that wee may stand fast make use of these or the like directions 1. Be carefull to avoyde the least sinne least it usher in a greater for sinne and Sathan as you have heard winde themselves in by some small temptations till at the last like the sores of the body which at first are vicious humors then swelling tumors and after that impostumate and so become uncurable so the sores of sins waxe greater and greater till they breed bring eternal death therefore when thou art fallen thinke of our Saviours counsell remember whence Revel 2 thou art fallen repent and amend confesse your sinnes daily and crave pardon for them Let a man turne by Redcat hâ—â—o â—er quotidianâ—â—â—menta unde corruit per vanâ— dâ—lecta mentâ— Aug. de temp Ser. 182. daily lamentations to that from which he is fallen by vaine delectation Take heede of lukewarmnesse in religion and of backsliding If Christ have washed thee in his blood bathed thee in his wounds and cured thee with his stripes and tooke off this burthen from thy shoulders take heede of lading thy selfe againe by new transgressions but if thou be made whole sinne no more least a worse thing happen Ioh 5 14 unto thee 2. Take heed of sinne in generall so in a speciall manner take heed of vilifying the worke of grace that shines in Gods servants and is made evident to your consciences by the word or worke of God This was the fearefull sinne of the Iewes that daily saw the divine power of Christ shining in their consciences yet they did oppose themselves against him and charged him that hee borrowed helpe of the divell and that hee cast out divels by Beelzebub the Prince of Divells 3. Take heede of in constancy in religion and of time-serving Some thinke that if they bee young Saints they may proove old divells therefore they slacke their zeale in youth to conforme themselves to the time and resolve to bee more religious in their old age but wee see such flutter with Noahs Raven and hardly recover themselves againe but if wee finde our affections running with an irregular motion let us stay our selves and make a league with religion as Ruth did with Naomi resolve never to part 4. What vertue soever you finde in the Saints endevour to imitate and what God reveales unto you be carefull to practise God lookes that his talents should be imployed to his glory therefore let not your knowledge swimme idlie in your braines for vaine speculation but let it be fruitfull in your lives for others imitation 5. Labour for the Spirit of prayer and suplication for this is an invincible bulwarke against Sathans darts Crave daily the Lords assistance and commit your soules unto him daily in well doing and daily examine your heart by the rule of Gods word by which try whether you have faith to beleeve Gods promises if you have it will make you carefull to obey his Commandements thus he that keeps the forte of faith towards God and a cleare conscience towards the world Sathan may assault him but shall never Oppugnat diaboluineâ—â—â—â—ugnal subdue him for whosoever can practise these directions shall be sure to stand fast and firme The application doth now follow Even so shall it be to this wicked generation Wee have at large shewed you Gods mercy to the Iewes and their ingratitude to him againe and that God hath paid them home and made them spectacles of his wrath for all ages to looke upon therefore we will leave them unto Gâ—ds mercy and in his good time to open their eyes that they may behold their crucified Saviour and see what may make for their everlasting good and apply this doctrine to our owne soules If I should begin to number the mercies the Lord hath continued unto the Land in generall I might spend much time and yet not report the one halfe of an infinite number take a few We were all possessed with the spirit of blindnesse as other nations were and were tempted to as much uncleanenesse as ever the Pagans were but yet it pleased the Lord to expell the darkenesse of Popery and to send the light of the Gospell amongst us which we have enjoyed in peace and purity this threescore and thirteene yeares so that we have had peace within our walls and prosperity within our pallaces and no complayning in our streets And by the powerfull preaching of the Gospell Sathan this uncleane spirit hath beene cast out of us now let us take heede least hee creepe into us againe by hypocrisie and unthankefulnesse for the Lords mercies and so make us thinke that our religion stands in shewes and consists in outward formality least wee abusing the Lords mercies and grow leane and ill favoured after wee have devoured so many yeares of store and plenty under the powerfull preaching of the word wee arme our enemie against us who regaining entrance brings seaven spirits worse than he did before and so fortifie his habitation with hypocrysie and other foule sinnes for our unthankefulnesse for the Lords mercies and then there shall bee more prophanenesse than there was before But that this fearefull judgement may not overtake us let us speedily amend our lives and turne to the Lord with all our hearts and then our latter end shall be better â—han our beginning Walafridus Strabo lib. de rebus Ecclesiasticis Siquid in hoc Lector placet assignare memento â—d Domino quicquid displicet hocce mihi What here is good to God ascribed bee What is infirme belongs of right to mee FINIS
