publique to his glory his glory it is to passe by transgressions it is a great glory to passe by many transgressions if it be his peculiar glory to passe by any Where sinne hath abounded grace abounds where grace abounds glory abounds where much sinne is pardoned He cals them to acknowledge his mercy and makes it an illustration of the former Take away our transgressions and receive us graciously That is the first it is a clause of illustration Secondly observe it as a clause of inducement a motive and argument to perswade God to forgive them So it stands thus Take away iniquity because thou art gracious because thou usest to receive favourably therefore take away iniquity They begge for grace in the name of grace and mercy in the name of mercy shew mercy because thou art mercifull take away iniquity because thou art gracious and favourable therefore take away iniquity It is the strongest motive of all others to presse God from himselfe to pardon sin The point is this He that comes before God to begge for mercie must bring no other motive but mercie There is no such strong prevalent motive with God to shew mercy as mercy Mercy is the thing we sue for and mercy must make God shew it He expresseth it so I will pardon for my name sake in one place For mine owne sake in another place For my owne sake will I doe this to the House of Israell For my promise sake in another place For my mercy sake in another place Here are four and they are all alike to shew that mercy comes from it selfe it hath a reciprocation it moves circularly it begins in mercy and it ends there For mine owne sake that is for himselfe and his mercy is himselfe For my name sake that is as much as for my mercy Thy name is as Oyle powred out and it appeares that his name is as Oyle by his mercy for mercy is that Oyle that Swims over all liquors it appeares over all other works it is manifest to all For my promise sake that is as much as for his mercy for Gods Promises are Promises of mercy So all agree in this for my name sake it is a name of mercy for my Promise sake they are Promises of mercy for mine owne sake he is a God of mercy But yet more plaine when God speakes of shewing mercy he makes it come round to shew that mercy is the thing that he will give and the ground why he gives it In Exod. 33. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy See how it runs it is thus I will have mercy on whom I will that is because I will so if we presse God for mercy doe it thus Lord be gracious that thou mayest be gracious and be mercyfull because thou art mercyfull Pardon because thou art gracious thy mercy hath an everlasting Duration The Psalmist presseth it so Have mercy on me according to thy great goodnesse and according to the multitude of thy mercies take away mine offences See how sweetly he presseth it Have mercy according to thy goodnesse he makes it come to it selfe Pardon me according to thy goodnesse be mercifull because thou art mercifull he had no other motive In another place he hath the same Reciprocation Doe good for thy name sake because thou art good deliver me because thou art good doe good and deliver me It is the same reciprocation that Isaiah makes Isa 63. He hath beene good to the House of Israell for his goodnesse and because his mercies are everlasting He hath beene good for his goodnesse To instance no more places in the new Testament there is the same reciprocation that John makes John 1. Of his fullnesse we all receive grace for grace mercy for mercy it is not onely grace after grace which is a good interpretation the first grace and the second grace the grace of Acceptation and the grace of Strengthning the grace of pardoning and the grace of reviving and quickning all grace is from God But it hath a fuller signification Grace for grace Grace because he is gracious because he is mercifull he shewes favour he turnes it to himselfe So now the Lession is this that When we come to sue for pardon of sin before the Throne of Grace we have no name to come in but the name of Christ The name of Christ is a name of mercy that is Gods owne name he that comes to plead his owne merit comes in his owne name He that comes to plead the Merits of any other pleads in a Strangers name If merit and satisfaction had been that way then were mercy no more mercy and grace no more grace then all the Saints of God were out of the way for they all went in this path Mercy was the Citty of refuge to which they went and the path by which they went Mercy was the Water in the Well and the Paile they drew it with they sued for mercy in the name of mercy The Publican David Peter St. Austin saith of Peter well I read of Peters Teares but no man ever read of Peters satisfaction Peter could not goe in that name Our blessed Saviour hath taught us therefore so to pray Forgive us our Trespasses he taught us not to pray as the Servant in the Gospell Have patience with me and I will pay thee all Lord be favourable a little longer lend me a little life and I will make thee satisfaction No that is not the Prayer he that goes that way misseth but here is the Prayer Pardon and forgive for thy name sake and for thy mercy sake Take away iniquity and receive us favourably receiue us to grace and Pardon for thy mercy sake This is the Forme that Penitent faith full soules look to God in No Creature is capable of merits therefore let men never trouble themselves with the discussion of that it is so repugnant that the Angells though they never sinned cannot merit they doe but their duty Adam in integrity could not merit if innocency cannot merit sin cannot if the State of Angells cannot merit humane cannot Nay the Saints that are called out of darknesse and sanctified by grace those Saints though it were possible they should never sin not so much as in the circumstances of any good Act that they should not be touched with veniall sins as they call them with no ill thought or idle word or unprofitable gesture if they were borne and sanctified from the womb as John Baptist and Jeremiah and should continue in a course of sanctification without any treading awry they could not merit when they had done all they must say They were unprofitable Servants He that doth his duty cannot merit ye are but Servants when you have done all you can nay when you have done all you should if it were possible that is more then all you can For that grace that God gives us though it be a good evidence of his spirit and of
word that he hath given Therfore it is a speciall meanes to keep men in the Pale of obedience when they hedge themselves in with holy resolutions I know Cardinall Bellarmine and he more remarkably then any other of the Romish Writers is very large and peremptory in declaring that that which is within the compasse of precept cannot fall within the compasse of a vow that no necessary duty can fall within the compasse of a vow But if there were not Testimony of the Saints in Scripture the Testimony of their owne Writers are sufficient evidence against it besides the truth it self Alphonsus Picus Cajetane Valencia these foure they are bold all of them to expresse themselves to be of another opinion that properly and directly that that we are tied to by the necessity of precept most properly falls within the compasse of a vow and it is most safe for one may safely vow that that he is tied to doe and the vowing and resolving of it adds a second obligation it is an awaking Therefore David took this course he bound himselfe by vow and promise and oath I have sworne that I will performe thy righteous judgements He excites himselfe by these Obligations to every duty of piety he set himselfe those Lessons of piety he tasked himselfe to such duties sometimes to repentance To thee will I confesse Sometimes to obedience I will walke in thy Commandements Sometimes to prayer At morning noone and evening I will call on thee Sometimes to thankfullnesse Seaven times in a day I will prayse thee He tasked himselfe to these duties thereby to keep and hidge in his obedience So will every Christian that he may keep himselfe in the path of Piety he will oft consider how he walks and consider his purposes and resolutions and strengthen himselfe in holy purposes it is a great meanes to arme our selves A heart will not easily be overcome with temptations that is armed with good purposes good purposes incite to Prayer and practise you take away perseverance you take away practise and performance you take away endeavour if you take away resolution Therefore if you will learne to keepe your selves in the wayes of Gods Commandements learne oft to resolve to purpose We shall tread awry when we have done the best but if there be a good purpose God takes that for performance if we arme our selves with good resolutions Let us not take this help from our selves since we come short of performance let us have endeavours and purposes This the Prophet teacheth them when they come to performe their thanks they must have purposes We will give thee Those are the two first things he minds them of in generall There are other things he minds them of in perticuler and they are these foure The first is this That Thankfullnesse is due to God for all his mercies It is due by right of Lordship because God is Lord and owner of all we have he is Lord of our life and being there is the Fountaine of all goodnesse Whither should the streames run but back to the Fountaine to the Sea sayth Bernard let the streames of thankfullnesse run back to the Head they are drawne from grace they come from God the grace of pardon and grace must returne to God the grace of thankfullnesse And it is by right of Debt his we owe it him it is a Debt to any man that doth us a courtesie no lesse requitall can be made for the least good turne then thankfullnesse yet those that they doe are small and they are tied by the bond of Charity and by the Law of God and they sin if they doe it not and those that they doe God doth by their hands he inclines them to it Then if we account it a misery if we be unthankfull to men we owe much more of this duty of thankfullnesse to God by another bond because from him we have all mercy and the choisest mercies What hand soever reacheth us a Blessing God is the Author God gives it And can we give him any thing lesse then thanks We can give him nothing else He gives it us when we give him thanks and prayse we pay him with his owne we give not his mercy back in the kind but vertually in the strength He that gives glory to God he gives the mercy back in strength But we can give nothing to God that he hath not before in a more eminent manner whether it be praise or glory or blessing or reverence or worship His name is glorious though we give it not his name is admirable he will make his glory appeare though we dishonour him But he so interprets it in mercy we are sayd to give it when we acknowledge it He is not capable of our gift but when we testifie that he hath it we are said to give it The Knee when it bowes before him worships him and the heart when it is ravished with admiration gives him reverence and the tongue when it speakes of his prayse gives him thankfullnesse if God take these as gifts at our hands that we owe and can add no addition by it we can doe no lesse then acknowledge that thankfullnesse is due to God for all his mercies That is the first thing A second thing he would teach them to acknowledge that thankfullnesse is especially due for the pardon of sin when sin is pardoned the first bud of new righteousnesse in the heart O it is thankfullnesse to God Bless the Lord O my soule and all that is within me and then followes That forgiveth all thine iniquities We owe God praise and glory for all his mercy and goodnesse but for none more then the pardon of sin for here is the Stock upon which other graces are grafted when once sin is pardoned all temporall things prove comfortable Therefore when they beg for the Pardon of sin say they We will give thee the Calves of our lips There is thankfullnesse due to God especially for spirituall mercies and of them for the grace of reconciliation the forgivenesse of sins A Christian will be methodicall in his thankfullnesse as well as in his Prayer I shewed before that devotion keeps good order it prayes for spiritualls before temporalls and against spiritualls before temporalls And thankfullnesse keeps a good order it gives thanks for the best mercies first and most Though all the mercies of God be good yet there is a difference there is a difference betweene spirituall mercies and temporall For temporall mercies Liberty is better then Wealth and life then liberty and grace then all As God hath set an order in mercies so thankfullnesse observes an order he doth not thanke God so much for temporall mercies as for pardon of sin that swallowes up the heart and takes up the whole latitude of the affections There is thankfullnesse due for establishing us in our civill Callings but more for calling us to the acknowledgement of the truth There is blessing due for keeping us
THE VALLEY OF VISION OR A clear sight of sundry sacred Truths Delivered in Twenty-one Sermons by that Learned and Reverend Divine RICHARD HOLSVVORTH Dr. in Divinity sometimes Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge Master of Emanuel Colledge and late Preacher at Peters Poore in LONDON The particular Titles and Texts are set downe in the next lease 1 Sam. 3.1 And the word of the Lord was precious in those dayes there was no open Vision Habakkuk 2.2 Write the Vision and make it plaine upon Tables that he may run that readeth it LONDON Printed by M. S. and are to be sold by R. Tomlins at the Sun and Bible in Pye-Corner and Rob. Littlebury at the Vnicorne in Little-Britaine 1651. The particular Titles and Texts in the ensuing worke The Peoples happinesse One Sermon on Psal 144.15 Happie is that people that is in such a Case yea happie is that people whose God is the Lord. The Penitents Patterne Six Sermons on Hosea 14.2 Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips The Sufferers Crowne Foure Sermons on Jam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tryed he shall receive the Crowne of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him The Saints Heritage One Sermon on Psal 119.111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart Davids Devotion One Sermon on Psal 119.48 My hands also will I lift up unto thy Commandements which I have loved and will meditate on thy Statutes The Vigilant Servant Two Sermons on Psal 123.2 Behold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her Mistresse so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill that he have mercy upon us The Saints Progresse Two Sermons on Psal 84.7 They goe from strength to strength every one of them in Zion appeareth before God The Guest-Chamber Two Sermons on Luk. 23.11.12 And ye shall say unto the good man of the house the Master saith unto thee Where is the Guest-Chamber where I shall eat the Passeover with my Disciples And he shall shew you a large upper roome furnished there make ready Angels Inspection Two Sermons on 1 Pet. 1.1 2. Which things the Angels desire to looke into TO THE READER HOw eminent an instrument the Author of this Treatise was of Gods glory and the Churches good is unknown to none who in the least degree were acquainted with his person and profitable paines They knew him to be composed of a learned Head a gracious heart a bountifull hand and what must not be omitted a patient back comfortably and cheerfully to endure such heavy afflictions as were laid upon him The more pitty therefore it was that so worthy a man should dye issulesse without leaving any Books behind him for the benefit of Learning and Religion Considering what might be the cause thereof it cannot be imputed to any envy in him as grudging us the profit of his paines one so open handed of his Almes could not be close fisted of his labours for a generall good Rather it proceeded partly from his modesty having the highest parts in himselfe and the lowest opinion of himself Partly from his judicious observation that the world now a dayes surfets with Printed Sermons 1 Kin. 10.21 which like Silver in the reigne of Solomon are not respected by some they are so plentifull whilst they are abused by others who lazily imp their wings with other â—ens plumâ— wherewith they soar high in common esteeme yet have not the ingenuity with that son of the Prophet to confesse 2 Kin. 6.5 Alasse it was borrowed As for the private notes which he left behind him as Aristotle told Alexander of his physicks that he had written them as if he had not written them meaning that the language was so darke and obscure that few could understand it so his hand was onely legible to himselfe and almost uselesse for aâ— her Yet that the world might not totally be deprived of his worthy endeavours I trust his pains will meet with commendations in most with just censure in none