke for salvation in Christ Iesus True it is wee are all Christians by outward profession but wee doe not all shew it as we ought to doe by an holy conversation For doe we not practise the quite contrary What profit is it to beare the name of Christ in words and to deny him in our workes Tit. 1.16 to be washed with water and not to bee clensed from our wickednesse to come to the Lords Supper and yet to cleave to our sinnes to looke for salvation from Christ and never labour for true sanctification of the Spirit For if he be made to us justification he must also be made to us sanctification and if he be our righteousnesse it cannot bee but he worketh also righteousnesse in us The Iewes were a separate people from the Nations yet if there were not a further separation among them even Iew from Iew the holy from the prophane the cleane from the uncleane and one of Abrahams seed from another they could not be the people of God Rom. 9.6 7. They were not all the Israel of God that were of Israel according to the flesh because even among the Iewes themselves were many found that did iustifie the Gentiles Ezek. 16.51 52. and lived more prophanely and abominably then they So must it in like manner be with us the Word if once it bee sincerely embraced and received will fanne away the chaffe from the wheat and sever Christian from Christian yea neighbour from neighbour acquaintance from acquaintance Gen. 21.10 Gal. 4.30 and friend from friend so that the Bond-woman and her sonne shall be thrust out of the house of Abraham and finde no more place in it Thus much touching our duty respecting God Our duty tovvard our selves learned out of this Title the next concerning our selves For hence also we must learne to beware of excessive cares for earthly things and to have our conversation without covetousnesse which is the maine scope of Christ our Sauiour in all these words that we should not feare want because God is our Father And doubtlesse if we had hearts to beleeve and could haue this comfortable assurance that he is indeed our Father and we his children we need no more we could not but rest in his care and providence over us and provision for us We cannot be ignorant that in the family the father provideth for all If then we be of his family we shall be assured to have him our Father and to spread the wings of his protection over us Will the father suffer his children to starve when he hath store in his owne hand and can give the staffe of bread Matth. 6.25 When Christ our Sauiour sheweth that our heauenly Father feedeth the Ravens and clotheth the Lillies of the field which is the doctrine here deliuered he draweth this exhortation from thence Be not carefull for your life what ye shall eate or drinke or put on Math. 6. O the folly therefore of such as haue their hearts oppressed and ouer-charged with the cares of this life and so forget the Kingdome here promised by our heauenly Father The danger of covetous persons may be considered in these particular points First it is a sinne alive when other seeme mortified as appeareth in the example of Judas and by lamentable experience of many Professours wholly addicted to the world For when other sinnes have left them this sticketh fast unto them as a disease bred in the bones Secondly it is a sinne seldome repented of because it is so close and secret that it is hardly discerned and therefore Christ himselfe saith Matth. 19.23 A rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of heauen Many there are that follow after it but few confesse it For where shall you have a rich man though covetous in the highest degree that will acknowledge himselfe to be covetous The rich man that had many possessions came to Christ and seemed no doubt to himselfe and to others very religious and a diligent obseruer of the Commandements yet when he detected him of his couetousnesse he went away sorrowfull and repented of nothing but happely that he had gone so farre We haue particular examples of many grieuous sinners that haue turned to God and not beene ashamed to lay open their sinne to their owne shame * Gen. 19.33 with 2 Pet. 2.8 2 Sam. 12.13 2 Cor. 2.7 Acts 3.15 Gen 9.21 2 Chron. 33.6 12. Numb 12.1 Matth. 26.75 1 Tim. 1.13 Luke 23.40 Matth. 21.29 Philem. 18. some adulterers and incestuous Gen. 19. 2 Sam. 12. 2 Cor. 2. some murtherers 2 Sam. 12.9 Act. 3.13.19 some drunkards Gen 9.21 Some Idolaters sorcerers enchanters witches and wizards 2 Chron. 33.6 12. Some envious and murmurers Numb 12.1 Some cursers swearers and denyers of Christ Math. 26.75 Some persecuters blasphemers and oppressours 1 Tim. 1.13 Some stubborne and disobedient to Parents Matth. 21.29 Some theeves and injurious persons that robbe other men of their goods Luke 23.40 Philem. 14. but among all these very few that are covetous enter into the Kingdome of God who blesse themselves when God abhorreth them Some examples indeed we may finde of Gods mercy vpon them that none should despaire but they are very few that none should presume For when or where almost shall you haue a covetous person repent and confesse with his owne mouth I haue beene covetous And how can they repent of their sinne who doe acknowledge themselves to be sinners we may therefore say of such as Christ speaketh of the High-priests and the Elders Matth. 21.31 Verily I say unto you that the Harlots goe before you into the Kingdome of heauen Math. 21.31 They heare the Scriptures againe and againe threatning and thundring against this sinne to beware and take heed of covetousnesse and the Ministers laying it open but they have neither eares to heare nor hearts to beleeve and therefore they regard them as the Pharises did Christ himselfe who being couetous heard all these things Luke 16.14 and they derided him Thirdly these men so much as lyeth in them doe cancell the whole Law and abrogate it and therefore it worthily may be called the roote of all evill Let us briefely runne ouer the Commandements Covetousnesse the breach of the whole Law They breake the first Commandement because they make their Mammon to be their Master they love their money above God and put their trust in their treasure and so make to themselues a strange God and commit Idolatry unto it worshipping it as an Image Marke 10.24 Ephes 5.5 Psal 62.10 Marke 10.24 Ephes 5.5 Touching the second it keepeth the heart so inthralled to the World that they have no leisure to intend the worship of God What a deformity were it in
drinke but to cease from sinne as the Prophet speaketh August super Iohan. Esay 58.6 Chrysost suâ— per Math. Hee that sinneth and yet withall fasteth saith Chrisostome doth not fast to the glory of God but spareth his owne substance onely This is handled at large in these Treatises wherein is noted what the true exercise of fasting is what are the outward and inward parts thereof the one answering to the other together with the severall abuses of the counterfeit fastings True it is the Church of Rome complaine against us and accuse us as enemies to fasting even as the Pharisees sometimes condemned the Disciples of Christ Math. 9.14 whom he excuseth and defendeth but were we worthy of this reproch and reproofe yet are they the unfittest to upbraid us with it who beside the bare name and naked title of fasting have nothing remaining of the true nature and right practise thereof but the end they ayme at is to set up their owne merits and to puffe up them selves with pride as it was with the blind Pharisees their predecessors whom in this and in sundry other points they follow These things thus laid open J presume to offer to your Worship whose good affection to our Tribe so much scorned and scoffed at in the world and carefull frequenting the exercises of religion many wayes appeareth and as a token and testimony of my thankfull remembrance of your love to me in that you disdaine not but upon every occasion of passing by to come under the roofe of my poore cottage remembring the words of our blessed Saviour Mar. 6.4 A Prophet is not without honour save in his owne Countrey and among his owne kinne and in his owne house The God of heaven and earth encrease your zeale to the truth and finish that good worke which he hath begunne in you unto the day of Jesus Christ Your Worships at command William Attersoll THE DOCTRINE AND PRACTISE OF FASTING and PRAYER of FAITH and REPENTANCE IONAH 3.4 And Ionah beganne to enter into the City a dayes iourney and he cryed and said Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be overthrowne THis Prophecie is wholly Historicall as the other prophecies are dogmaticall It containeth the History of Ionah relating what happened to himselfe when he was sent of God to the great Cittie Nineveh Gen. 10.12 to denounce unto the Ninevites their utter overthrow Who this Prophet was and when he prophecied may be gathered sufficiently out of the Scripture where we reade that Ieroboam the second restored the coast of Israel from the entring of Hamath unto the Sea of the Wildernesse according to the word of the Lord 2 King 14.25 which he spake by his servant Ionah the sonne of Amittai the Prophet which was in Gath Hepher And it seemeth that he was the first of all the Prophets whose writings are extant and remaine in the Church for the instruction thereof in faith and obedience For he lived before the battell of Ioash King of Israel with the Syrians about the end of the dayes of Elisha 2 King 13.14 and 14.25 Neither let any object the Prophecy of Micah as though he were before in time the same that prophecied in the daies of Ahab 1 King 22. Because these two were not both one but different neither doe their names accord in the Originall as may appeare to every one that readeth True it is this prophet hath this end and yssue of his writing with the rest to set forth the judgements and mercies of God toward mankind but this he hath proper and peculiar that he is not here sent unto the Church and people of Israel but onely unto prophane unbeleevers and uncircumcised persons that we should understand thereby that God hath rule over all nations and is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes Rom. 3.29 and an avenger of sinne in whomsoever he findeth it Rom. 2.12 according to the saying of the Apostle As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law Rom. 2.12 For then the Prophets were sent to the Syrians 1 King 17.9 19.15 2 King 8.7 and to them of Damascus and to the Tyrians howbeit extraordinarily at the will and pleasure of God And doubtlesse by his sending of his Prophets to strangers out of the promised land God would reprove and condemne the desperate stubbornnesse of the people of Israel who would not be moved and perswaded by so many of his holy Prophets that were sent and dwelt among them and by so many threatnings as were brought upon them where as these poore infidels and unbeleevers did by and by beleeve and obey the voyce of one Prophet Math. 12.41 Luk. 11.32 that the Lord might say of them as he doth in an other case Matth. 