therefore repentance entertaines him men of unhappy aimes who cannot avoid one rocke save by rushing upon another I confesse in the place alleaged Paul cites these words out of the Prophet Depart and goe from among them and I will receive you and be a father unto you and you shall be sonnes and daughters of me saith the Lord Almighty But this text sheweth not that repentance is a step to the receiving of a man by faith and adoption but rather it discovers this That till the Lord had humbled and abased the Iewes for their idolatry and setting up of false gods against himselfe and committing spirituall filthinesse with them there was no hope of being received into favour or marriage with him Otherwise repentance and turning from idols to God and from darkenesse and the kingdome of Sathan to Christ presupposeth faith to purge the conscience and to make us beloved and accepted The summe briefely is That this point urgeth us not to repent ere we beleeve which were to overthrow the need of a Christ and then to come to Christ but to shew us that ere ever Christ be truely closed with sinne must be nipt in the necke That jollity content and hearts-ease which a sinner found in his lusts must be throwne out both litter and whelpes of his heart ere ever he come to behold Christ with his sufficiency to save One wombe cannot at once carry two conceptions and the soule cannot at once serve two masters God and Mammon Christ and lusts The sufficiency which lusts erroneously afforded to the soule making her deeme her selfe happy in them and to be as a man of a full stomacke who loathes a honey-combe must be abandoned by legall consternation and humbling ere Christ be precious Christ must be needed as meat by a sterne belly ere ever he be had But that he cannot be while the love of lusts lived in surfeits the appetite And this is the first of those branches in which grosse-selfe consists Of which this I say Oh! that it should be possible that such a nature as was first created with a soule capable of divine being The degeneratenesse of our nature discovered and bred to immortality should so debauch it selfe and lose her honour as not with Nebuchadnezzar to forgoe his throne to feed with beasts but to forfeit Gods image to become a beast Nay I wrong a beast to speake so to become worse then any swine or beast and to wallow and incorporate it selfe so into spirituall filth as to forget what it was ever borne unto and not onely so far to degenerate as to embrace the enemy of God and that which Christ came to destroy but to set up such a sufficiency to it selfe in it as to abolish that sole-sufficiency of mercy to pardon and purge it yet this I say of it that although sinne of her owne nature and in her course tends by degrees to defile harden and make the soule impenitent and desperate yet if God breake off the soule betimes from it ere it have cankerfretted the soule it is more easie for such a sinner to come to some sence conviction and humiliation for it and so to some need of pardon then many a Pharisee who under pretence of abhorring odious Publicans and offendors is riveted into a conceit of his owne righteousnesse both a Pharisee and a Publican oppose Christ yet the former more then the latter because Christ came not to call the righteous but the sinner to repentance And so much of this so farre as this Digression will permit The second selfe naturâ—ll or the civilian I proceed to the second that is to the meere Naturalist or Civilian By whom I meane such an one as lives upon dregges the very reliques and ruines of the image of God decayed To open my selfe briefely the Lord out of infinite mercy hath so dispensed and ordred the penalties due to sinne in the fallen condition of Adam that although the wrath and curse of God upon the same lye equally upon all his posterity yet for some ends The flood-gates of corruption restrained by providence his owne mercifull indulgence and the commodity of common life he hath in some persons restrained the flood-gates of this deluge so that sinne hath a limitation and bound set unto it both for sundry kindes and measures of it Some being more innocent harmelesse righteous just temperate sober curteous civill then others which vertues although they are as pearles in a swines snout planted in a cursed nature out of which nothing can proceed save that which is uncleane for the clearest water in a standing kennell or puddell though it differ from the mudde underneath yet savours of the same stinch yet comparatively seeming to be lesse ill and impure then the muddy and base lusts of the uncleane the prophane and openly wicked obtaine among men the repute and opinion of vertues And indeed so they are in order and respect to the welfare of a Commonwealth in which it s no small outward beauty and happinesse to live with such in respect of the fierce injurious Favour of nature is inlarged by many meanes in the naturall civilian noysome and hurtfull qualities of the lewd and wicked And this favour of Nature in many men is greatly enlarged by sundry meanes First by the lawes of men which tend to settle civility and innocency in their governments which having penalties annexed to them severely censuring delinquents 1. By good Lawes cause the selfe-loving spirit of flesh partly from a confessed goodnesse in the vertues themselves partly from feare of punishment and partly a love of praise and reputation among men who count such rare peeces to cloze therewith to curbe and keepe in their distempers and to accommodate themselves to the order of community 2. By education and Discipline Secondly by the institution and discipline of Moralists instilling into their disciples the seeds of vertue and outward life propounding rewards of commendation and honour to such as attaind them shame and reproach to such as ensued them in which kinde those heathen Masters of manners excelled For by your continuall fostering those sparkles of nature left upon the herth and laying together such principles of art as they preceived to make for the engendring and nourishing thereof in mens mindes especially their tender novices not being leavened before with lusts they got such a perfection both in negative absteinings from evils and positive performances of duties as may justly make even Christians to tremble that they should come so farre short of them both in subduing of passions and practice of selfe-denying vertues being under the discipline of Christ himselfe Thirdly 3. By their experience others by their experience which their industry and observation of politicke courses among men hath purchased unto them have obtained such measure of perfection in this kinde that they have beene able to rule others by the authority of their skill and carriage and
off as it were a glimpse of light through a cloud that her estate is not quite forlorne whereupon the extremity of her former feares is much alayd and shee put out of despaire into some expectation of better things although as in the twilight much mixture of old terrors remain not quite banished as the Canaanites among Israel to teach them warre and to occupy them in combats Thus was it with those Ninevites who by the instinct of mercy darted into them by the Lord secretly lifted up their heads a little towards hope of not perishing and to the musing upon the benefit of deliverance The third is an holy compassion of heart towards him whom the soul hath pierced by sinne even the Lord of life who yet was well content to be murthered lest his murtherers should perish The due meditation whereof melts the soul into marvellous heavinesse that she should seeke his ruine who sought her making Not as mourning for his death for else she must have for ever been damned but for her treachery against the mercy of a Father who cut off his Plea and the love of a Saviour who gave his life for her This makes her impotent in her mourning and steeps her in gall and wormwood Zachar. 12.10 as not able to utter indignation enough against her selfe for it Fourthly yet as one borne downe with the singularity of such mercy and the fulnesse of that price which is paid to justice for her sinne shee is loth to let it passe without a desire to partake it yea and an ardent affection after it as one that is famished for lack of bread or drinke can be satisfied with nothing save that which it longs for though shee were offered treasures in stead of it yet shee still cries with Rachel Gen. 30.1 Give me this or else I dye And fifthly here she stoppes not but warily lookes about her that she binde not the hands of mercy from bestowing her desire upon her by her boldnesse and loosnesse of heart life and therfore she is watchful to her self lest in this her pursuit after mercy she should offend it any way by her pride frowardnesse base words passions or behaviours worldlinesse commonnesse of heart about her earthly lawfull businesse loose hearing forgetfulnesse or the like Sixthly she is marvellous restlesse in the applying of her selfe to all such meanes and ordinances as might further her desires and reveale unto her more light and evidence of Christ fearing lest by any defect of hers and letting slip the opportunities and seasons of grace and stirring motions of the Spirit shee might provoke the Spirit of grace to give her over to her owne unprofitablenesse she tries all as ascribing that honour to God to chuse what he will worke by to these hornes of the Altar she will cleave and if shee must dye shee will dye there Seventhly the more she growes in understanding of the way and mystery of salvation by Christ the more shee compares it with the best contents which this world in any kinde did ever present unto her and finding them light in the ballance and farre from being what they seeme or performing what they promise nay although they could doe both yet in comparison with mercy shee stamps them under her feet esteeming them all as drosse and dung Phil. 3. Lastly by this meanes she resolves fully in her last thoughts to sell off all whatsoever might seeme pretious unto her lusts liberties vertues Religious duties yea that onely stop of grace the mixture of Selfe with Christ that so shee might in the losse of all make up a price of grace that is that she may come with nothing and make a price of no price and so buy the Pearl till which purchase be made her own she can have no peace And this purchase stands in her faith which as an hand takes and accepts the seasin and delivery of the Lord Jesus given to her by the hand of him that surrenders him unto her by the promise Touching the which act of faith it remaines that we speake a little having said of this preparation so much as for the present wee think meet Touching faith what it is and how it is bred in the soule Concerning which and first of the nature of it so farre as it is the act of the soule obeying and yeelding to a word of promise I will say a little as may best sute the Text here under our hand Naaman then we see overswayed by his servants doth submit himselfe to the word of the Prophet and hee goes to Jorden and washeth Faith then to tell you first in what it stands not is not properly an habit of assurance or certainty of pardon through a personall and particular appropriation of Christ to her selfe Although asrance be never without faith yet assurance is not the proper act of Faith The originall of this error proceeded as many others have done from heat of confuting Papists in their opposing of possibility of Assurance That wee might the moâ—e fully confute them our first defenders would maintaine that the nature of justifying and saving faith stood in assurance which Tenet was indeed more then a confutation for although it is the portion of none save beleevers to enjoy this assurance yet neither is it the portion of all that beleeve to attaine it but only some special ones to whom it is granted neither is that assurance which such have the formal act of their faith but rather an effect or coÌ„sequent of the act of beleeving of an higher measure then that is For sure it is the greater our feeling of assurance is the lesse our faith is To shew then what it is It is such an act of the soule as upon good ground and warrant casts her selfe upon the promise for pardon and life By casting her selfe can be meant no assurance within her selfe but a submission and resigning up of her selfe to the promise in respect of that power and truth of the Promiser who bids her come and hee will ease her This is a sure word and hath neither trick nor device in it neither hooke nor crooke but is that which it imports and cannot deceive And this sure word is the object which faith lookes at Shee lookes not so much at the assurance which shee feeles within her selfe but at the certaine and infallible truth of the Word without As for her selfe shee knowes shee is full of doubts feares and unsetlednesse but so is not the Word of God nor himselfe that speakes in it She even in the very act of believing is full of strife and struggling For the making of this plaine consider faith in all her passages and you shall see it Quest 1 The soule hath three questions The first question is whither the Soule shall turne her selfe in her legall straits Flesh saith thus Goe on no further towards the promise for it is a difficult worke to believe and unlikely to take effect
with others worse then her selfe pleads her civility innocency of life good parts devotions and moralities if God ferret her out of this burrow she will annexe and apply her selfe to Christ after a fashion for aide and entrench her selfe within her duties teares good affections zealous performances good opinion of others if this fort be battered shee will still betake her selfe to her seeming selfe-deniall in many things forfeit of her will of sundry lusts pleasures bad company and redeeme selfe with some forfeit of selfe Shee will not bee pulled out of her Castle of selfe-conceit nor give up her counterfeit sufficiency and treasure within for any withour one bird in hand is worth two in the bush Till at length custome and confirmed error doe so harden her that she will sooner part with her life then her false happinesse or resigne up her bulwarkes and City to Christ and his besieging Army In such a case what must the Lord doe See Deut. 29.19 The siege of God to such a soule Surely either give her quite over as impregnable and raise his siege or else resolve to put her to the uttermost straights that can be Sometime by blasting her best blessings and with some deadly disease taking off the edge of worldly content making her soule to loath dainty meate or putting a surfet and fulsomenesse into all which she enjoyes that she cannot taste them or letting in a veine of vengeance into conscience convincing her that all is not well so that nothing can comfort her Job 33.14.15 she is Gods enemy an hypocrite an unbeleever wants the promise lives without God in the world never was humbled broken denyed her selfe never was lost nor forsaken and therefore never was out of her owne bottome to live in another stocke and roote of Christ When the Lord mixes himselfe really with crosses with terrors with law or Gospell to convince the soule either of sinne or righteousnesse then she begins to feele a straight and to be at a losse else she is merry and so long as she hath one ragge to cover her filthinesse one penny in her purse one crust to gnaw upon one shred to hang by Revel 3.18 she will be cloathed rich full and compleate Christ shall never heare of her It must be an hard besetting with a narrow straight which strips her and robbes her of her selfe-sufficiency Therfore Elihu Iob Cap. 33. under that one instance of sicknesse sweetly compares the state of an unregenerate person before straights come with the estate when they are upon him Before saith he God speakes once and twice by promises and by blessings but man heares like the Adder with a deafe eare she makes wash-way of patience word conscience and all But when the Lord afflicts both Conscience and body at once the one with terrours and affrightments in the night when men should sleepe the other with a consumption in his parts so that his bones sticke out and clatter his soule loathes dainty meat his moisture is spent and the buriers and mourners gape for him Then in this straight if an interpreter come and declare his righteousnesse and set him at liberty he shall be welcome Why Oh because God hath asswaged his pride and tamed him so that whereas before he was too high for any man to talke with now being on the rack you may have him at any termes and willing to come to any conditions Surely so it is in any other kinde of straight whereby the licentious spirit of man is subdued and scared while that lasteth the man is in a quite contrary frame to that he was in at liberty Reason 1 And what reason may be given hereof viz. Why the soule is best in case to deale withall under an exigent then otherwise I answer First a straight calls in and limits the spirit which before went at large and no compasse would hold it It brings the heart into bounds The sicke bed is narrrow the sicke conscience is upon strict termes with God whereas health and security make men wilde Job 39.9 like the Roe or wilde Asse Who shall yoake an Unicorne to the plow But the Lord having a man upon the hip can make him stoope to it The very she Asse when she is in her monthes may bee a taken in a pit Jerem. 2.14 cannot rise and runne away she is in a straight her big body will not suffer her to escape Now whomsoever the Lord converts he will narrow their course and bring them to a short Reason 2 account till then there is no talking with them Secondly by an extremity the Lord makes the creature understand his power over it and that it hath a superior to controll it whereas before it acknowledged Reason 3 no Lord or controller but it selfe Thirdly it abases and pulls downe the error of the heart and the selfe-love of it which presented all things in a false view to it and removed all feare and suspicion farre off so that as Paul without the law was jolly and alive so is this living without any bands or chaines Now under a straight it reflects upon it selfe some sad notions of feare sinne guilt wrath judgement so that the case is much changed Fourthly it abases the pride of the heart conceit of it Reason 4 selfe rebellion against God and makes it crouch as knowing there is no fighting against necessity This Elihu calls Gods hiding of our pride Straights will take away the bubbling and pride of a wretch and force him to an humblenesse yea they will hold downe the spirit to a patience and bearing long so that the Lord may take leasure to doe that which a free heart and jolly in sinne could not attend unto before a Sermon of an houre long was irkesome Now with Saul at Damascus gates it takes law and saith what wilt thou have me to doe Fiftly it bores an eare into Reason 5 the soule which before had none it pierces the heart and makes it apt to heare yea swift tractable and teachable saying speake Lord for thy servant heares Sixtly it provokes diligence painefullnesse and unweariednesse Reason 6 in using of meanes As Ninivee under Ionas arrest which before lay in a bed of ease sloth and sottish carelesnesse Seventhly it makes Reason 7 the heart glad of any one word of hope possibility of remedy and promise of mercy Eightly it breakes the heart and melts it to heare that Reason 8 the Lord will encline toward it being so low brought as it is Ninthly Reason 9 it causes a marveilous esteeme of mercy sets a wonderfull terrible hiew upon sinne and a precious marke upon forgivenesse causes the soule to forget all her vanities former objects in respect of that she would have Oh! Naamans disease seemed now hideous a cure precious all his honour and favour at home is forgotten for the time Tenthly it causes the Reason 10 soule to be glad of remedy from whomsoever be he never so base mean
to the use And first it might be instruction and admonition to such of us as goe for the forwardest Christians Use 1. of Instruct Instruction first to teach us to adore the wisedome of our God in the administration of the times in which we live in The word seemes to have done working upon the consciences of the most few are gastred by the terrors thereof few sustained by the promises few are sensible active watchfull walkers I doubt not but God hath his jewells in corners his secret ones whose hearts and waies lye close to him in these degenerate times But for the body of hearers either to bee converted or in appearance converted already strange it is what a numbe palsey what a Laodicean temper of indifference ease and selfe-love hath covered us over scarce one in a long time gastred out of his neast of forme or profanenesse and such as are keepe their consciences at such loose termes that few can discerne them to be under the Banner or authority of any Soveraigne Now what doth the Lord Surely he is faine to lay men upon the bayard and to afflict them with one yoke or other either personall or generall straights Selfe-love hath over-growne all that except God stept out of his ordinary path of speaking to doing and did cause each face to waxe pale and each hand to be on the pained plat some by poverty others by debt or imprisonment or losses or reproach or pursuite of enemies malicious tongues unreasonable men desperate unfaithfulnesse treachery and injuriousnesse of such as they live with Sure it is the word would worke but little upon us Even the wise Virgines are all fallen asleep with the rest Matth. 25. How should the Lord search us what conscience truth and sincerity lyes at the bottome Surely now if ever we should rouze our selves and say the Philistins are upon thee Samson Judges 16.22 When the power and purenesse of worship when the substance and matter of religion growes questioned when men teach professe and walke so as if any profession would serve their turne yea many such as have seemed most zealous sincere and faithfull waxe cold maintainers of disorder in their places live in contention and jealousie with the best plucke in their former hornes of forwardnesse others play the Time-servers and leave God to shift for himselfe saying now see to thine owne house David Is it not time for the Lord to come with his sharpe triall among us to search what is in us To gaster the consciences of some who were never awakened by some outward straights hardnesse to live banqueruptnesse and ruine of estate beggery and misery others by searching trialls and extremities that either they must carry their lives and states gifts and hopes in their bosomes ready to let out or else they must prostitute their consciences to sinne and treachery yes surely or else he knowes if we might be let alone we would grow to the formality softnesse security commons and fulsomenesse of others who have no sparke of grace in them But now perhaps being searcht to the quicke and put to it we dare not for shame lay our names at the stake of perpetuall reproach by giving God quite over now perhaps we will shake our selves and say shall such an one as I betray God shall I pollute his worship shall I defile that truth which I have received incorrupt from others shall I helpe to destroy Gods lawe deface the power of goodnesse sort my selfe with such as are enemies separate my selfe from my brethren No sure I wish I had looked to it sooner yet better late then never At last I will give witnesse to God to his truth honor servants Sabbaths I will no longer give aime to the religion of these times their saplesse dead and powerlesse profession my soule loathes it I long to reprove and confute all Popish Pelagian superstitious and formall religion and therefore let parts let ease let liberty preferment honor gifts outward prosperity goe where they will my darling I will not lose I will not bite off that precious stone for which I am hunted and cast it to the hounds to save my life But I am resolved through mercy to my uttermost to justifie the power of truth both in my judgement and practice Oh it is the wisedome of God to send such straights and snares among us for the discovery of hypocrites and base counterfeits and for the exercise of that secret grace in his owne which else through ease and selfe-love would rust and cankerfret Vse 2 Secondly let it teach us to lay it sadly to heart that God is so crossed of his purpose both in generall and speciall by such as abuse his judgements and terrors in the world Admonition Lay to heart the little humiliation of the land under publique straights I will more sparily touch forraine nations and Churches French Dutch or other yet let it not passe us without notice that after all these hurliburlies and havocks of warre of persecution of famines pestilences and such miseries as scarce in any age have beene heard of the hearts of those nations remaine still as secure profane contemptuous of God blasphemous drunken contentious yea in the midst of their late victories so regardlesse of Gods honor either in abandoning Papists and Popery or in setling power and purity of worship but still as desperate the Ministery as saplesse and the people as fruitlesse as ever Oh how just were it with God for these evills to turne the wheele backe and to suffer Papists and heresie to encroach againe and make their second bondage as much deeper then the former as the loines are greater then the little fingers yea as their latter evills and abuse of Gods providence have exceeded the former But to leave them and come to our selves how doe we at home generally beare off all Gods straights and pressures with head and shoulders No man laying to heart any thing but as Esay 64. saith No man seekes after the Lord nor stirres up himselfe to lay hold upon him All lick themselves whole with false tongues every man taking thought how to save one Esay 64.6.7 none understanding the Lord in his way what he should meane by his wasting us by plagues consuming our people with poverty destroying our foules with cleannesse of teeth depriving us of the lives and labours and worthy services of so many Ministers Nobles Warriours good Governours and Christian professors of his truth few consider the scope of God in these differences that are between Prince and Subject Subject and Subject Complaints are in all mens mouthes sorrowes upon all states But whereas the Lords scope is hereby rather to unite all the Nation against the common adversary to draw all to an holy consent in seeking mercie for the Church and agreement between divided parties that by a generall humiliation and preparing to meet the Lord we might prevent ruine Alas when was there more powring out of