who being exquisite in the Art of Short-Writing the onely way to retreâ—ve winged words and fix them to stay amongst us hath with all possible accuratenesse first taken and now set them forth by the permission as I am credibly informed of the Authors best friends to publike view I say possible accuratenesse seeing a candid Reader knowes how to make his charitable allowances in things of this nature It is said of Demosthenes that the best part of his Orations were wanting when they were read because the Orator when uttering them enlivened each sentence word and syllable with a true tone and proper accent in his pronunciation Two best parts then may be said to be wanting in Dr. Holsworths Sermons One because read and not spoken by him the other because not transcribed from his owne copy but taken from his mouth when he preached them as well as Art and industry can performe Indeed when the Mother looked upon the Babe which was laid by her 1 Kin. 3.21 Behold it was not the Son which she did beare But should this glorious Saint take a review of these Sermons as now set forth as he would probably wonder at the alteration of the clothes and dressing thereof not so fine and fashionable yea perchance mâ—â—â—t wonder at the complexion and colour thereof not so lively sprightfull and vigorous as he left it yet notwithstanding he would acknowledge an identity of feature and favour and his naturall sympathy would challenge a true relation in the same and owne it for a true off-spring of his owne a weake child but no changling How ever it is a happinesse when sâ—rviving Authors see their owne workes set forth to their 〈◊〉 contentment Various were the proceedings in Divine providence to two honorable Families the one in Ireland the other in Wales The Family of St. Laurence of Hoath by Dublin Camdens Brit. in the County of Dublin hath for some hundreds of yeares been observed never to have an Orphan or Minor the Son alwayes being of full age before the Fathers death Whereas amongst the ancient Earles of Pembrook for five descents together the Son never saw the Father The felicity of the former Idem in Pembrook-Shire is applyable to those who behold their owne Books perfected and finished in their life times Whilst I read the sad successe of the latter in such whose posthume bookes appeare in this world after their Authors are gone into a better To such books that want Fathers I wish good guardians as I hope this hath not light on the worst of them What remaines but that we wish the Reader all profit by the ensuing Treatise of so worthy an Author equalled by few exceeded by none in our age It
yea more truly happie That shall serve for the first particular the manner of propounding this truth unto us The second is the thing it self which transcends in these words whose God is the LORD or who have the LORD for their God In the generall it is an ordinary as well as transcendent An ordinary because all partake of this priviledge Whereupon S. Austin asks the question Cujus non est Deus But S. Hierome resolves it Naturâ Deus omnium voluntate paucorum In a communitie the God of all even to the sparrow on the house top and grasse of the field but the God of the righteous after a peculiar manner To come to the meaning we must let go the generall this ordo communis providentiae as he is Dominus omnium the Lord of all creatures this brings not happinesse along with it God's ordinary and generall providence intitles not to that supreme blessednesse which is in himself The speciall references are onely intended and those we may reduce to these two heads The first is ordo specialis influxûs on God's part the respect of his being gracious to us Then the Lord is our God when he shews himself benigne and propitious when he manifests his mercie and goodnesse in the wayes of grace and means of salvation It is so expounded Psalme 65.4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and Psalme 33.12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance Being thus taken it affords us this meditation That there is no true happinesse but in the favour of God and light of his countenance that is in God himself both because happinesse is onely from him he is the onely authour of it Non facit beatum hominem nisi qui fecit hominem Qui dedit ut homines simus solus dat ut beati simus He onely makes Saints who makes men 't is S. Austin's elegant expression Then again as it is onely from God so it is onely in God As the soul saith Austin is vita carnis so God is the beata vita hominis so fully that a man cannot be happy either way nec absque Deo nec extra Deum not without God because he is the Doner not out of God because he is the thing it self and all which belongs to it As S. Ambrose of the foure beatitudes in S. Luke compared with the eight in S. Matthew In istis octo illae quatuor sunt in istis quatuor illae octo and as King Porus when Alexander askt him how he would be used answered in one word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is like a King Alexander again replying Do you desire nothing else No saith he all things are in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So in this which we are now about it holds much more both the foure and the eight and all beatitudes they are in God so that he who hath God must needs have all things because God is all things There is no notion under which we can couch beatitude but we may find it in God by way of eminencie if as a state of joy or glory or wealth or tranquillitie or securitie God is all these if as a state of perfection salvation retribution God is all these not onely the giver of the reward but the rewardit self both our bonum and our summum A Christian is never truly happy till he can find himself and all things in God The fruition of God it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Pelusiota speaks the very top of the spire or pinacle of beatitude both here and in heaven In hoc uno summitas beatitudinis eliquatur to use Tertullians words Were a man in paradise were he in heaven it self and had not God he could not be happy Were he on Job's dunghill in Daniels den in the belly of hell with Jonah nay in the infernall hell with Dives and yet had God he could not be miserable for heaven is wheresoever God is because his influxive presence maketh heaven That 's the Ordo influxûs I mentioned for which he is said to be our God Besides this there is ordo Divini cultûs on our part The respect of our being serviceable to him when we love him and fear him and honour him and adhere unto him as we ought To all these there is blessednesse pronounced in severall Psalmes to those that fear him Psal 128.1 to those that keep his testimonies Psal 119.2 to those that trust in him Psal 84.12 If we take it thus the point is this in summe There is no true happinesse but in the worship and service of God Felices sunt qui Deo vivunt that 's S. Bernards Servire Deo est regnare that 's S. Ambrose his expression As much as this The godly man is onely the true happy man Yet we must understand it aright It is not to serve him onely in outward profession which either makes us his or him ours There are many who pretend to serve him who cannot challenge this interest for they serve him but with their lips in act themselves and their own pleasures in this both hypocrites and idolaters that under the shew of one God set up many to themselves The Epicure he makes his belly his God the lascivious man his lust the voluptuous man his pleasure the factious man his humour the covetous man his mammon I name this last It is the observation of S. Austin in his 7 book De Civitate Dei and of Lactantius in his second De Origine Erroris That avarice gives laws to religion whil'st generally sub obtentu Numinis cupiditas colitur Yea and S. Paul expresseth it more punctually That covetousnesse is idolatry Col. 3.5 And the covetous man an idolater Ephes 5.5 For he doth the same to his gold that the heathen did to their idoles he makes his gold his God his God because his joy and his care and his confidence Those pictures he worships though otherwise he abhorres idoles to these he offers his service he gives them his heart he extols them ascribes unto them the glory of his happinesse These are thy gods O Israel which brought thee out of the land of Egypt this money got thee such a preferment procured such a deliverance prevailed in such a suite It 's the secret idolatrie which runnes through the world But such men as these they are as farre from God as from his service and as farre from happinesse as from God Whosoever will make sure of the Lord to be his God he must put the idoles out of his heart he must go out of himself he must not willingly harbour any sinne Sinne separates from God excludes from happinesse cuts off both priviledges of God's being ours and our being God's Yet there is one thing more with which I will conclude Since it is so that happinesse is seated in these mutuall intercurrences of calling the Lord our God and our selves his people and seeing
say thus and thus to him And that I may doe it now to purpose I will take the words in pieces so they present to us these two particulars There is a rule of excitement And there is a rule of direction The forme of excitement that is in these words Take to you words and turne to the Lord and say to him The form of direction that is in the other words Take away all iniquitie and receive us gratiously In the former of these parts there are two things observeable a double excitement an excitement to duty of action Turne to the Lord an excitement to the duty of elocution Take to you words and say to him In the latter there are these two parts also One direction is for grace that is to be given from above Take away all our iniquities and receive us gatiously The other direction is for returne of thankes for the mercies of God from below So will we give the calves of our lips I begin with the first and that is the rule or forme of excitement and that is double for two duties And the first excitement is to a dutie of action Turne to the Lord it is not the first thing specified in the order of the words but it is the first that I will take in in the order of handling them so it will goe well if wee read it thus Turne to the Lord and take with you words and say Thus The first thing is for turning to the Lord the dutie to which they were exhorted in the former verse yet the Prophet doth it here again He saw their backwardnes was great and therefore he pricks them twise forward He knew it was a dutie of importance that was to be done oft and dayly Et nunquam nimis dicitur quod nunquam nimis discitur It can never be spoken too oft that can never be learned too oft it can never be pressed too much that can never be learned and understood too much as they were to do it dayly so he cals upon them dayly in the former verse and in this verse This is so evident that I need not stand further on it I shall not need therefore to speake of it nor yet of the occasion of these words that is seene by the coherence of the Text. The Prophet in the spirit of prophesie foresaw the great miserie that was readie to fall upon them he foresaw the great captivitie that God would bring on them therefore nowso long before he cals upon them to prevent those miseries yet there was opportunitie to avert the captivitie he speakes to them therefore that they would bethinke themselves that God might turne his purpose of the captivitie that they would turne now the course of their sins that they would Turne from their evill wayes to the Lord. The only things I will observe here in the first Phrase are these two The meaning of the Phrase And the Propositions that may be drawne from it For the meaning of the phrase it 's a phrase that we oft meet with therefore it will be worth our looking to see what dutie that is here to which the Prophet exhorts them for to one of these two it must needs be referred either to prayer or to repentance and yet it is doubtfull to which of these For if wee say to prayer it is to repentance as well as that for repentance is a turning to God as well as prayer And if we say he exhorts them to the dutie of repentance it seems otherwise for conversion is but halfe the worke of repentance Repentance consists of two acts there are two parts of it The first part of it is contrition or humiliation that is the penal or passive part of repentance The second part only is conversion or reforming of our wayes and that is the active part it seemes therefore it is not meant of repentance because that is but halfe Again if we say he exhorts to conversion that implies but halfe repentance for conversion it implies a turning from sinne before wee can turne to God Therefore the best course will be to take in all these humiliation as the first thing in repentance and aversion from sinne as that that alway accompanies true humiliation and turning to God by prayer and supplication as that part of repentance which is the last in act but the first in intent We may well take them in all for the Scripture allowes us this libertie the Scripture sets forth to us the whole worke of repentance in all the parts of it by this one phrase of turning to the Lord and there is no phrase used in Scripture to set out the worke of repentance ofter then this Turne to the Lord. Therefore wee may take in both the duties prayer and repentance and humiliation So it is thus much in effect Turne to the Lord humble your selves before God lament your sinnes renounce all those transgressions you have provoked him by cast them from you least they cast you from him cut them off least they cut you off leaving your transgressions you may come with comfort and boldnes to the Throne of grace you may call on him and pray to him Both then are to be taken in the dutie of prayer and the dutie of repentance And there is good reason for it They both agree to the scope of the place for the words are either the excitement of a prophane heart to the worke of devotion or of a hard impenitent heart to the work of contrition and remorse and the next words shew so much Ashur and your owne arme cannot save you he is the Father of the Fatherlesse as if he he had said Turne to the Lord or pray that he would deliver you for Ashur and your owne arme cannot save you and turne to the Lord by repentance that he would pardon you For in him the Fatherlesse sinde mercie they agree with the scope of place And they agree with the coherence Take to you words words are as necessary to be taken to the duty of repentance as to the dutie of prayer necessary to both The penitent man when he comes before God he takes words they are bitter mournfull words whereby he enlageth and openeth his heartto God and the devout man he takes words they are words of zeale and fervencie moving perswasive words that God would be reconciled both the penitent unloads himselfe this way and the devout heart he enlarg eth himselfe both take words It agrees to the coherence Lastly all of them agree to the metaphor it is called turning to God repentance is a turning as well as prayer and prayer as well as repentance so that the difference be observed in the application of this word unto them both irst repentance is a diametricall turning a turning from the greatest evill to the greatest good from sinne to God Prayer is not a diametricall turning but a collaterall turning it is not from the greatest evill to the greatest good but from a