8.10 I have not found so great faith no not in Israel I will not stand to discourse at large the vaine conceit and idle speculation of Epiphanius Epiphan of the life of the Prophets touching this Ionah For he telleth us that Elias gat himsalfe into the Wildernesse by reason of a great famine which hee had called upon the land where being nourished by Ravens he quenched his thirst with the water of the brooke and when the brooke was dryed up hee was an hungred and removed into Sarepta a Citie of Sidonia 1 King 17.9 Luk. 4.26 unto a poore woman a Widdow the mother of Ionah and entred into her house now the woman left nothing undone of that which he commanded her and he did eate and blessed her for he could have no abode with the uncircumcised And when as Ionah the sonne of the woman was deceased God raised him up by Elias and restored him alive unto his mother because of the entertainement which she gave unto him and that when Ionah was come to full age he was sent unto Nineveh to the Assyrians Where we have some truth mingled with much falsehood and therefore he deserveth to be credited no farther then he hath the warrant of Gods word being deceived with the tales of the Iewes that are masters of such lyes I know the common sort are most of all delighted with such new tangled devises that have no substance in them howbeit we should not please such itching eares nor feed them with empty winde in stead of wholesome food but avoid prophane bablings and oppositions of science falsly so called which some professing have erred concerning the faith 1 Tim. 6.20.21 In this prophecy observe a twofold calling or sending of Ionah the first in the two former chapters which he rejected the second in the two latter which he executed In this third chapter is set forth the execution of his calling together with the fruit and profit thereof in the Ninevites whereby we may see his errour and oversight in flying from his function and supposing that he was sent in vaine when
this threatning Chap. 3.9 Chap. 3. Let every one turne from his evill way for who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger that we perish not Vse 1. Vse 1 There is comfort in the greatest the heaviest and most fearefull threatnings of certaine judgements there is hope of grace and mercy to be found if we doe repent as it were light shining out of darkenesse Let none say it is too late my sinnes are too great or too many that they cannot be forgiven as Caine said Gen. 4. The Elders of Iudah did profit better by the threatnings of Ieremy For when he had threatned desolation of the Lords house and the destruction of the whole land for which the Priests and Prophets would have put him to death they pleaded the practise and example of good King Hezekiah for their comfort as we noted before when the Prophet Micah threatned that Ierusalem should be plowed up like a field and lye desolate as a Forrest he did not put him to death Mic. 3.12 Ier. 26.18 but feared the Lord and the Lord repented him of the evill which he pronounced against them But it may be objected Ob. If God threatneth and willeth one thing and yet doth another as heere he threatned to destroy Nineveh and did it not then Gods will is changeable or else he hath two willes one will to destroy another to preserve which seeme contrary the one to the other I answer Answ as God is one so he hath but one will Howbeit it is distinguished into that which is revealed and secret The secret is of things hidde with himselfe and not manifested as Deutero 29.29 The revealed is of things made knowne by the word and by daily experience The secret will is without condition annexed unto it the reveald is with condition and it is joyned with exhortations admonitions instructions and reprehensions as may best serve for mans salvation and to keepe him in awe of God and his threatnings The secret shall and must be accomplished notwithstanding all the opposition and gainesaying of men and Angels Rom. 9.19 For who hath resisted his will and therefore albeit it bee most just and righteous yet it is not to us a rule of righteousnesse The revealed onely is the rule of our lives and the square to measure and direct all our actions The ignorance of these two parts of the single and simple will of God leadeth into manifold errour and the sound knowledge thereof beateth downe to the ground the perverse and corrupt practise of many For when they breake out into sundry evils and much prophanenesse contrary to the expresse commandement of God and rule of the word left unto us for our instruction a Plaut Aulid act 4. sc 10. Factum est fieri infectum non potest deos credo voluisse nam ni vellent non fieret scio Terent. in Eumuch Act. 5. sc 2. Quid. si hoc quispiam Coluit deus they follow the practise of the heathen and excuse themselves because forsooth it was the will of God it should be so or else it could not have beene done A grosse abuse of God and his wil. For when they walked in their owne waies as it were in by-paths and followed their sinfull lusts and pleasures did they set Gods will before their eyes or did they aske counsell of him or did they enter into such practises with a purpose to doe his will No doubtlesse they were ledde by their owne fansy as by a false guide that turned them out of their right way and therefore let them not excuse themselves by his will but rather accuse their owne wickednesse Secondly it is the duty of all men in hearing the threatnings of God to beware of all impediments and hindrances of repentance for as much as they must take effect unlesse we observe the condition If wee doe not keepe the condition the threatning is absolute and surer than the heavens Take heede therefore of these lets which as so many stumbling blockes lye in our way to cause us to fall Impediments hindring true repentance First wee must not slight the threatnings of God nor set light by them as the manner of many is who for the most part regard them no otherwise Esa 28.15 than as if they had made a covenant with death and were at league with hell and not with God to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of their life Such were the sonnes in law of Lot that should have married his daughters when they heard of the overthrow of Sodome with fire and brimstone and were exhorted to save themselves from that crooked generation and to depart from the tents of those wicked men and to separate themselves from among that Congregation least they were consumed with them hee seemed as one that mocked unto his sonnes in law Gen. 19.14 and therefore they perished in those flames Secondly we must not exempt our selves from them and post them over to others or thinke they belong not at all to us Esa 28.15 that albeit the overflowing scourge shall passe through it shall not come upon us for wee have made lies our refuge and under falsehood have wee hidde our selves Esa 28.15 These are they that hide their owne sinnes like Adam and turne them over to others as hee did to the woman and the woman to the Serpent Genesis 3. wee care not on whose shoulders wee lay the burthen so that wee doe not beare it nor touch it with our little finger neither who smart for it so that wee be free and doe not beare it Thus wee flatter our selves and never lay his threatnings to heart untill his judgements fall full upon our heads as they did upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians Thirdly bee not deceived to thinke by riches or honour by power or pollicy by favour or friendship to fave and deliver our selves from the punishments of God whereas nothing shall prevaile with him nothing in the world but repentance and turning from sinne hating and forsaking it True it is in the courts and consistories of men these may beare sway and get the upper hand a man may escape by his purse or winde himselfe out of trouble by might of men and so avoyd the danger of the Law but it is not so with God For howsoever men use to reason I care not I will doe well enough as long as I have money and friends howbeit this will not serve to free us from Gods Plagues and punishments as Zeph. I. Zeph. 1.18 When God had threatned to consume all things from off the Land both man and beast least they should imagine by their wealth or other wiles to escape hee saith Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath Fourthly delay not the time nor put off the threatnings which the Lord abhorreth as Ezek. Ezek. 12.22.23 12. Sonne