of a possible but also of a likely cure hee comes to the Prophets owne house and stands there to receive his direction Which shewed how restlesse this hope of his made him and what singular estimation was bred in him of the Prophet Fifthly he standing at the Prophets curtesie hearing the errand is marvellously offended at it as too slow and leasurely for his hasty spirit and bewrayes thereupon what a deale of scurfe lay within to cavill against it and to breake off his former hopes and likings unto an utter distaste and rebellion against the way of God with a furious resolution to give over because he neither could speake with the Prophet nor brooke his direction which yet was all by God sweetly governed so that being upon this tickle point yet was he not suffered to depart and goe out of Gods blessing into his owne warme Sunne and to sinke in his owne carnall selfe-love but stronglier assisted then ever and set upon by such powerfull perswasions to obey the Prophets counsell as although very unlike to prevaile with such a spirit yet wrought out selfe-love and pride and made his spirit at the last to come downe and submit thereto most readily And these were the passages of Gods prevention and assistance Now for the perfecting worke of God it is most cleare in this verse wherein his heart being humbled he assents to the Prophet both commanding and promising and as a man in a fit condition for the purpose doth that which before hee was very unfit for obeyes beleeves goeth down and washeth himselfe in Jorden Thus having made way to the poynt collected hence Proofes of the Doctrine I proceed to prove the truth thereof by Scripture which is not more fertile in any one thing then in proving of this For although the words of condition of the promise be not in the Scripture in tearmes yet are they equivalently and in effect everywhere in the word both in the Old New Testament As when our Saviour saith Luke 5.31.32 I came not to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance And the whole have no need of the Physitian but the sicke not stomack-sick who can ease themselves by vomiting but the heart-sicke and not onely so neither but those that are so deadly sicke as no other Physitian can heale I am no Physitian for fees but in meere mercy when no mercenary one can helpe then for meere pitty and to save life I will help rather then a soule should miscary and rather for the honour of my skill and mercy Esa 55.1 then for gaine for I take neither money nor price for my cure I will heale him Esay 57.17 Esa 57.17 Marke upon what termes and conditions Christ cures even as Jorden cured Naaman when Abana Pharphar were out of date and himselfe at a plunge so when a sinner is such in his owne sense all are so but yet in their element as a fish in the water feeling no weight of it feeles it is convinced of it and neere to execution for ought is in himselfe What else save this condition is implyed in all those Parables of the lost sheep lost groat Luke 15 4.8.11 Matth. 15.24 prodigall Sonne Those that were never lost alway found alway with their father no fatherlesse children are excluded out of this number Why must that son spend all try the hard world bee forlorn and forsaken ere he knew the true worth of a father ere his father comes out to kisse him to put on all those abiliments upon him to kil the fat Calf to welcome him Why did he not so to his other good Son who was alway with him and therefore needed no Kid nor Calfe Because hee was alway well and therefore it had been ridiculous so to expresse himself to him he would have thought his father a foole in so doing Thus Hosee expresses the Condition Hosee 13.3 Ashur shall not save us wee will not ride upon horses Why It was no course to thrive But with thee the fatherlesse finde mercy Why Because it is Gods condition and qualification of such as he will save So Esay 57.16.17 I am high and holy but I looke downe and picke out some above others to make my favourites Esay 28.9 Who are they The humble ones to revive the contrite ones and what will hee doe to such Hee will create the fruit of the lippes which is faith and thereby peace to the neere and to the farre off and restore comfort to their mourners So elsewhere I will powre water upon the thirsty grounds Esay 44.3 and thirsty lands such as are scorcht and gape for my raines to refresh them Againe whom shall I teach wisedome To whom shall I give instruction Not to all but to such as are under the condition of it humble trembling ones and weaned from the breasts fooles and Ideots Small credit is to be got by such as have more wisedome then seven men besides such as are full of it but to make a foole wise is somewhat worth How often doth the Lord Jesus in one Chapter urge this Condition Blessed are the poore in spirit Mat. 5.3.4.5 the hungry after righteousnesse the meeke in heart Theirs is the Kingdome they shall bee satisfied and the like Why not others Doe not they want it Yes but they need it not it were ill bestowed The Kingdome of God is like to a Merchant Mat. 13.43.44 who sought a Pearle of price which having found hee weighed the worth of it he hid it hee went and sold all his reall estate and bought it Every one could not so value it venture all upon it Jam. 4.7.8 Submit your selves under the mighty hand of God saith Iames. And what then When you are downe the Lord will raise you up Those that be raised already care not for this preferment And to finish proofes what meaneth the holy Ghost by describing all converts by this condition what went before the conversion of those murderers of the Lord of life They were convinced of their bloudy malice and of the mercy of Christ who was willing to save them that slew him Act. 2.37 and then they were prickt in heart What then Men and brethren what shall wee doe What made their bowels earne and made them glad to learne of the Apostles The same grace that made them humble What caused the Iaylor to come leaping in to Paul and Silas whom he had whipped and wronged His heart was broke to see the mercy which God shewed him Act. 14. and in the keeping in of the Prisoners to save his soule So much for proofes Reason 1 Reasons of the Doctrine follow Such onely and all such may and must come in and obey the Gospell by believing Because first No other save such are brought within any generall bounds of salvation but still remaine incorrigible impenitent secure carnall and in their sinnes If others were in Gods ordinary way and
generall texts satisfie not a scrupulous soule in so weighty a matter and flesh is ready to say what signe from heaven shewest thou us of these things We would see some sight or heare some voice to confirme the word Ah poore soule I may say of thee as the Scripture speakes of Samuel 1 Sam. 2. thus did he ere he knew the Lord so these are thy crotchets ere thou knewest the promise But afterward thou sawest more in that alone then in all other waies for the Promise and Testament of Christ 1 Sam. 2. is written with the finger of God by the penne of the Spirit dipt in the bloud of God But to utter what God is willing to have spoken I must say that he who might claime this absolute power over the soule to be beleeved upon his bare word yet seeing the sensuality of man and our wofull distrust is willing to allow us all the meanes of strengthening our soules in his promise both by such seales and witnesses as confirme it yea Miracles Sacraments and oaths annexed to his Covenant and especially by those properties of a promise and of him that makes it and all to conclude and set the controversie beyond questions And by this meane faith is wrought In the which course of God appeares his great love and wisdome for herein hee hath endeavoured to answer all our doubts and carnall objections we are not so ready to cast in feares as he by this meane casts them out For why O poore soule dost thou suspect the Lord will not satisfie thy desire in giving thee Christ Either it must bee because there is no ground or cause for which he should doe it The ingredients of a promise and this is answered by his freedome graciousnesse Or he is a God just and revenging sin but this is taken away by satisfaction made taken Or because he cannot and this is false for his power is omnipotent Or because he meant it not eternally But the promise is from election Or wills not in time But that he doth for he invites and beseeches us Or he is not wise enough to compasse it But that he is for he is wisdome Or he is untrue in his performance But that he is not for he is faithfull Or he may change but that he cannot for he is immutable So that let us but set perfection of nature and grace in him against that which is in us our distrust and unbeleefe and we shall see every sore hath his plaster each distemper hath his medicine And all these are included in a promise So that whosoever hath the gift of ripping up a promise aright should behold all Gods riches in it But is a great skill and the promises of God lye in the Scriptures as gold and jewells lye deep in the earth at least in the field of the Gospell and we are not aware of them nor acquainted with that fulnesse and perfection which is in them And many confesse one of these who will not acknowledge another grace comes in drop by drop else wee should looke upon a promise with other eyes then for the most part the most of us doe A word or two of each of the branches For the first Freedome true it is 1. Freedome there is nothing in thee to procure such mercy but he is of his owne accord for his owne sake Esay 63.4 cut off his plea thought thoughts of peace he hath done it for the glory of his grace even because he will shew mercy it better pleased him so to doe then the first creating of Adam for now by his fall he addes mercy to goodnesse and magnifies himselfe in many attributes more Justice Wisdome and Truth He seekes nothing else save the winning and binding of the soule to him for ever in covenant which else so treacherous an heart as ours would never have yeelded to So that thou maist well trust him in this respect if thy faith can but get in with the Lord for if he do it not for thine ends yet for his own he will so that thou canst set thine owne under his so that thy best prop will be the preciousnesse of his glory which he will not give to another and therefore thy unbeleefe shall not rob him of it 2. Strength Secondly satisfaction is made and taken therefore he hath ground enough to settle his graciousnesse upon Justice could not cry it down by revenge rather then it should a satisfaction made by the bloud of an onely Sonne the bloud of God and man shall stoppe the cry of it upon this both made by Christ and taken by our Judge lo he turns wrath into mercy and his bosome is set open and unlocked as a fountaine 2 Cor. 5.20 21. He offers us reconciliation because hee hath made him sinne and curse who knew none that we might bee his righteousnesse And this is called the Lords strength Esay 27.4 that is the bottome whereupon mercy maintaines herselfe against all quarrell of justice and this hath taken away the dint of it so that hee truly professeth anger is not in me therefore come in not to an enemy 3. Omnipotence but to a father feare not Thirdly he is omnipotent He can doe what hee will His power ushers and attends his love as an handmaid Esay 57.14 The high and lofty one who inhabiteth eternity yet lookes downe that he may be strong with the humble and contrite ones His power is no crushing power save of our enemies and all that hate us But a releeving power an outstretched arme of salvation Not to destroy but to build up Esay 63.1 He that commeth from Edom dyed red with the treading of the winepresse of wrath is glorious in his apparrell travells in the greatnesse of his strength and is mighty to save Be the thing never so difficult to us with him nothing is impossible Can the Lord say they spread a table in the wildernesse The answer is can he not What is it which he cannot doe Except it be to deny himselfe and that nothing no not thy unbeleefe can bring him unto This power of God cannot be severed from the former satisfaction 4. Eternity Prov. 22.8 Fourthly he meant it from eternity as I said in the first of these he set downe with himselfe the frame and way of his owne grace long before Adam was or sinned the disease was foreseen the remedy fore provided It s a secret which lyes deep and hidden in the bosom of eternity though not farre above us in point of participation in this life yet in comprehension we must not looke to reach it here We may cry out O depth unsearchable and past finding out But till we come to heaven Rom. 9. end and behold it in the face of God being made one with him we cannot gage it our happinesse is that it is really so great that we cannot 5. Willingnesse Fifthly he wills it most cordially in
betweene barke and tree to defeat your faith and conversion As once a noble man having his picture drawne faire wrote underneath One thing still remaines to dye well So say you Hitherto Lord thou hast holpen me and brought me under a condition of mercy now Lord give me thy perfecting grace too the upper and nether springs Judg. 1. as Caleb to Achsah suffer me not now in the haven to make shipwracke but give me thy hand helpe me well over this last hill that so I might be past all danger this one thing remaines to set the faire Crowne of faith upon the shoulders of the condition thereof and the worke is at an end But together with thy seeking of God for he will be sought for it Ezek. 36. end quicken up thy spirit to looke for it and lot upon it that he will doe it for thee If such a one as is under the condition of the promise may and ought to fasten upon the promise and cast himselfe upon it Plead hard for faith if once we be under the condition argue for thy selfe from this ground and plead for faith as thine owne portion The misery of the most hearers is this That they live in a perpetuall pudder uncertainty between these two rocks Whether they are under the condition or no or if so then whether they can beleeve or no. Therefore doe one thing at once First hold thy selfe close to the condition if thou be under it and let not the Divell nor thy own feares pull thee from it It is that portion which God hath alotted thee as a pledge of more These are the Suburbs of Hope to bring thee into the City Perhaps thou sayest Thou hast nothing at all wrought in thee As for the sorrow and desire which are in thee alas thou makest nothing of them but comparest thy selfe with them who have gotten beyond thee But learne to say It is mercy that I have any thing that I breathe in the aire that I am not in hell But much more to enjoy a desire after mercy I tell thee thou mayst plead for it For why Mourners for their sinne and thirsters for Gods favour have a promise to bee comforted and satisfied they want nothing save to beleeve it Oh then see thy priviledge and make use of it Do not say The Lord may yet leave me for I do not beleeve as yet I may dye ere that day Much lesse give place to thy sullennesse wearinesse and discontent It is said of Manoahs wife that when her husband abused the condition of a promise made unto them and said We shall dye She replied No husband If the Lord had meant to have slaine us he would never have appeared unto us thus and how should we have a sonne if he slay us So shouldst thou argue against thy feares because the Lord doth nothing in vaine therefore he will give me faith in deed Nay hold fast and close to the condition as thou wouldest reach the promise So did Elisha in another case 2 Kings 2.6 when Elija told him that he had asked an hard thing to have his Spirit doubled upon him yet if he saw him ascending he should have it what did he Did he breake the condition Did hee goe aside and leave his company No although hee were sollicited strongly to it yet hee sweares As the Lord liveth I will not leave thee till I must needs For why There lay a great issue upon it the forgoing or enjoying of a double Spirit of his Master Therefore to shew how hee closed with the charge at their parting he cryed My Father my Father Verse 16. and so obtained the Promise So doe thou hold that thou hast and let none pull it away but by the triall of what thou hast already got learne to trust God the better for that which still is wanting and suffer none of thy staggerings to bereave thee Eliah having tried Elisha three or foure times to leave him and not prevailing lo at last hee granted his desire Matth. 15. When that woman of Canaan had gotten a condition by the end viz. That Christ came to save the lost sheep of Israel whereof she although a Dogge in account tooke her selfe to bee one and would not be beaten off by all our Saviour his buffetings at last shee sped Since there is no remedy saith Christ but thou wilt have thy petition granted take it Sure it is the Lord will try thee of what metall thou art made if he meane to trust thee with faith If any thing will beat thee off or make thee subsist and stop ere faith bee wrought in thee soundly if onely a condition will serve thy turne and thou art content there to rest Judg. 6. thou art not fit for Gods battell Even as God tried the lappers of water from the soopers of it for Gedeon so will he try thee Be wise therefore and so hold the condition as yet understanding that the excellency thereof stands rather in her relation then in her selfe for if it could be that faith might be severed from desire or sorrow it were not possible for thee to be happy But to sever them in the elect it is not possible And thus much may serve to have spoken of the former part of the doctrine to wit the condition of a promise and the uses thereof Now the second and chiefe scope of the Doctrine and the uses thereof remaine viz. that such an one must cast himselfe upon the promise for pardon and life Of the uses hereof in order for this is the maine point 2 Part. Vse 1 And first since it is so This point of the duty of Faith the most spirituall grace and thing in the world Terror to all carnall ones that savour not the spiritualnesse of faith is strong terrour to all those who are so far from closing and casting themselves upon a Word that alas they are farre from so much as conceiving or reaching what manner of thing faith is or what it meanes to cleave and cast our selves upon the bare Word of God without any other mixture for salvation Alas they think they were as good cast away themselves altogether as to purpose it Tell us not say they of such spirituall matters as these they are above our reach and capacity wee are plaine folke commit not such riddles to us we forget them as fast we love such things as we see feele taste and handle If yee will tell us a tale or play a jigge or shew us a play and fine sights or sing sonnets in our eares if you will bring us to merry company or a feast if you will shew us some new fashion or if you will helpe us to a good bargaine where we may put out our money to use for eight in the hundred or tell us of a warme match for my Sonne or Daughter if you will shew us how we may get the day of our adversary or if
askes Self forfeits all her travell labour for nothing 140. Shee is of an outlasting and surviving nature 143. Shee is very close and hard to be discerned pag. 144 Selfe a perpetuall enemy to the Regenerate themselves 146. making their lives sad and uncomfortable ibid. If Selfe in the painfull Professor bee so dangerous what shall become of the prophane pag. 147 Selfe exceeds grosse lusts pag. 149 The mischiefe of Selfe should teach us not to bee offended with afflictions and sorrasives to eat it out ibid. Staggering Non-proficiencie and unthriftinesse of Professors is the fruit of selfe pag. 152 Selfe requires deepe searching to discover it in the soule pag. 155 A Question Doe all that are truly converted discover Selfe in themselves thus Ans Two or three wayes pag. 156 157. 158 Motives to selfe-deniall sundry ib. Spirit of Grace what it is 168. 170. Exhortation to ensue it as the opposite of the spirit of Selfe ibid. Markes of it ibid. The 1. Grace causes the soul to grow more humble by knowledge 2. Grace subordinates all to her selfe 3. It subjects the soule to Christ upon his owne tearmes 4. It resists the speciall and personall pangs of Selfe in each soule 5. It answers all objections of Selfe 6. It sets Selfe against Selfe ibid. Spirit of Grace serves all in all for Grace and how Three wayes 1. In the discovery of it 2. In the effects of that discovery 3. In the end of it pag. 178 Spirit of grace proceeds on calmly in the soule contrary to selfe pag. 181 The soule bereft of that puritie of Reason in which it was created pag. 202 The Spirit of God must create holy wisedome in stead of carnall in the soule pag. 203 Savour spirituall things 235. The meanes and markes of it five 1. Savour the powerfullest ordinances 2. Love simplicity 3. Get heavenly mindednesse 4. Preferre the verdict of the Word 5. Be wise in thy course pag. 236 Silly and simple ones have an advantage of wiser in point of carnall reason pag. 236 Selfe is proud and coy pag. 259 Selfe in her owne way very jolly but out of her element crabbed pag. 260 Selfe defeated rageth 265. Sundry reasons ibid. Object How then is it that hypocrites are so merry Answered ibid. Selfe may want defeats because given over by God to delusion and hardening pag. 269 Self-willed ones who binde God to their hearings convinced pag. 269 Superiors learn grace of their inferiors pag. 290 Servants must bee faithfull to their masters pag. 294 Servants onely can bee well bred in Christs family pag. 296 The setling of a distressed heart by counsell is a mercy highly to bee prized pag. 330 Selfe and carnall reason are justly reproveable corruptions and why pag. 343. to 346. Sinners against sensible and ocular mercies present are worse then those who sin against the absent promises 349. Divers sorts of such ibid. Slighters of grace under pretence of ease terrified pag. 364 Season of ease to beleeve is at first 366. Hard to recover it if once lost pag. 367 Scorners of Gods Ministers reproved pag. 388 Satan who seekes our blood can perswade us to more cost for him then Christ who shed his blood for us pag. 396 Sincerity in a Counsellor claimes acceptance Reasons why pag. 410 The Sufficiency of a promise is the next object of faith pag. 482 Schismaticks who reject all steps and marks of conversion confuted pag. 488 The Spirit of Truth must bee the first planter of truth in the soule pag. 577 Sacraments divinely appropriated to seal up to the soule the assurance of salvation 592. Therefore not to be counted common things by the people nor used so by parents ibid. Spirituall penalties attend spirituall sins pag. 604 A spirit of sinne in a man what and how dangerous it is 866. especially if conceited of her owne welfare ibid. Spirit of grace by what marks it may be tried Generally by her owne working particularly by these marks 1. Shee is bred of the immortall seed of the Word and all false conceptions cast out 2. By her operations 3. By the frame and soundnesse of it 4. By the object order and equality of it 5. by the carriage of it pag. 879 Separatists from our Church the corruptions of it how blinde in discerning their owne pag. 882 Selfe-deniall urged in generall by many motives and meanes of direction pag. 162 Self-deniall in point of sanctification urged by the discovery of 4 or 5 false semblances false principles thereof with some meanes ib. Read at large the whole Tract T. Trials are to separate the pretious from the vile in the godly 95 See Difficulties Gods trials should work in us the spirit of prevention care to keep our peace and much prayer to bee kept from temptation pag. 97 Gods ends in tempting unlike to Satans ibid. Terror to all that cleave to carnall reason Pelagians and others pag. 225 Thanks due to God for freedom from this tyrant of Carnall reason pag. 238 Try thy selfe how defeating of thy selfe workes with thee pag. 276 To be trusted by our betters is honourable pag. 294 Triall of servants by 6 rules whether faithfull or not 1. It must be according to the word and knowledge 2. must not be contrary to it 3. It must be single sincere 4. Must not crosse the Law of Piety love or mercy 5. It must bee equall and regular 6. It must be diligent and sedulous pag. 307 Touchable and tractable natures in shew to take counsel yet persisting in their sin are dissemblers pag. 402 Tokens of love in other kinds offered to the Minister where obedience followes not are false pag. 406 Terror to all despisers of sincere counsell 422. Their woe and misery pag. 422 424 Terror to all such as live prophanely and yet thinke themselves under the condition of mercy pag. 486 Terror to all that savour not the spiritualnesse of faith pag. 492 Terror to all that wilfully cast off the yoke of Gods commands 528. where foure things are handled ibid. 1. their grounds 2. their practice 3. their shifts and colours 4. application of terror pag. 529 Trials of close obedience to commands 539. 1. It is truly inquisitive after the extent of commands 2. It is tender in affection towards commands 3. It is aware of disobedience by each experiment of sin 4. It rejoyceth in the voice of the Word determining of her doubtfull cases 5. It looks more at the preserving of a command entire then at her owne ends 6. It sets not Gods commands together by the ears 7. He saves himselfe harmlesse in all losses for obedience sake upon God by faith 8. It closes with commands without colours or cavils 9. In such duties as border upon her owne respects she is carried to obey upon Gods grounds 10. It groweth better and better 11. It seekes to amend the errours of others 12. It obeyes when yet there appeares not outward fruit of it 13. It profits by lively experience of