needs understand it of the Church therefore as in an holy rapture and speaking of Gods government of it he saith Her foundations ye know whom I speake of So in another Psalme the Lord heare thee in the day of trouble one would have thought he had spoken of some body before the Lord hear thee thee afflicted poor soule whosoever In the day of trouble the Lord heare thee so This poore man I know some interpret it in reference to Christ therefore they make it a prophesie of Gods hearing of Christs prayer upon the crosse and in the garden some of the antients interpret it so but yet it runs more directly concerning righteous men according to the phrase of Scripture This poore man that is any poore man any righteous man it is as much as The righteous crie and the Lord hears them This psore man cried and the Lord heard him that is whosoever is in distresse and perplexitie if he seeke to God God will heare him and deliver him Wee see it by experience And we may see it by example too The examples are many in Scripture I will instance only in three that this hath alway been the course that the Saints of God nay that even wicked men have tooke in the time of calamitie and distresse to flie to the Throne of grrace and to turne to God by prayer Moses when God sayd he had a purpose to destroy the congregation of Israel and consume them in a moment presently he betakes himselfe to his knees and he speakes to God O Lord this people have committed a great sinne it was the course that David tooke too when he saw the Angel of the Lord with his sword drawn over Jerusalem readie to destroy it It is I that have sinned it was the course that Hezekiah tooke when he had a Message of death brought to him He turned to the wall saith the Text and said to God O Lord remember how I have walked before thee with a perfect heart he turned to the Wall that is he sequestred himself from earthly occasions that he might Turne to the Lord with more libertie of Spirit and largenesse of heart It was the course that Manasses tooke that filled Jerusalem with blood when he was in chaines and captivitie and affliction he turned to the Lord and called upon him and humbled himselfe greatly it was the course that the Prodigall tooke in the new Testament when he had not bread to eate he saith I will goe to my Father that is I will turne to my Father and say Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee we see it confirmed by example there cannot be more said To confirme it by reason for this is the most easie and the most equall and the most successefull and most possible course of diverting any ill wee are in or in danger of It is the most equall and reasonable course because God is the person that is provoked by us he is the Judge that sends the punishment it is his Law that is broken his name that is dishonoured to whom should wee goe but to him that wee have provoked by our sinnes It is not possible that the turning away of judgement should be by any other way Vaine is the helpe of man it is not in the Arme of flesh to save any one from that judgement that God sends There is no care no providence no foresight of man can divert judgement we must have recourse to God And it is the most successefull way of all other no man can instance in any example of any soule that ever turned to God by prayer in the time of distresse but if God saw it needfull in his wisedome to turne away plague or famine he turned it away Prayer is the most readie and the most equall way And Prayer is the most easie way can any man desire to have a blessing upon easier tearmes then to aske and have to turn to God and to have him turne to us to turn to God have his judgements turned from us that is the first Proposition there is no hope of turning away calamities over us but by turning to God by Prayer Secondly there is no hope of diverting judgements but by turning to God by repentance that is the second Turne to God by prayer and turne to God by repentance or else prayer will not serve without repentance If I regard iniquitie in my heart the Lord wll not heare my prayer The prayer of sinners is oft times accepted but it is of penitent sinners but the prayer of sinne never the hands of the blasphemer and the eyes of the Adulterer that looke to Heaven God lookes with indignation upon such hands and eyes and hearts we must purge our hearts from wickednesse if we will turne to God These two cannot stand together God and sinne as on the other side pardon and impenitencie cannot stand together because pardon belongs to repentance so sinne and repentance cannot stand together the one takes away the other sinne removes repentance and repentance removes sinne sinne makes a seperation betweene God and us repentance knits us againe the one destroyes the other sinne makes God turne from the purpose of of mercie Your sinnes have withheld good things from you this I did to you and would have done more but for your transgressions sin makes God turn from the purpose of mercie on the other side repentance makes God turn from the purpose of judgement Lastly Sinne never meets with pardon that is impenitencie though sinne meet with pardon impenitencie doth not it sets a man further from God then sinne when its first committed It is worse to goe on in sinne then to commit it But repentance alway hath pardon First repentance never misseth of forgivenesse if we turne to God he is alway readie to turne to us See in that place of the Psalme The Lord is nigh to all that call upon him to those that are of a broken heart and he saves them that be of a contrite Spirt Yet plainer in 2. Chron. 3. If ye will turne to the Lord the Lord will not turne his face from you yet againe Amos 5. Hate the evill and seeke the good it may be the Lord will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph that is peradventure he will Some may say here is some hope some comfort but here is no assurance there is no assurance in this place The Lord is nigh he may be nigh he is nigh to all he may be nigh to me but yet it may be he will not turne to me in mercie it may be he may be too neare me as when he sends judgements what comfort have I by that promise the Lord is nigh I have lesse comfort by that It may be he will turne Is salvation promised with it may be It may be God will be gratious There is but little comfort in that Turne from your evill wayes and God will not turne away his face He hath turned
these things were requisite to repentance but these were harsh symptomes he propounds not these now but onely that thy bring words It is not now take to you teares but words That is the second thing commendable in the Prophet and that shall serve for the motive that induced him to make this excitement The second thing is the excitement it selfe Take to you words words of repentance and words of prayer He would instruct them in two languages at once For every grace of the spirit hath a peculiar language Faith hath its language and charity hath her language repentance hath her language Prayer hath language for all the rest The Prophet at once would instruct them in the language of repentance and of prayer First in the language of repentance and that is confession of sin that is the tongue of repentance Take to you words of turning turning words words that beseem converts words of remorse words of contrition words of humiliation take to you words that you may lay open your sins before God So hee shewes them two things concerning the duty of confession of sin One is the necessity of the confession of sin to the duty of repentance no repentance without confession of sin nor no pardon where there is no repentance The other concernes the forme of this confession what manner of confession men must bring to God Take to you these words and turne The first is concerning the necessity of the grace Take to you words confesse your sins to God that is the effect of it because the Prophet would draw them into a course of diversion of Gods judgements there is no diversion of judgement without the pardon of sin and there is no pardon without confession therefore hee presseth this duty It is the interpretation that all take in Confesse your sins to God and so turne to him because without confession there is no pardon no forgivenesse Solomon sets it downe so Prov. 17. Hee that covers his sins shall not prosper that is he that would hide them from God he that will not open them by confession shall not prosper as not in other courses of his life so especially he shall not prosper towards God and Heaven towards spirituall comfort to have any comfort of pardon of sin for God hath set this condition if we will have him cover our sins we must open them if we will have him cover them we must discover them if we will have him shut his eyes on them wee must open our eyes upon them and lay them open to God that knows them there is no repentance and no forgivenesse without confession On the other side where there is an humble acknowledgement and confession of sin to God there pardon still follows See it in the Thesis He that covers his sins shall not prosper saith Solomon but he that confesseth and forsakes them shall finde mercy So in the Thesis See it in the Hypothesis in David I sayd I will confesse my sins and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Psal 32. It was not onely so in the time of the Law but in the Gospell in Davids time and in Johns time 1 John 2. If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins If we confesse them he is faithfull and just he is not only mercifull but faithfull A man would have thought it should have run thus If we confesse our sins he is gracious and full of loving kindnesse to forgive them no but hee is just Why Because God hath promised pardon to the confession of sin it is not onely grounded upon his mercy but upon his truth and therefore upon justice God were not just if he should not pardon sin to Penitents If we confesse our sins he is not onely gracious and mercifull but faithfull and just to forgive sin He hath bound himselfe that hee that makes a humble confession to God in Christ and comes with a penitent heart by Faith in Christ he is faithfull and just to forgive sin We see upon the hiding of our sinnes pardon is excluded upon the opening of our sins pardon is assured So it stands saith Tertullian both wayes Cum accusat excusat cum condemnat absolvit c. When we accuse ourselves God acquits us when we condemne our selves God absolves us Here is the ready way to get absolution for a man to cast downe himselfe He that takes no glory to himselfe but all shame and gives glory to God God will give grace to such a soule otherwise let us never think that God will pardon those that we labour to hide from him Si faves tu peccato c. saith Austin sweetly if thou take upon thee to be the advocate of thy sins to plead for them how shall God be the acquitter and absolver Therefore that God may free thee from them condemne thy selfe lay the bond and obligation and weight of thy sins upon thine owne conscience that is the way to have God to ease them that is the way the Prophet prescribes Beloved we need not be discouraged at this Doctrine it is not in the wit of man and it were too bold a word to say that God himselfe could not invent a more easie way we know not how farr God can goe but we cannot see that God could have found a more facile way then for men to confesse and finde mercy confesse and have mercy The true confession of the lips out of contrition of spirit by Faith in Christ is most sure to meet with pardon and forgivenesse Let any tell me whether there be a more compendious way to remission then this It is but an easie way that is prescribed in the other word Turne to the Lord and the Lord assures the removing of judgements upon that But confession of sin is more easie it is that that is concurrent with the other it is that that waites on it nay it is that that goes before and if there be this humble acknowledgement made if it be not out of dissimulation and hypocrisie God hath assured pardon to it So different are the conditions of the Covenant at the first and now the precept that God gave to Adam was harder Thou shalt not commit sin but the commandement he gives us is easie If thou sin confesse thy sins to God and he will have mercy Confession is the salve as God alone is the Physitian so here he prescribes by the Prophet the salve for sinne Nazienzen calls it so sweetly It is the Potion that the soule takes it is the Plaster that is to be applyed to the sore of sin Chrysostome enlargeth it by making the proportion in the other part Sin that is the disease and ulcer and repentance confession of sin and the renouncing of our sin that is the remedy The remedy saith Gregory well because it is the opening of the wound Saith Origen it is as the Vomit that is taken into the stomack that cleanseth the stomack so repentance
crosse in suffering or under the axe yet still they must pray forgive us our sinnes And in another place saith he There was never any Saint in the world or shall be but must make this prayer forgive us our trespasses Only that Sanctum-sanctorum Jesus Christ he is excepted he gave the forme he needed it not Yet further and that is a sweet speech the whole Church of God saith it and he is a reprobate that saith it not that he is in that condition of all other there is no greater signe then this it is to be feared he is in a state of reprobation that will not say Lord forgive us our trespasses pardon our sins Therefore there was good reason why the Prophet made them make their prayer against this iniquity that is the transgression of the law iniquity that makes shipwrack of conscience and exposeth to judgment and deprives of all comfort and iniquity that condemneth to hell therefore there they must settle this first petition Take away iniquity Secondly The extent All iniquity there is some reason why he addes that All is a word of universality an indefinite word here is no iniquity mentioned no fin mentioned but all wound up in a clew all in a lump propounded Take away all It is not take away our iniquity that is meant It is not take away this or that pardon our Idolatry or our rebellion pardon our prophanesse or the adulterers that neigh after their neighbours wives there be drunkards of Ephraim pardon these sins no pardon all There is some reason why the Prophet would have it thus pardon all take away all I conceive these three reasons First he would draw them to a generall acknowledgment of sinne for however we are tyed to a particular mention and confession of those sins that our consciences are privy to upon due search and in our acknowledgment and humiliation to name them to God This I have done and this thou hast done deliver me from blood-guiltinesse O God So for those sins that are past our memorie as there are many those we wind up in a generall implicite confession as that Publican O God be mercifull to me a sinner as here the Prophet teacheth them to say Take away all He would have them thereby acknowledge their aggravation of sin All that is many exceeding many nay all that is all that can be said Take away all the iniquities that we can name and all that the Prophet can name or that thou canst lay to our charge Lord our sins are great as skarlet for die as sands for number but one wipe with the spunge of thy mercie wil take away all they are more then we can expresse and number there is an all of them It is warrantable by the example of the Saints in Scripture And that is one of the errors of auricular confession that the Church of Rome fastens on men because they tie men to reckon every sinne that is impossible so they lay burthens on the consciences of men It is true it is the glory of Christians to honour God by confession and he that studies his heart most knows his life most but those that we cannot reckon it is an honour to God to reckon them up in generall phrases that we may give God the glory of aggravation I confesse against my selfe whatsoever I know I have done and I confesse what I have forgotten There are sinnes of my sleepe that I cannot remember and of my dreames I confesse them There are sins of my cradle I confesse to thee There are sinnes that I took no notice of before I had knowledge pardon all my iniquities The Prophet would draw them to an acknowledgement of all Every man hath an All. And if hee knew them to have an all O what an all is that with which we are oppressed now He that goes to reckon up the particulars of our general the many species kinds in this age it is an all that fils the world that fils heaven that fils the eares of God our sins we confesse to thee of thought and word and deed of ignorance of knowledge of presumption of infirmitie our secret sins our open sinnes against thee against our neighbours against our selves Thus a Christian goes on to aggravate against himselfe all these and what ever else can bee said He that goes about to reckon our drunkennesse our adulterie our backeslidings the severall degrees of our prophanesse the shedding of innocent blood how it encreaseth there hath been more blood shedde since the sickenesse began more duels about the City then I have heard of in two or three yeares before As if we would aggravate sinne when God comes to reckon with us If a man should reckon the degrees of fraud that is continually practised in shops and trades the prophaning of the Sabbath sin is come to that that it is uncontrollable that all the Magistrates in this Citie are not able to controll a few boyes and disorderly men that wrestle in the fields So boyes give lawes to men and so sin runs on The sin that every man commits if that be so infinite the sin that the whole commits how infinite is it We have an all He would bring them to an acknowledgement that is the first reason Secondly he would bring them to a detestation and protestation against all They come not to distinguish when they make confession before God take away our mortall sins but let our veniall sins alone our greater sins wipe away for our lesse we will shift as well as we can True repentance knowes no such distinction Though there be a difference of sins yet in repentance repentance makes none not the distinction so as to exclude any It makes distinction to mourn more for shipwracking sinnes that burthen conscience and force and streine our teares it mourns most for them but it acknowledgeth all If it be but as a graine of sand that it acknowledgeth an idle word an exorbitant thought an irreligious gesture indiscretion folly they are fruits of the first sin and these and every of these are opposite to the law If it be a transgression of the law it provokes the Divine Majestie and is an obliquity from him and incurs his justice if God should be extreame Therefore when a Christian askes pardon he distinguisheth not here is the sinne that I will lay aside and this is the sin that I wil ask pardon of no he repents of none that repents not of all He distinguisheth not the profitable and the unprofitable sins here is a sinne I am crucified to saith the old man I will aske God pardon of that but covetousnesse sticks to my fingers ends I will not ask pardon of that So when nature is weake in a drunkard he will then acknowledge I have offended God and sinned against the creatures in the intemperate use of them now he dares not for his consumption or he must not for his dropsie It is not