thou art freed out of this miserable condition Ply Christ with thy prayers and take no nay at his hands till he set thee free hee hath the Keyes of Heaven and hell and if Revel 1 18 Ioh 8 30 he make thee free thou art free indeede Confesse thy selfe to bee a wretched creature and without his helpe undone powre forth thy soule in sence of thy misery before the Throne of grace and say Father I have sinned Luk. 15 18 against heaven and against thee and not worthy to be called thy sonne O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for my iniquities are increased over my head and my trespasse is growne up into the heavens Ezra 9. 6. crying for vengeance to fall downe upon me Lord I am a sinfull creature and thou art a God of infinite puritie and holinesse Sinne hath left me no good thing all is wounded all is poysoned how shall I appeare before thee whose glory the Angels cannot behold I was conceived in sinne borne in sinne and all my daies have lived in sinne My heart is a seed-plot of sinne and corruption my eyes the windowes of vanity my eares the eares of folly my mouth the mouth of deceipt my hands the hands of iniquity and every part of my body and faculty of my soule which thou hast created for thy service hath dishonoured thee My understanding apprehendeth nothing but sinne my will delighteth in nothing but wickednesse my memory retaines nothing but evill things which dishonours thee As for thy holy precepts and heavenly ordinances I have not observed but have prophaned thy Sabbaths contemned thy Sacraments and lived in contempt of thy providence all my dayes I have beene so farre from keeping any part of thy law that I have added transgression unto blindnesse malice to ignorance and rebellion to sinne And because thou hast spared mee and wayted for my repentance and hast suffered me with such patience to run on in my sinnes and because thou hast beene so mercifull unto me and multiplyed thy favours towards mee I have tooke liberty to my selfe to commit great sinnes against thee so that the same medicine which thou hast appointed to purge out my sinnes I have made a provocation unto sinne Yet Lord for thy names sake thy mercy sake thy truths sake take away all mine iniquities and magnifie thy mercy in the pardoning of my sinnes which I have committed against thee mine owne knowledge and many motions of thy Spirit and purposes of my heart I doe acknowledge I have beene dull and unprofitable in thy service I have not had care and zeale which I should have had to serve thee I have beene weary of well doing and have not taken to heart my misery as I should nor mourned for my transgressions against thee my God as becommeth such a notorious offender as I am but have hardned my heart against thy judgements and have walked stubbornly before thee in the light of thy countenance Psal 90. But though I am full of wickednesse yet thou art full of goodnesse Lord thou madest me at the first of nothing save mee now I pray thee which am worse than nothing It is thou O Lord which knowest my heart and it must bee thou which must renew and change it Take it therefore into thy owne hand and take from it the hardnesse deadnes and dulnesse which the custome of sinne hath brought upon it and frame it according to thy owne liking cast out of it all the cursed fruits of the flesh which fight against thy grace and my soule Enlarge my understanding and encrease my knowledge that being guided by thy wisedome and assisted by thy Spirit I may understand and perceive those things which may please thee and refraine those things which may dishonour thee that so being directed by thy grace and guided by thy Spirit I may clearely see what thou requirest of mee and what may make for my peace and future happinesse Lord this must bee thy worke for I confesse that my reason is blinde my will is froward my wit is crafty ready to deceive me my understanding is quite estranged from thee but Lord dispell these clowds of errour and ignorance and rectifie the perversnesse of my understanding and indue me with thy holy Spirit of grace and wisedome that my soule may be cleansed from the corruption of this sinfull world and the eyes of my understanding opened to embrace the mystery of redemption by Iesus Christ Make thy word unto me like the starre which led the wisemen to my Saviour in the time of his infancy make thy benefits and graces like the Pillar which conducted thy people to the land of promise Kindle thy love in my heart that in respect of thee and thy service I may despise whatsoever is against thee and thy truth Confirme my faith in thy promises that by thy Spirit I may be assured that thou hast forgiven my sinnes and that thou wilt not reject me a poore sinner that relyeth wholly upon thee Lord thou desirest not the death of a sinner but hast promised that if I repent thou wilt bee pleased thou onely canst raise me out of the grave of sinne for I am dead and buried in trespasses and sinnes quicken mee by thy grace that I may praise thy name Let mee not want any mercy whereby I may be fitted for thy service and so dispose and guide the remainder of my life in such manner as that thou mayest bee honoured and my soule comforted which grant unto me for the Lord Iesus Christs sake my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Amen Thus wee have proved the truth â—f the proposition that Sathans â—ower must give place unto Christ We have also confirmed it by Scripâ—ure proved it by reasons and have made use and application of it to our selves In the next place wee are to examine the measure of his going out Sathan is so expelled out of the godly as that hee shall never returne againe But he goeth out of hypocrites so as that he still remaineth For if hee were once reallie cast out as wee have heard he could never returne againe But this speech of going out is rather a forme of speaking than a reall action This phrase of speech is used with other of like signification as Heb. 10. 6. If wee sinne willingly after wee have received the knowledge of the truth there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinne Againe the same Author saith It is impossible for those which were once inlightned and have tasted of the heavenly gifts and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted Heb. 6. 4. the good word of God and of the power of the world to come if they fall away to renew them by repentance Then from hence I reason thus If a man may receive the truth and yet sinne willingly and then forsake the truth be inlightned and tast of the heavenly gift and be made partakers