Jesus lying at the stake with thy guilt as thy surety for whose sake the deadly enmity of God is abated toward thee And doth this cause thee to take more thought for thy soule then to dispute with God Well then feed thine heart with this thought that the Lord will save some and whom save those whom its provided for even those who can beleeve that free mercy is as well worth the embracing as soveraignty is worth the fearing and therefore determine with themselves rather with a trembling foot to goe towards the former then with a blasphemous mouth to goe to hel Leave Gods secrets and try him in his revealed will and way he hath professed that none who chuse life shall dye none shall endure the disadvantage of their sin who come to Christ as having discharged them from it by bearing it for them Chuse then to live 1 King 20.33 Ahab had Benhadad at a great advantage If his power had driven Benhadad to be stout and desperate there had beene no remedy but he must have dyed upon his owne sword But he left the sharpe point of his advantage and be thought himselfe that the Kings of Israel were mercifull His servants put him in hope that he might possibly fall into mercifull hands This drew him to give over despaire and to chuse hope and therefore with trembling acknowledgement of the advantage and with ropes about their necks he sends to this King for release and pardon and sped of it Do thou so and prosper chuse the hope and renounce the despaire All Gods people having two things set before them by the one whereof they cannot chuse but perish by the other they may possibly escape they being led by the spirit of hope grace forsake bondage terror and despaire and light upon the other And that conducts them by a doore of hope to the Pallace of pardon When those lepers who were shut out from all company and reliefe laid together the sad spectacle of the assured dying in the city with the possible though perilous hope of life in the campe of Aram 2 Kings 7.3.4 Adventure upon the promise what did they They put their lives in their bosomes they counted them no more worth then a straw under their feet if they save us we shall live say they if they kill us we are but dead men better is it for us to die with adventuring for life then to die here in coole bloud and so they were saved Doe thou so Know it there is no poore soule who was ever freed from Gods advantage and wrath save they who gave finall free sentence against themselves as making full account to perish if mercy did not save them at a narrow and a dead lift even a hundred to one Hast thou ever passed this narrow adventure Then though in respect of thy selfe its an hundred to one but thou perish yet in respect of God and his promise upon which as a sure bottome thou venturest thou canst not but be saved All the difficulty is in the adventure Loth are men to carry their lives so loose skin for skin and all they have they will give for life Job 1. But they whom God hath brought to be at his uttermost advantage will give over all their owne props hopes helpes duties devotions and performances and carry their lives in their bosome if they perish by venturing upon the promise they perish but to be sure by not beleeving they must perish He that is brought to this point may say truely if I had not perished I had perished indeed my perishing was my happinesse In thus doing thou hast hope but otherwise none Ninthly yet so venture thy selfe as a forlorne wretch upon the Lord Venture not at hap-hazard but upon a sure stay Branch 9 and as one that goes not to worke at a meere hap-hazard but as one else lost venture upon a promise as a sure stay and refuge which cannot faile thee If thou be under this condition the Lord puts thee not upon a meer adventure which may prove well or ill but upon the promise of the sure mercies of David whereof nothing can defeate thee Esay 5 5.3 Unbeleefe may hold thee some while at the staves end but such a one as thou art called to know that thy feares are taken away and turned to an hope which shall not be ashamed Take no thought for the advantage which Justice had thee at the Lord will see to that and hath seene already to it in casting it upon his sonne If thou object Object but he hath onely so done for the Elect. I answer Still goe thou to the markes of his revealed will Answ If thou confesse the advantage to thee belongs the redresse which Christ hath merited by satisfying the claime of justice Esay 53. The Lord hath laid this penalty upon one whom he loved more deerely then ever he hated thy sinne feare not therefore but he is appeased If thou canst humbly come in and plead it for thy selfe thou art one upon whom the Lord will not serve himselfe by condemning thee having already in the flesh of his owne Sonne served himselfe to the uttermost that thou mightst goe free Now the Lord hath ceased his plea and turned it to a desire that thou wouldest be reconciled which if thou art content to be it s no rash venture but it s a taking hold upon his strength to make peace and thou shalt have peace Esay 27.5 If thou wilt not esteem of this strength of offred reconciliation already wrought for thee without thy cost to be far more precious then the former advantage of wrath is terrible Thou shalt be found to ascribe more to the guilt of a finite creature then to the satisfaction of an infinite God and the offer of an infinite reconciliation Come in then and lay hold upon this refuge with strong consolation Heb. 5. end Take no more thought what becomes of the plea of justice then the Lord himselfe doth if he will have free mercy rejoyce above soveraigne justice why then shouldst thou shrug at it and why should thou grudge thy selfe that which God can beteamed thee and so destroy thy selfe rather then set thy seale to his offer to be happy True it is thou hast beene so soaked under the former anguish of the Lords justice and advantage that thou canst not so easily forget it and the newes of this mercy seemes an incredible thing unto thee but remember that the Lord is willing thou out-grow thy feares by degres though it be not suddenly done yet be not sullen and wilfull and time shall work it mercy shall in time subdue thy suspicious heart Incline onely have a comming soule to this offer and the Lord who suffred thee long in thy rebellions Esay 55.4 shall much more be patient toward thee in thy timorous and weake approaches toward his grace he shall spare thee as a father spares his child that
Monica was so carefull for her sonne Augustine that Ambrose told her the sonne of such prayers could not perish and as it fell out he was a true Prophet for never had any man greater and stranger preventions as may easily be seenâ— in that life of his written by his Deacon to excellent good purpose as the lives of many other Worthies both ancient and moderne have bin for the setting forth of the blessed fruit of Gods preventing providence both for the salvation of the parties and unspeakable good of Gods Church by the labours of such instruments And for this use so much Vse 3 Thirdly this point should be a great consolation to all such as have had experience of such mercy preventing them Of Consolation It should comfort and Branch 1 encourage them from all those doubtfull distempers which arise up in their fearfull mindes Experience of former prevention should encourage us for time to come that God will leave them in the midst of his work unperfect and unfinished It is a wofull unthankfulnesse in many who having found God gracious to them and theirs beyond expectation in preventing much evill seasoning them betimes even in their tender years and stopping evill That yet they dare not trust him forth on especially if they perceive any staggering in themselves or delaying of their desires so that God proceeds not on with them and theirs according to their hopes Judg. 13.22.23 But let them learne of a woman Manoahs wife to correct their folly who hearing her husband to feare least God would slay them answered no for then God would never have freely discovered himselfe to them at all touching a Son which should save Israel Surely if those first free preventions and gales of grace were so prised and so thankefully entertained and observed by us wee should not dare to give over God so easily for the finishing of his worke Dallyance with Gods first preventions is the cause to change his course But it is commonly mens dalliance with the first grace of God and his early preventions of us and ours yea it is our presumption upon free mercy as if it were pinned to our sleeves which causes us to winde it about our fingers and carry it loose about us as a pearle in a loose pocket and which causes the Lord to blast us to change his first course with us to suffer us to wax pearke and sawcy with him and to venture upon such occasions companies and actions as at first we durst not thinke of And so the Lord frownes upon us and changes our first motions into cold qualmes and loose affections and the base fruit of our presumption to trie whether his grace be pretious or no and whether we will forsake our fatnesse and sweetnesse of first beginnings to exalt our selves our wits conceits and humours and through embracing of lying vanities forsake our mercy If we doe let us know the Lord prevented us rather to make our destruction inexcusable then to convert us But if it be otherwise then let it appear in our extraordinary humiliation and teares Jonah 2.8 repentance and recovery of our former workes and affections let not Satan stall us in our own mire of sinne nor oppresse us with distrustfull bondage and despondency of heart to drive us to despaire let all our vanity be vaine and all our stollen waters bitter our pride and new-found selfe-contents odious unto us in comparison of former old compassions let us bee zealous I say and amend rather then harden our hearts so far till the print of our first preventions tendernesse feare and conscience be quite worne out This by the way not impertinently But to returne if there have been a levell and even eye to walke according to our first Grace let us not warpe ungrounded feares out of unthankfull distrust to thinke like that wretch 2 King 3. God hath brought us to this point to forsake us or as tâ—â—y said to slay us in the wildernesse Read Jer. 2. and we see how the Lord speaks to such as cavilled against him Oh! saith he I remember the love I made toward thee in the wildernesse a barren drie land and the first love of thy youth when thou wert dainty to me and still I can beteame thee the same love if thou wert not weary of it A sweet place Could God finde in his heart to be so to Revolters to Idolaters such as had forsaken his fountaine and digged pits to themselves and shall he not much more poore soule of little faith remember thee Art thou of no more worth then so Oh! the Lord remembers his first love still its pretious to him he cannot forget it and is it not so to thee Put case his assisting and perfecting grace seemes not in thine eye so proportionall at the first May there not bee cause Is it not to teach thee to claspe about the first as the Ivy about the bow to suck out juice from it to support thee Doubt not but proceed He that prevented thee first perhaps when thou soughtst him not or soughtst him but formally he will not faile thee now he will sticke to thee by his assisting grace also uphold thee in thy zeale meanes using make the mystery of Christ more cleare and evident draw forth reall desires and hungers esteems and diligence yea he will not give thee over till he have also finished the worke of conversion and effectuall calling in thee by the worke of faith and by daily familiarising with thine heart by his promises create the fruit of the lips which is peace in thee Isaih 57.17 Onely suffer not thy selfe to wax lazy loose and dallying with him to give him over thy selfe and then lay the fault upon him That he was very forward to lay the foundation but was not able to finish his building None but hypocrites dare bring in such verdicts rather slanders upon God Luke 14.30 Be not thou the first And againe it may be consolation in a second regard to all such to Branch 2 wit that he who not being tied to them by promise yet called them of encouragement Rom. 5.8 will now much more sticke to them having a promise to plead Which I speake because many forgetting the old mercies of God by a worldly unthankfull and estranged heart make that part of their lives most sad which should be gladdest of all And that What to doe when feare of our corruptions masters us by distrusting God for the mercie consequent upon their calling They feare that God will never make them masters over some speciall corruptions of theirs pride world ease nor increase any grace to any fulnesse but onely leave them to a poore pittance nor yet uphold them in their outward wants and crosses of poverty or infamy Deut. 32.13.14 c. by his all-sufficiencie nor rid them out of their streights by unreasonable men nor recover them out of their revolts to their former
integritie of course To whom I answer Doe yee thus require the Lord O yee unthankfull people scarce worth the name of people Did the Lord give yee brasse out of the stones and silver out of his hidden treasures mercie when yee looked for none that yee should still distrust his promise If when yee were strangers yet he so prevented yee to make yee children shall hee forsake yee being now in covenant Did he kill the old Serpent and Leviathan and shall hee suffer her spawne to destroy yee Did he remove the guilt of sin from destroying you and shall he leave the venome of it to bee a goad in your side and a pricke in your eyes to make your life desolate No not except yee forsake the promise looking that God shoulâ— drop mercie still out of clouds and prevent you as at first without any beleeving of yours No hee now puts ye to it to work out your own salvation with fear having his pretious promises 2 Cor. 7.1.2 labour to perfect your sanctification To take his Sword Helmet and Breast-plate and fight the holy warre of God against your selves Judg. 3.2 and all enemies and not to looke that the Egyptians should still be drowned while you looke on While yee were children yee did as such but being men the Lord looks his stocke should grow and bee put to occupying and that yee should be setled and rooted therein As for outward blessings Esay 25. hath God made you a feast in the mountaines and will he deny yee it in the valleyes Luk. 12.23.24 Will he so cloath the Lillies that labour not nor spin and shall hee leave you to shift for your selves who next to the kingdome serve his providence for a meet portion here Matth. 6.32 shall hee not cast in these things without sin or sorrow Did hee prevent your soules from perdition and shall hee not prevent want from your bodies Doth he so cloath the hearb and flowers of the field which to morrow are cast into the Oven and shall he not doath feed and provide for you in this world 2 Pet. 1. for whom hee hath provided a crowne hereafter as Peter saith immortall and not fading To conclude if hee have over-ruled your intentions for his owne glory and your owne salvation should yee feare lest any Divell or instrument of his should come between you and home Say thou livest in dark times in places where the wicked beare sway Esay 63. what then As the Church Esay 63. cries Thou wert mercifull to us of old Lord what are all thy bowels and rollings restrained Oh! deliver us still Thou canst over-sway their intentions by the same prevention and turne them to the contrarie aime Their policies and devices against thee and thine shall not preuaile thou canst scatter them thou canst avert convert or pervert them at thy pleasure 1 Sam. 23.27 2 Sam. 17.7 Gem. 31.29 Acts 9.9 Avert them as Saul from David pervert as Achitophels against David convert as Paul from a persecutor They shall say as Laban to Iacob It was in my power to do you hurt but the God of your Fathers appeared unto me yester night and prevented me Acts 12.3 Herod Acts 12. intended to bring out Peter to be slaine after Iames but the Lord had another purpose which overthrew his as cob-webs swept downe with a besome In a word if God once declared his prevention of mercie toward us Oh! let us not presume yet let us honour him thus far by our experience that still the same God will be at worke for us in our particular course to turn all to better then wee could look for Ruth 2. 3. as to poore Ruth when she went out to gleane barley the Lord found her out rest all her dayes Oh! if once he have delighted in us he still will rejoyce to make us objects of like mercie so that all shall see us to be his favourites and long for our portion And for this point Sermon an Verse thus much Let us pray c. THE THIRD LECTVRE Vpon the tenth verse VERSE X. And Elisha sent a Messenger unto him saying Go wash seven times in Iordan and thy flesh shall come againe to thee and thou shalt be cleane VERS 10. But Naaman was wroth c. THIS poore Pilgrime and patient Naaman as yee have heard beloved hath stood some time at the Prophets doore denying himselfe and his esteeme Entry upon the substance of the miracle honour and favour with his Prince he and his train submitting themselves and standing at the courtesie of God and his Prophet for his cure And although we heare of no words or suit comming from him yet his very habit and standing in the deep silence of it speaketh and calleth aloud for the Prophets helpe And indeed it had been hard-hearted and unmercifull for Elisha having himself sent for him to his house when he was wildred seeing how humble his suppliant is to have let him to stand as a dumb pageant without salutation Courtesie and morals could not have denied him that favour and much more that Spirit wherewith the Prophet was filled a spirit of mildnesse mercie exorablenesse and easinesse to be intreated of a petitioner so miserable and comming so farre for helpe must needs hearken to his request This verse therefore shewes us what message Elisha sends him to the doore And now at this third Sermon weare passed the Antecedent occasions leading us to the Contents of the Cure and are come to the chiefe substance of the story Whereof to make a full Analyse all at once because it would clog the hearers memory therefore we thinke it here superfluous onely wee will severall the story into her branches opening the first of them here in our entrance upon it but for the rest we will referre them to the threshold of their particular handlings that every thing may be more lively and better remembred The whole story then hath these five distinct parts The first Elisha his message sent to Naaman standing at his gate and full of expectation and that in this tenth verse The second is Naamans entertainment and construction of it The generall heads of the story five and how it tooke with him and that in the eleventh and twelfth verses The third generall is the Rejoynder of his poore servants upon their masters misconstruction of the message and that containes their loyall and serious treatie and counsell of wiser interpretation and for better carriage that in the 13. verse The fourth is the issue and happinesse of all the sweet conclusion of a sad entrance and that is that upon the overture and intimation of his servants or rather of grace he changes his former resolution to be gone into an obedient submission to wash in Jordan The fifth and last the issue of his obedience partly immediate that hee found the Prophet true hee was instantly cleansed his flesh returning as a young childes
owne unworthinesse or Gods long delaies which provoke the heart to wearinesse or comparing of the forwardnesse of others with her backwardnesse or else that God meanes not as he speakes but the contrary even to cast her off with some marke of vengeance sometimes rushing upon the rock of election as if all labour were lost because she is not predestinated to salvation as if we were to get to the highest step of the ladder before we have ascended by the lower sometime descanting about the way of revealing why it should bee onely by the word and spirit and not by sensible waies of expression by voice from heaven or extraordinary convincements and so in sundry other respects 10. Selfe-feare 10. Feare that the work of faith will be so hard and tedious that it will never be compassed by so weake and fraile a creature as she is so ignorant forgetfull corrupt and estranged from God the present sense of these and other corruption dazeling the spirit and enfeebling the heart so that it growes to a falling sickenesse and is at a losse upon each occasion each Sermon it heares seems to speake dismall thinges unto it and it thinkes it were better wholly to give over hearing then heare yea and in a strong tech and pang dare not or will not continue to heare for feare it should bee worse and heape up wrath instead of mercy so that all which is said either in publique or private seemes to leake out Heb. 2.1 and sometime this feare commeth from unlikelyhood of ever forgoing all sin or holding out to the end Eleventhly selfe-staggering 11. Staggering when the soule is betweene the condition of the promise and the performance as for example if she be urged to beleeve because the condition is already wrought then she questions that whether it were ever wrought at least aright because alas her sorrow is little she hath never been so deeply tozed by the law nor so broken hearted full of affections and diligence as others on the other side when shee feeles the condition comfortably present then she staggers about the promise saying the condition is not the matter but the beleefe it self and that is above her power many come farre who never beleeve and faith is the gift of God and free and what if it should never bee wrought or shee should die and be past hope ere it be effected Thus Satan comes between cup and lip to defeate the soule of her due whereas if she were staied and settled upon the word and as 2 Ioh. 8. would not lose those good things which she hath gotten but hold a little closely till more come the worke would not be alway to beginne as the frame of a Carpenter when it is disordered as fast as hee laies it together Twelftly selfe-fullennesse and unthankefulnesse 12. Sullennesse which is in a contrary extremity to ease when the soule will not see or acknowledge what God hath done for her nor abase her selfe as meaner then the least mercy of God nor confesse that any step toward conversion is more then the Lord oweth her having her at an infinite advantage by her guilt and so chusing to spend her time in sullen complaints for the measures she wanteth then gracious meltings and praises for any thing she enjoyes whereas the Publican thought it mercy to tread on the earth to looke up to heaven and it is mercy that she is not in hell but under hope and Gods ordinances and patience This is the fruit of pride and doth set back the soul more from profiting then if she could stoop to be at Gods dispose Thirteenthly 13. Ease self-ease or dalliance when the soule through idlenesse hath lost her former diligence and earnestnesse and painfulnesse in using all meanes publique and private for the making of her calling and election sure waxes slacker in her esteeme and in her love and affections as thinking her selfe now past danger and so neglects the seasons intimations of the spirit plies not nor followeth the motions of the assisting and perfecting grace but le ts them wanze as if she could meet with them at her pleasure but by this meanes Satan circumvents afterward and stings her for this confidence and presumption because she is guilty of slighting such grace as she feels to be past her reach to recover and therefore justly suffers for her loosenesse and giddinesse 14. Dulnesse 14. Selfe-dulnesse and deadnesse of spirit in not marking and pondering digesting and applying the truthes we heare and so growing towards ripenesse Heb. 5.10 which sinne makes us not only non-proficients in the doctrine of Christ but also inferior to our selves and farre short of that we might be especially when this disease comes not from naturall disability and unavoidable weakenesse but from affected error as from an heart overmuch implodded in the earth and made heavy by sensuality and carnall ease Luke 21.37 Luke 21.37 15. Foolishnesse Againe Fifteenthly selfe-folly I may better call it selfe hatred when we are not so wise or forward to dispute for the truth and honour of God and his promise as we are to reason against it and our owne soules thereby making a worke not easie of it selfe to be more wearisome and tedious then it need to be whereas rather we should reason the matter seriously betweene God and our souls as in Ierem. 2. vers 9. the Lord biddes us to doe Jer. 2.9 and Esay 1.18 Esay 1.18 and laying the desperatenesse of our misery to the hope of his promise wee should rather wonder that all place of pleading should not be taken from us then cavill against a plaine naked word of God pinned upon our sleeves Those Ninivites when yet they had no cleare promise Jona 3.8 yet reasoned thus who can tell whether Gods fierce anger shall turne away or no They thought it their wisdome rather to catch at a word a farre off then to lie in present misery without hope But self-folly still delights to shut out it selfe by her disputes against God cowardly to shun a possible mercy that it might lie down in remedilesse sorrow This I say must needs be horrible fool-hardinesse rather to perish 16. Slinesse then venture upon a promise of ease and remedy The last of all is selfe subtilty or slinesse whereby the soule secretly withdrawing her selfe from the power of the promise which ought to work all her works for her both preparing and finishing and finding her owne affections of hope sorrow joy desire and the rest very ready to put forth themselves in the work of disposing the soul towards Gods grace and to mixe themselves wi h the word doth welcome and applaud her owne selfe and all her abilities and beginnes to compasse her selfe with her owne sparkles with her owne feelings and with the joyes which come from her owne welwishes to her selfe which having no roote of Christ and his spirit in them but of selfelove