repentance that crucisies this sin but nature but his gamâ—ng and intemperance these he will keep A true convert makes no distinction of pleasant or unpleasant sinnes no here is my Dalilah begin with that first all iniquity is to be relinquished he that expects pardon of all must renounce all Thirdly there is another reason that thereby hee might draw them to an acknowledgment of the great goodnesse of God that he was able to pardon all Take away all iniquity all summed up together By saying all they acknowledg that God could and would remit all if they repent of all and leave all Note that there is no burthen of sinne so great but God can pardon it and take it away There is a greater all of Gods mercie then of our sinnes and of Christs merits then of our sinnes for all the sins of the world put together they are finite he is an infinite Majestie but in themselves God can number them for they are written in his booke The alsufficiency of that merit and sacrifice that Christ layd down and the price of that inestimable blood that is infinite There can be no number made of the vertue of those drops of blood which Christ shed there can be no number made of that mercie the drops of which God comprehends us with therefore mercie and merit is greater then sin If we can confesse all God can pardon all Look as in nature the Philosopher observed that infinite is of that extent that no finite can be proportionable as an infinite number though there can be none because another number may be added but an infinite number ten thousand millions it is as far off of infinite as tenne because there is no proportion because it may be multiplyed and multiplyed So though sins be many as millions it hath no proportion to the merits of Christ why because they are infinite that blood is of excellent vertue it can wash white because it is infinite it hath sufficiency to pardon all sin and do it easily So it is as if he had said O Lord we are ready to confesse all take all away what we can we alleadg against our selves we beseech thee shew mercie We know thy mercie is greater then our sins as we confesse all pardon thou all The Scripture sets it out by an all too the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin God hath made his promise so At what time soever a sinner repenteth I will blot out all his wickednesse That thereby they might be drawn to acknowledge his gooodnesse and mercie to exclude their sins therefore the Prophet expresseth it by this all Their sins were innumerable but Gods mercie is more innumerable their sins were great but Gods mercie is greater if they will have God to pardon all they must confesse all let this be the form you will use that is the second the extent Now the third is the mayn the manner of the removall they pray for Take away But I see the time is past therefore I will break off SERMON IIII. Hosea 14.2 Take away all iniquitie and receive us graciously c. AS every Nation in the world hath some peculiar language whereby they doe converse mutually one with another so it is true also of all the graces of God which the Apostle cals the fruit of the Spirit every grace of the spirit it hath a peculiar tongue or language a form of speech whereby Christians converse with God There is one language of faith another of repentance another of prayer another of zeale another of thankefulnesse Each of these they have severall words severall kinds of dialects whereby they expresse themselves The words of faith are victorious words the words of thankfulnesse are glad and chearfull words the words of zeale are fiery the words of prayer are winged the words of repentance bitter and heavy words Each of these languages and all sorts of words they have their particular tones and acccents whereby they expresse themselves whereby pronunciation is made For faith forceth out her words thankfulnesse poures out her words repentance drops them out zeal flames them out and prayer darts them out There is none of all these languages but we have a modell of them in this short Scripture The language of repentance that is in those words Turne to the Lord. The language of prayer in those Take away all iniquity The language of faith in those Receive us graciously Of thankefulnesse in those we will give the calves of our lips And lest any of these should be wanting we may find the fifth too the language of zeale that is in the Prophet that excited the people to these duties Take with you words and turne to the Lord or turne to the Lord and in turning take words and say c. Some of these words I have spoken of already you may remember I divided the whole into two parts A rule of excitement and a rule of direction The excitement to two duties the duty of action Turne to the Lord and the duty of elocution In generall take to you words and in particular it hath reference to this forme say thus to him make your prayers after this if you cannot doe that use this prayer that was the excitement The rule of direction or forme of prayer and thankefulnesse that he gives them followes That consists of two parts One part is for the donation of grace Take away all iniquity The other is promissorie for the returning of grace the grace of thankefulnesse So will wee give the calves of our lips I am yet in the former of these and that consists of two parts the precatory One part is deprecatory for the removall of ill Take away all iniquity The other is supplicatory that is for the pouring out or the effusion of good the best good the good of grace receive us graciously I am yet in the former part I considered three parts according to the three words for they have all their phasis It is not take away sinne but take away iniquity it is a word of weight It is not take away our iniquities or this or that iniquity but all the reason of that I gave also the extent of it for the removing of all you heard it The manner of removall that the people must beg that is in this Take away all a word that is very full of a large signification It is more then forgive Compare it strictly with the nature of the word and it is more then crucifie The forgivenesse of sins that properly concerns culpa Sin may be committed where it is forgiven according to the essence of it it is not alway wholly crucified and taken away It is more then subdue and mortifie and keep under sinne Sin may be mortified though the dregs and lees and seeds of it are still behind it shall never be put out wholly out of any vessel of election in this life But this word in the prayer extends to both Take away
out of the book of his remembrance that it never rise for accusing or condemning We see that distinction of theirs will not stand before this word Take away our iniquities So now the points hence are these two The reasons why the Prophet chooseth this word for he might have had great variety not pardon thou that is as much not pardon or forgive iniquity but here is a fuller in regard of the effect Take away It is for these two reasons First he would draw them to acknowledge that sin was burthensome that they did detest and loath it For no man will have that taken away that he delights in It is plain the Prophet would have them expresse such affections that it might appeare that their sins were odious and abhominable and they delighted not in them no men would have that removed that they take pleasure in While sin is but the pastime of the impenitent heart no man desires it should be taken away but the prayer of a wicked mans heart is contrary Lord that I may fulfill my lusts that my sinnes may thrive and goe on Where sin is sweet and delightfull that man cannot wish that it should be taken away these are repugnant But where a man wisheth it to be taken away and pardoned it is plain there it appeares a burthen and heavie Looke in any thing naturall and civill A servant a man desires not to put him away while he is profitable but if he be unserviceable You cast not away a garment while it is usefull but when you have done with it when they will serve for your wearing you will keepe them no man will cast a way that that he hath profit or pleasure by It is either somewhat that is hurtfull or unusefull that men cast away So is the nature of sinne sinne only is unprofitable what fruit have you in those things saith the Apostle Sinne is that which is only hurtfull it exposeth men to great danger therefore if a man would truly prepare and fit his heart that he may speak with enlarged affections for the pardon of sinne let him learn first to come to the sense of it to know that sinne in its nature is a burthen David calls it so my iniquities are gone over my head A heavy burthen greater then Aetna greater then all the mountaines pyled one upon another but while sin is pleasing to the soule so long it is not a burthen Water in its place doth not gravitare If a man be at the bottom of the Sea and all the waves be on him hee feels no weight If he be out of the sea a paile of water is heavie Why in the Sea it is in its place Sinne when men delight in it is in its place it hath no weight he that truly desires to have it taken away he must find it burthensom A man that is in danger of drowning hee will cry with fervency for help a man that sees the danger of sinne it will make him cry and roare The reason why we do not cry with such fervency for the removing of sin is because we feele not the sting and sharpnesse of it Therefore a good Christian makes this a part of his study that hee may bring himselfe to find sinne burthensome And that may be done by these meanes If he oft represent the purity of that law that sin transgresseth the law of God The glory of that Majestie that sin provokes the Lord of Hosts The blood of that Saviour that sin crucifies the Lord of life The honour of that profession that sinne disgraceth the profession of Christianity The losse of that happinesse that sinne endamageth the losse of heaven The bitternesse of that place to which sin exposeth eternall condemnation The comfort of that conscience that sin makes shipwrack of that is the conscience that is within a man that shall either be a vessel of comfort or woe He that layes all these together will begin to apprehend that sin is burthensome that sinne hath weight on it and that the Prophet provokes them to by this word The word signifies to take a burthen from a man that is over weary So the same word is that that John useth concerning Christ The Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world The weight of sinne lay on the world Christ comes and takes it away he takes it upon himselfe that he might take it from us That they might understand thus much therfore he chooseth this word of weight That is the first reason to bring them to this acknowledgment that their sin was distastfull and burthensome because they could desire God to take them away Secondly another thing it implies is hee would hereby bring them to the acknowledgment of the author of pardon of sin He would hereby let them understand who alone is both able and willing to take away sin That is not in the power of any creature or man himself or any Angell or Prophet or Apostle or Saint whatsoever Here is the second thing requisite in every true convert First he must find sin burthensome Secondly that he acknowledge God to be the author of the pardon of it It is in vaine to come before God and not to know this He that comes to God must believe that he is He that comes to God to remove his sin must believe that God must remove it Shall we come to God and believe and trust the merits of others to remove sinne It is to mock God Let our adversaries of Rome look to this though they pretend God to be the author of pardon yet let them see how it will stand with those poynts One concerning the doctrine of merit and the other concerning free-will For if the Saints by the merit of their intercession can procure pardon or if those to whom the power of the keyes is committed can properly virtually efficaciously and directly remove and take away sinne it is plaine they that hold these cannot acknowledg God to be the sole author of pardon But the Scripture runs in another phrase God expresseth it so and testifies of himselfe that none else can doe it Isa 43. I the Lord blot out your iniquities The Prophet acknowledgeth so much To thee O Lord belongeth mercie and forgivenesse As mercie and forgivenesse belong to God so the taking away of sinne that is to thee alone It hath the force of an exclusive because the depth of mercie belongs to him therefore forgivenesse And we are happy that it belongs to him God knows what successe we should have if it were trusted to men that are so unmercifull Nay if it were in the hands of Angels though they be charitably and well-affected to us that are their fellow-members yet there is a great deal of difference the bowels of Angels would be strait if they were the dispensers of it No it must be a fountaine that cannot be drawn dry it must bâ— an infinite hath that must wash the souâ—e and that
cannot be done but by the bath that is taken from Christ and the mercie of God The Jewes that were ignorant and knew nothing in the time of Christ they knew that who can forgive sinnes but God Though they misapplyed it yet it is was true in the thesis and in the generall who can forgine sinnes out God And Christ unlesse he had been God could not have forgiven sins who can forgive sinnes but God Cyrâ—l well upon the place gives the reason it must needs be so because God is the Law-giver and the Judg saith he to whom can it possibly belong to pardon and passe by and wipe away the transgressions of the law but to him that is the giver of the law Therefore none of the Prophets or Apostles durst ever arrogate this priviledge Nathan when he was sent to David though he had a commission from God durst not speak in his own name but the Lord hath pardoned And if there were no Prophet or Apostle durst assume so much shall we that are men far inferiour in place and piety and those speciall intercourses of the love and knowledge of God It is true there is a power given to Ministers declaratorie to publish and pronounce pardon to the truly repentant but the power of absolution properly so called and the power of taking away and pardoning that onely God keeps in his own custodie Saith Ambrose well the Minister of God doth that that belongs to his duty when he declares and publisheth pardon to the repentant but he exerciseth not any power and authority it is but Ministeriall Therefore Saint Austin observes well that when Christ gave this power to his Apostles and Disciples whose sinnes ye remit they are remitted he first premiseth he breathed on them and said receive yee the holy Ghost Saith he first they received the holy Ghost and then whose sinnes yeremit they are remitted For it is the holy Ghost that puts away sinne and not you It is Austin's observation And we may further observe that Christ when hee healed any commonly hee pronounced forgivenesse of sinnes but the Apostles though they healed many yet we never read that they used this word To note that Christ gave the power of healing to them but he kept the power of pardoning to himselfe Further then it is ministeriall hee kept the power of putting away of sinne to himselfe for it is an act of Majestie it cannot be so to others God may make Angels to declare it or men but the power is proper to him Christ gave the power of healing to the Apostles but hee kept the power of pardoning to himselfe Saint Austin presseth it against the Donatists sweetly who would faine have got the power to themselves Austin askes the question tell me the vertue of whose name takes away sinne He speaks of himselfe is it the name of Austin is it the name of Donatus it is neither the name of Paul nor Peter who is Austin who is Donatus And the Apostle presseth it who is Paul and who is Apollo but the Ministers of CHRIST But who is it that takes away sinnes GOD Himselfe This is the second thing the Prophet would bring them to know and acknowledge in