tempt 84 He is never weary 113 64 66 116 Wicked men tempt themselves 143 Evill thoughts are stirred up by Satan 66 Triall of a mans state how made 26 27 28 Time cannot be better spent than upon God to glorifie him and upon our souls to save them 87 Time servers are miserable 171 Men must not conforme themselves to the sinfulnesse of the times 171 A sinne of times ibid. Satan is the head of Tyrants 111 Their malice limited 99 God hath a hook in their nostrils 100 Their malice cannot compell the fire to burne us ibid. Thankefulnesse opens Gods hand 154 Gods Talents must be imployed to his honor 171 V THe Devill will ensnare men by their Vertues or their Vices 67 Saints vertues are to be imitated 171 The Devill is a vanquished slave 104 Vsury unlawfull 130 Vnbeleevers miserable 32 W VVAlke what it signifies 61 The Devill walketh any way to do mischiefe 76 His walkes are dangerous 89 Where his walke are 86 90 Watchfulnesse needfull 87 112 Required 92 93 Why neglect of it full of danger 116 117 Wicked mens trade is to draw men to sinne 70. 74 They are restlesse in sinne 77 They are the Devils standards bearers 70 They rejoyce at the fall of the godly 75 79 They are enemies to godlines 75 They are hatefull to God and hurtfull to men 32 They are quiet among themselves 160 They use variety of objects to satisfie their pleasure 78 They run from one extreme to another 78 The world is the Devill circuit 84 He knowes how to handle his weapons 157 Mans weakenesse encourages him 114 Spirituall weapons must be used 126 It is not enough to fight with Gods weapons unlesse we borrow his arme 105 Gods children shew their weakenesse in dangers 104 Words must bee weighed in the ballance of wisedome and tend to edification 45 Gods Word is the star that leads to Christ 41 Y ADultery a sinfull trick of Youth 17 Z THe Devill labours to coole and undermine our Zeale To decrease our Zeale dangerous 171 FINIS ERRATA Mens works have faults since Adam first offended And those in these are thus to be amended PAge 57. l. 8 supply Papists in profession yet many of them are Papists in ignorance and prophanes c. p. 67. l. 1. r. Iehosuah p. 62. l. 6. put out Satan seek l. ult r. bodies p. 66. l. 18. r. so now p. 81. in margent r. habeo meum p. 110. p. 24. Courage l. 4 r. plowing p. 144. in the margent r. scintilla p. 144. r. after evill spirits q. 148. l. 8. r. restlesse THE PARABLE OF THE VNCLEANE SPIRIT Matth. 12. 43. When the uncleane Spirit is gone out of a man hee walketh through drie places seeking rest and findeth none Then he saith I will returne into my house whence I came out when he is come he findeth it empty swept and garnished OVr Saviour Christ in great humility and mercy came to save and to seeke the lost sheepe of Israel unto whom hee came not empty handed neither did hee leade an unprofitable life among them but all his workes were witnesses of his love to their soules and bodies in curing the one and feeding the other for he went about Act. 10. 38. doing good curing all that were oppressed of the divell Yet for all his manifold mercies manifest miracles which he wroght among these stubborne Iewes they requited him with inveterate hatred and maliciously interpreted his workes to be wrought by the power of the Divell for so they say This fellow doth not cast Vers 24. out Divells but by Beelzebub the prince of the Divells But our blessed Saviour knowing their cursed malice and obstinate wickednesse by sound arguments confutes their calumnies and discovers their intollerable blasphemie So that in this Story the holy Evangelist doth lay open a double conflict ofour Saviour the first is against Sathan the enemy of mankinde in the body of a poore man the other in the tongue of these obstinate pharises In the one he was a blinde dumb divell in the other a seeing and perverse adversarie Now because violence doth not make an enemy so dangerous as cunning and craftie therefore our Saviour casts him presently out of the blinde and dumbe man Where in he shewed himselfe by force but out of these subtill and malicious Pharises he did not so easily cast him out but is forced to come from sound arguments which might have stopt their mouths to passe a doome upon them in the conclusion of Vers 45. this Parable Even so shalt it be also to this wicked generation When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man Whether these words were directed to the poore man out of whom the divell was gone out or to the stubborne Iewes may seeme a Question No doubt but it may very fitly be applyed to the former that having received so great a benefit he should not be unthankefull to the Lord for his deliverance or grow secure and carelesse least by his negligence and misdemeanour the devill which now was cast out of him should returne and take possession of him againe and so his last end should be worse than the beginning Or else these words may serve to be a witnesse against these perverse Scribes and Pharises to seale up their further damnation It may serve for both and bee as a patterne for the godly to imitate to teach them to order their speech that their words being weighed in the ballance of wisedome and powdered with the salte of discretion may tend to edification and minister grace to the Col. 4. 