away no therefore strive you to enter seeke after another manner then they doe that so thou mayst obtaine that which they shall never obtaine many deale in this case as Gentlewomen at a Sermon if they may have a seat at their ease they will sit downe and heare but if they must crowd for it then they returne and get no good so many seeke but they strive not with their seeking they are not able to crowd thorough all occasions and take up armes against the distempers of their soules that so they may obtaine that mercy they stand in neede of But you will say if earnestnesse and vehemency will not doe the deede what then will doe the deede the rules therefore for our direction in seeking are three first labour to seeke seasonably while the day of grace lasts and the Sunne shines take the season and goe on cheerefully and arrive at the end of your hopes call upon the Lord while hee may bee found it was the direction God gave to Ierusalem and the mone he makes for her neglect therefore Luk 19.41 O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day c. hee ceaseth praying and falls to weeping he had preached often and prayed often but nothing would prevaile hee falls a weeping over it O that thou hadst knowne at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace as who should say now this is thy day now the word is brought home unto thee now my Disciples are preaching and the Sonne of man himselfe is come to wooe you Oh that thou hadst knowne in this thy day the things that c. but they are hidden from thine eyes take notice every man hath a day and a season which is the harvest of salvation doe you not take notice of this that at some Sermon God opens the eye and prickes the conscience and sometimes lovingly perswades a man and the soule is yeelding and walking after the Lord the soule melts lovingly under the hand of God this is thy day take heede how thou neglectest it and as thou goest home intreat the Lord to make profitable that which thou hast heard and say this is my day I am now in the fire Lord melt me I am now under the power of thy ordinance make it effectuall to my soule and take notice of it if the spirit of God call and you regard it not and let all goe and all commodities are plucked up and gone you may come and call and cry but it is too late that Spirit which thou hast resisted shall never worke more thanke thy selfe the day is gone now they are hidden from thine eyes the day is over and therefore thou maiest crie Oh for a Minister oh for a Sabboth no no if all the Angells in heaven should speake and all the Ministers on earth should preach themselves hoarse thou wouldest not be affected therewith therefore take the season and the golden opportunitie of grace and when Christ comes to your soules entertaine him if Christ knocks open the doore if hee awaken thy conscience doe not snubbe it labour now to see thy sinne that thou mayest finde mercy at the hand of the Lord. Secondly as wee must seeke seasonably so wee must seeke with our whole heart now the whole heart makes knowne it selfe in two particulars the first is this when all the good things of this world be they what they will be cannot withdraw us from Christ this is one part of the whole heart when profits and pleasures of this world stand in competition and opposition betweene God and our duty to cast off all and say whether I have honour and libertie or no I care not so I have God my God I will have this is a happy seeking away therefore with that lazie heart I thinke it should be so and ought to be so and it is good sanctifying the Sabbath and praying it is mervellous reasonable I ought to doe it but if I doe it ease and honour will be gone and disgrace will be cast upon mee thou now seekest thy ease and honour and the Lord of heaven will curse thee and thy seeking but if thou diddest seeke with thy whole heart thou wouldest goe thorough the worke and say what regard friends and honours let ease and friends looke to themselves let friends bee displeased I had rather friends should be displeased then God it is not necessary to be rich or honorable but it is necessary to finde mercy and to have sinnes pardoned Secondly as no good thing must withdraw us from God so no misery must be a stoppe to let us from comming to the Lord but we must breake through all miseries that lie betweene God and us this is that Saint Paul resolved Acts 20.24 as who should say come what can come though heaven and earth meete together I am resolved to doe what God requires hee that seekes God with his whole heart if hee were to runne thorough hell he would runne thorough it to goe to God now away with that dawbing and hagling with the Lord O saith the poore soule I confesse the course is honorable God requires it and I should doe it but if I doe it trouble and persecution will befall me what shall become of me and mine will you have my wife and children undone if thou thus seeke the Lord thy seeking is accursed thou dost not seeke with thy whole heart they that seeke with their whole heart are like a mayd that sets her affections strong upon a man happily her friends will be reasoning about the portion and there is a cavill on the one side and an objection on the other povertie on one side and maintenance on the other side but if the woman love the man for the mans sake shee will say let me have him though I beg and die with him so it is with the soule of a poore Christian that seeke Christ with his whole heart when Christ and grace and duty bee propounded and the match offered and Christ tendered to the soule and the Lord saith I will bee thy Saviour and Redeemer but thou must looke for disgrace and misery and persecution but there is a better life a comming now if you stand for a portion with Christ that you must have ease and quiet and will not have misery and prison with Christ then you are never like to make a match but he that loves Christ for Christs sake the soule saith let the Lord Iesus be a Saviour to mee though I beg and die and never enjoy good day it is enough my soule shall bee saved if I should rot in prison and bee banished into the utmost coasts of the earth yet let mee have my Saviour let him take possession of me let his Spirit rule me whatsoever come of it this is to seeke God with our whole heart and now you are like to finde him Thirdly you must seeke the Lord constantly you must persevere in the use of all meanes looke as it is with a man that is resolved to finde another and not to leave seeking till hee hath found him he goeth first to his house he is not there he was gone to such a place an houre before well hee pursues him thither hee is not there but is gone to the Market hee followes him thither when hee comes thither hee is gone home againe well then backe againe hee goes to his house and never leaves hunting and pursuing of him till he findes him so it is with a soule that truly and constantly seekes after the Lord hee is to be found in his ordinances haply thou commest to the Word and findest him not here the Word saith hee went from hence to fasting and prayer then thou findest him not there neither then thou goest from fasting and prayer to holy conference then hee is not to be found there but is gone to the publike ordinance in the Congregation then thither thou goest and wilt not be content till thou findest him but goest backward and forward from the Word to prayer and fasting from them to conference from thence to the Word againe this to seeke the Lord constantly and hee that thus seekes is like to obtaine Psalme 122.1 The Prophet David saith Hee will waite untill the Lord sheweth mercy let this be thy resolution seeke unto God till he doe worke effectually upon thy heart thou hast fasted and prayed yet God hath not heard why fast and pray still untill hee supply what is wanting and pardon what is amisse thus never leave endeavouring and doing untill the Lord sheweth mercie unto thy soule and give the assurance of the pardon of thy sinnes thus seeke the Lord seasonably thus seeke thee Lord with all thy heart thus seeke him constantly thus seeke him with your whole heart and hee will be found of you in mercie and compassion FINIS