this word O Lord to thee belongs mercie and forgivenesse thou art the Father of mercie we can feel the smart of sinne but cannot remove it thou must either take it away or else it will not be taken away therefore shew mercie and come among us either take it from us or else it will take us from thee remove it from us and remove it from thee Take away sinne and receive us graciously I have done with the first part the precatory part which concernes Malum tollendum the evill to be removed the evill of sin The second is bonum largiendum in these words â—â—ke away all iniquity and receive us graciously It is in the Originall and shew us good Yet in the Originall a little further Take away iniquity and receive good Like that phrase in the Psalm He received gifts for men that is he gave gifts to men Receive good that is shew good shew thy grace that is as it is well interpreted in English receive us graciously Two things are to be considered in it One that I propounded in the forenoon though I came not to it that is the connexion of this part to the other The other is the order of this part with the other why it is joyned or added to the other clause and why it followes it I shall hardly speak of all But let us looke upon the connexion why is this clause added to the other Is not this enough take away all iniquitie It seemes this is superfluous for where-ever sinne is pardoned grace is conveyed where GOD takes away sinne he discovers grace and where hee crucifies the old man he stamps the image of the new where hee frees from death he gives interest to life where sinne is pardoned salvation is stated upon the soule what need this follow this one word take away all iniquitie is all the expression that need to be used But the Prophet would bring them to a greater enlargement and it is added for speciall reasons I will bring them to these three First it is added as a clause of illustration Take away all iniquitie so shew thy self gracious favourable Noting this that there is nothing doth more magnifie the goodness glory of God then the pardon of sin nothing doth more shew his grace then that As if he had said thou art the Father of mercie we have need of mercy thou hast mercy for thousands and we are thousands that beg it we pray thee to pardon our sins and manifest thy mercie in pardoning by receiving us graciously shew us grace in the pardoning our sins It is the greatest evidence of the mercie of God in the pardoning of sinnes it is that that glorifies God most It is well said by the Psalmist that his mercie is over all his works and we may say of the grace of pardoning that it is over all his other mercies There are other mercies that God shewes us that concerne our temporall estate O these come not within compare Nay spirituall mercies if he preserve any it is the grace of custodie If he deliver any from danger it is the grace of liberty If he accept our prayers and receive them at our hands that is a testimonie of mercie the grace of acceptation but if he pardon sinne that hath all in it that is Gods tender mercie in that he shewes bowels of mercie He opens his casket of mercy in all favours but hee opens his owne bowels when he pardons sinne that includes all mercies that David calls his tender mercies Over all our works it is even over the worst workes of ours which is sinne Over all Gods works it is euen over all the best of Gods works besides in creating preserving and keeping It is that that shines and breakes
were not able to learne it he joynes these that we might learne to joyne them in our Prayers They are the things that God joynes therefore he joines them They are the things that the promises of God joyne therefore he joynes them They are the things that other Saints joyned therefore he joynes them God when he speakes of himselfe he joynes these The Lord the Lord gracious and mercifull pardoning iniquity c. They goe together in God can a man make a better prayer to God or more perfect then that that is taken from those Attributes and termes that are most emynent in God The Spirit of God joynes these together in God we may well joyne them in Prayer As Cyprian saith of the Lords Prayer it is good to come to the Lord in his owne words though there be no vertue in the words without the Spirit God will accept the words of his owne Son when we come in the name and words of Christ So here it is the Spirit of God that commenceth and makes our Suites it is the Spirit of God that frames our Bill that Dictates our Prayers He is the Counsellor of the Father he knowes what the Father will grant Shall we neglect to make such Prayers as the Spirit dictates Can you have sayth St. Austin a better to Coppy your Prayers then the Spirit of God Then here the Spirit of God joynes the grace and mercy of God we must joine them in our Prayers God will acknowledge the words of his Holy Spirit if we come to Christ in his owne words As they are the words that God joynes so they are the words that are joyned in the Promise I will be mercifull to their Transgressions and I will pardon their Sins In many of the Promises of God these two still meet Prayer builds upon a Promise when Prayer gets a promise it builds it goes up to Heaven upon promises there is the Ladder of promises It is impossible Prayer should miscarry that takes the direction of the promise God hath promised to pardon therefore prayer sues for it God hath promised to be gracious therefore prayer begs it These two are joyned in the promise therefore they should in our Prayers Thirdly they are the two that the Saints joyne God be mercifull to us and blesse us and be mercifull unto us he delights to put these two God be mercifull and mercifull God take away our sins and receive us graciously be mercifull in pardoning and be mercifull in powring out and diffusing the light of thy Countenance O! when the Saints set before us the Patterns of such Prayers it is comfortable to us such Patterns as they sped with when they were in our condition It is a great incouragement and comfort and assurance to a Christian when I come with the Prayer of David of the Prophets and Apostles O! It is a comfort when a soule can enlarge it selfe in those Heavenly words that the Spirit of God wrought in the hearts of the Saints in former times For this very purpose the Prophet records this Prayer that they might learne it then and we treasure it up now for it is full of the Jewells of Heavenly grace That shall serve to have spoken of that Take away iniquity and receive us graciously the reason why he adds this clause to the other There is one thing behind the Order but that I must reserve for another time SERMON V. Hosea 14.2 Take away all iniquitie and receive us graciously So will we render thee the Calves of our lips GOOD and evill are the two bounds that are set to all obedience That they are the hounds of obedience the Prophet David shews in Psa 37. where he reduceth all the duty of man to those two heads in shunning of evill and following that that is good Eschew evill and doe good and dwell for ever That they are the bounds of the grace of repentance the Prophet Ezekiell shews us Chap. 38. Cast away from you all your Transgressions make you a new heart and a new Spirit As the Apostle Paul Ephes 4. Put of the old man with the deeds thereof and be renewed in the spirit of your mind That they are the bounds of Prayer our blessed Saviour shews in those two parts Pray that you enter not into temptation there is the one Seeke first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof there is the other part Lastly that they are the bounds of the duty of thankfullnesse the Psalmist shewes againe in Psal 103. Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name that forgiveth all thine iniquities that Crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindenesse All the Saints of God they well know this that piety is excercised about these two these two are the hinges upon which the Door of piety turnes both backward and forward upon these it is that obedience turnes in the shunning of evill and pursuing of good upon these it is that Prayer turnes in deprecating evill and petitioning for good Lastly upon these two the worke of thankfullnesse turnes too in giving God praise for the diverting of evill and for the effusion of good And according to these limits we may see all these duties plainly set out in the text by the severall bounds of them Here is the worke of Repentance with the bounds thereof in that clause Turne to the Lord to set out to us as I shewed before both the terme from which we must turne the aversion of ill and the terme of happinesse to which we must turne that is the conversion to that that is good Put away your sins from you turne from them and then turne to the Lord. There are the bounds of repentance For the duty of Prayer with the bounds of that we have it in the next words Take away all iniquity there is the deprecation of that that is evill and receive us graciously there is the Petition we make for that that is good Lastly for the duty of thankfulnesse we have that in the last words with the bounds thereof So will we render If thou wilt take away sin we will render the prayse of that work and if thou wilt shew us thy Salvation we will render the praise of that worke Of the first of these we spake already and of the last I am to speake afterward and in the second I am conversant at this time The forme of Prayer the Prophet sets to the people according to the bounds of it in which I considered before these two parts There are the parts of the Prayer and the order of the parts The parts of the Prayer in those two First for the removall of sin Take away all iniquity I shewed you the reasons why he directs his prayer against sin why he would have them direct it against all sin why he Prayes against sin for the taking of it away The 2. part of the prayer is for the powring down of the grace they stood in
the Table of the Lord we should bethink our selves what strength we bring what stature we come with Much more when we appeare before God in Heaven there shall be no appearing before God in Heaven unlesse there there be a perfection of competency Heaven is made for the perfect Paul dares not think of Heaven till he have finished his course and Christ calls to God to glorifie him when he had done his work I have done the work that thou gavest me to doe glorifie thy Son We must not look to appeare before God in glory unlesse we goe through these degrees of grace then we shall appeare before God when we are come from strength to strength Then there is a word of distribution it is not all of them but every one The universall collective would have done it Paul sayth We shall all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ But it is more emphaticall Every one each man in the whole and each one for himselfe Every one comes and appeares before God In these Courts of his House though it be in a Crowd God observes every mans carriage and proficiency God takes speciall notice when there are thousands as if there were but one but all here are present before God Much more when we come into his presence of glory then every one shall appeare God will take account of every one what Oyle he hath in his Lamp what improvement he hath made of his Tallents Then there shall be notice of each mans state and measure of every mans height what growth he is come to and according to his stature shall be his reward and Crowne The higher stature the higher measure of glory to him that hath gained five Talents shall be given five Citties to him that hath gained two two Citties to him that hath gone through many degrees of vertue and strength and hath glorified God by an habituall practise of piety there shall be a high reward to them that have gone From strength to strength there shall be an addition of glory to glory THE Vigilant Servant DELIVERED IN TVVO SERMONS BY That Learned reverend Divine RICHARD HOLSWORTH Doctor in Divinity somtimes Vice-Chancellour of Cambridge Master of Emmanuel Colledge and late Preacher at PETERS POORE in LONDON 2 Chron. 20.12 We know not what to doe but our eyes are upon thee LONDON Printed by M. Simmons in Alders-gate-streete 1650. SERMON I. PSAL. 123.2 Behold as the eyes of Servants looke unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistresse So our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill that he have mercy upon us FOR the satisfying of your expectations I have therefore made choise of this Text at this time as being very agreeable whither I look to the parts of the Auditory or the whole or to the time or to what circumstance soever For the lower part Servants may learne their duty For the upper Masters may have the understanding of theirs And for all your conditions are such that you are those that have been held a long time between hope and feare with doubtfull news and ambiguous and neutrall expectations And I may well presume it of you because I measure you by my selfe I my selfe that am wavering have beene wearied and tortured both with good and bad tidings as desirous as you to reap the comfort if they be good or at least to know the certainty if they be bad I have for severall dayes gone through Texts for both parts of the day because I was resolved to proportion my Meditations to the times however things fall out but at length finding no true ground to proceed by no certainty in this World of any thing almost we are not certaine of our selves therefore I did resolve and pitch upon this Scripture that I might yet at least raise your expectations a little higher and bring you from these neutrall thoughts to setled thoughts of Heaven that I might bring you from these carnall dependencies upon man by the eare to a sweet and comfortable resting and setling and fixing and waiting with your eyes upon God And that cannot be done better then by this Scripture that I have read to you It was penned for this very purpose for the sustaining of the Church in doubtfull exigents or any great extremity That this is the intendment of the words appeares by the very scope of the Psalme which is nothing but this a Psalme of confidence for the Church of God when she should be in any state of affliction And if the scope of the Psalme were silent yet the very time would speake how it corresponds it is the fourth of the fifteen that are called Psalmes of Degrees because they were sung upon the fifteene ascents that were to goe to the Temple and so many ascents I have had in doubtfull expectation it is now fifteene dayes since the first heavy tidings came to our eares and yet we are not certaine Therefore now since we cannot find any part of truth on Earth let us have recourse to Heaven we shall be sure to find them there And the whole Book of God is nothing else but tidings brought from Heaven to Earth from God to his Creature Evangelion the good tidings That was the course of the Saints in all exigents still to have recourse to God by praying to him so we shall be sure to understand the end of these thing if we wait upon God for the issue he will send it in good time if we follow the example of the Prophet David here as good Servants to abide his leasure till he have mercy upon us I shall handle the other clauses but I shall dwell upon the last because I shall have opportunity to remember your of that duty that otherwise I had not spoken of but that the Text 〈◊〉 on it That this is the drift at which the words 〈…〉 Verse demonstrates for there is somwhat in every Verse In the first two Verses there is somwhat of our comfort or lifting up our eyes to God the waiting upon God in Prayer In the last two Verses thâ—re is somewhat of our affliction We are filled with contempt in Vers 3. Our soul is filled with the scornefull reproach of the proud Vers 4. Is not this our case If not your souls have not your eares been filled at least some of you with the scornefull reproaches of the proud that have asked where is now your hope And your help Give them leave to enjoy themselves but remember it is not so much for them to boast in a state flying as those that are in hope of pursuite But let them support their tottering ruinous cause by insolent Questions the Psalmist hath taught us both what to doe and what to answer Our hope and help stands in the name of the Lord. There is our answer As the eyes of Servants are to the hands of their Masters so our eyes waite upon the Lord our God