6. hearers For many times the standers by doe more heedefully marke what is delivered than those unto whom the speech is directed When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man This uncleane spirit which keepes possession by the power of sinne was after a sort formerly cast out of the Iewes when they received the Law of Moses and so were taught to worship the true God aright then this uncleane spirit with his filthy troope being destitute of so convenient a lodging walked through drie places amongst the Gentiles to seeke rest whom hee corrupted in such a vile manner that hee made them leese both sence and humanity and fall into all manner of blindenesse and Idolatry as we may see Rom. 1. 24. in so much that being seduced by him they worshipped and served him with manifold Idolatries so that at the last hee had so farre infatuated their understanding that they also worshipped Catts Serpents and other filthy creatures as may appeare by the testimony of divers historians Hesiod as Eusebius observes saith There was worshipped upon the earth 30. thousand gods In which Idolatrie the Gentiles continued untill the Lord Iesus preached the truth of his Gospel amongst them which glad tydings they embraced and forsooke their former errours and beleeved in him and when they saw his miracles they spake very honourably of him and acknowledged him to be
in power a spirit and in nature and condition an uncleane spirit one that for his pride and rebellion was cast out of Heaven therefore woe to the Inhabitants of the Earth for hee will doe as much mischiefe as he can he knowes his time is but short and therefore he will loose no opportunitie but will labour by all meanes to make all mankinde as filthy as himselfe Thus he made Caine swell in envie Gen 4 8. to his brother and to bathe his hands with cruelty in his blood Achan with theft Gehazi and Annanias Iosu 7. 1. 2 King 5. 22. Act. 5. 1. and his wife with lying and dissembling Thus hee defiles all men with sin and pollutes the land Ezek 23. 18. with transgressions For every sinne as it dishonours God so it holds the sinner in perpetuall bondage For whosoever committeth Iohn 8. 34. sinne is the servant of sinne Then in this bondage and Captivitie all naturall and unregenerate men remaine bound under the curse of the Law untill the custome of sinne hath taken away the sence of sinne and then this Tyrant plunges them under the curse of God before they are aware As every sinne is uncleane in the Concreat so there is a sinne called uncleannesse in the Abstract as if it were in a speciall manner breathed out of the mouth of this uncleane spirit This uncleane and filthy sinne is the sinne of Adulterie and Fornication which though it seeme a Paradise to the desire yet it is a Purgatory to the purse and a hell to the soule and dishonours the noble name of a Christian And though the wanton minions of this age extenuate it and say it is but a tricke of youth yet let them know that it is a sinne hatefull in the sight of God who will not let them goe unpunished for whoremongers and Adulterers Heb. 13. 14. God will judge But of the filthinesse and fearefulnesse of this sinne I have spoken at large in a Treatise Intituled The Worldlings looking Glasse When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none In these words is contained Sathans departure and demeanour when he is gon In his departure observe these particulars 1. The manner of his going out 2. The measure of his going out First for the manner of his going out Sathan will not depart but by compulsion for he keepes possession like a strong armed man which will not be amooved till a stronger even the strength of Israel come against him he alone and none but he can Math. 17 19 master and subdue him The disciples were unable to doe it and by his owne good will he will never depart Math. 8 29 Mark 5. 7. He loves his dwelling so well that he accounts it no lesse than a Torment to be cast out And so envious hee is to mankinde that he will never leave him till hee have brought him to destruction because he is greeved that mankinde should enjoy that happinesse he himselfe hath lost Secondly In regard of the curse that was given him in Paradise that the seede of the woman should bruise Gen. 3 15. his head Therefore he pursues mankinde with deadly hatred and implacable malice that either he may frustrate the truth of Gods word or bring mankinde into perpetuall bondage Yet for all his power and malice there is a time when he must be gon and that is when the Lord by the powerfull working of his Spirit dispelleth the blindnesse of nature and the sinfull corruptions thereof out of the hearts of his children and doeth inlighten them with the saving knowledge of himselfe This he doeth when by the ministery of the Law he convinceth their consciences of sinne and sheweth them the heynousnesse and fearefulnesse thereof and then the grievous punishments due to them for the same which are Levit. 