of Simoniacall contraâ—ts for Benefices that such Simony creates a lapse Will any Minister having a living freely offered him by his Patron chuse to contract for money Is he not well worthy to lose his living by lapse The Lord Jesus is offered thee freely by thy Patron of Heaven the Lord Almighty wil nothing then serve thee but Simony to come to it by thy selfe Thou deservest to forfeit him and to be cast out by lapse Thy money O Selfe perish with thee Act. 8. because that thou thinkest by thy price to obtaine such a gift Lo thou hast no fellowship with this businesse I conclude therefore lay not out thy silver for no bread Esay 55.2 nor thy labour for that which profits not eate good things Esay 52. end and let thy soul delight in fatnesse enjoy the fruit of thy travell and refuse no pains to cast nest nest-egge on the dung-hill Trust God upon his bare word for a principle of strength from Gods fountaine which will hold out both Winter and Summer when the Brookes of Tema shall be dried up Cease joyning Selfe with Grace Doe not thinke it so desolate a worke to hang upon a promise except thy selfe have a finger in the worke and feel some warmth from thine owne feathers Bad digestion in the stomacke is not bettered by concoction such as thy root is such the branches will bee and an errour in the foundation will meet thee perpetually in the building so that either all must be puld downe againe which is tedious or else thou must rush forward with an uncomfortable spirit and upbraiding conscience False mixtures are odious to God and hee who forbad the field to bee sowne with two graines or a garment to be made of linnen and wollen meant another thing for what are these to him but abhorred the soile of the soule should be sowne with selfe and Christ and the backe apparelled with Christs robe upon an inward garment of thine owne 2 Cor. 5.5 Thou chusest to be cloathed upon but God will have thee naked for what use is there of covering one that is covered already The mixing of divers heapes of corne together mars both pease or tares are good in their kind if severall but if mixed tares are soile in wheate nay the wheat is marred by them Duties and affections if considered as fruits of Christ and his promise are good things but if they mixe and incorporate then they prove soile and marre all Filch not from God to bestow upon Selfe feed her not with Gods dainties rob not God to satisfie her to nourish up thy base heart against the simplicity of grace begge of the Lord that he would teach thee to discerne copper from gold and to shew thee the face of this Selfe in his glasse to take out of thine heart this slavish base unbeteaming and underbidding nature be affraid lest thou shouldest undergo thy selfe in purchasing the pearle looking more at the one bird in the hand then two in the bush and beeing so pennywise to detaine Gods due price and to keepe selfe with her brats selfe-pettishnesse worldlinesse ease sloth selfe-credit self-will wit and instinct that thou are pound foolish and deprivest thy selfe of a pearle worth both all that thou forgoest with an hundred fold gaine and heaven it selfe at last Hate Selfe for her selfe in point of her enmity and contrariety of Spirit to the Lord Jesus and then her branches will soone wither and lose their sap and life And this may serve for the former branch of this use of Admonition Branch 2 to the godly The second branch of this watchword may reach to the godly themselves who must know that although they have escaped this gulfe in the maine point of beleeving a mercy deserving the thanksgiving of their whole life yet she is not quite expelled from being an inmate and daily pricke and goad in their side while they live a perpetuall Peninnah Selfe a perpetuall enemy to the regenerate Let such then wonder that the Lord should ever bring them out of the endlesse maze of this selfe and give them broken humble and plaine hearts to avoid the thousand turnings and doublings of a base spirit 1 Sam. 1. and to tread the true path of wisdome leading to life Oh! should they say how loath would I be now to hazard my soule upon the successe of former labours how loath would I bee in this barren world and base heart to have the matter put to a venture Oh! I would not for a world be to beginne againe a thousand prayses to him that hath not put my soule to such a perill and not so onely but be warned also to beware lest when this divell cannot deprive us of heaven yet it should defeate us of our other hopes to grow in grace to joy in our possession to live by faith to be sound in our worshipping of God and duties to be fruitfull in graces to serve our time to bear our crosses to persevere in our course to be ready for Gods comming What is it but this wofull inmate that hinders in all these what but this selfe and presuming of our selves causes grace to be so unthrifty and to hang downe the head what but ascribing to our selves in our meanes using makes them so unfruitfull what but our utmost taking of our liberties pleasures ease and denying our selves nothing which hath but the least colour of lawfulnesse causes Christians to be so full of sorrow and repentance what is that which glues us so fast to the creature that we are loath to part with it for peace of conscience or the attaining of heaven loth to die and goe hence what caused Iob so much sorrow save the cure of this disease Job 42.2 to teach him to abhorre himselfe what save Selfe in the creature wedding our selves to our next hand props of children wealth meanes welfare causes the Lord to cut off these members altogether that as in the body which hath a leg or arme cut off the spirits might not goe to that which is dead but that which liveth even from the streame to the fountaine That we may learne by experience if the base creature be so sweet in which so small a dramme of the Lord is what is then the God of the creature worth Why should the Lord afflict the godly with so much sorrow save this that they will not be brought to improve the Lord for his strength to subdue their lusts and corruptions in speciall to make good his promises to be alsufficient in outward blessings to uphold us in our straits But we content our selves in this that we have found him good to us in pardon and reconciliation thinking the danger to be past and our selves free from taking care for the subduing of this wofull Selfe in the course of sanctification I might instance in twenty particulars take it in these two what should so much sting a poore soule
portion never to be taken from her To apply the answer the cause of such staggering is self-love That which you feele to agree with your selves and to come easily pleaseth you too well and causeth you to dwell upon it too long and to withhold you from better things The remedy of your disease must bee to ascribe no more to your selves but to the glory of grace to abase selfe and to exalt mercy to renounce all selfe-reflex from duties and endeavors of your owne because they cannot shed any meritorious bloud to save you and to claspe to that promise which is established upon a satisfaction to justice which though it be out of your selves yet is after a sort made your owne by him that promiseth because faith is his gift and he hath covenanted to give it you for that end and purpose What skils it how little grace you feele within when as he who offereth you mercy onely seeke such as want it that he may have the glory Or what shall it boote you to thinke you have lesse sinne then others when as he who calls you to forgivenesse cares not how great it be so it hinder not your beleeving in him Read this wisely who seekes the superabounding of grace where sinne hath abounded Accept then such grace offered as those in whom nothing dwelleth toward any grace Grace best accepted by such as of themselves are emptiest of it and as if yee had stept no one step toward it more then the vilest publican and sinner have done Be content to gird your selves and serve grace and let not grace attend you as if you had wrong if it be not laid in your laps but come under the banner and authority of it the ends and honour of it It is something that grace runnes in your streame but your staggerings shall never cease till your streame be dried up and turned to runne meerly in Gods streame to be carried both whither how soone how and how farre it shall please him Use all meanes walke so in the way as making use of all incouragements but still looke forward to the price of the high calling of God boast not your selves as if you had put off your harnesse But rather thinke thus if it be so joyfull a message to heare of a pardon how much better were it to sue it out and apply it to my selfe and how wofully should it sting me if any things should come betweene cup and lip to defeat me of it Remember that all preparations of grace serve onely to testifie to the soule that the Lord hath beene at worke not that it should rest in a taste of absent but presse on with unweariednesse to obtaine the fulnesse of a present and enjoyed happinesse and betrust it selfe wholly to his workemanship who would never have begunne if it had not beene in his power and will to finish Stand therefore at his curtesie wholly as disabled in thy selfe to cooperate with him much lesse to have him at the bent of thy bow binde Selfe to the altar with cordes and turne thy active medling spirit into a meere passive and waiting spirit upon the worke of God not as a slave nor as a loyterer but as a self-denyer and one whose strength is to sit still and behold the salvation of God Oh beloved that I could so follow this councell of mine with effectuall prayer to the Lord that through mercy it might become a mean to put to an happy end those endlesse innumerable complaints of staggering consciences to settle them in some tolerable measure with comfort and quietnesse And so much may also serve for this third and last Branch of instruction Vse 4 The fourth use of this point may be examination of your selves concerning this secret sinne of Selfe Examination I say not the being of it for hee that would be rid of it must goe out of the world but the raigning and defiling and deceiving power of it to keepe the soule from Christ I need not be large in this I have prevented my selfe already in all which I have said before to describe this theefe by his markes But what shall it profit you brethren to say they are laid down in the opening of the doctrine if ye let them lie there apply none of them to your selves to find out your owne let What shall it availe that I have told you what grosse Selfe is and what this secret and wyredrawne Selfe is To have shewed you many instances of it The steppes and degrees of it The carriage of it both in the ground the proceeding and the scope of it The reasons of it both from the cursed nature of Selfe the curse of God and Satans advantage What good will it doe you to heare the danger of it described by the naturalnesse subtilty closenesse violence of it If none of all these will stirre ye up to cry out and aske Am I the man O Lord or with Rebecca feeling her twins to stirre within her to goe to God for counsell Alas brethren To this end all serves else all is as water running over in a full vessell some of yee perhaps will say there is so much said of this that it fills your head so that ye know not where to beginne I answer If it be so much it may make some amends for the little or nothing which most men will speake of it and oh that it might occasion others to speake more But to answer you I say take any one of these and trie your selves by it especially cull out such instances and markes as you thinke sort best with your condition let not plenty make you barren Who knoweth what is in the spirit of man save the Lord and it selfe Or rather the Lord searching the heart by his owne Spirit Jerem. 17. and teaching it to dive into the depth and secrets of sinne Selfe requireth good and deepe searchâ—ng Who can judge whether it be grosse Selfe or privy and subtill Selfe which pesters the soule and disables the promise Who knowes whether ease or pride feare or presumption conceit or error and ignorance hinder most Try therefore thy selfe knowest thou not that Selfe must stoope if Christ enter doe not thinke that because here thou maiest finde some markes of this else therefore by and by thou hast snatcht him no no thousands who know their diseases carry them under their privy garments as running sores till they destroy them especially remember if Selfe bee so deepe an evill so naturall a twinne eating laughing and living in thy bosome with such familiarity and bewitching what save the infinite wisedome and power of God can worke the discovery or resolvednesse of heart to cast it out Therefore not to urge any thing already urged in speciall I doe onely in generall urge thee to make use of what hath beene said already of this mischiefe Goe aside hide thy selfe in thy chamber Esay 26. powre out thine heart to
doubtfull hearts and the Lord will not bee wanting to give you now and then such handsells of mercy as are meete to stay you and to assure you of better measures afterward But say the truth is there not within you a secret loathnesse to give up your owne bottome hopes and hold to the meere freedome of eternall mercy Or have you not kept a false measure within you that is to mixe your selves with mercy being loath to deny your selves your feelings zeale labours and devotions Have you cast these out and come under the power and authority of the Word I feare there is such a pad in the straw If there be not it is some sin against conscience which hath wasted you which must be abhorred but if it be as I have said alas poor soules then wonder not that God hath crossed you for it is for good even to fasten you to himselfe and above all meanes to acquaint you with his owne power who in the midst of these distempers of yours can forgive you can imbrace you with mercy and finde in his heart to love you even then when perhaps you could bite your tongues because you are so bad and this if you can beleeve it will carry meate in the mouth when all your own mixtures must vanish Try your selves by this marke whether the Spirit of Grace have so wildred you in the best and most pleasing waies of your own Esay 26. till he have driven you into your chambers to hide your selves there under the secret of the Almighty under that free infinite full covert of the promise till the evill be overpast Tell me brethren when you can feed and revive your spirits at this feast and warme your selves at this fire is it not high holy-day with you Finde you not a difference betweene this and your owne sparkes Bee content then resigne up your soules to this worke and say the Lord hath done you no wrong to weane you from your owne breasts that you might suck at his promises Seventhly and lastly the Spirit of Grace opposeth Selfe in all her errors and subtilties For the former Selfe is a great blinder of the eyes and causes the soule to sleep in a whole skin she doth so baffle her selfe with her owne shewes and forwardnesse that shee doubts not but her estate is good She saith with Iehu 2 Kings 9. Come and see the zeale which I have for the Lord of Hosts But the Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of discerning between errour and truth it seperates between the pretious and the vile gives clearnesse to the eyes of the simple Psal 19. causing them to judge according to the grounds of the word which cannot deceive to distrust her owne conjecturall and slight bottomes Truth is able to approve both her selfe and her contrary whereas error can comprehend neither truth nor her owne vanity And secondly she discovers those subtilties of Selfe It were endlesse to mention them by a few judge of the rest Sometime she is so slye that when her affections and duties forsake her she can recover her selfe by her whinings complaints and mutterings against her selfe as if she mourned because she attaines no better fruit of her labours Sometimes she will pretend that she desires grace really and is willing to be searched and that shee knowes not that evill which she would not gladly be rid of that she might attaine it But yet she deceives herselfe with dead wishes and will not ensue those meanes closely which tend thereto nor profit by the experience of her owne basenesse but her experience leaves her dead in the nest as it found her and she will not endure the triall nor set one foot forward to remove the stumbling-blocke of her iniquity from before her Ezek. 14. and her Idols from between her brest Therein she is as she was Againe a third subtilty is that she will spare her owne lazy skin and cut her selfe off from those more convincing ordinances and more pertinent and seasonable meanes for her owne good by putting herselfe upon such as are lawfull and good in their kinde as to avoid close attendance to reading of the word by singing of a Psalme also prayer by reading a Chapter instead of secret and private prayer she will chuse to pray with others or in family or upon a booke instead of extraordinary duties shee will content herselfe with her ordinary houres and all to shew that shee is glad to put off the Lord and save herselfe harmelesse with as small a pittance and as poore measures of spirit and courage as may be And commonly when Selfe pitches upon her course this is her property she is loose with God in the best meanes Againe she will so contrive her matters that for the shifting of some close duty of worship as meditation searching her corruptions repenting after falls or renewing covenant she will alway finde some occurrent or other duty of calling conversing with others needlesly or by some worke of mercy and duty of the second Table or any other fained pretence to rid herselfe of that which would stick to her spirit and discover her loose grounds Sometime which I would have marked when she is so hunted that she cannot shelter herselfe and is pressed to leave all for a promise she will turne presumptuous and professe that she hath cast herselfe upon that also and thereby hath put an end to all her former distempers purposing to cast about and fling out no more but settle herselfe upon the truth of God But alas this her fained cleaving to the word is nothing else save a dead relyance perhaps shee quashes her former feares and doubts But how Surely by a lazy and slothfull pretence of beleeving that she might be free from any callings upon reproofes or paines taking and delude her selfe with ease for why Come to the triall of her confidence alas it is without savor peace contentation or joy of heart saplesse barren and ventrous dissembling a selfe-deniall and calmnesse of heart but indeed a lethargy of the spirit willing to deceive herselfe No true desire to honour God in the fruit of a sound course or to purge out old distempers can appeare I say all the subtill and sly tricks of selfe-delusion the Spirit of Grace pierceth into and purgeth the soule of for looke what I have said of a few might be said of all the rest Although I deny not but many a poor soule hath some secret shreds of Selfe lying hid and unknowne yet I say the nature of the Spirit is to discover them if the soule be not wanting thereto And this be said touching the former generall head of the Spirits opposing Selfe Second generall How the Spirit of grace that it serves wholly for Grace In three things 1. In discovering the mystery of it Now for the second generall a second marke of the Spirit of Grace is That it serves wholly for Grace And that both in the
an union with him and all his graces Faith in the promise of the ordinance will as well give thee a spirituall savour in Christ sacramentall as ever it did in thy reconciliation Both being planted upon a word of God whereto the Sacrament is an inseperable and sure seale Let carnall reason judge of a Sacrament and what will it make of it A peece of bread a cup of wine She beleeves no more then she sees What wonder A man may draw water out of a deepe well without a bucket as easily as a carnall man can gather sap or savour out of the Sacrament except Christ be his wisdome and righteousnesse Spiritualnesse in the first promise tasted by faith gives a relish to the soule in all other parts of the word And so I might speake of each part of sanctification Faith onely can get a spiritualnesse out of each promise of God to purge the soule of her corruptions To guide her in her way To answer her doubts her feares her objections To support her in her crosses and straits To season her blessings and to preserve her unblameable untill the day of her salvation A carnall man savours no more of these then a dog savours a chip for he wants that whereby such priviledges are spiritually revealed Shee harkens not to the word as the Pilot neglected Paul Act. 27. But Paul had the revealing of the safety of the ship which the Pilot wanted and therefore slighted the Pilots judgement farre more then he could doe Pauls Sixthly I exhort thee to savour spirituall things Savour spirituall things and to be able to prove thou dost so and that thou art made truly wise for spiritualnesse Quest How may I prove it Answ By these few markes First such Sermons Ordinances Ministeries as savour most of spirit and life affect and ensue such as savour of flesh and basenesse forme and carnall reason reject and detest Read and heare the word with seeking out the true scope and true savour thereof prying into it as the Cherubins into the mercy seat not resting in the barke and surface Blesse God for any wisdome to weigh and judge aright of holy things and their difference cleave to a spirituall worship of God and abhorre a carnall serving of God Heare the word with humility faith attention obedience for to the humble and trembling at his word God reveales wisdome Psal 25. Esay 28. Prepare thy selfe reverently to the sacraments with faith repentance love and hunger whatsoever savours of flesh as pride pompe ease self-ends world pampering of the body suspect it not to be from God Learne with Paul 2 Cor. 5. to accept Christ according to spirituall not carnall respects It is death to the spirit to be carnall or the flesh to be spirituall but to the spirit it is life Rom. 8. Secondly love simplicity It is a companion of spiritualnesse 2. Love simplicity get the one and the other will follow Affect not a subtill overreaching close and worldly-wise conversation It will justly cause Gods people to suspect thee Let not a double winding shifting heart and practice be found in thee either to God or man-ward Wisdome I dislike not seasoned with grace and meekenesse but carnall and politique wisdome of the world abhorre we are called Protestants Professors bee not ashamed to be according to our name let us be without welt or gard not bordering upon defence of evill or cavilling against the reproofes of the word Be not simple onely in point of Religion but also among the Religious Be not ashamed of God or of Gods faithfull ones for their meannesse Better is he that walketh in his simplicity then he that perverts his way and is a foole Condescend to meane things Rom. 12. Gods pretious ones come out of cottages yea sometime caves and dens of the earth Thirdly labour for heavenly mindednesse Phil. 3. Col. 3.2 3. Labour for heavenly mindednesse Our conversation is in heaven Let your affections be above where Christ sitteth Resurrection of the soule with Christ and an holy activenesse of spirit with fruitfulnesse is a steppe to the soules ascension with Christ and converse with God This world full of carnall occurrences of profits pleasures companies earthly courses and delights will make the most savoury Christian forget himselfe without great grace Be armed therefore against this temptation Know these things well and behold them aright they are nothing happinesse is not in them they promise but keep not touch use them therefore as if thou usedst them not as wings upward not as clogs let them be as water and grace as oyle which will swimme aloft passe through them as that fresh river is said to goe through the salt sea without taste or brackishnesse If grace bee chiefe shee will be a true moderator betweene these things and the world but if the world be chiefe shee will so bribe and bewitch thee that the best things will lose all savour and welcome in a short time 4. Preferre the words verdit Fourthly heare the word before the judgement of reason in all the promises and governments of God personall or publique Censure not God as unrighteous It came from God that Absolon should preferre the judgement of Hushi that he might overthrow both him and Achitophell Say of carnall reason as he did the judgement of it is not good in case And when Achitophell hath counselled then call for Hushi and say I dare not trust carnall reason Is there never a Prophet of the Lord Baals Priest are too pleasing to be faithfull in this case So much for spiritualnesse 5. Be wise in all thy course Lastly bee wise in thy whole course Quest How shall I try it Answ If first thou have the properties of a man truly wise As first to chuse the one thing necessary To discerne betweene things that differ To be ready for the hardest To make safe thy retreat Secondly true wisdome is planted in Gods feare Eccles last Deut. 4.6 Thirdly shunne the waies of error to discerne betweene the way of the foole and the wise Col. 1.9 Fourthly practise wisdome both in deliberation for God and in determination Psal 119.57 More fully be wise for thy soule and selfe Matth. 6.23 Redeeming the time Ephes 5.18 Project and plot savourly seasonably and wisely for God and his glory and ends Rom. 8. Savour the things of God and be wise for God are all one in the Greeke word Use all watchfulnesse against all enemies especially spirituall Marke 13.34 Meddle with our owne businesse finding still enough to doe at home 1 Thess 4.12 2 Thess 3.10 else we be inordinate and busiebodies as Peter Joh. 21.21 Be sure in all cases of doubt to cleave to things holy pure of good report Phil. 4.8 A comprehensive rule Of two morall evills chuse not the lesse but abhorre both Of two evills the one of sinne the other of sorrow chuse the latter though great rather then the former though lesse Rom.