Aquinat jeiunium jeiunij and therefore it is not unfitly called a fast of a fast Howbeit even in this God in judgement remembreth mercy We have heard many complaine and cry out in their necessities What shall we eate or what shall we drinke Math. 6.31 and wherewithall shall we be clothed Neverthelesse we have rather heard what famine is then felt it in truth we know not what this judgement meaneth neither have tryed what the sharpe weapon of necessity bringeth with it The Lord hath rather threatned than executed it and touched us with his little finger than laid his whole hand upon us and smitten us with the backe of the sword rather than turned the edge toward us For what I pray you have we ever suffered in comparison of the judgements of God upon his owne people Israel as in the daies of Ahab when it rained not on the earth by the spaâ—e of three yeeres and sixe monethes 1 King 17.1 Iam. 5.17 and in the siege of Samaria when an Asses head was sold for fourescore pieces of siluer and the fourth part of a Kab of Doves doung for five pieces of siluer 2 King 6.25 nay more than all this when the fruit of the field failed Levit. 26.29 Deut. 28.53 c. they did eate the fruit of their own bodies even the flesh of their sons of their daughters in the straightnesse wherwith their enimies did distresse them yea oftentimes fell out in the shifting and dividing of that lothsome meat as Ieremy noteth in the Lament Lam. 4.10 2 King 6.28.29 Ioseph debello Iudeor The hands of the pitifull women have sodden their owne children they were their meate in the destruction of the daughter of my people O how gracious and mercifull hath God beene to us that we know none of all these things Nay we have beene so farre from having a wofull and wretched experience of these things that moe among us have destroyed themselues through surfetting and drunkennesse wantonnesse than have dyed through want moe have perished by riot excesse and superfluity than through penury and necessity This commeth to passe through the abuse of our long peace and the contempt of the Gospell The Gospell bringeth peace peace bringeth plenty plenty breadeth prodigality prodigality bringeth penury and therfore Moses chargeth the Israelites when they should enter into goodly cities which they builded not Deut. 6.10.11.12 houses full of all good things which they filled not welles digged which they digged not vineyards and Olive trees which they planted not then they must beware least they forget the Lord their God For if ever we forget God it is when we are full that is when we have greatest cause to remember him Besides the former kindes there is likewise a fast from sinne this is a spiritual abstinence a sacrifice which especially pleaseth God consisting in the holinesse of our lives which we must keepe all the dayes of our lives Of this the Prophet speaketh Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to undoe the heavy burdens Esay 58.6 7. Zach. 7.5.6 c. to let the oppressed goe free to deale thy breed to the hungry and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh This fast we must all keepe and that at all times There is also a miraculous fast above nature Of this we have three examples in holy Scripture one of Moses at the publication of the Law one of Elias at the restitution of the Law another of Christ Iesus our Saviour at his inauguration and entrance into his office This the Church of Rome after an apish imitation hath taken up and that which he did once only in all his life as if they meant to go beyond him they make annuall or yearely Hee abstained from all meates and drinkes they celebrate a counterfeit fasting which may better be called a feasting The last sort is a religious and Christian fast when we unfainedly humble our selues before the Lord and judge our selues that we may escape his judgement Of this we speake in this place and this we have before described This fasting hath two parts one outward The parts of fasting both outward and inward the other inward helped forward by the outward The outward is called a bodily exercise which is an abstinence for a time from the profits and pleasures of this life thereby to make us apter and fitter to the inward vertues These are either generall belonging to all as abstinence from food both meate and drinke so farre as humane infirmity suffereth provided if we cannot that we doe it sparingly privately without giving offence and without pretending a necessity where there is none Be not deceived God will not be mocked If he inable us to abstaine and we doe disable our selues if we make shew of fasting and doe nothing lesse he will find us out and we shall beare our condemnation whosoever we be For better it were not to fast at all then thus to dissemble and play the notable hypocrites with God and man I leave such therefore to the judgement of God and the checke of their owne conscience But as we say commonly necessity hath no law where God inableth not to beare out this hard exercise let them in the feare of God take some short refreshing For these outward exercises were instituted to make us fitter to better duties not to make us unfitter that the flesh should be tamed not killed Dometur caro sed non interimatur Hierony above ordinary custome but not beyond the nature of man But besides this abstinence from food it is as necessary that we abstaine from bravery in apparell Exod. 33.4 Ester 5.1 4.1 and from the workes and labours of our daily callings much more therefore from pleasures and pastimes and from excessive measure of sleeping 2 Sam. 12.16 Ioel. 1.13 that we may have no occasions or allurements to reioyce in the flesh and so to withdraw and withhold us from the solemne worship of God We have such among us as will seeme willing more forward then many of their fellowes and would account themselues wronged to be accounted contemners of holy things who notwithstanding when they should make preparation to so high and holy a worke are busie about their owne workes or which is all one about their masters and when they should use meditation after praying and preaching ended they runne every one after the lustes of his owne heart I can learne no otherwise out of the Law of God but these may as lawfully follow their labours upon the Sabbath as upon the day of fasting let these looke in what Schoole they have learned farther liberty Ezod 20.8 Ioel. 2.15 Levit. 16.29.30.31 For the same Lord that saith Sanctifie the Lords day saith also Sanctifie a fast he that chargeth not to doe any worke on the Sabbath chargeth likewise to do no worke at all on the day
are sinners So then this rule teacheth that all men are under the guilt and punishment of sinne which is a matter of such danger as it were better to have the whole weight of the world upon us then to lye under the burden and bondage of one sinne because the wrath of God which is the heaviest thing under heaven doth hang upon sinne and sinners for ever We are all of us condemned men there is not any one which is not in himselfe damned and forlorne Their is nothing in our whole nature but corruption we are loathsome and abhominable in his sight the heires of death and destruction the enemies of God the bondslaves of Satan held under his dominion even from our mothers wombe This doth admonish us of the miserable condition of all mankinde through sin no creature more wretched we have no cause to aduance or magnifie our selues It stirreth up our mindes to seeke after a Saviour Luk. 15.32 to find us being lost and to quicken us being dead It teacheth us to thinke seriously upon the riches of Gods mercy Eph. 2.4 to praise his name for his great love wherewith he hath loved us It putteth us in mind by our owne estate of corruption to reprove others with compassion Gal. 6.1 considering our selues that are no lesse sinners and stand in the same case and condemnation as well as they The fift rule is The fift rule that the naturall man can doe nothing at all that can please God For untill we have faith and repentance all that we do or can doe is sinfull and abhominable in his sight Euery thought of the heart of man is evill and onely evill Gen. 6.5 8 21. and continually evill Gen. 6. 8. It is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked who can know it The wised me of the flesh Ier. 17.9 and therefore the best thing in a carnall man even whatsoever he understandeth or perceiveth is enmity against God Rom 8.8 7 18. 