26. Deut. 28. not onely all the plagues and punishments denounced in the Law but also the eternall torments of Hell for ever and ever And that no mortall man is able to free them from this condition no not all the world is able to make satisfaction for one soule for The Earth is the Lords and all that is Psal 24 1 therein Nay if all the Angells in Heaven should offer themselves they were unable to deliver one soule because they are ingaged to God for their creation and they were created but a finit temporarie good are not able to make satisfaction for infinite sinnes committed against the majesty of a most holy and glorious God Thus when the Lord hath 1 King 19. 11 12. brought his children to the gates of Hell and by the strong winde of his wrath hath broken their hearts and by the Earthquake of his judgement awakened their soules and by the fire of his spirit ransackt their consciences and by the ministery of his word hath plowed up the fallow ground of their hearts and by the terrours of conscience made them to despaire of salvation in respect of themselves Then he makes them to heare the still voyce of his Spirit by which he revealeth to them his infinit mercy and free grace and his eternall love to â—hem in Christ Iesus with all his meâ—its then he worketh in their soules â—aith whereby they apprehend Christ â—nd rest upon him alone for their salvation and in their judgements a wonderfull esteeme of Gods mercies and Christs merits from whence and by whom they receive and obtaine remission of all their sinnes This assurance of Gods favour worketh in their soules a hungering and thirsting after Christ and his righteousnesse and in their wills a constant resolution to rest upon him alone for justification and salvation And in the whole course of their lives a detestation and hatred of all sinne whatsoever And stirres up in them a care and conscience to use all good meanes whereby they may be assured that they shall have their part in the mercies of God and in the merits of Christ Then God joyneth them unto him as the head unto the body and then as soone as Christ is joyned to them they are made members of his body who by his Spirit reneweth their will and affections and frameth in them a spirituall life that they may serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse Luk. 1. 74. all the dayes of their life Thus the Lord by these meanes casteth this uncleane spirit out of the hearts of his children so that he shall never totally regaine his former possession for it is a certaine Maxime in Philosophie that two contraries cannot stand together at one time in one and the same subject There can be no agreement betweene light and darkenesse God and Belial but when grace comes in vice must goe out When the holy Spirit taketh possession the uncleane spirit must packe away So then from the truth of the premisses wee may conclude That Sathans power must give place Doctr. to Christs This was
godlinesse then they are fit houses for him when the feare of God is choaked in mens hearts and the remembrance of Gods judgements is not before their eyes When the house is swept from all godinesse and vertue garnished with the damnable sins of swearing lying all maner of wickednes then behold these are trimmed houses for Sathan to roost in Sathan delights to have his house garnished that thereby hee might seeme Gods Ape for God will have his house garnished saith the Apostle For this is the will of God even our 1 Thess 4 sanctification that every one should know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour God will have the beames of his house Cedar and the Galleries firre hee will have sanctification for the groundworke holinesse of life for the ornament So the devill he will have his house garnished also but the beames of his house are the ougly workes of darkenesse and the galleries sin and all manner of prophanenesse Now if hee can get this house whited over with a counterfeit it shew of Religion then this is a house well trimmed and garnished for him to dwell in Sathan will allow his servants sometime to make shew of sanctity that thereby they may doe the more mischiefe and to pretend Religion in shew that they may act wickednesse in substance He is loath to discourage his servants therefore he will gratifie them a little sometime give them the bridle in their hands Thus hee was contented Abimelech should entertaine Abraham in the best of his land and that Iudas should be Christs disciple he cared not seeing he could allure the one to Adultery and perswade the other to betray his Master If he can alluâ—â— any to the love of any one sinne â—en he is well enough Sathan deâ—â—es with sinfull men as Pharaoh did with the Israelits when he was compelled by the judgement of God to let them goe then hee would have some pawne to remaine in his hand goe saith he and sacrifice to the Lord your God but leave your sheepe and your cattell behind you What had Pharaoh any neede of their goods No no it was not their goods that hee aymed at hee had a further reach He knew that the Iewes were covetous and worldly minded and therefore if they should bee punished with want in the Wildernesse hee knew they would remember their cattell in Egypt and quickly come backe againe for them So Sathan deales with those he hath a long time kept in bondage if at any time he be commanded by Moses and Aaron that is by the powerfull preaching of Gods word to let the Lords people goe and come out of the Egypt of their sinnes and to travell in the desert of repentance then how many blocks and hinderances doth he cast how many stormes doth hee raise to discourage them and to hinder them in their journey to the Caelestiall Canaan And if he cannot hinder us then hee labours to make our mindes wander after our profits and pleasures but as