There is our refuge To this holy resolution if I can bring you by handling these words I shall think my labour very well bestowed and think it a happy turne that you have had these doubtfull thoughts to set you upon the Rack of torture all this while And that I may doe it the better look upon the words in perticular and I will consider in them now these foure things onely There is The Covenant The Coppy The Paralell The Date or Duration There is the Covenant in the which all Christians doe enter here in the person of David and that is to give God the delight of their eyes the strength of every part the glory of that most excellent sence to be excercised in that act of Râ—ligion of lifting up their eyes to God Then there is the Coppy out of which we draw this Covenant or this duty that is in these words As the eyes of Servants looke to the hands of their Masters and the eyes of a Maiden upon the hands of her Mistresse Then there is the paralell wherewith we match this Coppy in those words So doe our eyes wait upon the Lord our God Then the Date or duration of the whole it is Till he have mercy upon us These are the four parts The Duty the Direction The proficiency The perpetuation And all these are presented unto your view by an awaking particle set in the front Behold An ordinary word but here it hath an extraordinary positure Ordinarily it is a terme of attention used for the awakening of men to stir up their admiration and audience but here it is a word not onely prefixed for the exciting of men but of God himselfe David is speaking to God in his Meditations Behold sayth he As we take it with respect to God so it is a precatory particle he beseecheth God to look downe upon him while he looks up unto God look on us as we looke to thee Behold Lord as the eyes of Servants c. If we take it as it hath respect to man so it is an exemplary particle to stir them up to doe the like Behold what we doe and doe likewise let your eyes be like ours Behold as the eyes of Servants are to the hand of their Masters so are our eyes to the Lord our God Let yours have the same fixing So it is a word that draws all eyes after it to imitation I hope it will be a word that will draw your eares after it to attention in the severall perticulars as I speake of them in order I begin with the first of these that is the duty here set downe the duty insisted in the basis of the whole the lifting up the eyes to God We may take it eyther by way of declaration as a thing that was done or by way of Covenant as a thing that they promised to doe It is eyther a protestation of what they would doe or an attestation of what they did Well couch it under both notions it hath a double force Our eyes are upon the Lord our God and our eyes shall be upon the Lord our God We have it exprest in all variety in other places of the Psalmes In all variety of Tenses In all variety of Objects In all variety of Instruments For the Tenses in one Psalme it is set downe in the Present Vnto thee doe I lift up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens In another Psalme in the Future I will lift up mâ—ne eyes to the Hills from whence commeth my help These two make up the perfect frame of a mans life he that doth for the present and promiseth for the future he gives God both services in sincerity in the one and in constancy in the other without either of these Christianity is lame It is not enough to say I doe unlesse we add I will and it is not enough to say I will unlesse we for the present doe I doe without I will is inconstancy and I will without I doe is Hypocrisy therefore it is seâ— downe in both formes we doe and we will lift up our eyâ—â— There are both Tenses There is the variety of all kind of objects exprest that concernes God it is exprest in great variety of objects In one Psalme I will lift up mine eyes to thy holy Oracles In another I will lift up mine eyes to the Hills In a third I will lift up mine eyes to Heaven In many I will lift up mâ—ne eyes to the Lord. These all have mutuall dependence one upon another for God gives the glory to all these He that lifts up his eyes to God lifts them to Heaven because it is Gods Throne he that lifts up his eyes to Heaven lifts them to the Hills The Heavens are those Mountaines of Spices those hills of excellency Hills transparent for substance beyond all apprehension for altitude And he that lifts up his eyes to the hills lifts them to Gods Oracles it is from those hills that are both more holy and more high then Sinai that the Oracles of wisdome are derived from God himselfe there are all variety of objects And it is set downe also with all variety of instruments for expression To thee will I lift up mine eyes in one Psalme To thee will I lift up my hands in another Psalme To thee will I lift up my voice in another Psalme To thee will I lift up my soule in a fourth Psalme Here is a mutuall dependence againe Now the whole soule offers her selfe to God as a Hand-maid but shee goes attended with the Virgins that are her Companions as the Psalmist speaks For the Tongue and Eyes and Hands depend upon the soul and are serviceable to it If the soul have an intendment to lift up the heart to God then the hands will be ready to expresse her affections and the Tongue will be ready to expresse her notions and the Eye will be ready to share in the beatificall excellent Vision here is variety in regard of Instruments So that now we may take it either way or both wayes when David speaks of lifting up his eyes we may understand it both of the eyes of the body and the eyes of the mind for the eyes of the mind they quicken and direct the eyes of the body and the eyes of the body they testifie the devotion and ejaculations of the mind the one serves the other For the eyes of the body it is their proper dutie to look up to God God hath made them for that purpose he set them and gave them that positure he hath set them in the head aloft that they might be conversant still in beholding as Gregory Nycene speaks their Originall and creation that is derived from above that with them man might behold him that gave him being that he might look up to Heaven There are no creatures besides that have their eyes set so lofty as man and man for this purpose For the eyes of the mind too God hath indued
their owne and their hands their owne they will doe what they list and speake what they list and goe where they list and not whither their Masters send them that they are more servile a great deale in their manners then in their condition they have evill Tongues and evill eyes and light fingers and evill nurture every way I know not how it comes to passe but it is a thing complained of by all there is no great House especially nor indeed no little House but if they have any Servants they are those that are untoward there are very few good Servants A good Servant is a great Jewell not onely because he is usefull but because he is rare and their Religion is like their state there are few of them conscionable Whether it be so that the fault be in your selves or no it should be your duty to look whether it be so or no that some of you when you were Servants were such to your Masters and God payes you in your kind Generally such Children as we are such Parents we prove he that hath beene an unfaithfull Child shall have unfaithfull Children he that hath beene an unfaithfull Servant shall have such Servants Or whether you be not carefull to Teach them better you instruct them in the mysteries of your Trades that they may serve you but never care to instruct them in the feare of the Lord that they may serve the Church and serve God and such comfort and successe you have because you would have them onely serve you and not God God orders it so that they shall not be serviceable to you he punisheth you That may be another reason you neglect them Or whether they get these ill conditions by your example as indeed it falls out generally so that Servants have a tang of the qualities and conditions of their Masters Euripides speaks well like Maid like Mistresse you may know the Mistresse by the Maid and the Master by the Servant They observe in you distempers and doe you wonder that your Servants are so They observe in their Masters dealing fraud and cozenage and doe you think that they will not cozen The Maids see pride in the behaviour of their Mistresses they are conscious to all and they learne these documents from them What the cause is I know not it is some of these causes or all but it is so every man complaines it was never such a World for Servants Give me leave Brethren to speake to you that are in that inferiour condition it becomes you to redeeme this imputation that lies on your state and condition it is a good state in it selfe but you make it ill by your carriage Remember with your selves that though you be Servants to men yet you are Free-men to God he that is mans Servant is the Lords Free-man if he give conscionable service serving God in his Master Remember God will call you to account for the service you have done to your Masters as well as of that you doe to himselfe and of the neglect to them as well as of himselfe Remember how bountifully God rewarded Joseph and Jacob when they were Servants Remember how he thought on the People of Israel when they were Servants in a strang Land Remember how Christ honoured that condition I speake that it is much for your honour Christ honoured it He tooke upon him the forme of a Servant Here is an honour done to you above your Masters though he were Lord of all yet here was the manifestation of his humiliation he tooke the forme of a Servant that if we account it an honour to our nature above Angells that Christ tooke humane nature and not angelicall as indeed it was an honour then it was an honour done to Servants that Christ would stoop so low to take upon him the forme of a Servant Whatsoever place or state Christ took he honoured it he honoured the Manger that he made it his Cradle and he honoured the Crosse by that death that he was pleased to suffer and he honoured the Grave by descending into it and he honoured our nature in assuming it and he hath honoured your condition he took on him the forme of a Servant Learne to answer that honour it is not an unworthy condition labour to bring honour to your estate to bring honour to God in your service to bring credite to your Religion and profession to be better then your Masters if they goe not along with you to Heaven to be Children of God to be rich in grace to be precious to him to give your Masters faithfull service for conscience sake Remember these things and stir up your selves to attaine to the purity of former times to have the Circum volution to answer them What was the condition of Servants in Davids time What Servants were they You may learne by this Scripture David takes it for granted he speaks of it as a thing to be presumed on that Servants were good then Unlesse he had knowne them to be good he would not have borrowed the similitude no more would I we then would say as Servants should be to their Masters and not as they are You must labour to make the times as they have been that we may fetch the similitude from you to say As the eyes of Servants are to the hands of their Masters That is the second thing the Coppie I am loath to breake off in the middest the end why I chose the Text was for the last part of the words but now it will even serve for another Sermon There will be the duty of you that are Masters and it wil be your shame more then of your Servants that you doe not serve God and there will be directions in all doubtings and expectations to waite on God till he have mercy upon us SERMON II. PSAL. 123.2 So doe our eyes waite upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us IT is a Scripture you see that runs upon similitude and the strength and life of a similitude is in conformity and proportion and in things that are proportionable there are in the generall but two things to be considered there is the skene or tipe and there is the draught that answers it These are as two lines that run along one by another and are measured out by the same quallity of dimension for length and for whatsoever else may make them conformable And these two lines they are very observable now in this Text. There is the first the line from which the similitude is drawne that is the exemplary line in the first halfe of the words Behold as the eyes of Servants looke to the hands of their Masters and the eyes of a Maiden to the hands of her Mistresse that is the line exemplary whence the similitude is drawne that is the Protasis that is the line of prescription that is the line regulative the line that gives law to this other line that followes That is
now the line that is conformable the line that makes the proportion to the other line the line that hath the similitude and Image of the other stamped on it that is it which is the redition the appodesis that which answers the former line in every proportion in every part So doe our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy upon us So here face answereth face and bone answereth bone There is mention of Masters and superiors in the first of a Heavenly Master in the second There is mention of Servants in the first of the Servants of God in the second of looking up in the first of waiting in the second of eyes corporall in the first of eyes spirituall in the second Onely this line exceeds the other in this one proportion it is drawne a little longer then the former because Gods mercies are of an infinite longitude there is nothing able to paralell them Vntill he have mercy upon us Of the first of these I spake in the Fore-noone and it was but halfe the Journey I meant then to have taken I shall now speake to the second part the proportionable redition it is the writing that matcheth the Coppie that was set in the former words If I had handled it then it would have been but halfe an houre I shall now lengthen it to the full and trust your memories with that I delivered The sum was but these two things The duty of Christians to know that they must dedicate to God as the faculties of their mind so the parts of their bodies their Tongue that is their glory and their eyes those are their Lamps and the light of their bodies and those are their perfections if they shine in the presence of God by looking up to him That was the first Secondly the duty that concernes you that are of the lower sort those that are in the condition of Servants of what sex soever that it is a conscionable performance that God expects at the hands of Servants to give faithfull and constant obedience and conformity in all things in a submission and subordination to God in all things to the will and inclination and direction of their Masters So here is the Coppie set and that is a good draught that must exceed it and that must be the labour of us that are to speak and heare of it and I will come directly to it and there are but these two parts of it which are two of the foure which I mentioned in the Fore-noone There is the paralell that answers the Coppie before So doe our eyes waite on the Lord our God And the Date and Duration of this duty how long it is to be continued Vntill he have mercy on us So these are the two things that now I am to speak of And the first of these is the Paralell that matcheth the Coppie the proficiency that Christians make by the documents they have from these temporall relations and it is set downe here by a great deale of advantage there is never a word but hath its emphasis and there is never a word but will require a reason to be given of it why it stands in this place Why our Eyes Why Waiting Why upon the Lord Why another name of excellency is added The Lord our God What is the extent of this So So our eyes waite which is the proportionable part I say there are reasons to be given of all these and instructions that will arise out of them First why he mentions eyes so our eyes waite For he might have varied it so our souls wait which is the chiefe scope and intention of the Psalmist But because he had mentioned the eyes of Servants before he mentions the eyes of Christians the Servants of God now So our eyes waite It shews us thus much that our eye is the Hand-maid of the soule that is exercised in all those duties of piety in which the soul is conversant If the soul look up the eye looks up So the eye is a faithfull Hand-maid The eye looks not downe when the soul looks up it not onely looks but waits Therefore he mentions the eye to shew that the eye of a Christian must be indefatigable in looking up to God It not onely beares a part with the soul in the act but in the constancy If the soule be breathing the eye will still be darting up beames of love and desire to those same Hills to which the soul looks therefore it may be added here the eye waits because it is but a perfunctory performance that is discharged by the eye a man would think I may appeale too to you it is a great part of your religion the lifting up the eye if religion be to be measured by that there is abundance of devotion Men now will not vouchsafe to bow the knee in prayer I put a difference between those that are in Pews and 〈…〉 are in the Isles and between standing and sitting for sitting is an 〈…〉 gesture in 〈…〉 is Heavenly 〈…〉 you stand for that purpose 〈…〉 the 〈◊〉 in prayer it is 〈…〉 but they will not bow 〈…〉 it is but a reach 〈…〉 The reason you desire to 〈…〉 you 〈…〉 It â—uts me to goe on my self 〈…〉 aâ—â—ections and extravagant notions and that is that that must be set upon the skore of repentance it cuts me though I love not to look about yet to see people in prayer look every way is this to keep the eye waiting When the soul labours with God in prayer the eye will strive in fellowship with it it will embrace an act of constancy as well as fâ—rvency It is an evill Maid that leaves her Mistresse it is the highest delusion of God and deprivation of the comfort of our selves when we give our selves to gadding and yet come to Prayer therefore there is somwhat in this that he sayth the eye not onely the eye looking but The eye waiting the reason of the second word Now he leaves the similitude the first line for in the first line it is so as the eyes of Servants looke and the eyes of a Maiden looke here it is the eye waits There is good reason to wait is more then to looke to wait is to look constantly with patience and submission by subjecting our affections and wills and desires to Gods will that is to wait David in the second part in the second line he gives a better word he betters his Coppie There is the duty of a Christian to better his example the eyes of Servants look Davids eyes shall waite So doe our eyes wait It is true indeed this word is not in the Originall therefore you may observe it is in a small letter in your Bibles to note that it is a word of necessity added for the supply of the sence because the Holy Ghost left it not imperfect but more perfect that he put not in the Verb because it is left to every mans heart to supply a