fire will heat and burne make way kindle and turne all into a flame at conclusion Secondly it will not onely breake through all corruptions but through all outward occasions that comes against it Psa 39.3 The good man was among a company of mocke-gods that were flowting and gibing and now saith he I burned and spake with my tongue as who should say the grace of God was so powerfull that he could hold no longer he could beare no more but spake with his tongue Looke as it is with the Husband man he casts his seede into the ground and covers it over with earth yet that little seed will breake the earth and rend the ground and come out so it is with a godly and holy heart where in the immortall seede of Gods word is sowne though there be clogs and occasions of oppositions this way and that way and another way yet a gratious heart will breake through and the good worke of the Lord that is implanted in the soule will appeare in the life and conversation Consider Reason 2 the end why God gives grace which cannot be attained unto unlesse wee expresse the power of this grace outwardly as well as to have it inwardly in our hearts For marke the ends why God gives grace are principally these two First to glorifie the Lord Ephe. 1.6 There was such a proud heart humbled such a carnall wretch purified 1 Pet 2.12 I would have Gods children carry themselves so holily that the wicked may admire at them and glorifie God the second end why God gives grace that we may be a meanes to draw others on in the same way wherein God hath inabled us to walke 2 King 7.9 There they say Wee doe not well this day is a day of glad tidings come therefore let us tell it to the Kings houshold so it is with a mercifull gracious loving heart if God ever opens his eyes and shewes mercy to his soule and pardon his sins then he thinkes sure I doe not well that I doe not tell it to my fellow servants that they may love grace and embrace it and be blessed by it this thou must doe and ought to doe and this you cannot do if you keepe your grace secret within your hearts therfore tell your fellow servants of a truth I had as stony as carelesse a heart as you but it hath pleased the Lord to breake it it hath cost me many a sob and salt teare but now the Lord hath pardoned me did you but know the peace of a conscience you would never live as you doe this is the frame of a gratious heart Instruction Vse 1 that it is not a fault for any man to shew himselfe forward in a holy course and holy conversation know it is no fault to expresse that grace which God hath bestowed upon thee I speake this the rather by reason of the cavils of a company of carnall persons that cast reproaches upon this course ah say they they can make a shew but they are all hypocrites if a man knew their hearts they are as bad as the worst I answer how dost thou know their hearts to be bad we judge the tree by the fruite and we may judge the heart by the life and conversation But be his heart naught yet there is not a fault in that hee makes a shew to make a shew and to expresse holinesse is good but that is a fault that the heart is naught let that therfore which is good be commended and that which is naught be avoyded It is not the fault of gold that it glisters but that it glisters and is not gold But what heart is thine in the meane time that cannot indure so much as the shew of godlinesse it shewes a heart marveilous violent against God a heart marveilous Satanicall he that loves his father will love the picture of his father so if thou lovest holinesse thou wilt love the picture of holinesse But you will say we doe not discommend holinesse Object but it is this Hypocrisie that we disallow God forbid that we should speake against holinesse Give me leave to reply two things First Answ that which thou seest them want labor thou for and that which is good in them labour thâ—u to take up Thou that sayest those are Sermon hunters yet they will couzen and lye and the like dost thou speake against hearing the word and praying in families no oh but this couzening dissembling why then take thou that which is good sanctifie thou the Lords day and pray thou in thy family shew thy holinesse outwardly and bee thou also inwardly sincere but thou that hatest the forme of godlinesse it is a signe thou hatest the power of godlinesse Secondly if thou hatest them for hypocrisie then thou hatest them because they are sinnefull and if thou dost thou wilt hate those more that are greater sinners as a man that hates a tode the greater the tode is the more he loathes it so if thou hatest hypocrisie because it is sinneful then thou wilt hate that man which hath more sinne but thy conscience testifieth that thou canst love drunkards and harlots adulterers and speake wel of blasphemers those thou art content with and wilt not reproach them this is a great signe thou hatest holinesse and sincerity because thou hatest the shew thereof For reproofe it condems the opinions of a great company of carnall professours that bragge Vse 2 of their good heart when in the meane time they have base lives Take any carnall wretch that hath neither the forme nor shew he will though he make not such a shew as many doe but he hath as good a heart to God ward be not deceived God is not mocked this is an idle conceit of thine owne carving and coyning a thing that the Saints of God never found a thing that the Scriptures never revealed no no if grace be inwardly it will shew it outwardly You would thinke a man were beside himselfe that should tell you of a Sunne that did never shine or of a fire that did never heate this would be a strange sun a strange fire so it is a strange kind of imaginatioÌ„ thou hast thou thinkest thou hast a good heart and yet never expresse it outwardly in thy conversation it is well sometimes there may be a shew without a substance but this is impossible that there should be a substance without some appearance Should thou see a body lye on the bed and neither sence in it nor action proceeding from it you would say it is dead it lives not so in this case if faith worke not it is a fancy it is an idle foolish carnall presumption why faith purifies the heart and workes by love faith is mighty and powerfull and faith is operative and effectuall therefore thou that thinkest thou hast a holy heart and never shewest it in thy course it is a foolish delusion of thy heart therefore know this for an everlasting rule that
for to be better and then the Saints of God will love and delight in your societie THE CHVRCHES Deliverances IVDGES 10.13 Wherefore I will deliver you no more THese words are the speech of the Lord to the people of Israel From the sixt Verse of the Chapter to the end of the seventh we have the condition of the people of Israel in great distresse discovered together with the dealing of God towards them and their behaviour towards him In the Chapter three things are especially considerable First wee have the children of Israel Apostatizing and declining from the Lord and the sinceritie of his worship In the first part of the Verse Yee have forsaken me and served other Gods Here was the declining of the people of Israel they forsooke the true God and served false gods and as their sinnes were so were their plagues the Lord pursued them with heavie judgements and fierce indignation hainous sinnes are commonly accompanied with great plagues and punishments and that appeareth in the ninth Verse Israel was sore distressed Secondly we have the people of Israel crying and complaining to the Lord in the time of their trouble they that forsake the Lord in the time of prosperity were faine to flie to him in time of adversitie for succour And therefore wee shall see how earnestly they cry unto the Lord in the tenth Verse heavie afflictions breed hearty prayers and earnest supplications their punishment was not so grievous but their prayers were as hot and vehement They cried to the Lord saith the Text. Then lastly wee have the Answer of God in the 12 13 and 14. Verses where the Lord doth relate his good dealings with them and their unkinde dealing towards him I have delivered you saith the Lord out of the hand of such and such enemies he reckons up his former mercies but now he doth deny to shew any more favour toward them because they had abused his former mercies and that is in the words of the Text Wherefore I will deliver you no more as who should say goe now to the gods of Zidon let those Idols save you now let those Images deliver you now but my kindnes was not regarded my mercy was not respected and for my part I will deliver you no more expect no succour from me at all In the generall before wee come to the maine see here the deniall of the Lord to the people of Israel though they sought him and cried unto him The Point is this Those that come unto God in prayer in their sins Doct. they shal be sure to have a deniall of their prayers Psal 66.8 If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not heare my prayer so it was here though they sought God marvellous earnestly and cried in the vehemencie of their spirits yet the Lord stopped his eares and listned not unto them he gives no answer unto their cry hee professeth plainely he will not deliver them he will not succour them The Vse of this Point in generall is this First Vse of Instruction wee may here see the reason why we call and God answers not why wee seeke the Lord and he is not found of us in mercy and compassion why we pray unto him and yet he rejects our persons and stings out our Petitions and is angry with the prayers of his servants The cause is wee bring our sâ—…es with us before God and therefore we cannot receive mercy from God The abomination of our hearts spoile the petitions we powre forth before the Lord that he neither accept them nor sheweth any favour unto 〈…〉 when welcome before the Lord and bring out sin herewith as our pride and our malice and our covetousnesse it is not praying but lying and dissembling and mocking and abusing the great God of heaven as though wee should come before the Lord to aske him leave to sinne and intreate favour of him that wee might