Moyses and Aaron were resolute that they would not leave any of their goods behinde them to please the King but were resolved to obey the Lords commaund so must wee when God calls unto us to come out of sin wee must not retaine any of them to please Sathan but must keepe the temples of our bodies pure that they may be a garnished house for the Lord to dwell by his Spirit He findes it garnished Wee have heard how a garnished house pleases Sathan and how an hypocrite may be sayd to be a garnished house we will notwithstanding all that hath beene sayd spend a little more time in examining what is meant by the word Garnished by the garnished house wee may not unfitly understand also the occasions of sin for the occasions of sinne are Sathans â—aites whereby he is invited to make re-entry therefore the Apostle would â—ave us not only abstaine from sinne but also from the appearance of evill 1 Thes 5 22. If we cast out sinne and doe not cast but the occasions of sinne we leave a Pignus aâ—ud damonem relinquimus pledge in the devils hands which he knoweth we wil at one time or other returne backe to fetch again and then he will surely hould us captived Take heede then of the occasions of sin for â—t is the occasion that makes the theefe Occasio faecit furem If by the mercy of God thou hast repented thee of thy sinnes take heede of the occasions of sinne Hast thou beene a whoremaster Now take heed of wanton company alluring harlots â—ascivious talking amorous songs wanton pictures idlenesse and the â—ike which are occasions of sinne If â—hou hast forsaken the damnable custome of swearing and by the mercy of God hast bound thy tongue to the good behaviour shunne also the company of prophane swearers If thou have forsaken the beastly sinne of drunkennesse abandon also thy boone companions for the occasions of sinne are the divells baites which he layes to ensnare silly soules Iron is hard yet at last fire will dissolve it so a holy man by familiarity with sinners will quickly be brought to sinne It fares with our corrupt nature as it doth with a little fire which though it be almost out yet a little Gunpowder or Brimstone will revive it and make it flash out againe so every little occasion will make a godly man breake out into sinne Familiarity with sinners giveth occasion to sinne See this in Ioseph a holy and Familiaritas saepe occasionem dedit godly man his mistresse could not allure him to follie but yet the prophane Courtiers of Pharaoh quickly taught him to lye and dissemble and to sweare by the life of Pharaoh How Gen. 44. quickly did the daughters of Moab intice the Children of Israel to sinne for which the judgement of God brake out upon many thousands of â—em Our nature is like unto dry Num 25. 1. â—ood which is apt to kindle as soone â—s fire is put to it Occasion is the way Occasioâ—nim iter est quod ducit ad peccatum â—hat leadeth unto sinne There needs â—o divell to tempt us for if any occaâ—on be offred we are ready to tempt â—ur selves Thus Moses knew well Nemâ— lâ—ditur nisi ase â—nough therefore when the people â—ad committed Idolatry with the golden calfe which Aaron had made Eoxd 32. â—e burnt it in the fire and ground it â—o powder and strewed the ashes upon the water and then made the people drinke it He would not have any remembrance left which might put them in minde of their former Idolatry When godly Hezekiah saw that the people burnt incense to the brazen 2 King 18 4. serpent though it were made by Gods appointment yet when it was abused by Idolatry hee brake it in peeces and called it Nehushtan a peece of Brasse Our Savious Christ teacheth us that if our right eye offend us we must
Ans In many things wee sinne all and 1. Ioh. 1 8. If we say we have no sinne wee deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Yet the divell dwelleth not alike in all for those which with consent of heart entertaine his suggestions hee hath full hould of them but the godly when they give place to him through infirmity they let him come into the Suburbs and out places but Christ by his Spirit dwelleth in their hearts by faith from which he forces him to retire As for the wicked if Sathan get advantage as hee will be restlesse in his temptations as you have heard so hee will be in his torments hee will spare none old nor young as you may see Luk. 9. 39. 42. and if hee be so cruell to children which for want of knowledge have done him no hurt how cruell will hee be to those which have set themselves against him He taketh with him seaven other spirits more wicked The spirits are described by their number they are seaven which is a certaine number put for an uncertaine by which is meant a number of capitall sinnes These Divells are lestlesse when Sathan entred into Iudas he gave him no rest till hee had betrayed his Master hee called and allured him by covetousnesse to get the money and when hee had it he stirred up such stormes in his conscience that hee could not be at rest till he had hanged himselfe These spirits are more wicked than the former because they make those whom they possesse more wicked and sinne may be increased and made more wicked and that in divers respects and that 1. In the greatnesse of the mercy offered thus Iudas his sinne in betraying his Master was worse than the Iewes in conspiring his death Iudas had many watchwords to take heede of the treason and yet for all this hee would not rest till hee had brought the blood of his Saviour upon his owne soule Sinne is increased in regard of the mercy offered How shall we escape if we neglect so great Heb. 2 3 1 Sam. 2 17. salvation Thus the sinnes of Elies sonnes was greater than the peoples because they should have exceeded them in holinesse 2. Sinne is aggravated in regard of the tendernesse of Gods love without any difference of respect or desert God invites all wearie and Math. 11 28. Esa 55 â— heavy laden soules To come unto him againe Every one that thirsteth and hath made a firme promise that they shall not come in vaine I will ease you Math. 11 29. and you shall finde rest to your soules and therefore hath sent his servants to 2 Cor. 5 29. 