Verb to his owne comfort and a better he cannot then this And that this word must be added appeares by the next words Till he have mercy upon us To looke till he have mercy on us is to wait so there is good reason why this word is added If we look to the thing begged mercy it is so precious that we may wait for it It was Servants that he mentioned and it is their duty to wait upon their Masters they wait upon their Trenchers at meat they wait when they goe to bed and when they rise they wait in every place therefore because he had mentioned the first word he takes the proper duty there is nothing more proper to Servants then waiting and if we are the Servants of God we must wait There is good reason in that respect because it is a word so significant therefore the Spirit of God varies it he keeps not exactly to the line so doe our eyes looke but so doe our eyes wait Thirdly why he makes another variation so doe our eyes wait upon the Lord He writes not after his Coppie for there it is As the eyes of Servants looke to the hands of their Masters It should have run So doe our eyes wait on the hand of the Lord he sayth not so but varies it So doe our eyes wait on the Lord. What is the reason It would have been too strait Though we must wait on Gods gracious hand both of power that orders all things and of bounty that distributes all things yet it would have been too strait some would have imagined that there were nothing in God to be waited on but for his bounty and power No he shews that we must at large wait upon the Lord in all that belongs to him if we have respect to his glory and honour we must wait upon his Throne if to our vilenesse we must waite on his Footestoole If to his bounty we must wait on his hand if to his wisdome we must wait upon his providence if to his truth we must wait on his promises There is nothing in God but it is to be waited on in all his attributes and relations not onely as our Master but as our King as our Father and as our Shepheard Therefore that the Psalmist might better leave it for an enlarged supply as that a Heavenly heart might intercept it he saith not as in the former so doe our eyes wait upon the hand of the Lord but so doe our eyes wait upon the Lord. That is the reason of the third variation There are but two observable besides I shall stand a little longer on them they are materiall The fourth is why he doubles this word of excellency upon the Lord our God For one word would have served but that no word can serve to set out that excellency but having named Master before one would think it should run so doe our eyes waite upon our Heavenly Master as our Heavenly Lord but he adds the Lord our God To shew the difference between the Masters of the World and of him that is above The Masters here below are Masters indeed but they are men like our selves our Master above is the Lord our God The Masters here that have dominion are Domini but sub domino under that great Master but he is Dominans dominantium the Lord of Lords They are Masters that have their breath in their Nostrills but he is the Master that gives life and breath and motion and all things Therefore to shew that we stand in a double Obligation to God in our service and attendance he adds two words we wait upon him as our glorious Lord and as our gracious God both wayes we give him our eyes and attendance To shew this double obligation observe in the first line the prescription the Coppie there are both relations mentioned and a double notion to both relations there is Masters and Mistresse Servants and Hand-maid To note thus much by the doubling of the one that if there be any better service in the one sex then in the other we are to draw the patterne from that that we may give the purest service and attendance to God And noting in the other if there be any respect due to either of those Masters or Mistresse they should be both drowned and swallowed up in our respect to God he useth both words to shew that we should yeild all service to God St. Austin in his Commentary on the Psalmes propounds the Question and so doth Jerome if that be his he finds a double scruple he makes two Questions One Question is why we are called Ansilla in the Singular number a Hand-maid Another Question is why Christ is called not onely Dominus but Domina As the eyes of Servants wait on their Masters so doe our eyes upon Christ St. Austin gives this reason and Jerome and it is full of wit both these predications will hold for us that are Christians It is Servi sumus ancilla sumus we are both Servants and we are the Church we are Servants of his Handmaid As we are the people of God so we are called Servants as we are the Church of God so we are ancilla So for the other predication our Lord and Saviour is both Dominus and Domina He is The Lord Our Lord because he is our God and Domina he must have the duty of a Mistresse because he is the virtue and wisdome and excellency of God That is Austins and Jeromes It is full of wit but it is a little to adventerous I durst hardly to mention it if it were not theirs their wit is sweet and in their intentions full of piety but I dare not give it as a truth Yet there is reason to be given why both are exprest to shew the service that we owe to God The reason is this both words are used because no one word can set out any part of Gods excellency look in what part you will There is no one word can set out the glory of God in Heaven therefore there are two words used the glory of both lights the glory of the light of the Sun and of the Moone There is no one word can set out to us the perfection of the robe of Christs righteousnesse that he cloaths Beleivers with therefore two words are used he cloaths them with double Ornaments of the Bride-groome and of the Bride Isa 61. There is no one word can set out the propinquity of our alliance to Christ therefore Christ sets it out by two words He that doth the will of my Father is my Brother and Sister There is no one word can set out the tendernesse of the love of God therefore it is set out by the love of both Parents by the love of a Father and a Mother Can a Mother forget her Child And as a Father pirties his Child so the Lord hath mercy on them that feare him In Gods love there is the love of both
to receive their direction We must not prescribe God leave God to his way though we see things improbable God can work it out we must leave him to his wisedome he will bring things to passe we must not put trust in meanes and rules but leave God to his prescriptions Lastly good Servants beare their Masters name and not onely apply themselves to the Commands of their Master but to the desires of their Master They alway consider themselves to be in that condition that they look to give an account Good Servants they are not onely tender of their Masters temporall goods but of their Masters safety A good Servant will venture his life for his Master especially in a good cause O then let us goe and be like minded put all these together and by the consideration of these things provoke our selves to the faithfull obedience and service that belongs to God Let us mold our selves with these resolutions If we be Servants for shame for shame doe somewhat that belongs to Servants Let us not be content to equall the Coppie but labour to exceed it not onely to say As the eyes of Servants so our eyes but as the eyes of Children to their Parents so are our eyes to God As the eyes of Subjects are to their Prince so are our eyes on God and as the eyes of Sheep are fixed upon the Shepheard so are our eyes on God As the eyes of Creatures are upon their Creator and the eyes of the redeemed upon their Saviour so our eyes are fixed upon the Lord our God In all these relations we will not onely labour to equall the duty but to exceed it and not so onely but more So I have done with the first thing the paralell wherein David endeavours to match the Coppy he had propounded As the eyes of Servants are towards their Masters so are our eyes on the Lord our God And the reason of every word Now the last thing is the date and duration Vntill he have mercy on us There are but two words they are not long in pronunciation but they are very long in signification They are so long that they reach to perpetuity both wayes For first there is no end of Gods mercy that is one word And then there must be no period set of our duty and waiting Vntill he have mercy on us That word seems to be as long as the other Indeed it is true in it selfe it is not long because God is not long in shewing mercy he is quick if we should wait upon him onely till he shew mercy we should wait now and no longer we should cease presently for he shews mercy alwayes No but it is to be continued by many enlargements therefore briefly the sum of both words is this In one word the word mercy David sets downe the scope at which every Christian aimes after the glory of God in shooting up all those Arrows of love and obedience and feare that he sends up to God the end and aime of all is this that he may attaine mercy he looks up to God for mercy Mercy that is of a larg signification we can beg nothing of God which is not mercy If a man be disconsolate he looks to God for comfort If there be a doubtfull heart that looks up to God for resolution If there be a blind heart that looks for illumination of a wavering heart that looks for stablishing all these are mercies because they are all given in mercy Every good thing is a mercy because it is given in mercy If a man be in persecution peace is a mercy If he be in trouble of Conscience ease is a mercy If he be in anguish if he be in any exigent deliverance is a mercy If he be in pangs of Conscience quiet is a mercy All is mercy he that waits on God for mercy waits for every good thing Secondly the other word Vntill shews us thus much what the period is that a Christian sets himselfe in the line of obedience It hath the same period that Donec untill untill he shews mercy Shall we think that David did meane to wait on God untill he had mercy and then to fix his eyes upon the Earth againe No much more then therefore know that the word Donec in Scripture doth not alway signifie a determinate time but an infinite time untill signifies eternity in two places One in the Gospell Joseph knew not Mary untill shee had brought forth her first Borne Son not then nor after because shee continued alway a Virgin But more plainly in Psal 110. The Lord said to my Lord sit on my right hand untill I make thine enemies thy Foot-stoole Doe you think that Christ shall sit at Gods right hand no longer then till all things be subdued in the end of the World and that then he shall give over his session and his Kingdome cease God forbid but untill is for ever So here Our eyes wait on the Lord till he have mercy on us Not as we should make a cessation then when God hath shewed mercy But as St. Chrysostome very well he speaks not onely for a short time as long as God shews mercy but for all times What doe I take Chrysostome heare David expound himselfe Psal 62. My throat is dry my heart is weary mine eyes faile with waiting He looked on God so long till his eyes failed and he gives not over then he waits still A Christian must wait alwayes upon God So that word hath both an inclusive and an exclusive force So shall our eyes wait on the Lord untill he shew mercy That is if he doe shew mercy we will wait or if he doe not If he send it speedily or if he doe not still God is to be waited on We now if God doe not send mercy we will wait on him with contentation or if he doe shew mercy we will wait on him with acknowledgement If God delay mercy we will wait with patience if he speedily send mercy we will wait on him with thankfullnesse we will wait on him till then and much more after Vntill that is I will wait on him then and now and alway we will never end this work So the point is this Aâ— true Christian must not let goe his hold his hope his confidence he breaks not off his Service he breaks not off waiting upon God though God deferre to shew mercie He waits on God in his owne occasions though God suspend and seeme to absent himselfe He waits in all the occasions of the Church If God correct he waits that things may be better if God send blessings he still waits on him that God may continue the mercies Here is the point a Christian must not give over waiting on God especially in cases of extreamity When we come to beg any mercy spirituall or temporall of God if God bestow it on us then we are said to wait till then because then we obtaine our desire we wait for
other mercies alway for generall mercies every day And it is a point now worth the considering in these times because the state of our times is so that every man almost is ready to let goe his confidence If things succeed not in every perticular according to our expectations and desires then we think the whole Chaine of providence is dissolved if one linck be loosed we think all the businesse is overturned and all our hopes disappointed if God answer us not in our time upon every occasion The reason is we know not what it is to wait on God Beloved it is true if God were tied to one way or meanes or to one time or to any one person or to any one instrument there were good cause that we should suspect our hold in the successe of the affaires of the Church at all times then we had good cause to be fearefull But God is not straightened so much he hath wayes that we know not and times that we understand not of and persons he can make to spring out of the Ashes of them that are taken away that are contemptible in our eyes and God can strengthen them though they be as the shaking of an Olive God will perfect this work if we be not the impediment if our sins stay him not if we wait It is true I confesse it pleaseth me exceedingly and I congratulate and rejoyce your desires almost as much affect me with joy as the other with sorrow to see men in amazement at such a time It is a signe of your love to the Church beyond the Seas yet how unacceptable was it upon the first relation No man knew what to speake or what to think It is a signe that Religion hath taken some impression It is a signe that you have a simpathy with the Servants of God it is a signe that you have the affections of Servants towards God But for all this take heed while you doe right to the Servants of God that you doe not injury to God himselfe because he is faithfull that hath promised Remember he orders the affairs himselfe God can raise up a Josuah in Moses room I rather use the word because I am very much delighted with the Simile of that noble victorious Prince he was a Moses Was said I O that is a wounding word that you cannot endure O that I could say he is and yet I cannot say the contrary we are kept betweene hope and feare though it be more to be feared then hoped in that particular I am afraid But whether was or is like Moses he was and if he be Is God was with him as he was with Moses in the leading of his People He came into Germany as Moses into Aegypt with a greater band but a small traine in respect of the Enemies but God turned his weaknesse to strength He was faithfull as Moses was he sought not himselfe as Moses did not Moses brought the Children of Israel out of the Furnace he brought the poore afflicted of Germany a good way out of the