best grounded yet alas have many feares are very much unsettled and have never done in the proving of them to be sound Answ I answer They who stagger about their grounds may be to seeke and so remaine doubtfull But yet by their studious enquiry and serious deliberating at last they come to determine whereas the prophane carelesse and Atheisticall never are troubled at all and therefore remaine in their wofull condition Psal 17. And whereas some of them as Iob and the Psalmist speaks seeme to die in peace yet that peace is accursed for though they force to themselves a wilfull peace there is none to them they goe downe to the pit with such peace as a drunken prisoner goes to execution Esay 57. ult But this doth not infringe the doctrine because although some live and dye lawlesse and senslesse yet the case of the greater sort is otherwise They rush without due consideration upon their maters and accordingly meet with sorrow and repentance onely the godly who fix their eies upon Gods stable bottomes provide best for themselves hee that walketh soundly walketh safely and although through unbeleefe Esay 26.2 weaknesse or temptation they are often appalled it is to teach them to cleave better to their grounds But ordinarily they walke by rule and finde peace when trouble befalls them it comes not by their closing with but by warping from their rule and when they recover their grounds they recover their peace So much for answer to this objection Now the uses follow First Instruction to teach us the wonderfull Vse 1 wisdome of the art of Godlinesse Instruction Râ—ligion is grounded upon most solid foundations It is grounded upon most weighty and materiall bottomes No man would suppose the Lord to be so infinitely wise as he is till he set himselfe seriously to try his conclusions Few men thinke there is any great matter in living by faith in shunning appearences of evill in cleaving to the company of the good in pitching the soule upon a truth of a promise threat or command But by that time they feele the sad fruit of their errors then they grow to looke backe and behold a most hidden excellencie in Gods principles when their peace is lost and themselves cast upon hideous sorrowes then they beginne to applaude them that goe to worke by knowledge and discerning of things that differ as Scholars never grow in love with an Artists principles till they have examined them and finde out their exactnesse then they behold the misery of an inartificiall and ungrounded course of study So is it here Art hath no enemies save idiots no more hath Religion Secondly it teaches us It is a singular favour of God to any when they are bottomed soundly how great a favour of God it is to any beginner Branch 2 in Christianity when as the Lord prevents them with wisdome in grounding themselves throughly both in point of faith and conversation Who can expresse the depth and height of that mercy which hath prevented so much sorrow Let it but appeare in this one principle That a poore soule though it have but a poore measure of grace yet is taught of God to deny herselfe and to captivate herselfe to the truth of the word not daring to goe on the right hand or left to the contrary Why This is in a sort the comprehension of all other graces the Lord herein hath laid a ground of many prevented a world of misery at once Look back into thy life past and aske who hath thus led me as a Shepherd leads his sheepe through a wildernesse Oh! Esay 63.14 the helpe of some one principle is as much as a mans soule is worth What a mercy then is it to be led on by knowledge in all our course To shunne all the snares of death Oh! be thankefull and say It is not my carnall wit Lord it is thy lore and word which hath made me wise to frame my course so that I doe now esteeme welfare not to stand in wealth or favour of men but in the losse of all these yea although persecution and the crosse should betide me for thy truth and name yet so long as conscience and peace abide and I am privy to it that thou hast lost no honour by me I count my state happy Looke upon the snares which the proud ambitious covetous flatterers and servers of the time pull upon themselves and then judge whether it be not a favour to be kept by a principle of truth from such sorrow and repentance The world boasts of her many tricks and policies but thy one is worth them all and shall preserve thee when they with all their inventions shall bee intercepted Vse 2 Secondly let it be use of Admonition to all that desire to see good dayes and a quiet life Admonition Be well grounded upon the unchangeable principles of truth 1 King 13. to ground themselves carefully upon the principles of God and to eschew all false waies and inventions Be earnest with God to remove far from thee all waies of error and to turn thee out of all crosse paths of deceit Remember still one error in the ground produces infinite many dangers in the sequell Rehoboam had better have given halfe his Kingdome then to have split himselfe so irrecoverably upon the rocke of his ill counsellers What sorrow did it worke him all his dayes Stript him of three parts of his Subjects at once What a misery did one error create to Saul to wit his owne carnall wisdome 1 Sam. 13. 15. rejecting Samuels charge What one quiet day had hee thirty yeares after in all his whole life but perpetuall vexation till he was faine to consult with a witch and to fall upon his owne sword Nay consider what Gods owne deare servants have purchased to themselves by one error and tricke put upon them by Satan As Davids lust what a world of sorrow did it procure So let it warne us to abhorre the incurring of such a premunire with God by embracing any principle of error or vanity as being once bred in the bone will never out of the flesh Beware we either of instilling or of drinking in any base error into any or from any of speciall note for parts learning or authority Let such as are men of place whose example if bad would like poyson pierce into the bowells of silly ignorant ones I say let such looke to themselves lest after in hell they cry out of them and say woe bee to such examples had not their authority beene stronger with me to draw me to formality to ambition to pleasures and lusts then the word to disswade I had never come here Beware of such offences Woe be to the world because of offences Matth. 18.7 both in laying blocks and stumbling at blocks It is just with God that one should destroy the other because neither cared for the truth nor to be principled upon
in three things First in their reverence Secondly their mercy and tendernesse Thirdly thir seasonablenesse The attempt it selfe followeth wherein with their advising him to obey they secretly taxe his selfe-love The third generall containes the inducements whereby they perswade as first the easinesse to obey the second from his love and respect to the Prophet the third from the Prophets integrity the fourth from comparison of the greater to the lesse All the which points what they containe in them we shall God willing as they come to hand propound open and enlarge so farre as our weaknesse through his grace shall permit us 1. Point of coherence handled Not to repeat any thing then of former things let us come to the first of the two generalls that is the coherence In which two particulars are contained The former is how different Naamans case is in this verse from that wherein the former presents him to us The point will better arise when we have opened it Opening of the point as the text affords it For hitherto especially in the two verses before we have seen Naaman very unhappy in his proceeding First in his wrong assaying of the King of Israel Secondly in his bootlesse attendance at the doore of Elisha Thirdly In his rejecting the message wherein both the way and the successe of his cure was tendred unto him In speciall we have seene the prejudice of his owne heart preventing all taste and liking of the message Then we have seene his carnall shifts wherein he hath taken pleasure for the confirming of himselfe in his error Lastly we have seene him fall to play the foole and mad man wallowing in his bloud and foaming out his owne shame in pride and rage All which laid together present unto us a man wholly wedded to himselfe and foole-hardy to get out of those armes of mercy which had offered themselves to him for better ends then he would acknowledge fighting and struggling against that good which yet himselfe pretended to seeke And now who is there that lookes with no other then a mans eie beholding Naaman in this pickle and misery but would be ready to passe sentence upon him and give him as gone who is there that seeing one deadly sicke tumbling in his bed without ease and throwing the potion in the Physitians face or against the walles would not say this man is but a dead man he is past cure Even so is it here with Naaman If God were as man or as willing to turne away in a rage from man as man is from God how should he chuse but perish But here is the wonder Naamans cavilling against mercy provokes mercy to so much the more pitty his winding and wrestling with Gods armes to get out drawes these armes closer together to enclose him in them If God were as man then were man forlorne And now between cup and lip in this narrow necke of despaire mercy comes in and disputes for him who disputed against it selfe saying poore wretch whither wouldest thou goe from this mercy offered thee I see better then thou that to yeeld to thy will were to leave thee to sorrow but when all is done mercy must heale thee and therefore call thy selfe to better consideration Let all thy rebellions become as so many shamings and tamings of thee for thy folly humble thy selfe so much the more deeply by how much the more thou hast disguised thy selfe and let thy sinne be thy sorrow Lo here I reach out cords unto thee of perswasion made of many twists the counsell of thy servants about thee whom I have made wiser then thy selfe that thou mightest come a little lower in thine own sight and at last become a fool that thou mightest be wise And to conclude I have put strength into their counsell and perswasion into their arguments and authority into their obedience Lay hold therefore of this my strength make peace and recover health and cure of soule and body from the disease of the one and distemper of the other and goe to Jorden wash and be cleane This mercifull assistance the Lord through this verse holds forth to Naaman And what comes all this unto Surely to this issue That looke whom the Lord hath once cast love upon according to his good pleasure and the purpose of calling home the same Lord will so fasten upon and hold close to himselfe whatsoever outward discouragements inward oppositions and resistances come in the way to hinder it till by the irresistible might of his power he have brought them on shore past all danger Let the first point then be this whom God hath begunne with in preventing Doct. 1 grace he will proceed with by assisting grace Whom God hath graciously prevented he will also assist powerfully to proceed till the worke of grace be perfected Let us see some texts and some reasons of it and so come to the use First for reasons in a word the maine is that God knoweth who are his by their names And hee will not lose his owne worke he will adde to that which he hath done rather then undoe it by detracting from it All his workes are perfect hee leaves nothing by halfes that were to dishonour himself Goe no further then Naamans example here God had already prevented him and brought him fairely towards both cure and conversion Now if he had left him in the briars of his owne difficulties and suffered the prevention to come to nothing what a crossing should this have beene to his ends He who prevents that he might assist will not faile of his purpose Moses tells the Lord Deut. 9.28 that if he ceased now to goe with his people the heathens would blaspheme his name and say It was because he could not bring him through the vast wildernesse and so the glory of his prevention had been lost God then having foreknowledge power wisdome and faithfulnesse enough to serve his own glorious ends how absurd were it to think that any thing could crosse them either from without or from within no enemy no danger shall hinder the assistance of grace from that soule which hath beene prevented once thereby Other reasons will appeare in the answer of a question by and by Briefly then for Scriptures Compare first Exod. 5.21 with 6.1 Proofes of the Doctrine Exod. 5.21 and 12.31 The Lord meant the deliverance of Israel both outward and spirituall by the hand of Moses He had already and long prevented them by the glad tidings thereof and the expectation of it But so it fell out that in the attempt thereof matters went very crosse and awry as appeares by the text for notwithstanding the oft assayes of Pharaoh yet he held them off with delayes and the plagues being staid the bondage continued his heart hardned more and he would not let them goe Nay more those very instruments in whom next to God their confidence was Moses and Aaron rather occasioned their greater misery
of God Thinke with thy selfe is this a lesse priviledge then the former Are all that are Gods people partakers of this grace Are they preserved by the power of faith to salvation without snares wounds and breach of their peace is this so common and thankelesse a favour to be carried as the Arke above mountaines so above the floods of great waters that they should not come neare us Behold the Saints in Scripture Gen. 7. Psal 32.5.6 how few escaped the trialls of their sincerity in a safe manner How many of them lost their peace wasted their conscience by drunkennesse uncleannesse intemperate passions pride the world disguised and at last comming to their grave with sorrow Witnesse David Salomon Asa Hezekia Ionah Peter others Behold the times in which we live Doe wee finde it so common a grace that those whom we have esteemed of well for uprightnesse and zeale to the Gospel still hold their beauty Doe they not beginne to change colour and wax pale and wanne Doe they not stagger temporize and grow common in their communion with all sorts in their affections to the truth to the power of godlinesse Is it not hard to finde one who may be trusted Oh then if God have kept thee close from the error of the wicked that thou mightest not be pulled from thy stedfastnesse nor wanze in thy first love count it a peculiar unspeakeable mercy Againe dost thou see the most professors to keepe from revolts Is not the world full of offences of such as gave their names to Christ Whence then are so frequent scandales of such as are fallen to uncleannesse in all corners and so to other reproachfull sins Art not thou one of them Hath the Lord hitherto holpen thee as Samuel saith Blesse him and wonder Oh Lord thou who gavest Paul the lives of all that were in the ship with him and notwithstanding all tempests and fears of shipwrack broughtest them all safe to land Thou hast graciously given my soule to the Lord Jesus put me into his ship kept me hitherto from sinking being cast away upon the rocks sands shelfes of this wofull sea in which I am tossed Even so O Father because thou hast promised else I had beene cast away a thousand times by temptation by offences by my corruptions But as nothing could intercept the Lord Jesus till his worke was done when they had beene on the toppe of the hill to throw him downe headlong Esay suddenly he passed through them without hurt fire could not burne water could not drowne him Divell could not tempt to prevaile nothing could hinder but he passed through all reports wrongs persecutions feares till he had fulfilled his course rose againe from death and conquered it And why Hee walked under the banner of his fathers protection Even so it hath pleased thee O Lord to fence and fortifie my poore soule that neither my desertions when I thought my selfe cast off and in despaire through unbeleefe nor the dint of my afflictions when as yet the arrowes of God dipt in venome stucke in me nor the malice of enemies nor the fiery darts of Satan piercing me by my lusts could ever wholly divorce me from thee Oh! how many thousands have fallen on my right hand and as many on my left since I beganne Men of like age birth and education of better parts and endowments then I and yet mercy hath kept mee hitherto nay Naaman was never so sullen and froward with the Prophet and with Jorden as I have beene wayward with God sometime weary of his crosses cavilling against his governement both in generall and speciall ready to leave his worke to renounce his Sabbaths Sacraments Promises and all because I could not see how God performed them to me when I have beene oppressed with Selfe and a dead saplesse and savourlesse heart ready to give the Lord and his trade quite over yet he hath revived me and not suffered me to revolt quite from him by all these still by the power of poore faith he hath kept mee to salvation he hath delivered doth and will deliver me still if I can waite Oh! wonder at this grace of his and let the first linke of vocation be a warrant to thee that the linke of justification sanctification and redemption shall never be broken but he that brought thee through so many unlikelyhoods to beleeve can and will now much more bring thee through as great oppositions to persevere enjoy thy priviledge stand at gaze and boast onely of the Lord. Thus much for the use of instruction Lastly let this doctrine be an incouragement to all feeble and fearfull Vse 2 soules who think they shall never wade out of their distrust Encouragement to all feeble and fearfull ones ignorance of Gods way their deepe pride Selfe rebellion and hypocrisie they behold these corruptions by which Satan holds possession as by Forts and Bulwarks as evident markes of their perishing one day and that they are so strong that they will master grace and deprive them finally of hope But poore soule stay a while doe not so hardly sentence thy soule Looke here upon a poore Pagan out of covenant an alien from God behold how freely God prevented him at first when he sought him not how graciously he assisted him and that when he was past all sense of it deepe in the sence of the contrary One I say that had no promise meerly an hangby to the visible Church save that he was supported by an invisible bounty of unspeakeable goodnesse and yet lo when he was at the saddest point and the lowest ebbe of dispaire suddenly as if this were Gods season to breake his heart and to win him to himselfe all hope of good successe being past there appeares a change of his wretched condition into an happy secret mercy had first marked him out for God and the same still waited on him not suffering him to slippe away and depart from welfare Hath God done this in the green tree and shall not he doe it in the dry Hast thou O poore soule either deeper distempers then Naaman had or sadder affronts then he within or without Canst not thou take courage to thy selfe by a promise when hee found mercy without one What is it then that causeth thee to be so heavy In the following points I shall speake further to thee onely here let me say this If thou canst prove that God hath once savingly prevented thee whereof upon the ninth verse I have at large spoken I can prove hee will not forsake thee he will not lose any one stroke of worke upon thee but will assist it and in time perfect it Sure I am thou canst not feel thy spirit deader or further off then did Naaman thou canst not be further out of Gods precinct then he was and yet the Lord beyond hope turned all to as happy an issue as the premises seemed uncomfortable Take thou like courage unto thy selfe All thy
shopkeepers let not your servants behold in you a spirit of covetousnesse to obtrude bad wares for good to belye their goodnesse to sell for too great prises false weights scant measures Such scurffe will soke into them as water into the bowells and fret like a canker The Divells market is so full as it is by this tradition and exchange from Master to servant This is not to be a father but a traitor for a three penny commodity to betray a soule to hell and the whiles to the like practise Such straked roddes laid before sheepe will cause them to bring forth spotted lambes How many on the gallowes and more in hell roare and cry out upon such Masters Thy life shall goe for his and he in hell groanes for thee to follow without speciall mercy and repentance so much for this Impose lawfull commands in measure Fourthly in the obeying of such commands as are lawfull and currant yet impose not tyranny in the measure thereof both in the former and in this latter servants may bee overloaden When Masters care not what excesse of toile and moile servants undergoe and that out of season beyond strength without due rest sleepe or intermission they shew themselves no fathers for fathers pitty their children but oppressors Thy servant is for thee to use not tire or teare out Thou must not take both fleece and flesh too So when that is laid upon the yong and ungrowne in either sexe which belongs to stronger armes and shoulders to lift or when a taske is imposed which exceeds the skill or experience of a servant it is an exaction an overdriving of them more fit for Egyptian taske Masters then Christian governours Take the servant in his way and element it is best both for thee and him So also let thy spirit be sweet and easie toward him in his moderate labours else thou wert better lay on more work For the spirit of a Master if insulting taunting chiding upbraiding is more heavy and contrary to the spirit of an underling then worke is to the body A servant would not care what hee did for his Master so he might have peace and quietnesse But a tyrannous spirit and wrathfull tongue with implacablenesse is a continuall wearinesse and dropping to a poore creature A loving interpretation a tender compassionate heart acknowledging with content the diligence of an inferiour is as marrow to the bones Thou couldest not abide a froward currish spirit a dogged servant answering againe crosse and disquieting of thee Take heed then thou measure out to him by the same rule whereby thou wouldest have him measure out unto thee Awe him and rule him spare not and correct errors yet with a fatherly heart and hand 1 King 13. but play not the Rehoboam to his subjects who cared not what measure he laid on nor feared what they could requite him withall His little fingers should be heavier then his fathers loynes but his fathers twelve tribes turned to become his two tribes and so the mends was in his owne hands Encourage him sometime Fifthly if thou see thy servant extend and inlarge himselfe for thy content beyond ordinary conceale not his labour of love for it is love and bounty of affection which causes him so to expresse himself Else he would shrinke in and restraine himselfe Doe not therefore Nabal like look another way and reject it but see it encourage and accept it as thou wouldest have Christ doe thine Sometime a little liberty of honest exemption refreshing his wearinesse or a little overplus a teston or a shillings requitall will do more then all violence Somewhat hath some savour and what a servant wouldest thou bee to God if thou hadst all commands and no encouragements Sixtly Yeeld him all due protection and shelter the Lord requires thy fatherly protection to shield and safeguard thy servant while he is in thy businesse that none molest wrong or discourage him The Lord promises to uphold us while we walke in his way So must we under God protect such as commit themselves to our shelter Much more then oughtest thou to shew thy self a father and friend in troubles and vexations by enemies who pursue him in his estate or otherwise Most of all if the Lord lay his hand upon him either in minde or body Most Masters if they finde that their servants grow sad and sorrowfull in spirit and loaden in conscience abandon them presently and are loath to endure the trouble or to beare the losse of some little time of hearing the word consulting with the Minister whereas rather they should be meanes to provide counsell for them So for body if a servant be hurt brused or lamed in our businesse or if otherwise the hand of God be upon them not to leave them to themselves but to fellow-feele their affliction to be afflicted with them and helpe to beare some of the burthen which they undergoe God tries thee in such a case whether thou wilt take all his service but shake off all burden Seventhly Carry an equall impartiall hand carry an equall hand betweene thy servants who deserve well It is a maine duty of the Master to regard those most that deserve best for that will provoke the honest to emulation and shake off the bad altogether But among the equally well deserving let not an unequall streame of affection be carryed and all kindnesses goe to one as a favorite and nothing to others for that will breed heart burning and ill will both against the Master and amongst themselves and much impeach thy wisdome and government Eightly as thou must doe for them while they are under thee Respect them at departure breeding in them the knowledge and skill in thy trade and the experience which thou canst afford them so at their departure after long and weary service with thee doe for them as their occasions require of thee The Jew though he were sold as a slave for his time yet at his dismission was to have a gratuity paid him to beginne the hard world withall either by lending him somewhat for a time to occupy or to helpe him in his marriage or by commending him to some better service or yeelding him any such countenance or testimony as may advantage him The worlds cry is no penny no Pater noster if once worke be done let him looke us no more in the face But the weldeserving require another carriage Thy servant hath spent his best time with thee therefore it were harsh altogether to neglect him in his decaying time Let thy counsell and aide be ready for him if he desire it in token thou lookest at his deserts as much as thine owne ends And so much for directions Which if they were duly practised how would they winne and draw the hearts of servants to their Masters What burthen would they refuse for such As the old men told Rehoboam If thou shalt speake kindely to these people they will be