2 Cor. 6 entreat men to be reconciled unto God And not to receive The grace of God in vaine And therefore hee laments the folly of men that they will neglect grace when it is offered O that they were wise that they understood â—ut 32 this that they would consider â—l 8 13 their latter end Now when the patience â— 48 18 and mercy of God is thus neglected and abused sinne is augmented and this sottish negligence is inexcusable because they doe reject such gracious favour when it is offered 3. Sinne is made worse in respect of the time Thus to sport and play and follow our worldly businesse upon the Lords day is a great sinne because the time is holy and ought to be imployed in his service which must be an item to victualers and Inhoulders that they doe not set open their doores to receive idle companions to drinke and tipple in their houses when Gods house stands open to receive his servants to heare his word Else if they doe they open their doores to the contempt of Gods ordinance 4. Sinne is made worse in regard of the place for swearing and fighting in a Church or Church-yard is worse than in a Taverne or other place for God will have even the skirt of his Sanctuary kept holy Levit. 19 30 Then out of the premisses wee may conclude that if sinne may be augmented in regard of circumstances then by the same reason seaven new spirits may make a sinner more wicked than he was when the first left him The more meanes any one hath to escape the snares of the divel the greater shall be their punishments if they neglect the meanes to escape them Then hee taketh to him seaven spirits worse than the former Hence then wee may learne that there is a difference of sinnes sinners and consequently of punishments The first was said to be an uncleane spirit yet the latter are seaven worse Sinne is very fruitfull how many Quot criâ— mina tot demonâ—â— evills therebe so many divells There is alwayes a fruitfull croppe â—ccati fruâ—fera seget â—â— de morâ—l of sinne If covetousnesse be rooted up lust springeth up if lust be vanquished ambition succeedeth and so one sinne followes another hand in hand according to the Proverbe An evill weede growes apace Now these sinnes encrease from one degree of comparison unto another and creepeth like a Canker which commeth to maturity by degrees Sinne getteth strength by committing as figures in Arithmeticke by numbring The first figure standeth but for one the second for ten the third for one hundred and so increasing their value according to their places so it is in sin â—atth 5 Anger without cause is liable to judgement Exasperating gestures to the punishment of a Counsell but railing speeches are worthy of hell fire Iudas was first a cunning dissembler Secondly a close fisted theefe Thirdly a bloody traytour And lastly which is worst of all a desperate reprobate But I would not so be understood as if I did lessen and extenuate sinne for The wages of sinne is Rom. 6 23. death yet some sinnes shall feele the â—orments of death more than other Baâ—abas murther was great but Iudas vilâ—any in betraying his Master was greaâ—er in so much that it had bin good â—or him if he had never beene borne If sinne be so fruitfull and bee increased Vse by circumstances then let it â—e our wisedome in time to roote â—p those plants whose increase is so dangerous and whose sappe is so veâ—emous About holy matters let all In rebus sacris nulla sit deliberatio Cyp. delay bee absent Secondly seeing sinne proceedeth from footing to rooâ—ing and from rooting unto shooting forth to encrease let us weaken the â—bility of sinne by taking away the â—rops and sustainements of sinne If â—he currents and passages bee stopt â—hat leadeth to a Lake it will at â—ast be dryed up take away the props and foundation of a house and it will at last fall of it selfe So sinne if it be not cherished will quickly bee extinguished But if men will not make use of the meanes and mercies God hath given them to withstand sinne but will give the reines unto their affections to wallow in sinne with greedinesse not resting till they have gon
that a man should repaire to the place of Gods worship or converse with good company hee knowes the power of the word and godly conference are to convert a desperate sinner therefore if he can finde his opportunity he will remoove him from all meanes whereby he might be saved and harden his heart and dead his affections till hee hath plunged him under the wrath of God unrecoverablie 2. His state is worse in regard of himselfe while he was mantled under the garment of piety and was cloathed with the lambe skin of outward profession so long he injoyed a good estimation among the godly and enjoyed the benefit of their prayers but when his counterfeit holinesse appeares to be double wickednesse as before his hypocrisie deceived the world so now his Apostacy hath deceived himselfe therefore his estate is worse As before he did but counterfeit his repentance so now he hath got not onely a whoores forehead that he cannot blush but also Ier. 3. 