Furnace And now that all may be like Moses Moses Sepulcher is not known to this day and the life or death of that excellent Prince is not yet knowne to this day like Moses Sepulcher There is yet our perplexity yet there is our comfort there is some comfort in that word that it is uncertaine for that that is uncertaine may be otherwise O but I think that it may be Howsoever be it so or otherwise God hath done his part he hath not left us without a comfort See but how he hath tempered sad Tidings with a mixture of comfort he hath tempered the losse with gaine there is sorrow with joy there is feare with hope there is losse with Victory Why then if God doe thus to us and so feed us with his mercy and support our longanimity if he ply us thus have we not reason to wait upon him Let us now run to this word in the Text. Behold as the eyes of Servants wait on their Masters so doe our eyes wait on God till he have mercy on us and alwayes but esspecially then For did you but know the comfort that comes by hope and expectation innumerable comforts come from hope Hope holds life and soule together if thingâ— goe ill hope continues us still in life till things goe better Hope is the Pillar of the wavering soule hope is the Ladder that hath one end in Earth and another in Heaven hope waits for all the good things that God hath promised Hope is the Anchor of the soule as the Apostle compares it Nay not onely the Anchor sayth St. Chrysostome but the Ship to that good Anchor It must needs be well when it is both the Ship must ride safe for the Anchor is hope it must be safe it selfe for upon it is the Ship the Ark that carries the Saints through the troubles of this World it is the Anchor that makes us keep our riding that we dash not on the Shelves and Rocks that encounter us It is a better Anchor then other Anchors they are alway below the Ship at the ground but this Anchor is above it is not fastened in Earth but in Heaven How sure would a Ship be if it were fastened aloft to Heaven if God had the Tacle in his hand God hath the Cable of this Anchor in his hand Faith is the Cable hope is the Anchor the Ship will ride safe if the Anchor be in Heaven Let us waite we have good cause to wait he is powerfull and can doe more he is gracious and will doe nay further he is faithfull and hath done and will doe abundantly beyond our expectation and he that hath begun will perfect it O therefore let us acquaint our souls with waiting We are so impatient that if God give us not all at the first call what our hearts are prompt to suggest we think all is lost O if we had hope the nature of hope is to abide and stay Gods leasure Hope is never frustrate See it in the example of the Saints David I waited patiently on the Lord and God heard me It is confirmed and ratified by promises Solomon sets one Waite on the Lord and he will save thee David another Wait on the Lord and he will preserve thy soule Wait patiently on the Lord and he will bring it to passe We have it ratified by promise Nay in experience who ever waited and was frustrated Our Fathers trusted in God and were not ashamed he gave them their hearts desire and he hath exceeded ours therefore have recourse to that Anchor and learne what it is to wait on God that we may say as Job Though he kill me I will trust in him Though he disappoint all I will hope my hope and waiting shall be placed on God my trust shall be in him he never suffered that staid his leasure to be ashamed they were had in remembrance Therefore our eyes shall wait
on him as the eyes of Servants nay not onely so but if that be not enough we wil not onely wait but hang upon him not onely so but in a holy sence wrestle with him by Prayer as Jacob did that he would be mercifull to his People that he would take care still of that little part of the Ark floating on the Waters Nay we will not onely wait upon him as Servants but as Children and not onely with the eyes of Children but with the Teares of Children with eyes fixed and hands spread and knees bowed with lips opening and hearts mounting we will wait upon him that this hope may be fixed in all our faces and shine in all parts thus if we doe we shall make the Text compleat For conclusion of all There are but two things that may perplex us uncertainty and feare Vncertainty that is one wrack and torment and feare is another This hope and waiting will stablish the soule in both Take the rule of both For uncertainty doe as Hezekiah did take these letters of uncertaine rumours and spread them before the Lord. For the feare let us take our selves and cast our selves before the Lord at his Footstoole For the uncertainty let that be the Scripture Habak 2. The Vision is yet for an appointed time but in the end it shall speake and shall not lie It shall come and shall not tarry Though it tarry yet we will wait for it For the feare let this be the word to fix our hearts that David hath given opportunity to handle this day Behold though our feares be great yet our hopes are some therefore as the eyes of Servants look to the hands of their Masters and the eyes of a Maiden to the hands of her Mistresse so doe our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercy on his people THE Geust-Chamber DELIVERED IN TVVO SERMONS BY That Learned reverend Divine RICHARD HOLSWORTH Doctor in Divinity somtimes Vice-Chancellour of Cambridge Master of Emmanuel Colledge and late Preacher at PETERS POORE in LONDON Matth. 22.4 Behold I have prepared my dinner my Oxen and my Fatlings are killed and all things are ready Come into the Marriage LONDON Printed by M. Simmons in Alders-gate-streete 1650. SERMON I. LUKE 22.11 12. And ye shall say to the good man of the house the Master saith unto thee where is the Guest Chamber where I shall eat the Passover with my Disciples And he shall shew you an upper Room furnished there make ready THIS Text is not the Scripture for the day but it is next of kin to it it is the Story for the day though not the Chapter for it is the very same Story that out of another Evangelist is appointed for the Gospell of this day and you lately heard it read to you But I chose rather to handle it out of St. Luke because that part which makes for my purpose is more fully set downe by him And indeed betweene the two Evangelists in the recording of the Story we shall find that there is some difference though it may be easily salved For St. Matthew in Chap. 26. he so relates it as if the motion of preparing the Passover came first from the Disciples of Christ but St. Luke in this Chapter he so relates it as if the motion of preparing the Passover came first from Christ but the very next words doe make it plaine to us where he shews that the first motion of the thing came from Christ but the first motion of the place came from the Disciples of Christ Therefore St. Matthew when he tells us of the Disciples of Christ propounding to their Master concerning the preparation of the Passover I suppose the first precept went from Christ he gave them charge to goe and prepare as it is in Luke then they goe and propound the Question concerning the place Where wilt thou that we prepare And both these considerations even in the entrance of this Scripture might be usefull for us for in the Narration that is made by St. Matthew we have here propounded to us what is the duty of a godly Servant he will put his Master in mind of matters that are weighty and important not onely such as concerne the world but such as concerne Religion If we follow the relation of St. Luke there is set downe the duty of a godly and religious Master to call upon his Servant to excite him to be frequent and zealous in the work of the Lord in the service of God According to the method that St. Matthew followes there we may see the part of a religious people of a good Flock they will in case even speake to their Pastor and call upon him for the practise of those duties that belong to him and we will take it well at your hands Christ himselfe was pleased to suffer himselfe to be remembred by his Disciples God himselfe suffereth himselfe to be remembred by us when we call for those things we need But if we follow the method of Luke so you shall see what is the duty of a carefull vigilant Pastor he will oft stir up his People his Flock his Parish to consider what they are doing when they come to the service of God to whose house they come whose Table they repaire to whose Word they heare before whome it is that they cast downe themselves still he will call upon them to prepare for the Passover Were I guilty of any great neglect Beloved I would hope that some of you would be so friendly as to call upon me to put me in mind and yet I have cause to suspect that rather the most would be so negligent as to let me alone willing to enjoy in my idlenes their owne security Therefore you shall give me leave now to prevent you as Christ did here his Disciples to speake to you that you make ready for the Passover the Passover why is there any Passover now to be kept among Christians Yes if you doe not know it the Apostle will tell you that Christ is our Passover 1 Cor. 5.7 He that prepares himselfe for the applying of the death of Christ and the procuring of himselfe greater interest in the merit of his Passion he prepares for the Passover You know as Christ said to his Disciples that within these few dayes after two or three dayes the time will come about wherein we celebrate the memoriall of his Passion the time of his Resurrection and this is another Passover the Christians Easter is his Passover and if there were not this yet the remembrance of that work about which we are conversant this day As Christ is the Passover in the substance of the thing so the Sacrament that he instituted his last Supper that is as the Passover in the memoriall of the benefite it is the Sacrament that came in the room of the other the Lords Supper that is the Christians Passover also and you know that those dayes of receiving
those Mysteries of our redemption of Salvation revealed by Christ that we preach to you though we cannot looke into them as the Angells looke yet they are the same for substance that the Apostles Preached to you That is the last ground you have seene what the Angells are what the things are and the inspection and the desire Thus much for this Text and this time An exact Alphabeticall Table directing to the principall Truths handled in the fore-going Work A Abounding ABounding a metaphor whence taken page 339 Abrogate Christ kept the Passover to abrogate it page 461 Account Good Angells not called to Account page 518 Act Habits must be brought to Act page 359 Adam see Covenant Admiration Angells behold the Mysteries of the â—ospell with admiration page 526 To look on Gods goodnesse with admiration page 528 Advances see Piety Affections Affections in Prayer how kindled page 54 Afflictions Why good men suffer afflictions when others escape page 472 see endure Alike In spirituall things all are alike to God page 465 All All sins to be prayed against and why page 72 All duties to have thankfullnesse page 172 see Commands Detestation Goodnesse Love Alliance Aliance of Gods mercy page 113 Anchor Hope the anchor of the soule page 423 Angells Evill angells studie not the Mysteries of the Gospell page 491 Evill angells how called in Scripture ibid. The name of angel what page 492 Angells have benefit by the mysteries of Salvation page 496 Angells what things they desire to looke into page 501 See Incarnation knowledge Apparrell Against vaine apparrell page 413 Appearing Appearing before God double page 373 Arguments Arguments peculiar to each Apostle page 196 Art see nature Assent Assent of a pious heart page 475 Assurance Assurance to be prayed for page 134 see Heaven Atheist see Epicure Attributes Mercy hath the prerogative above all other Attributes page 113 B Body Parts of the body interpreters of the duties of piety page 52 Eyes of the body how placed page 385 God to be worshipped with the body page 387 Beg see mercy Behold Behold what it signifies page 383 Benefits Benefits by Christ how expressed page 159 Beleive The word of God to be beleived page 287 The lifting up the eyes a testimony of beleiving page 388 Blessednesse Blessednesse the highest good page 222 Blessednes how propounded page 225 Blessednesse every mans comfort page 226 Blessednesse where placed by worldly men page 227 Blessednesse where placed by the Apostles page 228 Blessednesse where placed by Christ page 229 Blessednesse the way to it ibid. Blessednesse not to be severed from tribulation page 230 Blessednesse why set out by variety of names page 236 Blessednesse essentiall of Saints and Angells the same page 503 see Temptation enduring comprehensive suffering Bonds Bonds of turning to God page 22 Barâ—hen Sin 〈…〉 page 105 Sin 〈…〉 a burthen page â—â—6 C Calâ—e Praise set out by a calf why page 160 Carnall Carnall love hinders love to God Carnall mens joy what Certainty Certainty of Salvation abused page 69 The Crowne of life certaine how page 242 Chamber Christ had not a Chamber of his owne page 449 The House of God the Guest-Chamber page 453 What Chamber Christ will be received in page 479 see Heart Conscience Church Charity The disposition of charity page 476 Chastisements Afflictions of Gods Children chastisements page 103 Not to be out of love with Gods chastisements page 252 Cheap God requires cheap Sacrifice and why page 162 Chearfully Tentations to be endured chearfully page 210 Christ Pardon to be begged in the name of Christ page 118 Why the Disciples were forbid to say he was the Christ page 443 Ministration of Angells used about Christ page 496 see Satisfaction Christians Admonition to Christians page 171 see morall Church The church Christs Chamber page 479 Circumstances Not to spend much time about circumstances page 440 Commands The word of God called his commands why page 286 Saints love Gods word when it commands page 312 All Gods commands to be loved page 33 Love enables to keep the commands page 314 Commands of God what page 414 see Prayer Duty Promise Obedience Sublime Ever Common Misteries of â—â—lvation common to men and Angells page 511 Comprehensive Blessednesse the most comprehensive good page 222 The Crowne of life comprehensive page 232 Condition True obedience makes no condition page 174 Confession Confession of sin necessary to repentance page 36 No pardon without confession page 37 Confession an easie way to pardon page 38 Backwardnesse to confession of sin page 40 Exhortation to confession page 41 Examples of pardon to confession ibid. Confession necessary in doing good or evill page 44 Confession of all sins page 72 see words humble mournefull Congruity Bond of congruity to turne to God page 23 Conquerours The Crowne of life the reward of conquerours page 256 Contentation Contentation of Angells page 531 Continuall Spirituall Sacrifices continuall page 168 Constancy Temptations to be endured with constancy page 211 Constancy what ibid. Conscience Conscience Christs Chamber page 480 Covenant Different conditions of the two covenants page 39 Courage Temptations to be endured with courage page 209 Creation Pardon above works of creation page 112 Crowne The crowne of life the reward of suffering page 226 What crownes Christians have in this World page 227 see victory gold conquerours love Curiosity Curiosity not in good Angells page 519 D Damnable Going on in sin damnable page 24 Daily Thanksgiving a daily Sacrifice page 172 David David his divine temper page 284 Dead Legat Sacrifice dead page 170 Debt Thanksgiving a debt page 138 Declare Ministers onely declare pardon page 109 Declining Where there is not growth there is declining page 343 Degrees Degrees of grace to be sought after page 361 Degrees of grace numberless page 362 Encouragement to attain the highest degrees ibid. Delightfull Mysteries of Salvation delightfull speculations page 508 Depositum The Scripture a depositum page 294 Desire True ground of the desire of Angells page 526 Heavenly things should be the matter of our desire page 538 Detestation Detestation of all sin necessary page 73 Devil see ignorance Devout Lifting up the eyes a signe of a devout heart page 389 Divinity Argument of Christs divinity page 467 Donation The Crowne of life of free donation page 239 Duration Duration of Gods mercy page 115 E Easie The most easie way to remove judgements page 14 15 see confesse Eminent see place Enablement A Saint depends on God for enablement page 179 Ends God works good ends out of the least things page 473 Endure What vertues required to endure affliction page 204 What enduring hath the promise of blessednesse page 209 Enemies Christ obeyed the Law to stop the months of his enemies page 462 Envie No envie in good Angells page 520 Epicures Atheist and Epicures objections answered page 471 esteem see word Evening Evening what meant by it page 257 Ever The Scriptures an Heritage for ever page 294 Gods Commands