the old and new Testament For tell me why hath God so furnished his word with such stories of his power and greatnesse transcending our reason and our thoughts as much as the heavens doe the earth Esay 55.8 but that our soules might be filled with his excellency And thinke nothing too hard for such a God to doe If he have dried up the sea Jorden stopped mouthes of Lions raised up the dead and fed six hundred thousand men and women without corne or flesh of beasts made water gush twice out of a rocke give a woman of ninety years old power to conceive c. doth he not deserve to be set up above carnall reason Doth he not deserve at our hands more then a faint fulsome grant with Martha thou canst doe all things Doth he not deserve a peculiar faith for this and for that for raising this dead man now at this time For quickning this dead heart at this instant by this Sermon For softning this hard heart For converting this soule to God Oh! how justly reproveable must such a villany needs bee And surely this let me adde if it be so base an evill in respect of the dishonour to God must it needs bee so in respect of the mischiefe which it causes unto our selves Did ever any man hate his owne selfe doth he not love and cherish his owne flesh What an unnaturall evill then is this which chuseth rather here with Naaman to perish with the holding of a carnall will and conceit then by denying it and clasping to the word to be happy for ever Sure that which is so derogatory to God and so unnaturall to our selves must needs deserve sharpe reproofe Fourthly it must needs be a reproveable evill which doth so desperately Reason 4 trench upon all the Attributes of God Power Truth Mercy Justice Providence and Alsufficiency Which questions all cavills against all so that the doctrine before handled viz. That carnall reason is a maine enemy to all the matters of revealed truths is a full reason of this doctrine that it is justly reproveable Other sinnes seeme to undoe the acts of God as his morall commands But this undoes the Lord himselfe in a sort in those things wherein God is himselfe so that either God must not be God a promise must not be a promise Christ must be no Christ no satisfaction no redemption or else carnall sense must perish Both in strict tearmes cannot stand together God hath testified himselfe in his word admirable in this one attribute viz. Providence for his Churches good in the greatest straits Who reading the strange passages of that one deliverance in Esters time Esters story how God concurred just with each circumstance of time of occasion as then to cause the Kings sleepe to depart when Mordecai was in greatest perill and reproach Then when the banquet was prepared that all other opportunities should bee fore laid to oppresse Haman and to exalt Mordecai If a man would compile a story according to his owne wish for the demonstration of Providence could hee frame a more punctuall one Read Ezra's story Daniels Iosephs doth not a naked hand of God appear in them And yet carnall reason would say That if there were windowes in heaven God could not now save his Church as hee hath done in their times in Elija's Elisha's and others What is this but to limit the holy one of Israel to our owne measure of working And so I may say of all other his Attributes Nay carnall reason is such a deepe gulfe as is able to swallow downe the greatest evidence that ever God gave to the world of himselfe both his Godhead and Attributes which is the sending of the Lord Jesus in the flesh into the world to walke live suffer and dye for the salvation of the Elect What can so secure the soule of the truth of Gods nature persons and realnesse in all his promises as this to cause the eternall God to be personally one with our mortall flesh Might not the holy Ghost Heb. 1.1.2 say That this way of God hath greater demonstration in it to stablish a beleeving soule then all that ever were besides And yet what use makes carnall reason hereof Doth it not turne all to a meere story without any ground-worke of faith or perswasion We thinke that the exhibiting of Christ concerned the Jewes who saw him and if wee had lived with him as they we should have abhorred to distrust him as they Why Did not God give them full assurance of himselfe by his Sonne Read Act. 17.38 Had not they as cleere proofes out of the Prophets that he was and none save he could bee the Messia and yet their carnall reason did so abhorre him to be their Messia that they hated him to the death Justly then may I conclude that this sinne is a reproveable one So much also for reasons I proceed now to the Use If this evill be so reproveable it is pitty it Vse 1 should want her due and escape terror or reproofe Terror to sundry The first Neuters Atheists and Epicures and ignorant ones reproved Pitty that any should justifie the wicked against God! Let them therefore come in the dint of this reproofe who are grossest in this kinde Neuters and Atheists who if they do not obstinate their spirits to thinke of all Gods matters and the frame of Religion according to their carnall sence yet are as deeply careles of rejecting and bearing it down by the stream of the word as Gallio was carelesse of the Apostles and their opposites How many are there who like them in Peter mocke at the Scriptures threats and terrors of it 2 Pet. 3. saying Where is the promise of his comming Lo all things are still as they were wont to be the times seasons affaires of men and course of the world therefore wee thinke the world will endure alway Oh ye Atheists One yeare with God is as a thousand and a thousand are as one day Do ye judge the comming of Christ by that which befalls in the space of forty or fifty yeares of one mortall life Doe not all things decay and cannot the Lord shake the powers of heaven and restraine the influence of the upper bodies from the lower at his pleasure But of this saith Peter they make themselves wilfully ignorant that all things were made of nothing and shall returne to nothing they perswade themselves that they ever were and so shall continue Such a seminary there is and such a tale of scurfe here among us even of practicke Atheists who are led by sense as brute beasts that me thinkes I feele my spirit sinke and faile within me when I should scare them out of their dens These are those prophane Swine who although they rise not up openly to desie God and his word and threats yet like sensuall Epicures void of all understanding they live in a profession of infidelity onely differing from Pagans in that they carry
the badge of the resurrection about them for fashion sake but else resolved to suffer no word of truth to enter into them or trouble them and make a privy contract with Satan to hold their owne lusts against all Preaching what difference is there betweene thinking there is no God and resisting him speaking in his word Betweene open maintaining that there is no judgement resurrection or torment for sinners and the practice of blasphemies swearings breaking of Sabbaths stealth adultery and all debauchednesse What shall I say unto you Shall I say as that ancient Father once did to his people of Antioch Get yee Bibles for shame and come in O ye uncircumcised hangbyes to the congregation Howster out such vermine O ye Church offcers if ye serve for oughts out of their kennells But you are readier some of you rather to pursue the best of your neigbours take heed my words stand not upon record against you without repentance rather then hunt such as pester our Townes with Atheisme and Impiety Alas the Divell is served as well by such as by them that have read Lectures of Atheisme heretofore They professe a God you will say Tit. 1. ult what is that when they are in their workes abominable and to each good thing reprobate They live by swinish principles and customes of darkenesse they see all swayed by mony favour and pollicy they see others all for backe and belly purse and pleasures pompe and preferments and therefore further they will not stir They whom carnall reason meerly rules are negative Atheists because they admit of no principles which should make them other and cause them to tremble at themselves Oh! mourne deare brethren for this that the Land swarmes with such and pray for such as are in place that they may reforme it and consider with what fruit we requite God for this seventy yeares of his Gospel past by nouzeling up among us a generation that know no more of sinne Christ judgement day then the swine at the trough but rather trample upon these pearles Tell them of their washing brewing baking startching on the Sabbath and they answer Alas we are poore and the six daies are little enough to worke in and earne meate to our bellies we must be fed and cloathed and more then we worke we must looke for nothing Others being asked about their hope in death tell us they have had their purgatory here in want and misery and therefore hope they shall have no more hereafter Others live by a Popish mixture of some shreads with their owne wisdome and such errors of the wicked as they suck up every where The issue of all is they abhorre the word and those that live by it and doe wholly breath in the element of their owne carnall savour Oh woefull ones your damnation sleepes not and the flood of Gods wrath the fire of vengeance shall sweepe you to hell Matth. 24.38 as the waters did them who ate and dranke married and gave in marriage and would know nothing till they were under water God keepe you from it You have had your reproofe but except God ring an alarme in your eares you will not awake But alas I speake to the walles these Gibeonites come not within the Temple carry them home these newes you that dwell by such So much for the first Use Secondly is carnall sense so reproveable What is then an utter despising Vse 2 of sense and of the manifest waies of God Reproofe of sundry sorts to the very eyes of men so that they cannot deny the finger of God We have many such Sort. 1 as these among us beloved such as see the apparant hand of God upon them and among them yea the Lord comming as it were to their doores Such as sinne against sensible and ocular mercies worse then such as sinne against promises into their bosomes judgements upon their bodies children wives names even such as their owne cursed mouthes have wished pox and plague c. and their cursed workes have procured justly and yet they are as Pharaoh hardened by his inchanters even when the frogges leapt up upon his bed in his privy Chamber what is this save to fight against heaven it selfe When judgements follow not the word men cavill and say these Preachers cry aloud but no thunder or lightning followes upon it But what say they when the Lord plagues you and raines snares and tempests upon you Many of you what diseases hath the Lord cast upon you noysome and stinking Note well all these following Instances Are ye one whit moved by it You use to answer as the sorcerers did all sorts are troubled with one disease or other all sorts have some poore in reproach c. But you know that yours are sent upon you for your debauched courses Doe you see God against you Had not Thomas beene grossely reproveable if when Christ thrust his hands into his sides to feele the print of his nailes he had beene unfaithfull But these mens eyes goe out with beholding the Sunne shine in their faces How many are there of you here who have cavilled at God that hee Sort. 2 puts no difference betweene bad and good in point of blessings and lo God hath served your turne brought you out of debt set you up and planted you well so that you take roote and grow upward Is not here ocular and sensible mercy I demand now of such are you any better Doe you see God in this I denounce before the Lord unto you this day that the mercies you have wished and doe enjoy shall bee the heaviest corrasives to you that ever befell and shall sting you as fire Why Because those covenants and vowes which you made are all broken and forfeit when yet God hath fully done his part Had it not beene better that he had kept you hungry and beggerly still Others of you what mones and chatterings have you made like Sort. 3 Cranes as Hezechia did upon your sicke beds unto God Oh! should the Lord take us away in our prime of youth our best yeares ere wee have spent any time in the land of the living to prepare our selves to meete him The Lord hath heard you or else earnest praier for you I am sure of it and hath brought ye from the brinke of the grave and set you upon your feet again What is come of it Are you any more penitent then you were Doth the presence of God awe you Doe you walke softly in your house as he said as having scaped a scouring and felt Gods fingers Have not your recoveries made you more fledge and sawcy with God so that now yee fare as if the winde were turned and you had the Lord at a vantage I denounce here unto you that most of you are waxen grosse fat laden with fatnesse you have despised the God of salvation Deut. 32.13 Esay 38. And instead of Hezechias words The living the living shall praise thee
speakes most directly to his heart As for pleasing himselfe in being in the element of any truth whereof he sees no use it is irkesome to a wise heart although he reverence all And these may serve for a taste of many more lets which differ as men differ and for answer to the first question I come to the second Since it is thus what reason may be given to Quest 2 satisfie men in this way of good for many would thinke it better if God tooke a more short and speedy way But I answer Answ for many causes God permits it To summe them up breefly One is 1. Cause because the Lord herein lookes at some grosse sins which ruled and reigned in the former part of mens life and in youth which are as iron moles and will hardly be worne out of the flesh being bred in the bone save by tozing and searching the heart throughly Secondly that he might breed some restraint in youth and curbe them from such offences as after must cost a great deale of purging plowing and harrowing ere the soule will affoard good mould for the word For sure it is the more rebellion the Lord meets with the more irons he loades the soule with Esay 28. Thirdly that he might exercise each soule in finding out her owne speciall let and not goe to worke in a fulsome generalnesse Fourthly to breed in the soule a solemne and sad thought concerning the way of God and roote out that giddinesse and vanity which puffes up the soule in a vaine presumption and ease Fifthly to occupy the minde of the Minister in right and carefull dividing the word and studying to approve himselfe as a workeman not to be ashamed striving to be faithfull both in the gift of discerning spirits that he may speake to the purpose not at randon as also to be painfull in catechizing which containes the wise and leasurely way of God to scrue and dive into the hearts of men by degrees and to soke the heart in the principles of faith which they that want may be long enough in hearing Sermons ere they conceive the order of the mystery of faith and how the soul comes to claspe with the promise Sixtly the Lord hereby corrects those most wicked evills which have carried the soule in and under the Ministry of the Gospel especially the dallying with the seasons of grace 7. That by this mean the Lord might clense the heart from Selfe in every kinde and twitch up every roote and rinde of selfe-love which would dangerously mix it selfe with the promise Lastly that the Lord as I toucht before might prepare way for himselfe in the honour of the soul when it shall finde by experience that all her salvation is of him and he could bring it out of nothing nay worse then nothing when as the soule lay strugling with herselfe without hope or remedy So much for answer to the second question The third and last question is how the soule may finde by markes Quest 3 that the Lord is following on with the work of grace That so it may be comforted in this that she is no hypocrite and so shall not wanze and moulder away as wax before the Sunne but obtaine the fruit of the promise in Gods due time For answer whereto this I say it may bee knowne by the contrary to those markes which bewray hypocrites Answ Marke 1 The first shall be this A soule truly under the condition of grace is very vigilant stirring and observant of the seasons which affoord grace not only generally to hearken after the word but specially to observe the Angels moving of the water The Lord doth not alway stir alike The Minister is not moved nor the heart of the hearer affected alike It s rare when the Lord and the soule close throughly one with the other when the word is preacht so savourly and lively and carryes the vertue of the speaker with it into the hearer and when the hearer meets it with a discerning of a season from God But when the soule meets with such Oh it abhors to dally and trifle with God to greeve him with slightnesse either for the present or after But confesses it to be a rare occasion presses hard with the Lord for blessing and followes on as Gedeon did those enemies Judg. 7. while the sent was hot lest he should be defeated Thus doth a good heart watch her time alway being upon wing for her prey and loaths carelessenesse of the watchwords of God No sin stings her more then former dallyings with the Lord nothing brings her upon her knees in secret more then this sinne and the sad fruit of it nothing puts her in more feare lest God should forsake her and suffer his Spirit to give over all saving strife with her nothing more is desired then that the Lord would forget her many provokings this way and stir her up with threefold alacrity to redeeme such seasons for time to come Whereas an hypocrite sees not such mercy from God or else vanishes in the fruit of them le ts all goe and nouzles himselfe in a blinde hope all shall be well whiles yet old sinnes and dallyings are upon the score unrepented of and unforgiven and the soule hardning more and more and waxing daily more and more crazy and unfit to be wrought upon Marke 2 Secondly a thriving soule God and promise-ward above all things nourishes life in herselfe not onely in ordinances but in the course and way of conversation Where ever she become the Spirit of life leaves her not wholy but more or lesse accompanies her spirit to preserve it from deadnesse flatnesse remissenes and suffering the worke of God to lye by in her And howsoever she feels a very body of death in this kinde fighting against the law of life in her yet knowing which is the stronger she gives not place No although the more she strives to be lively and savoury upon the promise and by faith the more the death of corruption resists her and discourages her yet even in this darke belly of the whale she casts her eie towards the Temple Jonah 2.8 and dares not yeeld when yet she is almost foiled but discernes a base body of death from the desire of her owne heart and because she feeles a dying she judges herselfe not wholly dead but to have some life under the embers which she makes much of and nourishes as one would hatch up one coale of fire upon dry straw lest it should goe quite out Such a soule abhors a daily deadish and sad heart more then death it selfe labours to revive it selfe by all hot waters from swowning and dying rejoyces when she recovers exercises her selfe with others as well as in secret to whet up that dull and weake edge of life and faith which remaines and is glad to feele that it is not alway alike with her in this kinde Whereas an hypocrite who never attaind to this sweet life
is faine to shuffle as he is able to counterfeit life and zeale and when his endeavours succeed not he commits all to hazard and shifts off a dead heart as he can with head and shoulders Thirdly these persons may be knowne by this That they discerne Marke 3 of the distempers which formerly molested them Opposite to the ten former Objections and held them off from the promise as may appeare by these particulars opposite to the former objections named in the first question First they discover a mercy in their deep castings downe and feares and in the spirit of bondage which they feele they looke upon it not as a marke of wrath but as the entrance upon the way of God for their further humbling and making their heart tender acknowledging it could not be spared and looking into the promise for some hope of redresse Secondly they wisely consider that the condition of faith and the gift of faith it selfe differ much and therefore for them to rest in any such worke of preparation as will not stablish their hearts in peace through the bloud of the Covenant were a deceit of Satan causing them to lye by the way when they have a further journey to goe Affections and Ordinances they embrace but rest not therein as wanting a bottome of the satisfaction of Christ to Gods justice and therefore in that they onely dare pitch their rest renouncing whatsoever of their owne might satisfie them Thirdly they wisely cosinder what degrees they have atained in grace and dare not forget or deny what God hath already done for them confesse that thousands want that which they have yea that it s nothing but selfe-love which buries all former mercies under a clod of discontent for that which they want and with the lowest humblenesse acknowledge themselves the least of all others and that whatsoever is not hell is more then God owes them they count themselves not worth the ground they tread on submitting themselves unto God to doe with them as he pleases and willing to be as he will have them Fourthly they moderate their own judgements touching the matter of faith and desire to looke at it as that gift which God in wisdome useth for the saving of his neither on the one side making it lesse nor on the other side more high and solemne then God would have them for though it be too good for them to enjoy yet not for God to bestow whose gifts although very precious yet are most free and so they shake off that base slavery of heart which possessed them Fifthly they consider themselves not as they shall be when faith hath clensed them but as now they lye and are objects of mercy such as God purposes to declare the riches of grace upon in due time in the meane season they are the vilest of all sinners as also Paul and others were in their corrupt estate They consider that sinne causes mercy to abound so it bee not wilfully committed See Acts 2.34.35 And this is the honour of God to beteame it to enemies hypocrites proud uncleane prophane ones yea Christ died for sinnes against the Gospel an hard dead rebellious heart of unbeleefe as well as against the Law Therefore they see in that dunghill of drosse alway steaming out of them an occasion of mercy in God not of despaire save in themselves And if they were as they would be void of such corruption they should need no mercy they might plead merit Rom. 3.19 Christ came to save sinners and hath shut up all under disobedience that he might save some even the weakest unworthiest of all others for these will cun him most thank Pharisees need him not As for the dogging of their corruptions they consider Satan most clogs and dogs that soule which is most earnest to be rid of them whereas others are shut up in false peace and feare nothing Sixtly they grow to this resolution not to cast feares aforehand more then they ought Micah ult ult if God will pardon them they doubt not but he will afterward purge them subdue their corruptions for them and finish his worke with perseverance They were not fit judges to speake of time to come What hath he who wants faith to doe with the condition of him that hath it They will therefore attend one thing at once and not many If once they can obtaine faith in that they shall have the rest For why Faith will purge the conscience and set the beleever on worke to preserve in himselfe that which is already planted Therefore they see it were a great folly to hinder themselves of a present mercy through the distrust of a future Seventhly they repent them of those ungrounded cavills from the length of time the example of others and the feare of election and with a mourning heart for that hardnesse and unprofitablenesse of theirs they acknowledge it to be none of theirs but Gods priviledge to appoint the times and seasons of grace They ought not to forestall God in this kinde but wait his leasure They must not grudge at others but follow their example Others are not gone so fast before but mercy can send them after with as good speed And as for election it is not for them its Gods secret they know no such matter that they are reprobated but when they shall beleeve they shall know that they are elect Let therefore God alone with his secrets confesse his Soveraignty and tremble but apply themselves to the revealed way of God and behold his ladder and cords of mercy put downe unto them into the dungeon and clapse about them as they are commanded to do Eightly they look up to the promise and thereby shake off their melancholy sullennes of heart see the emptinesse the absurdity of their froward hearts which God doth as much detest as they admire They see a world of pride self and rebellion in it and therefore desire to send it to hell whence it came and to turn their censure of others into imitation of their grace Ninthly and especially whatsoever hath witheld them from the promise from beholding the excellency of it in the meaning of God in the bounty truth and fidelity constancy stablenes fulnesse sufficiency of the same they shake it off Jonah 2.8 they forsake other vanities conceits of their own their morall contents their busying themselves about many things whereby Satan as by his golden apple would keep them from the silver Bell and therefore now they resolve to lay all other sacrifices by the Altar till their reconciliation be made to which end they trade with the promise by meditation and use all meanes to dive into it and to looke into it as the Angels into the Mercyseat till their misery for want of it cause them to venture themselves and jeopard their salvation upon it Lastly they correct their loose and generall hearings of the word purposing to bend their minds as