3. for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be The Apostle saith of himselfe I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing and generally of mankind he pronounceth Tit. 1.15 There is none righteous no not one they are all gone out of the way and againe Vnto the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeleeuing is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled The doctrine of Pelagius The opinion of Pelagus that a man that is an infidell and unregenerate hath in himselfe and of himselfe a sufficient power to beleeve and to fulfill the law Ezek. 36.26 is as contrary to the whole doctrine of the Scriptures as light to darknesse as sweet to sower For the Prophets and Apostles teach that the heart of man is stony and therefore in it owne nature unfit and uncapable to receive the impression of the law of God unlesse God write on that stone with his singer that the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 2 Cor. 3.5 Phil. 2.13 Eph 2.1.5 Col. 2.13 for they are foolishnes unto him neither can he know them that the Ephesians before their calling yea and all of us are dead in sinnes and trespasses Hence it is that the Scripture calleth the change of man by regeneration sometimes an other birth Ioh. 3. Sometimes the creation of the new man Eph 4. Sometimes an other resurrection from the dead Luk. 15.32 Ioh. 5.25 For as a dead carkasse can by no meanes dispose nor prepare it selfe to the refurrection as Lazarus lay in his grave stinking untill by the powerfull voyce of Christ he was raised up to life or as a thing that is not created cannot further it selfe any thing to the creation of it selfe so man in the state of nature and before his regeneration hath nothing whereby he may dispose himselfe or further his new birth or spirituall life This rule teacheth that many there are who albeit they blesse themselues as men in a good case yet are found the children of wrath the enemies of righteousnesse haters and hated of God Such are they that rest in outward or ciuil honesty that boast and bragge that they are no adulters no theeues no murtherers that they live peaceably and quietly among their neighbours and pay every man his owne and are not all these good Yes doubtlesse they are good but they are not good enough these must we doe Math. 23.23 but other things may not be left â—â—done For if they could looke throughly and unpartially into their soules they should finde there a filthy sinke and puddle of all manner of sinne and nothing else It teacheth that we have no freedome left in any faculty of the soule to spirituall goodnesse and therefore beateth down the doctrine of the Church of Rome that setteth up and aduanceth mans free will as if it were not lost but onely weakned It teacheth that before the naturall man be washed and purged every thing is uncleane unto him yea he tainteth and defileth every thing that he toucheth which way so ever he turneth himselfe all his actions spirituall civill or naturall are polluted because they proceed from uncleane hearts and consciences His spirituall actions which may seeme best of all his hearing the word reading the Scriptures praying to God receiving of the Sacraments all being the sacrifices of the wicked Pro. 15.8 28.9 are abhomination unto the Lord the person must please him before our workes can please him These divine ordinances how pure and precious soever in their owne nature as instituted of him are turned into sinne His civill actions and honest dealings in the world his buying selling giving lending his labours in all the workes of his calling are in him and to him no better then sinnes Lastly his naturall actions as eating drinking sleeping and the like all are vncleane unto him and in his use To conclude it teacheth us the necessity of regeneration in every part especially it should move us to beware that we approach not neere the Courts of God neither compasse his altar without washing our hands in innocency Psal 26.6 and to pray unto him to sanctifie us throughout and to wash the whole man both soule and body The last Rule is The sixt rule that the posting over the denying and diminishing of our sinnes is one of the greatest hindrances of repentance Some post them over and thinke to save themselues by appealing and appeaching of others as Adam his wife Gen. 3. Some deny their sinnes and so thinke to hide them as Ananias and Sapphira Act. 5. Some extenuate and excuse them as Saul 1 Sam. 15. Thus we stop the passage to repentance and harden our hearts that we cannot turne unto God Whereas we should feare our sinnes more then his plagues How many are there that stand in feare of
met with him in the end for he perished and no man lamented for him saying The fourth reproofe Ah my brother Fourthly such are convinced who breath nothing but threatnings as it were fire and flames out of their mouthes and thinke upon nothing but revenge against their enemies never considering the shortnesse of their owne lives and that vengeance may first meet them in the way and fall upon their owne heads Such never marke nor meditate with themselves Psal 7.16 9.15 Eccl. 10.8 what danger may lye at their owne doores and hang over their heads as they that dig a pit for others and fal into it first themselves or spread a nett to ensnare others and their owne foote is taken therein We see an example hereof in Haman Ester Est 7.10 7. He builded a paire of Gallous for an other more righteous then himselfe and himselfe was hanged thereon as also the adversaries of Daniel cast him into the denne of Lyons to be devoured Dan. 6.24 but themselves were destroyed for the Lyons had the mastery of them and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottome of the denne Lastly The fift reproofe this meditation reproveth such as are unmercifull toward those that are in misery and necessity and will part with nothing never regarding what mischiefe may hang over their owne heads and in what wonderfull uncertainty they hold their lives their estates their goods and all that they have For what store and plenty soever we have present we do not know what want and penury we may suffer Many that have had abundance and superfluity of all things have also had lamentable experience of great misery before their last end Eccl. 11.1.2 This doth Salomon teach Eccl. 11. Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many dayes give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evill shall be upon the earth Where he exhorteth to liberality and bountifulnesse toward the poore and not thinke we have done enough when we have given to one or two yea he stirreth up thereunto from the uncertainty of things which we dreame to be certaine All earthly things are uncertaine in sundry respectes and not to measure things by our present fruition and possession of them All earthly things as life it selfe are uncertaine and that in divers respects For first it is uncertaine whether we shall prolong our dayes to shew our bounty toward other as Eccl. 9. Whatsoever thy hand shall find to doe doe it with thy might Eccl. 9.10 for there is no worke in the grave whither thou goest VVe must walke in the light while we have it Gal. 6.10 the darkenesse commeth wherein no man can worke as we have therefore opportunity let us doe good unto all men especially unto them who are of the household of faith Gal. 6.10 Secondly whether our substance which we have in present shall continue and abide with us or not It is not with the world and worldly things as with spirituall and heavenly things Math. 6.19 For the moth and rust may corrupt the former and theeues breake through and steale them away but they cannot deprive us of the latter Therefore Salomon warneth us that riches are deceitfull that we should not lay up our treasure upon earth but in heaven Pro. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves winges and fly away as an Eagle doth toward heaven So the rich in this world are charged not to be high-minded 1 Tim. 6.17 nor to trust in uncertaine riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enioy Thirdly we know not whether our selves or at least some of ours how surely soever we may thinke we have feathered our nestes may be driven to pouerty and misery and compelled even to begge our bread and crave an almes of others and happily of those whom we have despised and derided as much as now we have and as rich as now we seeme to be and how setled soever we suppose our estate to remaine when happily we may finde others as hard-hearted and streight-laced toward our selves as we have beene toward them And it is the just judgement of God that they find no mercy who have shewed no mercy Besides among all uncertainties this is not the least of all whether our heire sonne or daughter or other shall waste consume all that we have gotten and gathered and whatsoever we have heaped and hoarded together or a stranger possesse all or if we were sure to leave our substance to the heire of our bodies Eccl. 2.19 Who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a Fools that shall have rule over all our labour Let us therefore follow the counsell of our Saviour Luc. 16. Luc. 16.9 I say unto you make you friends of this earthly Mammon that when ye faile they may receive you into everlasting habitations he meaneth that our good workes will give a friendly testimony to our consciences that we are the elect of God and have not beleeved in vaine To conclude let us remember the saying of the Prophet after that he hath brought in the counterfeit fasting of the hypocrites of his time complaining that they had fasted God regarded it not and pleasing themselves in the outward worke Esay 58. saying Is this such a fast as I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soule to how downe his head as a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him wilt thou call this a fast an acceptable day to the Lord He proccedeth to teacheth them and us by them what to doe Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to deale thy bread to the hungry lo bring the poore to thy house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh Hereby we make our fast acceptable to God otherwise covetous and miserable persons may like of it thereby to save somewhat both to pinch their servants at home and to defraud their owne bellies but if it be performed aright then shall our righteousnesse goe before us and the glory of the Lord shall be our reward Secondly glory not of the time to come Pro. 27.1 neither ascribe any power to our selves let us not resolve and appoint what we will doe we know not what God hath decreed and determined concerning us The Apostle Iames concludeth this Iam. 4.13 chap. 4. Goe to now ye that say To day or to morrow we will goe into such a city and continue there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine whereas ye know not what shal be on the morrow for what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away for that ye ought to say If