commit our sinnes without any disquiet that he would give us a privie seale to sinne these drunken prayers these idle proud prophane prayers and lying prayers the God of heaven will not heare them when they come from a lying dissembling filthy drunken heart thou that bringest such prayers the Lord will not heare the Lord will not accept the Lord will not regard such prayers This is the thing I would have wicked men take notice of that thinke to heale all in the time of distresse with a few large desires and idle wishes they will be proud and loose and opposers of God and his Gospell and yet you thinke God cannot but grant you what you desire if you have but halfe an houres warning to aske pardon no you that live in your sinnes and pray to God in your sinnes you bring judgement upon your selves and plague upon your soules but mercy you shall have none answer you shall not receive in this kinde Prov. 28.9 The prayer of the wicked c. The second Vse is a ground Vse 2 of Exhortation Would you so come to God that you may finde acceptance with him Would you so call that the Lord may heare you when you call then wash your hands in innocencie and so compasse his Altar this is the counsell God gave Esay 1.17 Cease to doe evill learne to doe well and then whatsoever your abhominations be they shall be pardoned whatsoever your miseries be I will ease you Psalm 10.17 18. The Lord prepares the hearts of his people to call upon him a heart mourning for sinne and a heart loosned from sinne when you leave sinne behinde you and send up a prayer from an humble heart and a broken soule then God will heare you and you shall receive an answer from the God of heaven as he seeth you have most neede to carrie you on in a Christian course In the Verse there are three things observeable He saith I will not deliver you goe to your gods let them comfort you for my part I have no comfort no mercy for such as you are those gods you served in prosperity goe to them now for succour in the time of trouble In the Verse it selfe take notice of three things first that God doth deliver his Church for that is presumed I will deliver you no more as who should say I have preserved you and protected you and the like God takes this for granted and they found this by experience Secondly God sometimes denieth succour to his people I have done so but now I will deliver you no more I have no more mercy for you to succour you in the day of trouble Thirdly we have the cause of this Wherefore that is because you have served other gods and departed away from my worship because you will not reforme your wicked wayes I will deliver you no more First for the former God doth deliver his Church The Doctrine is this Doct. The Lord is the deliverer of his Church and people in the time of trouble the Church is in great misery it is confessed
was no remedy but he would lay waste the Land when wee spill the physicke that should cure us and cast away the salve that should heale us how can we be helped and cured this is the ground and reason of those many phrases we have in Scripture Why the Lord is said to extend his providence over a people in vouchsafing the Gospell Mat. 23. the later end it is a well knowne place wee will open it a little and apply it to our purpose because it is pregnant the Text saith O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I have gathered thee under my wings by the preaching of the Gospell and revealing of their sinnes he would have gathered their hearts unto him and would have cast the wing of his providence over a people as they are willing to submit to the Gospell but Ierusalem would not hee sent his Prophets to reveale his will they stoned them therefore saith the Text Your habitation is left unto you desolute that is the issue they would not have the Word reforme them therefore they shall have the Sword to plague them Luke 19.44 the case is evident the Lord discovers the besiedging and the sacking of Ierusalem there shall not a stone be left upon a stone because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation as who should say the Lord came to visite Ierusalem with mercy to comfort her with pardon to cheere her to shew her her sins humble her soule but she regarded not this kindnes of the Lord therefore there is a siege about her and that is very heavie and take notice of it The Lord is specially angry with a Nation for the breach of his Covenant and neglect of his worship the Lord doth hate it and is carried with great violence towards those people that worship God falsely 1 King 13. the two last Verses the Text saith He made of the lowest of the people Priests as who should say he made a company of drunkards and belly-Gods Ministers and is that such a great matter Yes that one sin turned to the utter ruine of the house of Ieroboam to roote him out Fourthly if this will not doe the deede but men will resist the meanes that God puts into their hands then fourthly this is an other evidence that sinne groweth strong when there wants a competent number of mourners in a land which might uphold it and joyne sides against sinne and Satan and maintaine the good of a kingdome in despight of the wicked in a kingdome this is one of the last succours of supplies a kingdome hath how ever wicked men will not be perswaded and humbled yet if there be a competent number if there be so many as will make an army of fasting and prayer to grapple with God they may prevaile with God for mercy for a kingdome there is hope though the most be naught yet the better side will prevaile but when the flouds of iniquitie slow in amaine so that the best of Gods people are taken aside with the streame of corruption and beginne to grow carelesse and not to oppose the sinnes of the times this is a sore argument that there is almost no remedie for such a Nation no meanes to beate backe the indignation of the Lord Gen. 19 when Sodom could not save it selfe ten righteous persons would have saved it though they wold have pulled Gods indignation upon them yet a competent number often men would have stayed the indignation and gone betweene the living and the dead so were there a proportionable number of mourners in a Land though there be a company of mocke-gods that would pull downe the indignation of God upon them yet a company of godly gracious men might strive with the Lord and uphold their libertie but when corruptions are growne so strong that good men are defiled and their hearts tainted and their mouthes stopped woe to that kingdome and people Looke as it is with the sea-coast when the bankes are such that they can beare out the waves be the sea never so boysterous there is hope of safetie but if the sea breake all before it there is no hope to stoppe it so it is in this case the bankes that beare out the indignation of the Lord are righteous holy men they stay the hand of God and stop the floud of Gods vengeance that they doe not breake in and overflow all but if the banke be gone if a convenient company of godly men be taken away then there is no hope of mercy but the sea of Gods indignation will flow in amaine upon that place The fifth and last meanes to uphold liberty and safetie of a Nation is this when men begin to be sensible of misery when they have eyes to see the plague and hearts affected with the sinnes committed and with the judgements deserved when they observe what will befall they will use some meanes that it may not befall but when a people grow senselesse and benummed and secure in a base practise and ungodly course that they observe not the evills committed nor take notice of the judgements of God deserved but lie in a carelesse secure condition there is no expectation in reason how such a Nation should prevent the wrath of the Almighty when they see not what shall befall have no care to prevent what may befall 1 Thess 5.3 There is a warning shot before the Cannon shot there is a watch word before destruction commeth when they crie peace then commeth destruction when they quiet themselves in their owne courses when they are not onely wicked but secure in their wickednesse then comes suddaine destruction I conclude with that Matth. 24.39 As it was in the dayes of Noah there the Lord as it were smites men with Plagues answerable to their sinnes they were carelesse and secure in the dayes of Noah and then came suddaine destruction so it will be now as in the dayes of Noah when Noah was knocking the Arke every naile hee drave was a Sermon Repent you carnall and unjust oppressors the flood is comming and desolation approaching but they knew nothing that is they feared no such matter Let Nâ—ah say what he will what a flood come and destroy all the world it will not be it cannot be they knew nothing before the slood came so then the issue is this when sinne is growne universall when men are shamelesse in the commission thereof and out-bid all meanes of reformation the corrections of the Lord humble not the mercies of the Lord perswade not the word reformes not nay when the righteous are perished from the earth and the bankes are broken downe when there is not a competent number of mourners to withstand the wrath of the Lord nay when men are sencelesse and secure all men commit sinne and feare not the wrath of God for sin then sinne comes to bee of a Giant-like strength and bignes Wee will now make use of the point the case is cleare when sinne outbids all meanes