to all the truth of God without neglect so especially to those maine truths which they most sticke at and come shortest of that their insight into Gods method and way may be more evident unto them As for novelties and fancies of men of unstable minds ready to carry them away from the simplicity of the Gospell whether erroneous opinions or things which have some truth but yet for the present are not pertinent or profitable but might under some pretence of zeale and devotion withdraw them from their grounds ere they be setled which I observe to be a notable trick of the Divell to disorder the course of a soule travelling towards heaven they are shy thereof and cannot close with it Let every one that desires to know himself to thrive to Godward well marke this whole Section So much for this third marke Another is That such a soule strives after that which makes most Marke 4 for her owne good and for the justifying of God Even that foolish modesty which holds many under the hatches that they will not open themselves to any but keepe the Divells counsell to their owne hindrance and thereby nourish unbeleefe the longer in themselves when they are convinced of it as its long ere many will be they abhor it using all means with Paul if by any they may attaine faith at last They doe not as Ahaz who being willed to aske a signe from God to confirme his promise refused it and let all goe at six and sevens pretending that he needed none but would leave it to God without such adoe Esay 7. But he is rebuked for greeving of God by such slightnesse who loves that his people should take order to resist their infidelity and hasten to beleeve using every ordinance each occasion for the atchieving of such a grace Such a restlesse spirit they are led by who keepe the price of the high calling of God in their eie loth to lose it Phil. 3. and preserving the tender care and inquiry after it in their soules as an object of greatest excellency A bottomlesse carelesse spirit to get and lose as fast and to spill that pretious liquor which God hath been long putting into them they loath and detest 2 Joh. 8. and still seek to make up a full reward to themselves and cannot be quiet till the Lord give into their bosomes measure heaped up and running over that they may be at rest If they have any bottomlessenesse it is for the world and the cares of it but as for grace they keep all they have and still are on the gaining hand till they attaine their desire Psalm 84. No faintnesse there shall be but from strength to strength they goe full fast till they appeare before God in Sion Fifthly as they are alway hastening the Lord and impatient in Marke 5 respect of their importunity of desire Psal 70.5 so yet they are patient in respect of discontent unweariedly waiting upon the Lord for the accomplishing of their petition They have learned that lesson of the Psalmist Blessed are they that wait upon him and of Ieremy Lamen 3.25 It is good to wait patiently upon the Lord. It s much to them that the Lord will come and bring healing in his wings at last requiting long delay as Malachi speakes with speed Mal. 3. and as for urging the particular time when he will come and how soone they leave it to him whose the seasons of mercy are by whom onely the day of sealing is appointed they must wait They attend upon a Soveraigne God who shewes mercy to whom and when he pleases Rom. 9. yet also his mercies are fare to them whom hee hath called to the hope thereof Therefore their part is to get the spirit of supplication alway attending the Spirit of grace Zach. 12.10 which will hold out with the Lord without fainting and concurre with him in his time of ease In which respect it makes not haste but considers that each day hastens Gods time For as it is in the second comming of our Lord Jesus Matth. 24. end so it is in his first None knowes whether he will come at noonetide or at the evening midnight or cockcrowing but come he will So whether in youth or middle yeares or old age thou knowest not whether in a short time or after a long season whether in thy hearing or at the sacrament or in prayer or at a fast or in some great crosse or at thy death its unknowne Thou hast a promise come he will and therefore wait upon him thou art not too good and when he comes thou shalt not repent thee Marke 6 Againe this is another marke That such a soule suffers not it selfe to be taken up so deeply with the common mercies of the earth that the mercy of pardon and salvation should lose her price and wax stale with her Oh she strives to put difference alway between the content which blessings of this life bring and those which the mercy of heaven affords Give Esau a messe of pottage and his longing is satisfied Give a child a bright counter Heb. 12. and he will forgoe a gold angell It pleases a foole as well to have his bable as a Kings Crowne why Because he is a fool and discernes not so a wretch that never came in the favour of mercy will equall it to any common thing fill his belly give him ease cloath his body fill his purse and you may rob him of his birthright So hee have content any way and for the present he is well Not so that soule that longs for mercy For why It compares one with other and makes as much difference as between gold and drosse holds firmly the esteem of mercy to herself and will not suffer the base vanishing creature to come between her and home and steale her heart away by such rattles and feathers as these are Zach. 12.10 It comes here to minde what Zachary speakes That the spirit of grace goes with the spirit of compassions There are such compassions towards the Lord in a poore soule as there are in the Lord towards it In the Lord there are tender mercies as that other Zachary speakes Luke 1. Through the tender mercies of our God mercies of tendernesse and compassion to a poore miserable lost sinner reaching to forgivenesse These are peculiar not common or such as he bestowes upon them whom he pitties not in their miserie Now therefore that soul that partakes these tender mercies is as tender of them and doth so prize and esteem them that no other mercy can steale away the affections of the soule therefrom nor stall the heart therein much lesse make tender mercies to wax stale and common but still the price thereof rises till the Lord fill her therewith Marke 7 Lastly note this out of Naamans example That a perpetuall and sure marke of a man who is grace and faithward is this that his old perversenesse
hope they doe and had alway a good faith to God and a good meaning to men They confesse they breake out sometimes as others doe but so long as they cry God mercy they shall doe well for they understand that Christ was a loving Preacher kept company rather with the worser sort then the better many Publicans and sinners yea harlots and was the sinners friend And it was not they who put him to death but such as went for the devoutest and most precise in those times But oh yee deluded fooles Doe you thinke that when sinne hath incorporated herselfe so long and like a fretting leprosie seated it selfe in their bowells by long custome that all on the suddaine you should be changed by the conceit of their beleeving What Matth. 3.1.2 Are there no steps of calling to be observed Why then did Iohn Baptist goe before Christ in the Spirit of Elija Why did hee batter downe the rebellious spirits of men And why did hee cast downe every high hill and fill every valley Why did he prepare a way for Christ in the souls of people crying Repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand Why did he plow up mens fallow grounds And turne the spears of men into mattocks and their swords into plowshares Oh take heed I will not say all your abstinence from sinne can save you but your jollity and boldnesse in it may so harden you and encrease your chaines through rebellion Esay 28. that you shall finde it an hard thing for mercy to pierce you Therefore take counsell thinke not that mercy can save you in the midst of your lewdnesse when you come steaming out of the stewes or from your alebenches or in the midst of your sports and pleasures What God can doe I aske not it s not safe for you to trust to that looke what he will doe Therefore let the point of the speare of the Law pierce your sides let it taw and breake your fierce spirits goe not on to sinne against light Defile not your consciences by wilfull rebellions covetous drunken contentious treacherous and voluptuous courses looke not that God should meet you in your cursed way when as he hath appointed you to meet him in his owne way Rather apply your selves to his word to prepare your spirits for mercy Repent that is breake off the custome and jollity of your sins the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand This counsell to suffer affliction and the spirit of bondage by the sense of guilt and wrath would bee an wholesome School-master to bring you to Christ Oh! A caveat Ministers should gaster prophane people out of their prophanenesse errors if you my brethren the Ministers would remit a little of your pleasures and liberties and apply your selves to a right order of preaching the Law and Christ and give them a view of the way of God to heaven you might the more hopefully leave them to God else how should blinde people laden with sinne stumble upon Gods preparations Will they not rather abuse the grace of God and wax insolent in turning it into wantonnesse making the remedy worse then the disease Oh! scare them out of their prophanenesse corrasive their festred sores sow not pillowes ferret them out of their dennes their starting-holes errors excuses and covers of shame Alas they have a thousand of such trickes to seduce them Base conceits of the Ministery the difficulty of faith of repenting and forsaking their lusts false opinion of the way of God of them who professe it they are poysoned so deeply by Satan and base customes in sinne so leavened with a conceit that either there is somewhat in themselves to demerit God their good meanings setting of their good deeds against their bad and such like or else thinking that Christ serves for no other end save to be their stalking-horse Rom. 4. under whom they may sin securely that grace may abound the more They dreame that because the World is hard therefore men are set here to heare the Word to keep them from theft to hold them in awe from out-rages and so if they can worke and pay their debts bring up their charge and get money they are well Oh! labour to season them with this salt of preparation that their faces may bee sharpned to looke heaven-ward and to breake off their lewd wayes that they may so come within the bounds of the Kingdome and not live like Salvages and Epicures or worldlings whose hope reaches no further then this life So much for this former sort 2 Branch Schismatickes who reject all steps marks of conversion cleaving to the spirit of free grace confuted Againe secondly this is for reproofe of such Sectaries as are lately risen up among us in sundry places who are so spirituall forsooth that the Doctrine of the condition of faith and casting of the Soule upon the promise are beggarly elements with them they esteeme them carnall matters and devices of mens braine They hold indeed there is use of a Law and Gospell to tame men first and then to comfort them But in this Gospell they have found out a new and more compendious course then others For they say there is a grace offered in the promise by such a Spirit of freedome that it will not endure any bondage of the letter nor suffer men to bee puzled and enthralled with these conditions of a Promise nor to tye themselves to a promise and the markes or signes of believing This they count base and unbeseeming such a Spirit of free grace as they have found out and therefore they scorn all those who busie their thoughts about such workes of preparations and tell them they will get more comfort in an houre by the Spirit of this their free grace then these lazy and leasurely beleevers can doe in seven yeares But oh you fantasticke and deluded ones where learne you in the Word that there is a Spirit which workes without a Word Or by what meanes come you to lay hold of this Spirit save by the Word If by the Word then of necessity by such markes and prints as the Word workes And although there is a Spirit spoken of in the Gospell which witnesseth to our Spirits that we are the Lords yet how doth it witnesse it save by the Word Is every hearer at the first dash so ripe and perfect that presently as a fledge bird flying out of her nest and leaving her Damme he can soare aloft in the sky and mount up to heaven by the Spirit of assurance So that he shall no more need any promise any conditions or markes to testifie the grace of God wrought in him Put case that God hath some speciall ones to whom after they have beleeved he hath given the Spirit to seale them to the assurance of salvation Is this the case of every novice as soon as hee heares that Christ freely forgives sinners to bee hoysed up with such a spirit of
handle him in this We look rather at our little sins in our beleeving then his great promises Oh saith one if my sinnes had not been so deep died so odious and long lien in I should hope well Rather thou shouldest say if mine heart were not so hardned that I am past all feeling and faith I should doe well If thy sinnes have not driven thee to be desperate in rebellion and contempt they are not surely too great for mercy to pardon Looke upon Manasse and Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 Though I were a persecutor a blasphemer and injurious Chron. 33.12 yet mercy and truth abounded in Christ Jesus He saith not sinne abounded beyond mercy Oh saith another But I have sinned since my first enlightning sin'd against the remedy adding drunkennesse to thirst What Dost thou so still and nourish a rotten peace and a secure heart still against the promise No but thou doubtest that thy abusing the meanes and hardning of heart will not be pardoned But know that the Lord Jesus his sufferings are of a deeper nature to merit then thy sinnes to destroy He was made all sinne 2 Cor. 5.21 satisfied for all sinne he was a nature of sinners not a sinfull person onely and therefore can pardon even them that murthered him and not in vain is that example set down in Acts 2.30 to prevent that feare They who come to Christ must come to him not as the greatest sinners onely but as to the greatest Saviour able perfectly to save all who come unto him The strongest eye must bee cast upon his strength Heb. 7.25 Esay 27.5 not upon thy deservings The mystery of mercy is to save to the uttermost that so the soul may break and God may be honoured to the uttermost Well but yet he pardons none save such as have faith and how shall I know that he will give it me I answer the promise that offers pardon workes faith to beleeve it and therefore it s said that it creates the fruit of the lips Esay 57.16 Matth. 11.29 which is peace it offers ease to him that is loaden if it offer the effect it must needs worke the cause But saith a poore soule this might be if mine affections would rise to it with some earnestnesse but I am dead and under infirmity Nay even then also can the Lord create this hand of faith in thee 2 Cor. 12.9 by the seed of the word how did Paul lie under sad buffetings yet this grace was sufficient for him In a word what ever the sense of thy weaknesse be yet its Gods strength which thou must take hold on to make peace and that comprehends thy weaknesse when thou canst not comprehend that strength So much for this Fifthly this reproves such as runne to promises without wisdome Branch 5 aptnesse Unapt appliers of promises or other parts of the word reproved and the particular necessities under which they live When they should runne to the promise for comfort they rather please themselves in running to the threats of the word for deeper humbling that pleases them better because they thinke it may better be felt but this course sutes not with the truth as it is in Jesus which requires that each malady apply it selfe to her proper remedy This causes the wound to rankle not to heale When men are called to doe some speciall service and duty they forsake that and rush themselves upon suffering promising to themselves that God will sustaine them and so provoke needlesse sorrow like Ionah to themselves and all by their rashnesse Others being called to suffer Jona 1.6 shunne that and promise to themselves strength in doing But this is to misapply promises for they alway attend upon commands and while we be in Gods way not our owne God payes no man wages for doing his own work Others promise themselves great blessings upon attempting difficult workes above their strength unto which they have no calling leaving their Ministery ere God knocke them off or thrusting themselves into trades in which they want skill leaving their owne and the like But the wiser way for them were to apply themselves unto promises which concerne those speciall callings conditions and waies unto which God calles them Branch 6 Sixtly and lastly those are here to be reproved who doe in any kinde goe to worke preposterously with the promises Preposterous appliers of promises reproved contrary to their nature and use or scope who separate them from their end which is to mortifie purifie and better the soule as well as to comfort and pacifie it Also all such as mistake discover darken stretch dis-joint the promises who take not such a due measure of the promises as they ought putting them on as they may best fit them and so never come to the kindly use and fruit thereof as the Lord offers them Of which I say no more this shall serve for this whole Use of reproofe Thirdly this point serves for Exhortation Exhortation to incite and draw all who Vse 3 would beleeve aright to beleeve according to the uttermost extent and purpose of a promise and not to defraud the soule of that due which the Lord allowes her This is the way to engage the soule in God to walke most comfortaly in the life and practice of faith God requires no small service and cost at his peoples hands which will hardly be except the soule be deep in Gods bookes and that cannot be till she come to beleeve promises according to their full extent To this end two things would be knowne First 2. Questions 1. How a promise beleeved what should the soule doe that she might beleeve a promise according to the reach of it Secondly how should she practise and set this grace on worke For the former of these three things would be done First 1. A promise must be sounded the soule must fathom and comprehend a promise truly Eph. 3.15.16 That you may comprehend with all Saints what is the length c. That which the woman John 4. tells our Saviour I may say of this The Well is deepe and there is nothing to draw with There is depth in a promise but few are men of understanding to fetch it out There may be enough in it for ought most men looke after their shallownesse discourages them from attempting it Vertue is gone out of the Lord Jesus into it both for life and godlinesse this and a better life in crosses and blessings for all turnes so that each idle cavill of a base heart ought not to elude it Hath God set it open for his whole Church to be filled with the fulnesse thereof and shall it not be sufficient for a poore members supply Accustome thy selfe to deal with a promise as the marriner doth with the sea whose depth he is ever and anon sounding lest his ship should runne a ground and be swallowed up Thy misunderstanding may eclipse the beauty of it
thy ignorance and blindenesse may frustrate thy benefit but still the promise shall stand neverthelesse full of water of life Enlarge thy cord and plummet that thy slight heart deprive thee not of both the view and of the use of it Secondly having found out the bottome and depth of a promise 2. Draw out of this welspring of salvation bestow paines and draw waters plentifully out of this well of salvation bestow good labour and travell In fetching up water out of deep wells you shall see how many hands at once are at worke at the wheel or pully to get up the bucket This is the worke of faith alway to be tugging at the well with cable and armes to get out this water of life Esay 12.8 Say thus here it is put Lord by thy selfe and to be had I will therefore by thy strength handle a promise according to the uttermost of that which is in it I will draw and that with joy for there it is and thus it is to be had It s sad working hereat with the most but it should be a merry work we should sing at it and deceive our toil by the sense of our necessities and the variety of those ordinances meditation prayer and the like must be our hands and unweariednesse must be our instrument Take wee heed lest through sloath and a base heart we content our selves with scrappes and puddle water who might fill our selves with good things and with rivers of water springing up in us to eternall life 3. Give not over the promise though long held off Thirdly give not over a promise although the error of this wicked world and Satan together with the Lords delayes should weary us especially under our afflictions If our Lord Jesus his discouragements could have killed the courage of that poore woman of Canaan she had never obtained a cure Oh! our Saviour did what hee could to try whether she would be beaten from the promise viz. That Jesus the sonne of David came to save both the bodies and soules of all truly distressed ones Jewes and Gentiles But she had so farre extended the promise Matth. 15. which Christ seemed to restraine onely to the Jewes calling the rest Dogges that it was strange shee was not out of conceit as one mistaken But as if she had been in his bosome so doth she hold fast the promise Though he say nothing yet hee will doe somewhat I will still keep my right he meanes not Israel according to the flesh but the promise and such an one am I. Shee knew promises looked not at the worthinesse of man but at the mercy and faithfulnesse of God Surely I shall bee answered by and by for I have the scope and end of the promise on my side Faith had taken full measure of the promise by her owne want and therefore our Saviour sends her away with the admiration at her faith Oh! let us thus duly apply our soules to the seale of the promise and it shall leave behinde it the stamp of all that vertue and fulnesse which God hath put into it A base heart not concurring with God in this largenesse of his promises is as hard wax put under a faire seale Simile which takes no impression at all from it though clapt on never so hard But as the softned wax taketh all the counterfeit of the seale and expresseth them to the uttermost Even so an heart rightly prepared receives the print of the seale letter for letter face for face yea grace for grace Faith is both hand and hammer to drive the naile of the promise Eccles 12. given by one Pastor the Lord Jesus up to the head This for the former question Now I come to the latter Quest 2. How shall we practise this duty how this duty may be practised And for answer to that this I say Wee must know that the life of faith in all beleevers rests upon such promises as concerne their condition be it what it will be knowing that there are speciall ones given us by God as Peter speakes Chap. 1. and verse 3. of his second Epistle for our supply in all needs The soule then doth not foolishly misapply these but gathers them up stores them like a wise Steward both old and new that she may bring them forth in due season as a man would every morning put on the apparell of that day for his use and comfort And this is her putting on the Lord Jesus Rom. 13. ult who first hath taken measure of her needs and then offers himselfe in his promises and ordinances Word Sacrament Prayer and fasting and the like to fit her as her cloathes doe her body Some of these I have already toucht in one of the Uses before Ans diversly upon the Doctrine of Naamans obedience A few more I will adde now not pressing the use of them but barely presenting them to your view Sometime thy base heart feeles old guilt and accusation of conscience to returne after mercy tasted and hope of victory enjoyed But why is this Surely that hereby the work of Selfe-deniall might be perfected in thee 1. In the return of guilt strength of sin custome presence of it and sinne might be knowne to be out of measure sinfull that it might bee more abhorred and stronger faith in pardon and purging thereof improved Clasp upon the Word for it I am he who will heale all thy rebellions for my name sake both new and old It is according to a promise that the Lord should leave none of thy corruptions unsubdued Who is a God like unto our God who forgiveth iniquity transgression and sin Mica ult marke how many words he useth to include all sin whatsoever both of nature and course yea sinnes after the light of the Gospel embraced And I create the fruit of the lippes peace and I will heale him I have seene his rebellions and smote him hid me and was angry and he went on in the frowardnesse of his owne heart Esay 57. But I will heale him and restore comfort unto him Againe perhaps thy soule meets with some eclipse of Gods presence and forsakes me so that I live in darknesse and walke up and downe with a dead heart without feeling Well 2. In the deadnesse hardnesse of heart if it be by reason of some apparant sinne against conscience returne with a broken heart by a promise to God Jer. 3.1 A man having divorced an Adultresse will not returne to her But if thou wilt returne to me I will not reject thee Returne O yee backsliding people and I will have mercy upon you and heale all your iniquities But if the Lord bee departed otherwise know it is not to forsake forever For a moment I was angry Esay 54. But with everlasting compassion I will embrace thee And in the Psalme 55. The Lord will not leave his people for ever Sometime the soule is afraid she
the next verse The cure then of Naaman is that which in these latter words is to be considered and first of the holy Ghost his expression 1. The expression His flesh came againe as the flesh of a little childe for of this I will say somewhat ere I come to the main point Many words had been used to expresse Naaman his obedience how punctuall it was and now as many are used to expresse the cure how entire and perfect it was as if God would not come short of him but be as punctuall in full curing of him as hee had been in close obeying God Who doubts of the perfect cure of such a Leper as was made of a scurvie loathsome nasty skin like the skin of a little childe that is as whole as he was borne So that it notes a perfect restitution of Naaman to his former integrity of soundnesse Gods remedies are perfect ones But mens are lame and crazie Mens remedies are alway lame ones if they heale one way they hurt another We use to say of Physicall courses purgings bleedings as they helpe in point of present cure and remove present death and danger so yet they leave a touch upon the body afterward and leave either some other aile behinde or else take away strength abate the spirits or other like and all to shew us that mans medicines are like himselfe and that is crazie doubtfull and dangerous so that not long after the same or worse maladies and diseases follow but to bee sure death Hence arose that proverbe Many Remedies are worse then the diseases themselves And all commodities in this life carry inconveniencies after them Perhaps they are one way beneficiall and two wayes prejudiciall But Gods cures are like himselfe perfect intire and absolute No more leprosie is heard of to grow upon Naamans skin after God had done with him he came no more into the hands of other Physitians through relapse into the old distemper Eccles 7.14 No man can finde out any thing after God But hee can finde out sundry failings after men when they have done their best I will not insist upon it onely it may briefly teach us these two Items First to turne our doting eyes from the perfection of any creature here by reason of those crackes and flawes which are in the best of them We must turn our doting eye from the perfection of the creature What petty Deities and Idols are Physitians esteemed among carnall people for their skill in curing diseases especially if their gift be any more then ordinary Say it be but in any one kinde or disease as a Consumption Feaver Dropsie or the like especially if when others have given over the cure as desperate they take it in hand and effect it What money what honour is thought enough to requite a man Nay as Patients teach them so how doe Physitians learne to dote upon themselves And how will they boast themselves like petty Kings of their supposed skill Oh! if this medicine saith one wil not heale him nothing in the world will doe him good And another I healed him saith he when no other could turne his hand to it And I will pawne all I have upon my skill that I heale him Could God himselfe speake any more Let me not bee thought to speake disdainfully against the persons of any learned or religious Physitians much lesse their profession both which I honour and am bound to doe while I live for the good received from them through Providence And I know many there are in this kinde eminently religious and well deserving But onely by so just occasion one Item I would give to Physitians Physitians must know themselves only instruments of Providence for such as God will heal and another to Patients To the former this That as they are conversant most what about searching out naturall causes symptomes and cures of diseases So no profession is more subject to Atheisme and prophanenesse then such except the Lord subdue and captivate their spirits and skill under his Providence making them servants to attend it for the good of such as to whom God hath appointed life by meanes and no otherwise For why Who knowes not but many recover of diseases in the judgement of Physitians incurable And how many there are in whom nothing save safety appears who yet in the midst of the Physitians security dye instantly All to shew that the passages of life and death are not in mans hand but in the Lords who oft-times delights to blind-fold the wise and prudent in their own sense and to doe good by those who are of meaner parts Not but that the parts of learned Physitians are to bee esteemed who cannot be too well parted since they deale in so pretious a subject as the life of the most excellent creature man but that with parts they joyne a God adore him and set him up in their souls as supreame and chiefe treading themselves under feet in point of that Royall prerogative of saving life Alas how doth the Lord humble our confidence daily when hee crosseth our conjectures and betrayes our folly both in our hopes of recovery when there is none and in our despaires when there is no cause What mortall man whose breath is in his nostrils would not here submit and lay downe his weapons at the feet of the Lord of life and death confessing himselfe a foole and that both in his owne case and others the Lord may and doth often conceale from him the reall cause and truth of Diseases 2 Kings 4.27 The holy Prophet Elisha led by a Divine and miraculous Spirit humbly professed it to Gehazi in the womans case who came for her dead childe The Lord saith hee hath hidden it from me And shall not we say so who are poore silly ones to him even as a base ignorant empiricke is to us and much more So for people how insolent are they in this kinde People very fond in magnifying the outward cause and neglecting God Robbing God of his honour and setting up base man in his throne Oh saith one such a Physitian let me have or let such a sickeman have and upon my life he will heale him Let the upper milstone runne upon the nether and I warrant your corne betweene will be grown What Is there no more in it then so Is there no God Oh cry you mercy saith one I forgot that now I speake as a man Nay rather like an Atheist and so let a Physitian whom they like visit them his comming is to them as good a medicine as the physicke he brings If Physitians would abhorre and tremble at such Patients and Patients such Physitians mules scratching each others itch they would learne more humility and divinity Honour the Physitian and spare not so thou give him no more then is due to an instrument Let him and thou sanctifie both physicke and receits by prayer and faith and behold it as