might more diligently enquire after them and the interpretation of them as Math. 13. Math. 13.36 when he had propounded the parable of the Tares his Disciples came unto him saying declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field againe Mark 4.13 Know ye not this parable Mar. 4.13.33 and how then will ye know all parables Thirdly that men might better carry it away when he framed himselfe to the understanding and capacity of every one as Mark. 4.33 Math. 13.35 With many such parables spake he the word unto them as they were able to heare it Fourthly that the elect might be informed touching the marveilous workes of God his goodnesse and justice as our Saviour proveth out of the Psalme Math. 13. That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet I will open my mouth in parables I will utter things which have beene kept secret from the foundation of the world Here I might point out this doctrine Doct. that the ministers of God and such as have to deale with others It is lawfull for the Ministers to use parables either for instruction or for reproofe it is lawfull and fit for them to use parables and familiar similtudes that the people may the better conceive and understand such things as they purpose to teach them So did the Prophet Nathan 2 Sam. 12. So our Saviour used sundry kinds of parables some drawne from things that have life as from builders Mtah. 7.24 Luc. 14.28 from children Math. 11.16 from friends Luc. 11. from sheepheards from women Luc. 15.8 from birdes Math. 6.24 and 23.27 and such like Others are drawne from things without life as from light Math. 5.14 from leaven from bread Ioh. 6.48 from the drawnet Math. 13.47 From treasures hid in the field Math. 13. c. Reason 1 The reasons of this forme of teaching we have touched before both to be a speciall meanes to make the people conceive and understand these things as also to helpe their attention and to strengthen their memory the better to beare them away And againe in regard of the minister whose comfort it is that the people are by such familiar examples made to understand them Ioh. 3.12 Ioh. 3.12 for similitudes are naturall even to naturall men they more easily understand heavenly things by earthly Vse 1 The uses hereof are First it instructeth the Ministers after what sort to teach the people especially such as are not yet come to the understanding of the Scriptures they may apply themselves to their capacities shewing by familiar examples and comparisons the nature and course of the creatures and the frame of the world that by these well konwne means they may by littleand little creepe into their hearts and cause them to get the saving knowledge of those things that are necessary for them Secondly it teacheth the people that they should be content to heare such easie and evident similitudes seing they are so plaine to teach them knowledge A father that would teach his children how to speake doth not fly aloft above their reach nor speake eloquently and learnedly unto them which may rather astonish them then teach them or any way make them better so ought the Ministers of God to stoope downe to the understanding of every man remembring that they speake to plaine men for the most part and such as are without Schoole-learning Thirdly behold from hence the infinite love and mercy of God towards sinners that hath appointed the stewards of his house to give all the house a diet fit for them 1 Cor. 2.4 they must not preach with entising words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the spirit and of power If it had pleased him he could have drawne comparisons from things out of our knowledge and sight such as are in the highest heavens and in the center of the earth but as our Saviour himselfe fetcheth all from things familiar and well knowne so he hath left the same direction to his servants to follow Lastly this serveth to make all men even the most simple and ignorant without excuse in that Christ applyeth himselfe to them but they will not apply themselves unto him Shall he after a sort forget himselfe he I say Col. 2.3 in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge and tell us earthly things and will we yet be without understanding and continue blinde and ignorant in the matters and mysteries of Salvation May we not say of such now they have no cloke nor colour for their sinnes He spake also this parable Now let us come to the particular points to be observed in this parable wherein we must observe before we come to the doctrines both the methode and the meaning the course and order of the words and the right understanding of them This parable containeth matter of Communication betweene The Owner of the vineyard The dresser of it In the owner observe his Patience behold these 3. yeares c. Commandement Set downe Cut it downe Amplified by the reason It cumbreth the ground In the dresser marke the prayer Lord c Cnditioon If it beare fruit Let it alone If not after that thou shalt cut it downe This is the order now let us see the meaning True it is that parables for the most part ayme at one maine point and are not curiously to be stood upon in particular as if every point had his severall signification yet the speciall parts of this parable doe answer fitly to the doctrine it selfe By the vineyard we understand the Church and people of God Esay 5.7 Psal 80.8 Hos 10.1 as Esay 5. The vineyard of the Lord of hoastes is the house of Israel The fig-tree planted in it is every man brought into the Church by the Word and Sacraments setled indeed in a pleasant place The man that was owner of the vineyard and Fig-tree is God himselfe after he had planted it be came and looked for fruit that is obedience he came againe the second yeare and againe the third yeare This is the patience of God The dresser of his vine-yard what it importeth is not so certaine Brent hom 1. in Luc. 13. Dionys Carthus enarrat in hunc locum Some understand thereby Christ Iesus who ever more appeaseth the wrath of his father and maketh continuall intercession for us of this see more afterward The dunging of the Fig-tree is by praying and by preaching of the Gospel which serveth to make our barren hearts fruitfull A certaine man had a fig-tree planted In generall we see here what the patience of God did looke for and what that parable aymeth at God a long time spared the Church and wherefore that it may bring forâ—h fruit and when he is ready to cut it downe yet he is ready to spare it so long as is hope of amendment whereby we gather that Gods patience requireth fruit and repentance or else we perish Doct. This teacheth that the
particular parts thereof in order as they lye And first there is propounded in the parable the greatnesse of Gods patience waiting long for fruit the first the second and the third yeere Some read the words by warrant of an ancient coppy after this manner Behold there are three yeeres since the time I come c. and thus also the vulgar Edition readeth the place Whereby it may appeare that this communication was had in the beginning of the fourth yeare after the baptisme of Christ And albeit he speake in the time present I come Doct. yet he meaneth he came in the time past or I am wont and accustomed to come God is very patient as Math. 26.23 From hence we learne that the favour of God to his Church his patience is great infinite he is not easily moved nor quickly provoked He is of much patience even toward them that obey not much more toward his deare children he is of a forbearing nature and will not poure out all his wrath neither execute his justice upon offenders so soone as they deserve it He expecteth many dayes moneths and yeares for the conuersion of sinners Esay 65.2.3 48.9 he spreadeth out his hand all the day long unto a rebellious people which walketh in a way that is not good c. Ier. 35.15 Math. 22. a people that procureth me to anger continually to my face and chap. 4.8 for my names sake will I deferre mine anger and for my praise will I refraine for thee that I cut thee not off His patience is so great that it exceedâ—th the height of heaven Psal 103.11.13 and goeth beyond the love of women We see it in the old world nay we need not seeke farâ—e to prove it nor goe out of our selves we have all good experience thereof The reasons are plaine Reasons 1 Sometimes to the inten this enemies should not thereby take occasion to blaspheme his name which is holy throughout all generations as Deut. 32. I said I would scatter them into corners Deut. 32.26.27 I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemie lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely and should say Our hand is high and the Lord hath not done all this Hence it is also that Moses groundeth his prayer upon such a point as this Exod. 32. Exod. 32.11 Why doth thy wrath waxe hote against thy people which thou hast brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand Numb 14.13.14 wherefore should the Egyptians speake and say for mischiefe did he bring them out to slay them from the mountaines and to consume them from the face of the earth and againe in an another place Then the Egyptians shal heare it and they will tel it to the inhabitants of this land c. Secondly are not we the workmanship of God he knoweth our weaknesse that we are nothing but dust and ashes neither able to answer him one of a thousand he considereth whereof we are made he remembereth that we are but flesh Psal 103.14 yea as a wind that suddenly passeth away as Psal 103. So the Prophet Esay speaketh chap. 57. I will not contend for ever Esay 57.16 neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit would faile before me and the soules which I have made Thus God rejoyceth not to be alwayes smiting in regard of our enemies lest they should insult over the Church and in regard of our owne frame and frailty lest we should be consumed and come to nothing First Vse 1 therefore take notice how the Lord exerciseth his patience toward his servants which he doth divers wayes first he powreth not out all his wrath he proceedeth by steppes and degrees Hab. 3.2 and when his people pray unto him in judgement he remembreth mercy Or else wee should immediatly be consumed Heb. 12.29 for why our God is a consuming fire Math. 17.5 Secondly he sent a Saviour and redeemer as a remedy of our sinnes in whom he is well pleased and he hath appeased the wrath of his father 1 Ioh. 2.1 1.7 Ioh. 3.16 for we have an advocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteous his blood clenseth us from all sinne Is it then any marvell if God be patient toward his people and do not keepe his anger for ever Esay 65.1 Thirdly he sendeth to his enemies an Ambassage of peace before they seeke to him and is found of them that never asked for him he setteth up his ordinances among them Psal 147.19.20 as meanes to reclaime them for he sheweth his word unto Iacob his statutes and judgements unto Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgments they have not knowne them Hence it is that he hath committed the word of reconciliation to his Ministers who as the ambassadours of Christ beseech us to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 Fourthly he is infinitly patient in that he putteth off the day of judgment to so long a day 2 Pet. 3.9 as 2 Peter 3. the Lord is not slacke of his comming but is long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Secondly is his kindnesse great then blessed are they that belong to him who have the God of Iacob for their refuge because his mercy is endlesse and his compassion infinite Such shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty happy are they that put their trust in him as Iam. Iam. 5.11 5. Behold we count them happy that endure we have seene the end of the Lord for he is very pitifull and mercifull Lastly it putteth us in minde of sundry good duties both toward God and toward one another First to seeke the Lord with a steadfast faith because we deale not with one that stoppeth his eares against us but heareth the cryes of his servants helpeth them This the Prophet presseth Amos. 5. Seeke the Lord and ye shall live Amos. 5.6.14.15 seeke good and not evill c it may be that the Lord God of hostes will be gratious unto the remnant of Ioseph The ungodly haue no promise of his patience who hate the good and love the evill Secondly it behoveth us to repent us of our sinnes withall our hearts and that betimes For albeit he be patient yet he is also just and therefore we may not dreame of such a patience as shall destroy his justice Mockers at Gods judgments This reproveth such as make a mocke of his threatnings and feare them no longer then they are upon them The Lord threatned the Egyptians to raine downe a very grievous haile upon man and beast Exod. 9. and willed them not to abide abroad in the field but what followed Gen. 19.15 he that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh
name of good workes which neuerthelesse are neither the onely good workes nor the chiefest good workes For we looke upon our selves in the glasse of the law and try our selves thereby These workes are of two sorts some generall and others speciall The generall are such as concerne all among which the workes of the first Table being the first and great Commandements Math. 22.38 must have the first place to love God above our selves to feare him to beleeve in him to trust in him to pray unto him to serve and worship him to reverence his name and to sanctifie his Sabbath and the workes of the second Table are like Gal. 5.22.23 for the fruits of the spirit are manifest love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse faith meekenesse temperance and such like These belong to all and must be practised of all persons high and low rich and poore none may excuse themselves The speciall workes are such as belong to every man in his particular calling For as we have all a generall calling as we are Christians so we are set in severall callings such as are superiors and inferiors as the Magistrate and subject the husband and wife father and sonne master and servant we must labour to be found faithfull in these how low so ever our place be if we be found carefull and conscionable even the meanest servant that drudgeth in the Kitchin if his calling be nothing but to scoure spittes Eph. 6.6.7 or to wipe shooes yet if he be obedient to his Master as unto Christ not with eye-service as men pleasers but as the servant of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men he is no lesse accepted of God in his place then he that preacheth the word or he that ruleth a kingdome Well or thou shalt let it alone These words are expresly mentioned but they or some such like must necessarily be understood as if it were said let it stand and continue in the Vineyard that it may bring forth more fruit as Ioh. Ioh. 15.2 15. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Doct. This teacheth us that the fruits of repentance obtaine the pardon and forgivenesse of all sinnes and offences Repentance obtaineth forgivenesse of sinnes and the favour of God and prevent Gods wrath and judgements and procure his love and favour He hath made a sure promise of remission of former offences to all such as truly turne unto him Thus the Prophet hath Wash you make you cleane take away the evill of your workes from before mine eyes c. then though your sinnes were as crimsin Esay 1.16.18 55.6.7 they shall be as wooll and though they were as scarlet they shall be as white as snow and chap 55. Seeke the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is neere let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous his owne imaginations c. let him returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him Ezek. 18.23 And the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 18. I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he repent and live where he coupleth these two together The truth of this point is farther confirmed by sundry examples as 2 Sam. 2 Sam. 12.13 12.13 When David had acknowledged his sinne against the Lord the Prophet said for his comfort The Lord also put away thy sinne The like we see in Manasseth when he was carried away captive and clapt up in prison being in great tribulation prayed unto the Lord 2 Chr. 33.12 and humbled himselfe greatly be fore the Lord God of his fathers and God was intreated of him and heard his prayer and brought him backe againe to Ierusalem and set him upon the throne of his fathers The Publican smote his brest saying Lord Luk. 18.13.14 be mercifull to me a sinner I tell you this man went downe to his house justified rather then the proud Pharisee The like I might say of Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 he obtained mercy and forgivenesse when he was converted so the penitent theefe upon the Crosse said to the Lord Iesus Lord Luk. 23.42.43 remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome and Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Mar. 1.4 Hence it is that the Evangelist witnesseth that Iohn did baptise in the wildernesse and preach the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes where we see he knitieth repentance and forgivenesse of sinnes together The reasons first Reason 1 all penitent persons shall have the blood of Christ Iesus to wash clense their soules from all their sinnes a singular benefit This reason the Prophet vrgeth Esay 1.17.17.18 For to speake properly nothing can clense us but Christs blood so foule and filthy we are and therefore it is called cleane water Ezek. 36.25 1 Ioh. 1.7.9 I will powre cleane water upon him and thus the Apostle Iohn saith If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and the blood of Iesus Christ his Sonne clenseth us from all sinne Secondly such shall have right to carthly blessings and to a right use of them to their everlasting comfort as Esay 1. Ye shall eate the good things of the land Esay 1.19.20 but if they refused and rebelled they should be destroyed for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Let us apply these things First conclude Vse 1 that all impenitent persons are out of Gods favour and protection and lye under all the plagues and punishments that God denourceth against sinners This is a fearefull estate and condition Deut. 28.16 to be cursed in the whole course of our life at home and abroad in the City and in the field in all that we put our hand unto Deut. 28. The curse of God bringeth with it all miseries of this life and of the life to come If then we repent not we die Secondly they that are truly penitent are truly happy for that man is blessed Psal 32.1.2 38.4 whose transgressions are for given and whose sinne is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity There cannot be a greater blessing befall us in this world then to get pardon of our finnes for all the burdens that we can beare are not to be compared to the burden of sin and therefore to be lighted of it is one of the greatest blessings of all the spottes staines that can sticke unto us Iam. 1.21 sinne is the filthiest and therefore to be clensed and washed from it maketh us cleane in his sight Lastly hence ariseth matter of comfort to all such as earnestly endeavour this worke of clensing and purging of themselves The vvay and the meanes to attaine
desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat If then we finde and feele these assaults these tentations these buffettings it is a plaine proofe that we have received faith which maketh the Devill so earnest and diligent to interrupt us and intercept us Secondly if we have faith applying the promises it will purge the heart and mortifie the corruptions thereof the death of Christ crucifieth the flesh and all worldly lusts our best beloved sinnes our dearest sinnes and most desired and those whereunto we are most enclined and wherewith wee are most infected as most consonant and agreeable to our corrupt natures This is one infallible token that we are true beleevers and this rule is taken out of the words of Peter Acts 15.9 Gal. 5.6 Hee put no difference betweene Jewes and Gentiles purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15. which worketh by love Gal. 5. Thirdly Christ giveth himselfe to the beleever so that his holinesse belongeth to him Never any husband could endow his wife with such a dowry to say as Christ Iesus doth Hos 2.19 20. I will betroth them to me for ever in righteousnesse in faithfulnesse in judgement in loving kindnesse and in mercy Thus they are married to him in holinesse and they become to be the members of Christ for Christ cannot be the head of a polluted body or of defiled members As from a corrupt head proceed corrupt things to the members so from a pure and holy head which is Christ must necessarily proceed holinesse to all those that are his members The Vine cannot but communicate of his juyce or sappe to the branches There was never any that did truely apply Christ but Christ truely applyed himselfe to him againe neither was there ever any that embraced him but he likewise by and by tooke hold of him His left hand is under his head Cant. 2.6 8.3 and his right hand doth embrace him The beleever applieth Christ and Christ holdeth the beleever so that as the beleever saith I am Christs and Christ is mine so on the other side Christ saith I am the beleevers and the beleever is mine This application is mutuall and mysticall there is a double worke in it one is of the beleever the other of Christ A man layeth hold upon a staffe that he carrieth in his hand to stay himselfe up from falling but the staffe cannot lay hold upon him againe Or a man claspeth and embraceth the tree with both his armes but the tree cannot embrace him againe but it is not so betweene Christ and the true beleever we hold him fast but he holdeth us faster and giveth unto us of his holinesse even grace for grace even as the childe holdeth the Father fast that leadeth him howbeit the father holdeth him faster and stayeth him up from falling away from him otherwise he were every foot in danger True it is we cannot say that all our blacknesse of sinne is quite gone and removed but that we have still many spots and wrinkles wee have not yet received perfect holinesse from him The Moone receiveth all her light from the Sunne yet is not her body without some spots so it is with us though we be blacke Cant 1.5 yet he accepteth us as comely Lastly we have the true faith if we hold fast the promises and cleave close to him even then when he seemeth to frowne upon us and to be angry with us to hide his face from us and to with-hold his loving countenance as the Sunne that is hid in a cloud out of our sight We must rest upon him in time of affliction We must see hope through despaire and Heaven through Hell we must behold his mercy through his indignation yea life through death and salvation through damnation Iob 13.15 as it was with Job Though he slay me yet will I trust in him though he hide his face for a time frō us yet the bright beames of faith will shine thorow the thickest fogs and mists that arise in us Thus we may by these notes prove our faith and try the truth thereof But if these be not in us but the contrary we cannot assure our selves that we are yet come to a true faith For first of all if we live in quiet and at rest at peace and ease all our dayes without any feares doubtings wrastlings bruisings buffettings and assaults of Satan we have cause to feare we have a false faith This rule is grounded upon the Words of Christ Luke 11.21 Luke 11. When a strong man armed keepeth the Palace his goods are in peace If Satan never assault us to pull downe the buttresse and fortresse of our faith wee are at peace and league with him and hee with us and we have just cause to suspect our selves True it is there may be many doubts and tentations and yet no faith but there can be no faith where are no doubtings or tentations at all If we have faith Wheresoever there is true faith there will be doubts and tentations there will arise doubts yea albeit we have a great and a strong faith for it is not so strong but That strong man armed will try the strength thereof and so much the rather because it is ever mingled with some infidelity Such then as can cry out What a doubt touching my salvation Out upon it O it is a great sinne once to make a doubt I thanke God I never doubted any whit of my salvation since I can remember neither yet of Christ to bee mine I doubt not to pronounce of all such without any doubting at all they never knew what faith meaneth it is an evident demonstration of great and grosse infidelity Againe if sinne be living in us that there be no mortification at all 2 Cor. 7.1 no cleansing of our selves from the filthinesse of the flesh and spirit we can have no true faith It is open impiety to imagine that the death of Christ truely applied to any soule should not bee of force to kill sinne in it and therefore it is great folly to say We can rightly apply Christ and the promises of the Gospell Col. 3.3 4 5. and yet can shew never a sinne mortified in us No man is come to that height of sinne that he dareth either speake or thinke that there wanteth power in the death of Christ to kill sinne in us and therefore we must needs hold him for an unbeleever that talketh of particular application and yet hath sinne as a tyrant raigning in him Besides if Christ have not united us to himselfe in holinesse we are yet faithlesse men For he uniteth himselfe to none but he putteth holinesse in some measure into them This rule is expressed by the Apostle Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs Gal. 5.24 have crucified the flesh 2 Cor. 4.17 with the affections and lusts and are become new creatures Lastly if we rely upon God and upon his love and favour no longer then
of his Angels Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish We have heard before that the scope of Christ in these words to which the examples one going before the other following after are referred is to perswade men to repentance This we must lay as the foundation of our weekly meeting together to make profession before God before men and Angels of our repentance to renew our Couenant with God and to seale to it with our hearts and to cry unto him to remove his judgements that lye heavy upon us Consider in this threatning farther an other doctrine to wit what danger it is to omit and reject repentance such persons are subject to death and destruction thâ—â— repent not Doct. This teacheth Such as continue in sinne without repentance shall certainly perâ—â— that howsoever God for a time spare and forbeare the Church and do not alway strike upon every occasion as he might do yet it is a sure and certaine thing concluded with him that such as continue to walke and wallow in evill without repentance their end is confusion their reward and wages is to perish See the truth of this in the Prophet remembred in a parable answearable to that which followeth of the Vineyard he had pruned trimmed and hedged about it he had digged and dunged done all that he could Esay 5.4 he looked for grapes but it brought forth wild grapes the conclusion is this I will take away the hedge and it shall be troden downe I will command the clouds and they shall raine upon it I will lay it waste and there shall come up briers and thrones This will farther appeare by sundry examples and by the wofull experience of many desolations made in all ages of the Church through default of repentance When the Lord had heaped his mercies upon the old world Gen. 6.3 and given them 120. yeares the dayes of his patience as the time of their repentance he sent the Patriarkes that called upon them and appointed Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.5 who confirmed his doctrine by building the Arke which was a figure of the destruction of the world of the ungodly yet they continued their evil wayes Luc. 17.27 eating and drinking c they never though of the day of the Lord they never considered the day of their visitation the flood come and destroyed them all a small remnant reserued and a few soules saved The like we might say of the Sodomites Gen. 13.13 19.25 Gen. 19. They were exceeding sinners before the Lord and were overturned with fire from heaven because they repented not And was it any otherwise with the Israelites themselues 2 Chro. 36. he sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes because he had compassion on his people and desireth not the death of a sinner 2 Chro. 36.16 Math. 23.37.38 but that they should turne vnto him but after all this they mocked his messengers and despised his word and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord in the end arose against his people till there was no remedy So then howsoever God sometimes spareth the sonnes of men yet such as continue in sinne and wholly delight in the workes of the flesh the end of them is fearefull they repent not and therefore they must perish Reason 1. Reason 1 He