not adultery a man may pot it a little though he be not drunke oh deale kindly with drunkennesse and deale kindly with wantonnes these are the guises of wretched hypocrites whereas I beseech you observe it a gracious heart is like that spoken of Deut. 13.8 the Lord gave this charge If thy brother the sonne of thy mother or thy sonne or the sonne of thy daughter or the wife of thy bosome or thy friend which is as thine owne soule shall entice thee secretly let us goe serve other gods thou shalt not spare him this is the frame of a gracious heart indeede and of a sound heart indeede that is content to have his corruptions though never so deare removed from him that will not pitty his sinne that will shew no mercie to pride no mercie to earthlimindednesse but will slay them this is sound dealing indeede Wee see then all this while that this man hides his sinne and will not be knowne of it and when he knowes it he will not kill it but put in bayle and when hee doth proceede against it hee will not slay it but onely snibbe it a little this is a rotten naughtie heart it is not content to part with his sinnes which is the frame of every good heart Now in the second place it is a word of exhortation you see the way walke in it you see what God requires doe what you know you see what a sincere heart will doe therefore call and knocke at one anothers doore is my heart good you beare in hand so this will trie it a good heart is content to part with any corruption art thou so say it is so aske thy heart am I content to part with the world and idlenesse and pride are you content to pray in your family and reforme your servants then you have sincere hearts goe your wayes and goe comfortably goe cheerefully and the God of heaven goe with you if there be a Saint in heaven thou art one heare upon earth if there be a sound heart in heaven thou hast a sound heart here though thou art weake and feeble but doe it to purpose now doe not pretend faire and fall short halfe in Egypt and halfe out of Egypt body out of Egypt and heart in Egypt but take away all and then the worke is sincere profit might perswade you to this doe not trouble your selves to thinke if I leave all my sinfull courses what will become of my comfort and honour and contentment Why you shall not lose these but onely alter these and change them for better what profit is it to be proud and dogged and waward and snarling at Gods truth What profit is got by covetousnesse and cheating all these profits and pleasures and contentments are but shadowes and lying vanitie there is woe in all thy wealth and poyson in all thy prosperity and the best are but temporary and mutable insufficient but part with these and have eternall joy and everlasting comfort and durable riches doe but change therefore it is not the leaving of these but the laying out of these a man will doe much for a good purchase he that hath a faire bargaine and a great penny worth though hee hath so me old gold hee is loath to part withall yet if for so many hundreds as hee layes downe shall have so many hundreds a yeare he will art with his old gold for such a purchase so you shall not lose your profit and pleasure and contentment but lay them out for a greater fold He that leaves father or mother or friends for my sake shall have a hundred fold heres and everlasting happinesse here after the purchase is propounded therefore bring out your old gold those old pleasures those old contentments and delights in the world bring all out and lay all downe before Christ and part with all for Christ and you shall receive comfort here and everlasting happinesse hereafter but if profit cannot prevaile with you yet let danger force you hereunto know therefore there is danger in the neglect thereof if you would not have God take away your sinnes the truth is God will take away his mercy from you and God will take away his grace and spirit from you you shall never have it upon these termes is there any man such a babe in nature that hee will not part with the wound that will kill him is there any man so foolish that hee will not take that physicke which should purge him when he knowes it will recover him Take notice of it one of these two things you must take either part with thy sinne or part with happinesse either suffer God to take away thy sinnes or else he will take away his mercy Psal 53. Thou art a God that lovest not wickednesse if you will have sinne dwell in your soules God will never dwell with you nor you shall never dwell with him if you will harbour and hold your sinnes you must hold your shame too you will not part with your sinnes you must part with heaven for there is no comming there for you with your sinnes Heavie afflictions breeds earnest prayers from the wicked PROV 1. 28 29. Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me FOr the coherence of these words know thus much from the 20. verse to the end wee shall take notice of two things mainely intended by the Spirit of God First the kind loving and passionate invitation of wisedome to simple sinfull scornefull wretches this we shall observe from the 20. verse to the 23. there wisedome cryeth earnestly and uttereth her voyce in the streets that is shee presseth in with a kind of violence to win and woe the soules of sinners that at last they may know the things belonging to their peace The second is the issue and successe that the voyce of wisedome found in the hearts of those to whom shee spake and the successe is double the first is the contempt of scorners against the call of wisedome they stop their eares and harden their hearts and will not submit to Christ and bee ruled by him and that in the 24. and 25. verses the second issue is in the words of the Text they rejected God God rejected thē they cast his call behind their backes and therefore hee casteth off them Then shall they call saith the Text but I will not heare they that rejected mercie offered shall not obtaine mercie sought and desired this is the scope of the words Then shall they call that is in the time of trouble and in the day of distresse then they will call for mercy and comfort No saith the Lord time was I offered mercie but then mercie was not worth the receiving I called and you would not obey therefore call you shall and seeke you shall but I will never answer you you shall never finde me In the words observe two passages First wee have
anguish that is the first ground that seeke unseasonably secondly they seek upon a false ground it is not out of hatred of sin that they seeke for mercy but out of horror of conscience it is not out of loathsomnesse of corruption but by reason of the burthensomnesse that lieth upon their hearts it is not for holinesse they labour but for quiet ease and contentednesse that they might not be troubled and vexed Psal 78.36 The Text saith those that did seeke the Lord when hee plagued them dissembled in their hearts they pretended to seeke the Lord and worship the Lord but they did not seeke the Lord but their owne ease and dissembled fearefully and abused the Lords mercy and patience that he had vouchsafed unto them looke as it is with the dogge hee doth not cast up his vomit because he loathes it but hee is weary of it hee loves it still therefore lickes it up again presently he did not cast it up out of loathsomnesse of it but because it did trouble his stomacke so it is with a carnall hypocrite in the horrour of heart and anguish of spirit it is not for love of holinesse but of quiet that he renteth himselfe and saith I have hated Gods people profaned the Sabboth and committed adultery secretly he would vomit and confesse his sinnes and crave mercie not because hee loaths his sinne but he loathes anguish and horrour of heart and when that is taken away he falls to his vomit and base practice Thirdly they seeke to a false end hee doth not seeke grace for a Christs sake and Christ for the love of a Christ to have union with him but hee seekes grace not to have have sinne removed but to have a kind of safenesse in his sinne a wretch in the desperate anguish of spirit seekes unto a Saviour as to a Surgeon not that hee may remove sinne but that he may be the more quiet in sinne hee would have Christ pardon sinne that hee may commit sinne with quietnesse not to have him take away his corruptions and convert his soule but to heale the wound and to take away the bitternesse of sorrow Esay 58 34. A company of wicked wretches seemed to seeke the Lord by fasting but they did not seeke the Lord but their owne lusts they fasted that they might continue in their base courses with more quietnesse without destraction or suspition as a malefactor after hee is attached and condemned hee will seeke a pardon and sue for it not that hee might become better afterwards but for quiet and libertie that hee may not be hanged so a cunning chapman is content to attend and pray that he may couzen