as you know And so I say to us Levit. 26.21 If wee walke contrary toward the Lord hee will walke contrary to us trust to it And that not onely in case of foule revolts if wee should play the Adulterers Oppressors Blasphemers c. Such sinnes wee dare not meddle with haply for the lowd cry and inward wasting of conscience Heb. 10.37 But yet perhaps we dare withdraw our selves from God by unbeliefe fall out of love with his promises wee dare forgoe our joy and delight which we have had in his presence Jer. 2.13 and runne to pits which will hold no water as if the fountaine were unpleasant Wee dare suffer that pretious seed of Life to dye if it may dye in us and walke deadly coldly basely in our course We dare allay and forsake our first love to God and zeale to his truth wee dare run to the course of this declining formall saplesse and powerlesse world and shake off all spirituall closenesse and communion with God and yet wee thinke to doe well But know it this is the great quarrell of all Levit. 26.25 I meane the quarrell of Gods covenant God will avenge it sadly his soule shall have no pleasure in such Lay it to your hearts brethren and know the performance of promises is the immediate way whereby the Spirit of Grace conveyes the presence of God to his servants Wee have no voice to heare nor sights to see save the voyce and light of the promises If we can cleave to them we hold the Lord and hee is present in our soules as he was to Paul in that sad darknesse Acts 27.23 But if wee shake off the life of faith where is our title to the performing of promises or where is our right to the presence of God I remember what the Lord tells those Israelites in the Wildernesse I will send my Angell before you Exod. 23.20 and he shall carry you forth in your journey But take heed you grieve him not for he will not spare you but withdraw his presence from you So say I We would claime Gods presence and God must bee our God and performe all promises as fast as we gape after them But in the meane season we leave the condition at large Some of us have formerly been zealous yea suffered for God and lost our credit our goods our liberties for him Here was life and power but now wee hold but a carkasse of the old temper a meere name that we live wee are growne Polititians civilians close professors wise in our way rest in the fagge end of formality and common worship And what thinke we May we be as bold upon performance of promises as formerly May we chalenge the presence of God in his Word as formerly No no others of us dare be forward with God as Iona was nourish our spirits in anger Jona 1. 4. let the Sunne goe downe upon it rage and raile like mad men in our moods And if we be told of it wee will defend it we will be so for we say our wrong was reall and flesh and bloud cannot beare it What Will you flye from God and looke that hee should follow you up and downe Judg. 19.3 as the foolish Levite did his whorish Concubine Others of us dare abuse the Sabbath or else have no delight in it speaking our owne words Others cannot be rated off from the creature but run after our profits wills vanities pleasures fashions and cocker our children therein without checke Others will take the uttermost of our liberties and goe upon the brinke Others regard not our families set not up the worship of God there or pray for fashion Others are growne just to the frame of the times and give God so much and no more then the common sort doe and yet passe well And so I might be endlesse But know it Brethren Gods promises are like himselfe and are faithfully performed on his part howbeit if this be our frame we shall finde a change and hee will take in his Sun-shine we shall not finde his presence as in former times to us Job 6. and throughout Did the Lord withdraw himselfe from holy Iob while he walked in uprightnesse and eclipse his presence and promises from him write bitter things against him compasse him about with terrors hide his face and all justly even to humble him more deeply and prevent that which else prosperity might have bred in him Wonder not then brethren if the Lord withdraw himselfe from us and turne away his performing of promises into breach of covenant when hee meets with such scurfe as this in our hearts and lives And let the use of the point in Gods name be this which I pray us all to oberve that henceforth we cease to wonder if wee finde the Lord otherwise towards us then formerly so long as the quarrell of his Covenant depends I grant that there were never any dayes such as ours in point of complaint of Gods absence darknesse and not performing of promises But withall consider when were there such wofull dayes of Revolts Apostasies from God and the power of his truth as now Each face is pale and each hand is upon the pained side But it is rather because men may not have their will of God and keep him close in performance of promises when yet their lives swarme with all abominations Should I not be avenged of such time-servers and hypocrites as these saith the Lord in the Prophet doe you wonder if hee have hidden himselfe Esay 1. and doth count you as you are refusing to performe promises No no wonder not wonder rather if he should looke not for it till you repent If he darken himselfe in the chiefe promise of pardon of peace and comfort in conscience or in point of his Spirit of presence and the graces of it as humblenesse and patience love and mercy if he shorten you in the beauty of your conversation that your lives are not so sweet Spirituall penalties attend spirituall sins your light not so cleare as in time past if hee absent himselfe from you in his Ordinances restraining the influence of them suffering them to be dark and fruitlesse if he leave you in your companies to bee unprofitable in your liberties to bee carnall in your solitarinesse to be dead hearted if he harden your hearts and cause you to erre from his waies so that all your praiers fastings sacraments covenants should come forth at your nostrils as irkesome as those Quales did I say wonder not it s but righteous Make this use of it Vse Breakers of covenant with God shall finde God breake with them to abhorre boldnesse with God in challenging promises to be performed when you breake the condition Rather enter into your soules and search out the cause of the Lords absence saying it was not wont to be thus that thou shouldest breake promise thus Lord and leave me
done with ease Naamans worke was to beleeve But having so done all the thought is taken God lookes to the cure without his care Could any thing come between him and home betweene promise and performance Not possibly for who should hinder God Esay 43.13 Faith is the presence of God in the soule Heb. 11.1 by making an evidence of things not seen and a bottome in things absent grace for grace Ioh. 1.17 may bee grace of performing for grace of beleeving Let this use lead on anoâ—her then in the feare of God and teach us to try our faith by this excellent property of performing promises True faith is perforforming faith And how Thinke not thy selfe to have true faith except thou hast performing faith Men rest in a naked empty faith bearing themselves in hand that they have true faith and they looke at the faithfulnesse of God in promising but aske them of performances and then they know not what to say to the matter Alas poore soule Faith is no pang or passage of a mans spirit woulding this or that nor a looking at a promise of truth as a thing doubtfull to me ward but it is a bottoming grace concurring most holily and humbly with the Lord in his reall and faithfull performings also That heart which supplieth performances with conceits of things that are not with some carnall contents or other without the presence of the thing beleeved more or lesse is a dead faith and knowes not the kindly nature of faith Prevention of an offence My scope in thus saying is not to adde sorrow to sorrow and to pinch such poore soules as have sufficient griefe already for lacke of feeling But to convince all false hypocrites as rest in a faith of their owne not in the faith of God who as Esay 55.2 saith lay out their silver for no bread but in the meane time nourish in themselves a dismall faith which failes of the grace of performance I dare not say that all performances are alike sensible all hearings of our prayers are not alike manifest to our feeling all fruit of receiving Sacraments fasting and the like are not of one cize measure carry not the same evidence peace comfort But hence it followes not Faith when shee s at lowest is yet a performing â—â—ith that any true faith is or can be dead faith in point of performing Naamans cure here was a more sensible one then some spirâ—tuall cures of faith are because it was bodily But yet even when faith seemes poorest her performances are reall and she never truly resignes up herselfe to a promise but if she come short in feeling she hath a supply from the reall faithfulnesse of God who hath told her That such a corruption decayeth such a grace encreaseth such a good thing is cast upon her because God hath said it and this doth really stay and quiet her spirit in him As an ancient Christian being asked whether he grew all this while in grace answered that he could not much boast of that he felt howbeit he beleeved that he did for God had said it According to thy faith so be it unto thee And contrariwise hence learne the wofull misery and beggery of unbeleef As Salomon speakes of the field of the sluggard Prov 24.30 that the briars and brambles thereof argueth his sloth so I may say of unbeleefe that its the roote of all the rags and basenesse which men walke with The difficulty of getting over this steep hill of performances comes onely from hence 1 Sam. 14.13 Ionathan sought on the lower ground against the Philistins by faith as if he had had the vantage of the ground Many men have faire hopes and opportunities to get favours from God but it s not the price in the hand but the heart of faith to beteame it to the promise and to lay it out Unbeleefe bindes the armes of God from performing of promises Unbeleefe bindes the armes of mercy and grace in God behinde him If God be so faithfull a performer what hath stopt the fountaine all this while Why is it so little a seen upon thy soule How might this barren heath of thine heart ere now become a flood as Esay saith 43.20 if thy sinne had not dried it up Well as the sinne of an unbeleever shall not restraine the bounty of God from him that beleeveth so neither shall the faith of a beleever supply the lacke of it in one that wants it Thinke not poore soule that the Sacrament shall be ever the lesse savoury and effectuall to thee because of them who come in to it with a saplesse and gracelesse heart Doe not thou thinke ere the meanlier of thy faith because hypocrites lowre upon thee and discerne not thy priviledge Prov. 14.10 But looke the more narrowly into thy priviledge and solace thine heart in it for neither shall any stranger enter into thy joy nor yet shalt thou fare the worse for their beggery So much for this Seventhly this point affords Admonition to all who would rejoyce in effectuall Vse 7 faith and faith in performances Admonition To avoid le ts of performances 1. Let. Mistaking performances That they strive hard against every let in the way which might hold their faith in a barren and fruitlesse defect and unprofitablenes There is nothing so excellent but it hath some canker to fret out the pith of it to blast the beauty of it One barre is the mistaking of performances we frame to our selves such an Idea of Gods favours such a great measure of graces such a pitch of faith of mortification and holinesse that hereby our eyes are blindfolded from beholding such performances as the Lord bestoweth But consider Is God tyed to thy scantlings We see how they Mica 2.6 come in and complaine against God in this kinde But marke the answer of God Oh thou house of Iacob is my Spirit straitned Are not my words good to them that walke uprightly So say I is God false because thou overpitchest thy thoughts beyond Gods wisdome Thou aimest at another mans portion as they who gathered manna were too greedy But be content with thine owne If thou have enough to keepe thee in working case jealous of thy selfe and thy corruptions it s enough although thou have not all at once Thou wouldest have three or foure mens portions so much as perhaps the Lord sees would overthrow thee Alas what canst thou beare in this multitude of corruption If thou hadst thy fill it would cost thee much buffeting to keep thee from pride Know that the very meer worke of exercising thy faith is a reward of it selfe Secondly trust not to thy dead priviledge of being a Beleever 2. Carnality and deadnesse of heart and so commit all to winde and weather maintaine not a dull drowsie lasie heart of unbeleefe but hold quarter daily with the Lord in concurring with his promises see how his performances follow thy beleeving
or the like comes from the not suffering the word to enter but holding it out at staves end Now then must not the word of promise beleeved become as contrary to her Why did Micaiah so scare Ahab Because he never spake well to him So why doth the grace of faith so scatter these distempers Because she speakes all against them overthrowes and resists them Contraries have mutually the same respect in their consequencies The distemper of an unbeleeving spirit alway beares downe the word till the word as the stronger man armed with the power of Christ doe foile her and strip her of all The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall able to cast downe strong holds of corruption Sinnes weapons are carnall Gods are spirituall Therefore there is no proportion in the contrariety God will divide the spoyles that is cease the distempers The reason appeares from that speech of Jonah Ionah 2.8 They that embrace lying vanities forsake their owne mercy But I will looke toward thy holy Temple and promise and thereby abandon them Each destroy the other Reas 5 Fifthly the promise drownes all former distempers because it performes that really which selfe and corruption beare the soule falsly and erroneously in hand withall These afford the soule a rotten peace a deceitfull content vanishing and ending in sorrow See Esay 50.11 But the word doth it really and surely no more to be infringed No more hungring or thirsting if once satisfied with this bread and water of life The text imports it Naamans servants here tell Naaman That which all thine owne discontents and humours could never minister unto thee that the obeying of the message will really afford thee See Act. 13.38 That from which you could not be justified from by the law of Moses by this Man every beleever is justified All at once set free from outward enemies and inward distempers Reas 6 Sixthly the experience of the Saints proves this who till they have cast anchor upon the word and settled upon this center could never find rest in all the circumference as I may call it of your owne best selfe your goodnesse affections gifts or duties Bellarmine himselfe confessing that in respect of the uncertainty of our good workes or else the perill of vaine-glory issuing from thence it is most safe for us to rely upon the sole and meere mercy of God the bare word of truth and promise How much more then shall Gods people say If it had not beene for thy word I had perished in my affliction This is to a poore soule as the chaire of Saint Peter is to a deluded votary the determining voyce All eternall immutable things comprehend and devoure the fading and changeable but cannot be comprehended by them nor resisted by their opposition Lastly the maine and chiefe reason of all is because the word Reas 7 and promise of God is not the bare letter of words or syllables Many branches but furnish'd with all the power and authority of God so that who so clings and cleaves to it is out of his owne keepe and under the Lords There is as our Saviour speakes spirit and life 105. in all which he speakes This may appeare to us in these foure specials First in the wisdome thereof This way of God crosseth all Branch 1 other wayes and hedges the soule out from all sound comfort by them only fastning it upon this 1 Cor. 1. As Paul cals the Gospel in this respect the wisdome of God casting downe all those devices of mans wit wil works or wayes by which flesh would set up a peace and ease of all distempers to her selfe There is no doubt but the errantest hypocrite living would gladly if he could by his smoothing with his owne false heart come to a kind of setling that he might no more be troubled But it is as the sowing of a new peece to an old garment and the rent becomes the worse Even as a short narrow Map of a Shire makes every petty cottingers lands to vanish and causes him to account himselfe a starke begger lord of a Mole-hill not worth the owning So doth this way of God force him who thought himselfe no meane man in his Religion and hopes to seeme a starke foole in his owne eyes For why hath the Lord revealed the way to life by the reall death and resurrection of his onely Sonne glory being made shame and holinesse sinne and eternity death to satisfie justice and shall I play the Mountebank and thinke to satisfie by mine owne trickes and devices Oh foole oh beast Secondly in the righteousnesse of God As the Sunne is able Branch 2 by his heat to licke up all the dew of the earth and scatter all the mists of the aire and the Sea is able to swallow up and devoure whatsoever is cast into it never to appeare more Even so the merit of Righteousnesse and Sanctification by our Lord Jesus compared oft to both these in Scripture is able to licke up and dispell all the most desperate feares doubts and distempers of the soule So Paul speakes Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnes Rom. 3.25 What righteousnesse Surely the equalnesse of pardoning them who are of the faith of Jesus because he hath received a full ransome else saith he if he should not justifie such an one he should not be just So full a content hath Christ given his Father for sinne that if the Father should not acknowledge it sufficient he should doe Christ wrong and if he should not impute it to a poore soule that beleeves he should doe the poore soule wrong nay having freely yeelded his Sonne and received the price for that very end he should doe himselfe infinite wrong by unfaithfulnesse But there is no such feare The Judge of the world will not do unrighteously he will not condemne the righteous and the unbeleever alike For he hath accepted his Sons death as a ful discharge If we should receive a summe of money for the use of an Orphan and when the Orphan comes of age should detain it should he be righteous Mercy then is of free gift and faith is a free gift But justification of a poore soule for Christs merit is an act of righteousnesse So 2 Cor. 5.20.21 Be reconciled to God Why Because he hath made him sinne who knew none that we might be Gods righteousnesse Branch 3 Thirdly all other properties of the promiser are included in the promise as the truth faithfulnesse mercy love greater then that of the creation and all the rest scattered in the booke of God his eternity and unchangeablenesse and the like are all in the Word See 1 Tim. 1.15 Psal 25.10 1 Pet. 1.25 with sundry others So that the soules doubts and distempers may easily be cast upon such promises for so the Apostle cals them 1 Cor. 7.1 as are built upon such foundations Branch 4 Fourâ—hly
God hath strength in his hand to doe this whatsoever Satan hell law or wrath should say to the contrary I say he hath enough to warrant that he hath done against all opposers See Esay 27.4 5. Anger is not in me why Lay hold upon my strength and make peace The satisfaction of Christ is the strength of mercy as truly as the law is the strength of sinne The arme of mercy is so strong through this that the strong arme of justice cannot pull it away from forgiving a poore sinner but mercy will still be above and will not be beaten downe but prevaile against justice yea triumph against judgement By this strength then which overcomes justice shall not the distempers of the soule much more be vanquished and overcome Branch 5 Lastly the intent and purpose of God is by his promise to doe this favour for the soule even to put it out of all doubt and question and to breed assurance in it Heb. 6. That by two things the word and oath of God wherein it was impossible for God to lie we might have full assurance and so twice more in that Epistle he speakes The meaning whereof is As surely as I from all eternity did intend it in the foundation of mine election that is my Sonne as verily as I accepted it at his hands when he offered it up by his eternall spirit as verily as I offer it to my Church under the word of truth which cannot lie and have pawned my Ministers credit upon it that except I speake truely they are errant dissemblers as verily as now my deare Sonne at my right hand in glory pleads for poore soules that they may partake it so truly and really without hooke or crooke doe I intend to shew them mercy Why should not every one then that needs it fasten upon it and drowne all his distempers in it decide all doubts and rest well satisfied Conclusion of reasons To these I might adde many mo As that the promise beleeved gives the soule a full requitall for all which shee forgoes As Peter said We have forsaken all and followed thee Lord what shall we have Our Saviour answers him An hundred fold here and after eternall life So perhaps thou hast forsaken thy old crasie props for Gods word what shalt thou have Even perfect peace that which they could never have bred thee Againe I might say That faith enlarges the hidebound and shrunk heart and makes it concurre with the Lord and equall his bowels I meane to be enlarged in her bowels toward him againe whereas before it was not so but she limited the holy one of Israel and restrained his compassions Besides this word of the promise sets up a light in the heart above all that light which was there before We know when it is dark we are glad of a candle But when the Sunne shines bright a candle is a poore needlesse thing and is drowned by a superiour light So here a blind dark deluded heart is glad of any dimme candle of its owne to make it thinke it sees but when the word comes that dimme light vanishes These and many more I might adde but these are sufficient I hasten to the question and objection and the answers of them Here then first it may be asked The Answer to a Question But may a poore soule truly loaden with her owne sinne and under a condition of a promise be subject to so many distempers I answer yea surely as in the wombe the woman that is conceived with child yet ere the fruit be perfected feeles abundance of inward griefes and pains strugglings and wrestlings ere the fruit be come to the full ripenesse But when it is once come to that the former distempers cease Even so is it here Till faith have formed the soule to a true quietnesse and setling there cannot chuse but be many feares and turne-againes although the seed be cast into the wombe really But what are these I answer In three kinds Such as these I may referre them to these three heads for order sake First erroneous conceits on the right hand proceeding from selfe-love flattering it selfe by her hopes her morall qualities her negative abstinences opinion of her religious duties her affections complaints her liking of goodnesse flashes of joy and the like Oh! how can she chuse but doe well how can she be out of the way Then must thousands perish if she be wrong She is not so sinfull that she should put Gods mercy too farre to straine it selfe Ah poore wretch thinkest thou to fare well by making God lesse work or by making thy selfe to need him above all sinners The Word goes not by thy small sinne but by the graciousnesse of the promiser So also of this sort are all mixtures of selfe and soderings against the Word hoping that such a degree of desire or sorrow or selfe-deniall will serve although it have no roote in the Word nor continue Seeking God so farre as will hold with such a lust liberty or evill custome To sticke to our old condition though we find it crasie by the Word and to be unwilling to goe any further and to strippe and bare herselfe of her owne bottome that Christ might come and take possession But desperately to venture and cast all upon hazard if I be not well let all goe I will take as I find but I will altar none of my course This for the first sort Secondly there are distempers on the left hand for the soule is hurried with extremities on both sides till she beleeve I meane with bondage as well as boldnesse Of this sort are all base feares and wicked conceits against our selves That we are the unhappiest of all men of more aversnesse to Gods will and way then any men or women living That our corruptions are baser then any our natures more crooked inconstant awk and perverse that such spirits as ours so sly subtill and lewd cannot belong to God For then some restraining grace or other would have kept us all this while Why oh poore soule is it not as much for the glory of mercy to save a crooked spirit as a streight dost thou so looke upon thine owne ends that Gods are forgotten Also a false opinion of Gods enmity toward us because we feele our selves as corrupt and hardhearted as ever little amendment in us but much what the same under long hearing many mercies patience crosses meanes of grace What should this argue but that our hearts are given over and left of God Surely if he had chosen us we should not be thus Some there must be after all costs and trials who must be left in their hardnesse of heart and none more like to be of that number then such as we feele our selves So tempted to vile thoughts to lewd lusts and affections So many backwarder and further off then we in shew yet have beene brought home to God before us Many of our time age and