hath pure eyes and cannot like or allow that which is evill For can two walke together Amos. 3.3 except they be agreed but the Lord hath no agreement with evill neither have the evill any agreement with him He is holy in all his wayes but impenitency is contrary to his wayes and hath all sinnes following after it and attending upon it and consequently also all plagues Ier. 5. Secondly he taketh away his mercy and louing kindnesse from such What is it then that turneth away his heavy wrath and displeasure from us Is it any worthinessein our selues we are alas an uncleane thing Doth any deserve life or can he plead with his maker we are all corrupt and abominable The world the Church the Common-wealth our selues our owne Consciences know it and witnesse against us Lam. 3.22 It is his mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not His mercy is not reserved for the impenitent that proceed and goe forward in their sinnes this were to confound heaven earth nay heaven and hell God and the devill Therefore the Prophet Ieremy declareth that God had taken away his mercies from them Ier. 5. If then he will not shew mercy to such as walke in the stubbornnesse of their euill hearts conclude with me this point for a certaine truth that howsoever God forbeare the children yet wearying him by vrging and provoking him by our sinnes destruction is reserued for such impenitent persons Seeing such as have hearts that cannot repent Vse 1 doe heape up wrath as a treasure against the day of wrath and iust declaration of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2.5 let us put farre from us the wayes of the impenitent let them not clea◠〈◊〉 as pitch unto our soules lest if we follow their workes we be partakers of their Plagues Let us be grieved for our former evils and returne to the Lord that be which hath sâ—ricken us may heale us againe But alas while we goe forward in our wicked wayes doe we hold this point that the impenitent are reserved to wrath So many of us as hold and beleeve this truth let us depart from our old courses and labour to heape up mercy upon mercy Iob. 21.30 being assured that the wicked is reserved to the day of wrath and destruction O how many things have we neede to repent of the dayes of our ignorance the sinnes of our youth our presumptuous sinnes If the Lord call us to an account who shall be able to abide Secondly let no man mocke at his judgements or set light by them let no man thinke himselfe safe and secure and no danger to be neere him because he seeth not his judgements at hand or upon him or evermore to fall out O how deepe are his judgements how neere oftentimes when we suppose them to be farthest off how unsearchable are his Counsels and his wayes past finding out Esâ—y 28.15 2 Pâ—t 3 3. Carnal men promise peace and have made a covenant with death and with hell and make a mocke of all judgements They see the wicked prosper and the ungodly florish but they cannot mealure him that is not to be measured there is no measure of that which is infinite God hath more workes to worke then one he will not speake peace for ever Esai 28.24 The husbandman doth not plough al the yeare long neither reap or gather into his barne all the yeare and God hath given to man this wisedome and understanding to observe the times and seasons and shall we not thinke that the Lord also hath his times of his judgements and of
his mercies Hee hath preached unto us by his mercies a long time and the dayes of his patience have long continued among us How neere hath Gods hand bin unto many of us in the great plague When it hath beene in the same house one hath bin taken away and another hath bin spared Nay in the same bed one hath bin smitten another hath had his life granted him for a pray Consider this yee that have forgotten this mercy of God and labour to appease his wrath before his judgement falleth upon us He commeth with a leaden foote but he striketh with a rod of iron and dasheth his enemies in pieces as a potters vessel The Lord complaineth in the Prophet Ier. 8.7 that the storke in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times and the turtle and the crane and the Swallow obserue the time of their comming but my people know not the judgement of the Lord they have rejected the word of the Lord c. Every man even by the light of nature obserueth his times for his several workeâ— Skilfull Physitians have their times of the yeare and of the Moone for their purges and potions The Mariner stayeth not when the tide is come the Husbandman soweth while it is winter the Smith striketh while the iron is hote the Merchant buyeth while the market lasteth thus doe these take their time while the time tarrieth onely men in the matters of God and their owne Saluation know not or will not know the time of their returning Eph. 5.14 They will not awake from their deepe sleepe in sinne they will not stand up from the dead that Christ may give them light and life They will not heare his voyce while it is called to day but suffer themselves to be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne The Lord speaketh in the time present behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation but we will take a further day with God as desperate debters doe with men they can abide no present reckonings Thus doth Satan beguile carelesse sinners he promiseth them time enough hereafter like to biting Vsurers as one saith who are wont to give day to young heires from yeare to yeare untill at last they wind and wring their inheritance from them So the Prince of darknesse August Confâ—s lib. 8. cap. 5 the God of this world suggesteth to the children of disobedience that they may let repentance alone a little and it will be soone enough to come anone to repent heereafter Remember that Esau losing the opportunity of the blessing sought it afterward with teares Heb. 12.17 and yet found no place for repentance Remember that the rich man cryed for mercy but it was too late Lne 16.24 Remember the foolish Virgins that cryed Lord Lord open unto us Math. 25.11.12 7.22.23 but the doore of mercy was shut and they received their answer verily I say vnto you I know you not Remember that many shall say in that day Lord have we not Prophecied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderfull workes but it shall be said to them Depart from me yee that worke iniquity Let us therefore beginne betimes to turne to God while the day of grace endureth let us cease to doe evill learne to doe well eschew evill and doe good Lastly let no man flatter himselfe with the enioying of earthly blessings health wealth peace plenty and prosperity nor with the bare continuance of the Gospel among us as though it must therefore goe well with us and that we must needes be highly in Gods fauour This was the folly of Micah Iudg. 17.13 Now I know that the Lord will doe me good seing I have a Levite to my priest This was the vaine flattery of the Iewes who because they had Abraham to their father together with the law and the Oracles the Arke and the Covenant thought themselves in a good case and that they must needes be Gods people they cryed the Temple of the Lord this is the Temple of the Lord. But Iohn the Baptist putteth them from this foolish confidence in the flesh Math. 3. Math. 3.9 thinke not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham And the Prophet Ieremy chap. 7. Ier. 7.8.9 Behold ye trust in lying words that shall not profit will ye steale murther and commit adultery c. and then come and stand in this house before me which is called by my name and say we are delivered to doe all these abominations behold I see it sayth the Lord. O let it not be so with us to prophane the house house of God to continue in our sinnes farre be it from us to bring them to the place of Gods worship for this will cause him to curse all our meetings and assemblies that they shall be for the worse not for the better to encrease our plagues not decrease them and to double his judgements not diminish them Let us therefore leave them behind us and cast them from us never to returne to them againe 2 Pet. 2.22 lest we be like the Dog that returneth to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Otherwise let us not boast of the Gospel and flatter our selves because we have the Gospel as the Iewes did glory in the Temple but seeke to bring forth the fruit of the Gospel For our sinnes are the causes of all plagues and judgements neither can we looke that he should stay his hand or say to the destroying Angel 2 Sam. 24.16 It is enough stay now thy hand as he did in the dayes of David And doubtlesse then we have begun to profit vnder the correcting hand of God when we seeke the cause of his judgments within us and acknowledge out sinnes to be the cause of all For what is the true cause of this plague and pestilence Our sinnes And what is the cause of the continuance of his heavy judgement Rom. 1.18 doubtlesse the continuance in our sinnes We must confesse that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men When Israel had received an overthorw and turned and their backes to their enimes Iosh 7.10.11 When we are chastened we must looke to our sinnes 1 Cor. 11.30 Esay 64.5.7 Lam. 3.39.40 Levit. 26. the Lord said unto Ioshua Get thee up wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned and they have also trespassed my Covenant which I coÌ„manded them for they have even taken of the accursed thing and have also stollen and dissembled also Nay as we encrease our sinnes in number and measure he will not onely continue his judgements but encrease them also and if we will not for all this hearken vnto him but walke contrary unto him he will walke