and cheate by fasting and praying so much the more so then gather up the Point if they seeke out of season out of false grounds and to a wrong end no marvell then though they call earnestly and seeke vehemently and yet God answers not nor is found of them according to their desires The first Vse is for terrour Is it so that a man may seeke earnestly and yet never obtaine mercy then this is able to shake and sinke a company of soules of carnall wretches Oh the lamentable condition of a company of poore creatures that live in the bosome of the Church and therefore it falls sore upon those creatures that make a scoffe at praying and hearing all ignorant and deluded persons that know not how to pray and seeke to the Lord for grace and mercie me thinkes the former truth were sufficient to dash all the carnall hope that can creepe into the minde of such creatures therefore take notice of the desperate condition wherein they lie Reason thus Is it so that those that seeke the Lord shall never finde him then what shall become of me that never cried at all nay that loath prayer and reject the use of Gods ordinances and dispise the meanes of grace and salvation whereby I must seeke and obtaine mercy if ever I have it if they that doe seeke attaine not then I that never seeke my condition is desperately lamentable fearefully irrecoverable why Why my heart riseth at such persons I have tanted this praying and mocked this fasting good Lord what shall become of my soule desperate is my condition and fearefull is my estate the Lord be mercifull unto me I am gone for ever I grace will the Lord vouchsafe grace to me doe I count of mercy and pardon for my sinnes no let me set my heart at ease those dayes are gone I mercie no I have loathed and scorned mercie the day will come when the Lord will say you have hated mercy therefore you shall be condemned and never partake thereof nay what will become of a companie of carnall wretches that set themselves with desperate indignation to hinder and crush and oppose the improvement of all holy meanes if there be any servant in their family that riseth early to pray to the Lord if there be any child that is godly and a wife that lookes towards Sion there is an uproare in the family the master he flieth about and saith I cannot maintaine my family by poaring on a booke how then dost thou get thy living if not by praying and reading thou gottest thy living but a curse with it if thou get without these meanes thou mayst get wealth but God will curse thee with it and thou shalt goe downe to hell and thy wealth with thee why reason thus with your selves I cannot so much as buy cattle but I must seeke in the Fayres I cannot provide foode for my family but I must goe to the market and what a wretched heart have I that thinke to get mercy and grace and salvation and yet he in my base lusts and never stirre a foote to seeke the Lord and call upon his name how is my judgement blinded and my soule couzened â—hinke of it if those that offered faire for mercy and grace by many prayers and desires and endeavours if they in the meane time fell short and never came to heaven what will become of mee that never looke after the things of grace and salvation surely if the Lord be in heaven I shall never come there The last use is this you will say what shall we doe if seeking will not get it at the hands of the Lord then wee had as good cast away all and doe nothing as get nothing by what wee doe therefore the last use is a word of exhortation wee are to be intreated in the name of the Lord Iesus to doe not onely what these seekers doe but goe further and doe more This is no argument because they obtaine not mercy by seeking therefore wee should not seeke therefore seeke after another manner so seeke and pray that you may finde benefit thereby and comfort therein unto your soules in the 13. of Luke 24. this is the use Christ makes many shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able what shall wee therefore cast care
man is a vile man secondly they should despise and contemne them it is a badge of a Christian the note of a holy heart in whose eyes a wicked man is vile a vile drunkard a vile adulterer c. it is not a matter of liberty but of necessity as Esay 5.20 it is marvelous lying so to doe The Scripture stiles wicked men dogs hogs and fooles what the Scripture saith wee ought to give eare unto a drunken man a foole a covetous man a foole c. if wee judge not so wee judge otherwise then the Scriptures Where wicked men thinke it a pride and audacity for Gods Saints to esteeme basely of them it is no such matter be you better and they will judge better of you should a man judge that to be Gold which is drosse that to be Silver which is Lead should we judge you to have the love of God when you have none 2. The soule Rule 2 of a gratious man is marvelous secretly jealous least it should be infected with such wicked persons this will follow from the former by cleare and evident and sound ground that which the soule abhors and that which the heart is carried with abomination against there cannot but a separation will follow and he must needs be marvelous jealous of being tainted thereby Now wee come to the second thing which was the outward behaviour and carriage and this also may shew a dislike How farre must our outward carriage be turned away from a wicked man How should a man carry himselfe toward the wicked of the world Object must he expresse no point of love unto them I answer you must beare a great deale of love towards them Answ and you ought to maintaine a great deale of affection to them and doe a great many services for them and they are three especially You must labour to have a spirit of campassion and to mourne inwardly and be grieved throughly for the sinnes that are in them and for the manifest miseries they plucke upon themselves this was the behaviour of our Saviour Christ Oh Ierusalem c. If ever you have had any rellish of mercy and compassion from the Lord Iesus O then pitty those that want this pitty when you see a company of drunkards staggering and a company of blasphemers stabbing the Almighty and drowning their soules in the pit of destruction for ever if you have any mercy any bowells of compassion within you let your eyes drop downe teares in secret and mourne and lament for the misery and desolation of such poore creatures happily enemies to God happily enemies to thee but what of that wee our selves were once haters and hated of God and ran the broad way to Hell and everlasting destruction therefore shew pitty and compassion to such poore soules Ier. 13.17 Oh pitty them poore creatures they know not what they doe if you houle and mourne in secret inwardly for the confusion that is like to fall upon their poore soules and thinke with your selves what must all those cursed drunkards and wretched Adulterers and wicked blasphemers live here sinfully and perish everlastingly and goe downe to hell and grave there in everlasting torments never to bee comforted never to bee refreshed if you have any bowels of compassion you cannot but mourne for them Prayer for them in secret when thou art praying to God and seeking to the Lord for mercy for thy selfe put into the same prayer all those that are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity put up a petition for the drunkard put up a petitition for the adulterer as thou desirest God to save thy soule so intreate the Lord to turne the heart of the drunkard c. Remember what Abraham did for Ishmael O let Ishmael live in thy sight Lord so pray you Oh that such a drunkard might have his life amended O that such a profane heart may live in thy sight Lord. You must use all meanes to reclame them you must reprove them sharpely counsell them compassionately and strive with them mightily that so you may bring them home to know the things belonging to their peace here and everlasting happines hereafter Now we are to enquire whether wee must not turne from such as heretofore have not beene noted to be wicked persons but such as hath receiveved mercy and favour from the Lord. It may be in these two cases that followes Answ that is not onely left to a mans liberty but a dutie of necessity which God hath laid upon us to turne away from such Those that have professed Christianity 1 Case and approved themselves outwardly to the Church of Christ yet notwithstanding if by reason of inward corruptions or temptations or occasions pressing in upon them they fall foulely and scandalously into some notorious offence then wee should turne away from having any inward society with them for the while till they have upon sufficient proofe by their humiliation and reformation and if it be possible they have given satisfaction publikely to the Church of God 1 Cor. 5.9 the reason of this is pregnant for the truth is such falls give a good ground of suspition that there was never yet any sound grace wrought in their hearts I doe not say a ground of conclusion but of suspition that the worke was not sound nor this grace sincere in the heart because he hath sinned so foulely and fallen so fearefully For how ever the Saints fall so foulely yet this is ever observeable it is not ordinary as few be drunke few commit adultery after their conversion they have their infirmities and weakenesses and though they may fall extraordinarily yet ever observe as that their fall is foule so their repentance is great as in David He roared c. and marke it after the Saints of God have repented of their falls who ever read that they fell into the same sins againe A man that hath lived in the bosome of the Church Case 2. and hath beene conceived and judged in the course of reason and charity to be in the state of grace yet notwithstanding if he come to this passe that hee is obstinately incorrigible though the fault be but small and not knowne of many if yet he will not yeeld when all arguments are answered and all pleas removed then shake hands with him and have no familiarity with him for the time This I take to be the scope of the Text Matth. 