3. he hath gotten a brazen face that he can no more blush than a blacke dogge 3. His estate is the worse in respect of God who will turne him out of his protection when God seeth that he esteemes the dung huske and trash of this world above him then hee forsaketh his dwelling being so injuriously used and will not let his providence any longer take charge of him but let him wallow in his sinnes with all greedinesse and so the further hee goes from Gods mercy the nearer hee comes unto his justice God cannot endure backeslyding but will severely punish it Carnall men they thinke nothing of the slacking of their zeale but God accounts it as a grievous thing if any draw backe his soule shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. 38. Nebuchadnezzers Dan 4 fall was great when hee was stript of his Empire and in stead of ruling men was turned into the Wildernesse to live among the beasts but Apostates and backeslyders they goe from the society with the godly to wicked Atheists worse than beasts yea to the company of divells Nebuchadnezzar for all his fall had a stumpe Vers 13. left in the ground which after seaven yeares should sprout out againe and so should returne to a better estate than hee had before but those that are revolters and backsliders have no stumps at al left in the ground but are unrecoverable For if wee sinne willingly after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for Heb. 10. 26 27. sinnes but a fearefull looking for of judgements and fiery indignation Nothing doth so provoke the vengeance of God against men as Apostacie doth For a man to fall from riches to poverty from honour to abasement is a matter of nothing God loves a man never the worse for his abasement in the world as may be seene in Iob on the dunghill or Lazarus at the rich mans gate but when a man falls from piety to prophanenesse from the society with the Saints to be companions with divels this is a lamentable thing Against these men the Lord complaynes because they have changed their glory Ier. â— 11. for that which doth not profit Therefore hee tells them Thine owne wickednesse shall correct thee and thy backslidings shall reproove thee know therefore and see that it is an evill thing and bitter that thou bast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my feare is not in thee saith the Lord God of hosts How fearefull was Iudas fall to come Vers 19. from a Preacher to bee a Traytor Demas from a Gospeller to bee a worldling So fearefull is the case of all those which have entred into the way of Godlinesse and have made a good beginning and yet leave off the race in the midds such men as they are not worthy of the crowne so also they disgrace not onely themselves but also the godly and procure to them great reproach For when a man falls from the profession of the truth the world sees hee was but a painted hypocrite when he was at the best hence it comes to passe that they loose their honour and their glory is turned into shame And if shame rested upon them alone it were well but their falls opens the mouths of prophane men to insult and triumph and say These are your professors and Scripture men they are as bad as any are therefore I will trust none of them for such a mans sake Now if the spyes which brought an evill report upon the land of Canaan were never suffered to enter into the land because they discouraged the people so the Apostate because hee hath laid a stumbling blocke in Gods Childrens way deserves to bee shut out of the Lords rest whereof the land of Canaan was a type Thus you have seene the fearefulnesse of sinne let us now make application of it to our selves Is the decay of grace in the soule Vse the greatest decay and to fall from religion the greatest fall because the things that are lost are the most precious and the ruines of the soule which is the most noble and excellent produces dishonour to God and shame to religion then what a controversie hath the Lord with many of us which with the Church of Ephesus have forsaken our first love How many are there to be found which formerly have shined like the morning starres by their bright profession which now are turned retrograde like wandring Planets and so their glory hath ended in shame because like the foolish Galathians they began in the spirit and ended in the flesh If a righteous man turne from his righteousnesse committeth iniquity all his righteousnesse shall be forgotten Ezek. 18. 24. Lots wife had beene as good have stayed in Sodome as to have gone out and be turned into a pillar of salt for looking backe 2. Seeing the sinne of Apostacie is so dangerous then be exhorted all ye that feare God if yee would not have a great and shamefull fall then take direction from Iude the servant of Iesus Christ to Build up your selves in your â—de 20 most holy faith striving every day to be better and better for we are like a boate that goes against the streame if we doe not labour with might and maine to row upward wee shall be carried by the streame of our affections downeward therefore if wee would receive the crownes of life we must continew faithfull unto the death For he that continueth unto the end shall â—evel 2 10. â—ath 24 â—3 he saved Therefore in the compasse of our profession we must goe a puncto ad punctum from point to point from Alpha to Omega from the first to the last Let us dig deepe and lay a good foundation that wee may be able to â—ould out when the stormes of poverty affliction disgrace and contempt beate upon us For these many times come like a wirlewinde and will be ready to overturne us if we be not well grounded therefore