18.15 It skils not what the matter of the fault be but what the incorrigiblenesse of the parties 2 Thes 3.14 observe it it is very reasonable a man should doe so for he that will not receive good by the society of the members of Christ it is fit hee should be cast out from having any communion with the members of Christ For what is the end of Communion but that men might be informed now if a man will not heare nor be convinced it is fit he should be deprived of the comfort of
and the Church hath beene delivered it cannot be denied now I must adde the third namely That God is the Author of the deliverance of his Servants Doct. The Scriptures are marvellous pregnant in the proofe of this two or three witnesses will cast the cause Psal 3 last The Prophet David attributeth this as a matter of proprietie to the Lord Salvation belongs unto the Lord it is not to be understood of spirituall redemption onely but also of temporall deliverance in the time of trouble It is that observeable Ier. 14.8 It is as I may so say one of Gods Names whereby hee is knowne to his Church and whereby he shewes himselfe Oh thou the hope of Israel and the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble It is not meant in regard of spirituall redemption still but in regard of temporall deliverance from those troubles that doe betide and those grievances that lie upon and those heavie burthens that presse downe the Church of God and therefore how ever it is true there are many meanes used and many helpes appointed by God for his peoples good yet it is not men it is not the policie of the wise it is not the power of the mightie it is not the fence of the Walls nor the strength of the Castles it is not the number of the Souldiers nor the skill of the army but it is the Lord that is the deliverer of his people as we may see Psal 44 4 Command thâ—n deliverance unto Iacob the Lord hath deliverance at command the Lord can bring keepe and succour as he seeth fit nay it is that which God takes and challengeth to himselfe as that hee will not have any other to share in hee will not have any other part stakes with him in the performance of goodnesse and mercy to his children Deut. 32.39 It is that the Lord takes unto himselfe salvation is mine preservation is mine the issues of life and death are onely in the hand of the Lord the point then is plaine enough we will open the ground of it the which the cause now requires being a remembrance of that miraculous deliverance from the Gunpowder Treason The grounds of the point are foure The first is this God is infinitely wise and onely knowes how to deliver his people men are driven to their wits end many times they see no meanes offered no meanes appointed they can sinde no cause how to succour themselves in the time of distresse but he is an experienced deliverer 2 Pet. 2.9 God knowes how to deliver his when enemies are practising beneath and digging deepe in their devices the Lord sits in heaven and seeth all and laughes at them all their practises he observes them nay the Lord knowes all the purposes policies and engines which the wicked purposes to contrive before they contrive them as when David was in Kâ—ylah hee asked the Lord will Saul come aye saith God and will they deliver mee into his hands they will deliver thee saith God the Lord knew what the men of Keylah intended before they shewed their malice therefore hee makes way for the escape of David Secondly as God onely knowes all the engines and policies and practises of the wicked when they are devised in the depth of the earth as the Psalmist speaketh Let them doe what they will and endeavour what they can never so cunningly and secretly the Lord knowes them But secondly the Lord is onely able and sufficient to deliver his in want of meanes above meanes nay against meanes 2 Chron. 14.11 When Asa was in great extremity when there was five hundred thousand came against him the greatest Army we read of in holy Scriptures and not many more in profane Stories the Text saith Hee cried unto the Lord and said thou canst deliver by many or by few God could save Asa and his Nobles though he had no Army at all for observe it this All-sufficiencie and abilitie of God in delivering his children in time of troubles will discover it selfe in three branches and they are the particulars of this second generall First the Lord provides meanes before any meanes can be Psal 47. the last Verse all the shields of the earth are the Lords all the shields in Spaine Germany and Denmarke and England they are all the Lords all meane before they are have their being from the Lord and Esay 54.16 the Text saith there was no Smith before God created him nor no coales before God made them so that there are no meanes but they came from God Secondly God workes with all meanes before they can worke as there is no meanes unlesse God provide them so the meanes that arâ— can doe nothing unlesse God worke with them Psal 18.34.39 we shall observe it God doth not onely give David armes but hee teacheth his armes to warre he doth not onely give Dâ—vid hands but he teaches his hands to fight he doth not onely give him strength but hee girdeth him with strength to the battell so that all meanes in the world further than God is pleased to goe out with them they are like the withered hand of Ieroboam when the Prophet cried against the Altar Ieroboam stretched out his hand and he would plague the Prophet and he would imprison him but alas his hand withered so all the armies all the plots and policies are like withered hands unlesse the Lord come with them Thirdly it is the Lord that gives successe to all the meanes when they are improved for the deliverance of his Church so that as there is no meanes unlesse the Lord provide them as those meanes can doe nothing unlesse the Lord worke with them so these meanes can obtaine no issue they can compasse no good unlesse the Lord be pleased graciously to breath upon them and give successe unto them therefore when the Midianites thought to have carried all before them and quite to overthrow the people of Israel because they had a mighty army yet the Lord defeated their purpose and turned their swords into their owne bowels Thus we see the ability and sufficiencie of the Lord in delivering his people it is he that gives all meanes it is he that workes with all meanes it is he that gives successe to all meanes In the third place the Lord is marvellous gracious and mercifull and tender over his people as he is every way sufficient for to doe them good so he is marvellous carefull of their good Esay 63.9 in all their afflictions he was afflicted many a man hath power and wisedome and all he knowes how to helpe another yet he wants a heart he wants pitty and compassion whereby hee may lend succour to those that stand in neede thereof but it is not so with God but in all the afflictions of his people he is afflicted with them in all troubles he is in trouble with them in all banishment he is in banishment with them Fourthly as the Lord is mercifull and loving and free and tender-hearted
toward his people as ready to helpe them as they are ready to call upon him so lastly the Lord is marvelous watchfull to doe that which he is able and willing to doe we know what the Text saith Psal 121.4 Hee that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleepes Nay he is exceeding zealous for Israel That is the phrase of the Prophet Let us summe up the Point then and see the issue of all and the case will be marvelous cleare If it be so that God onely knowes how to deliver his people if he be able to doe what he knowes if he be mercifull to doe what hee is able and if he be watchfull to doe what he is willing then God must needs be the deliverer of his Church We come now to the use of the Point and so we will proceede to the next It is great pitty that we should so behave our selves that this God should not succour us but say He will deliver us no more but let us make use of the Point in hand And the Vse we are to make is this Is it so Vse that the Lord is the Author of all the deliverance and succour of his servants 1. Then it must teach us a point of wisedome namely to whom we must give the praise of all our marvelous deliverance and preservation wee have enjoyed to whom it is wee ought to render all the glory of our protection and safetie that hath beene continued for the space of above sixtie yeares to this Kinâ—dome Doe as the Prophet David doth The Lord is the Author of all let the Lord have the honour of all Give unto the Lord the honour due unto his Name The Prophet David doth distraine as it were he is violent with the hearts of men and he labours to wrest praise and honour from men Give unto the Lord the honour and the glory due unto his name the truth is we must not sacrifice to our owne nets that is we must not praise our owne power and say it is our power that hath accomplished it and our wisedome that hath effected it no it is not our shipping it is not our power or courage or meanes that have done it Therefore let us doe as the Prophet David doth in the 44. Psalme It was not my Bow that did succour me it was the Lord that hath delivered me and relieved me and his be the praise for ever and if all people should doe this and ought to doe this then I had almost said nay why may I not say so why should wee not doe it more than all the world besides for whence comes it whence is it that the Lord hath had an eye unto mee above all the rest when the fire of Gods fury hath flamed and consumed all the country round about us Bohemia and the Palatinate and Denmarke when the fire hath thus burnt up all yet this little Cottage this little England this Spanne of ground that this should not be searched nay when the sword hath ruinated and overcome all the other parts of Christendome where the name of the Lord Iesus is professed we sit under our Vines and Figtrees there is no complaining in our streets our wives are not husbandlesse our children are not fatherlesse marke the reason and ground of all is nothing else but Gods mercy towards us and above all here is seene the abundant goodnesse of the Lord notwithstanding our unthankefulnesse and carelesnesse we yet continue to be a nation there is no other reason to be given of this but Gods love will have it so when as in other Countries here one is banished from his house another from his country that we are here this day to call upon the Name of the Lord this is evidence enough that it is the Lord that delivers England and shall the Lord doe this and shall not wee acknowledge it shall not we observe it and remember it for ever shall not wee score up the kindnesse of the Lord and set up pillars of his preservation and records of his mercy to our soules for ever and above all other deliverances that in 88. was a great deliverance but we specially record that upon the fifth of November this wee record unto all posteritie and let us but cast our thoughts upon the malice of our enemies and then it cannot but be confessed that the Lord hath delivered us it is the Lords owne worke and this shall appeare if we compare the practise of the wicked and the deliverance of the Lord together agreeably three things in the former may be observed three things in the latter may be considered and doth shew that God onely delivered if we looke to the enemies of Gods grace and Gospell three things will make it appeare that none but the devill could devise that plot and if on the other side wee consider the succour and deliverance the Lord did lend it will appeare that none but the Lord could deliver us and succour and relieve us Let us consider three things in the Gunpowder plot First observe their policie secondly their malice thirdly their stoutnesse whereby it will appeare that they intended the whole ruine not onely of us but of the Gospell they thought to have carried the matter so cunningly that it should never have beene spied nay so fiercely that it should never have beene recovered first for the former behold in the forefront the depth of their policie the place that is marvellous fit the conveiance marvellous easie the pretence marvellous unsuspected for they have a seller it is in the earth and hard by the water that they may convey things thither and what can be alleadged better than barrells of beere for a seller and therefore no man questioned or imagined that there was any matter of treason intended against the State Secondly as their policie was great so the rage of these sinfull persons was beyond measure hellish for murther is so unnaturall that the earth groanes under it and the Sunne blushes to behold a murtherer but to stay a Magistrate the Law of Nations and Civilitie loathes it but to lay hands upon the anointed of the Lord Reason and Religion and the law of all Nations condemnes it to the pit of hell It was not the bloud of a subject they did intend to spill nor of a Magistrate that they did desire to take nor yet the bloud of the King they sought for but when the best of the Cominaltie and Gentrie of the Land were assembled the choisest of the Nobles and the Councell the King himself the highest of all degrees and the choisest of all estates when King Queene and Nobles were there assembled for the glory of God and to enact good lawes for this Common wealth now these in that place in one houre in one instant should all have beene miserably blowne up and torne in peeces so they should not have beene found or being found should not have beene knowne that they might be buried according to
of reformation then men are ripe for desolation wee will first raise a ground of instruction and then make way for an use of examination and learne this point of instruction that this of all plagues under heaven is one of the heaviest of all judgements it is the sorest that a wicked man should prosper and thrive in his ungodly courses that hee should bee able to breake through the net and come off clearely whatsoever comes to the countrary he hath what hee will and doth what hee please and no word reformes him no meanes hinder him thinke of this when the Lord pulls up the stake and gives him the reine and lets him goe post-haste and hurry headlong downe to destruction that is the onely way to pull the soule of a sinner into the bottomlesse pit It is said Hosea 2. that when the Lord doth please to bring any of his people home this is Gods speciall care in the sixt Verse the Lord prickes his fingers and stops him and makes a hedge about a covetous deceitfull wretch that he cannot breake through but hee hath now a knocke of conscience now a judgement of God now a terrour of the Almighty This is the onely way to bring a soule home to God then shee will say I will returne unto my first husband but this is one of the heaviest judgements and sorest plagues that can befall a sinfull creature that the Lord should pull downe the hedge and breake open the wall and let them runne ryot take thy course and follow thy vanities I will hinder thee no more till I have thee in hell and then thou shalt be plagued for all together Ier. 12.3 it is a fine phrase when Jeremie was perplexed with the prosperity of the wicked he was marvelously troubled because of the excellency of ungodly men at last hee quits himselfe with this they were as Sheepe fatted for the slaughter What will become of you that have all meanes of reformation the Lords mercies and Ministers and judgements have striven with you what will become of you when such a creature comes to hell the divell will make bonefires of him but they shall make holy day in hell their plagues shall be nothing to theirs that have had all meanes and resisted all meanes of grace and salvation the divells will rejoyce to meete a drunkard in hell and say what art thou come to hell after all meanes vouchsafed and all helpes bestowed the divells will make bonefires and stand on tip-toes and crow over such persons What you that enjoyed the meanes of grace and salvation what you come to hell too all the whole route of them will outbrave such an opposer of God and his ordinances hee shall bee a head blocke in hell I will conclude the point and say no more if there be any such here present as there is too many that can bragge of their loose courses and glory of their villanie I drunke him under the table no counsell shall prevaile with him no meanes shall take place in him dost boast of thy villanie in this kinde dost glory because thou thrivest in thy wickednesse woe woe to thy soule thou art ready for the slaughter and the Lord shall bring thee downe into everlasting destruction know it God hath sayd when the harvest is ripe he will put in the Sickle and thou that art ripe shalt bee sure of desolation Looke as it is with a sicke man when meate cannot nourish him when phisicke workes not and Phisitians are at a stand and all leave him then wee say hee is but a dead man the Phisitians have left him thinke of it the Lord of heaven comes to visit thee thy sicke soule is like the sicke man many mercies he powreth into thy soule to humble thee many judgements to eate out thy proud flesh he comes to launce thee on one side and binde thee upon the other side but if all these will doe thee no good it is a fearefull symptome nay it is certaine there was never any man so sure to dye when all meanes left him as thy soule shall bee damned when all meanes prevaile not The second use is a use of examination Is this true then when sinne growes ripe then the Lord will not succour and relieve any more then wee may have a shrowd guesse and gather a soare argument of the ruine and desolation of any person towne or countrey when a Nation is as it were giving up the ghost and drawing on to everlasting destruction the former doctrine will be a mervelous helpe and great succour unto us for direction in this caâ—e The Phisitians one part of their skill is this they call it a foretelling signe whereby they have a soare guesse when the body is dying and nature growing on to dissolution when they see such and such signes in a man they say he is dying why the truth saith the Text saith and the Scriptures professe it where ever there is a full encrease a full strength of sinne an universall kind of incorrigiblenesse in a sinfull course it is a deadly signe that that state kingdome or person is breathing out his last and drawing to desolation as neare as may be THE DECEITFVLnesse of sinne PSAL. 119.29 Remove from me the way of lying and grant mee thy Law gratiously TO presse on to the words and not to make any long Preface either with the commendation of this booke of Psalmes in generall or this Psalme in particular onely thus much Interpreters observe this Psalme as a Diamond among Pearles or as the Gold among other mettalls or as Saul higher then his brethren there is a kinde of excellencie which Interpreters conceive to bee in this Psalme partly in regard of the largenesse of the matter partly in regard of the spirit and life and strength that appeareth in every line therein Not to trouble you with these tinglings which come onely to the care but are not sappy to nourish and affect the heart onely a little consider that the Lord by the Penman of this Psalme doth strive after a spirituall kinde of exquisitnesse dividing it into 22. Parts according to the Hebrew Alphabet and every part having two verses beginning with the same Letter Secondly it is observeable that among 176. verses there is not above one or two but mentioneth the Law of God either Law or Precepts or Commandements or Word or Statutes Testimonies or the like as if the Prophet David had bestowed himselfe wholly and had beene eaten up with the Law of God The ayme of the Text is to discover the great desire that the holy Psalmist hath and expresseth to God for the removall of the body of sinne that was upon him and for the supply of that grace he stood in neede of and craved at the hands of the Lord and the two parts of David prayer are the two parts of the Text the first is the evill that hee would have removed from him first take from mee the way of lying
and what needs this praying and this Bible carrying and sanctification of Sabboths and seeking of God this is in a drunken moode but when they come to their wits againe in the day of death and time of trouble they admire then 〈◊〉 such holy courses and they will seeke such godly courses when trouble comes then nothing but prayer and good duties then hee sets a high price and commendation upon these courses see them therefore and love them because they will bee in account when the day of distresse comes Secondly doe afflictions many times force a scorner to seeke unto God then take notice of the fearefull stubbornenesse of such kinds of spirits that all afflictions and plagues doe not provoke their soules to be humbled and to seeke for that favour of God which they stand in neede of goe thou therefore that art such a one and reason thus with thy selfe good Lord what a wretched knotty sturdy heart have I how many judgements hath God sent upon the nation how many upon my particular how many upon my family and yet this soule is not humbled and inlarged to seeke unto the Lord and call upon his name as the divels almost would doe what a vile unreasonable distemper is this one judgement after another and one plague after another did cause Pharaoh to confesse his sinnes the Lord did wrest it out of him nay the divels beleeve and tremble Iam. 2.19 Good Lord I beseech you thinke of it what a hard hearted Pharaoh confesse his sinnes and what doe the devills beleeve and tremble at the wrath of God why then what a hard heart hast thou that the Lord flasheth hell fire in thy face and sendeth plague after plague and yet never touched and humbled all wrests not one prayer from thee In the third place it is a ground to teach us thus much never place much confidence in those prayers that are wrung out of a man by force of affliction the Lord plucks it out of thee whether thou wilt or no he will make the stoutest hearts to come in scorners reprobates they pray the Lord makes them cry and howle and call daily upon him and yet all this while nature forceth them therefore trust not thou to forced prayer in the day of distresse that which is commonly most forced is commonly most false and therefore shall finde little acceptance it was a speech of a good man that the repentance of a dying man it is commonly a great feare of a dying repentance so I say when a man lives wickedly all his life time and then thinkes that a few lazie wishes in the time of trouble will serve the turne take heed hypocrites doe thus and scorners doe thus and yet are never heard but rejected the Lord hee loves prayer and holy duties in the dayes of peace and when a prayer comes out of love to God and love to the duty there is some comfort in this but little comfort can I or any Minister give you in the time of sickenesse if you never used to seeke to God in the time of health for you seeke onely when you are forced thereunto The next point is this that the seeking of scorners is somewhat earnest and vehement but we will come to the third which is this scornefull men wicked men they may seeke God earnestly they may call upon him vehemently and yet never bee heard never receive any mercy or acceptance from him Luk. 13 24. Strive to enter in at the straight gate for many shall strive to enter but shall not be able it is not any mans power to be able to enter no no many shall seeke this but shall not be able Adde to this John 8.21 It is the heavie doome of Christ upon the Scribes and Pharisees yee shall seeke me saith he but shall die in your sinnes as who should say I offered you grace you refused it I come home to you you entertaine me not the time will come when I will lay anguish on your hearts and horrour on your soules and then you shall seeke me but shall not find me but shall die in your sinnes you will have your sinnes I cannot remove them you will not suffer me to take place with you the truth is you shall die in your sinnes take your proud hearts and goe downe to hell with them take them and perish with them I goe to my father to heaven but you shall never come there Our Saviour saith the time shall come that you shall seeke me and shall not finde me but die in your sinnes but you will say if they may seeke call and yet not finde how comes this to passe is not seeking the way to finding is not calling the way to receiving hath not God said if you aske any thing in my sonnes name you shall receive it I say as the Apostle Iames in another case You aske and have not saith he because you aske amisse so I say to you yee seeke and finde not because you seeke amisse Though they call with violence and seeke with vehemencie yet it is not suiteable to Gods rule and that is the reason they doe not prosper now the reasons why their seeking doe not speede are three first they seeke unseasonably when the Lord happily hath taken away the meanes of salvation when the time is past and the opportunitie is over when God hath taken away the meanes as also the blessings upon the meanes in the 25. of Matthew the five foolish Virgins went for oyle and when the time was past and the doore was shut then they knocke at heaven gates open to us but the doore was shut they that stood upon the watch and attended the Lords comming they entered into the bride Chamber Esay 55.6 Seeke the Lord while he may be found that is while the meanes of grace are continued while Wisedome is crying and the Lord Iesus is holding out his golden Scepter of mercie and salvation Now is the day of salvation now is the time accepted who knoweth whether the Lord will cover the heavens and take away the light of the Gospell and make us wander in darkenesse Rockes and Wildernesses if desolation should come wee must be driven from our houses and habitations here one man alone there one woman alone and there a child crying and the third dying then we shall observe what opportunities wee have had and neglected the Lord was neare to us in the use of the meanes but now the time is past the Gospell and opportunities are gone he that seekes unseasonably may sinke downe and never enjoy meanes and helpes and the blessing of God upon them Revel 2.21 God gave Iesabel a day of repentance but shee repented not therefore hee would cast her into a bed of sorrow she loved bedding and ease and pleasure and delight and shee had a time of repentance but shee would not take it therefore because shee loved bedding shee shall have enough shee shall have a bed of sorrow and