our Spiritual Warfare but Excuses what is the Obex the obstacle that renders the most powerful Ministry ineffectual but these We must therefore fetch these Kings out of their Caves or we do nothing If we could stâ—p up these Wells and cut down these fruitful Trees as they were commanded 2 Kings 3. 19. Then should Israel weaken the Enemy and the Ministers live at more hearts-ease But while these remain as we say Intus Existens prohibet alienum we do but beat the Air. There is no entrance for truth in the power of it This we shall find if we take a view of most of those things wherein the Minister hath to do E. g. First if the Minister give warning from God to avoid Sin and cry out Hâ—st and escape for thy life Cito Longe tarde as from the Pestilence How ill do men take it Look back with Lots Wife linger with Lot as lâ—th to part with Sin as Jacob with Benjamin as tender of it as David of Absalom Deal kindly I pray you for my sakâ— with the young man spare him hurt him not Is it not a little one say they a venial Sin may it not consist with grace If I never do worse I hope I shall do well enough Have not others done as bad or worse yet found mercy I have Examples great ones multitude on my side and some good men have done the like It is my Diana my Livelyhood my Dalilah or right Eye allow me this only I shall do any thing only spare me Herodias Intreat for me said Pharaoh abate me but this I hope my Calling Place Quality Profession and the custom and manner of the times may Excuse me mean while I shall live quietly peaceably and civilly and do what the Law requires 2. If we deal with men to confess and acknowledge their Sins how many shifts windings and turnings how long e're we can get that hard word Peccavi out of their mouths And if they do not storm as the Sodomites at Lot and look on the Minister as Ahab did on Elias or Micaiah then what Excuses do they make Bear with me I pray it was an Over-sight I confess but I hope my Nature Custom Passion Provocation may Excuse me Or it was done in my Ignorance Childhood or when I was not my self but then in my Drink Heat Anger Passion Fear Hast and on the sudden Another saith it was in Jest Mirth Merriment I had no ill meaning in the Earth another had I not reason I was wronged urged abused and it was to an Enemy or a worthless person Another what I did was in zeal and out of Conscience to make good my Vow Promise Oath which I had taken my Welfare Credit Honour lay at stake disgrace danger and prejudice was prevented my Friend pleasured much good procured Besides I tell you again it is the only Infirmity I am subject to my Rimmon herein the Lord be merciful to me I know not how to leave it or live without it and it is hard if a man have but One Ewe Lamb in his Bosome and the Minister would deprive him of that Besides the matter is not so great I am not an Adulterer Murderer or perjured person it was but once neither I should have been singular unsociable hissed at had I done otherwise I am civil take pains for my Living pay every man his own I trust the Lord will be more merciful then these Ministers tell us or God help us what will become of all else and twenty more such put-offs men have 3. If we cannot but yield it to be a Sin then have we other Excuses ready If it was Evil blame others not me I am a Child did as my Parents bade me a Servant and must do what my Master commands and keep his Secrets in a low condition and my dependence was on such whom I must not disoblige I am of so good a Nature as I can't be refractory if I am any bodies foe it is my own no mans else if I spend it is but my own what my Friends left me or I came fairly by I had Commands to warrant Promises to allure Threats to fright Friends and Companions to importune Examples and multitudes to accompany me and could I stand against all these If Hercules thought it hard to encounter with two how could I stand before so many Hercules's Besides what some scrupulous persons more precise then wise cry out against is the custom of the Countrey the mode of the time place and society that I converse with and the most men I meet with do the like and it were hard if God should condemn all the World but a few who are singular and love to please themselves though they please no body else 4. If dealt with to repent and break â—ff Sin we stand up in defence of it as if we had taken it into our Protection as did the Benjamites those Sons of Belial whâ—m they should have given up to the hand of Justice And then do we seek to stop the Ministers and Consciences mouth too putting far from us all fear of danger crying out are we not all Sinners have not the best their failings Is any man perfect in this life Some again cast the fault on Satan and some are ready to charge it upon God and say it was Gods will it should be so or it had never been God denied me his Grâ—ce then could I neither do nor be better than he enabled me c. 5. Press men to more strictness and amendment of life then do they flatter themselves and reply Is not God infinite in mercy did not Christ die for Sinners The promises of the Gospel are full of Comfort and I ground my Faith on them and such doctrines as are preached by our best Divines viz. Of Free Grace of Justification by Faith Remission of Sins and Pardon upon true Repentance and a great observation I have made I hope I shall never forget it the blessed End I have seen some make without all this ado 6. Stir them up to a pursuit of Holiness and a Conscientious course of Life how are they ready to plead the badness of the times the disrepute Holiness is in the Inconveniences Damage Detriment Disgrace we may meet with He that departeth from Evil maketh himself a Prey The Aspersions Nick-names cast upon the Godly the troubles and tentations of the Righteous the Lyon in the way the many difficulties in the way of Salvation The peace and prosperity of the wicked the divisions among Professors the scandalous Lives of some Ministers and the foul miscarriage of some Professors and many such like Lastly warn them to take heed of Security and to work out their Salvation with fear and trembling they have their answer ready Gods Decrees are unchangeable if I am Elected I shall be saved if not I shall perish whatsoever I do all endavours are in vain all good works we are taught do neither merit grace nor
out all our Sins so is Gods promise Ezek. 18. 21. Now where there is a removal blotting out and remission of Sin there needs no more Excuse or covering of Sin when sin is pardoned it is therefore said to be covered Psal 32. 1. Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven and whose sin is covered blessed is he to whom the Lord imputeth not sin c. All these Blessings came upon the truly penitent And therefore there is no more need of Excuses where there is no Sin Repentance is the best Excuse Apology or clearing of our selves as the Apostle calls it 2 Cor. 7. 11. Beza renders it Excusatio and so is the signification of the word grammatically it procures a Pardon which no other Plea or Apology can and that gives a Covering which all the Excuses in the world can never do Of other Coverings that may be said which the Prophet speaks Ezek. 30. 1. They cover with a Covering but not of my Spirit adding sin to sin add Excuses to Excuses and you add Sin to Sin He that so covereth Prov. 28. 13. his sins shall never prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy you will cover and God will discover But true Repentance is a great cover-Cover-sin This was the way which David took for clearing himself and to have his Sin covered he confessed repented cryed out I have sinned 2 Sam. 12. 13. done foolishly wickedly and the Prophet said The Lord hath taken away thy sin thou shalt not die Not guilty is the worst Plea we can make at Gods Tribunal and to stand upon our Innocency Because thou sayest I am Innocent I will plead with thee Jer. 2. 35. Job durst not stand to this plea If I am righteous said Job 9. 15. he I would not answer God so but make my supplication as an humble Delinquent to my Judge our best way of speeding in Gods Court contrary to what of man's is to sue in forma pauperis in forma peccatoris If I should wash my self in Snow water saith Job again and make v. 30. 31. my Hands never so clean yet thou shalt plunge me in the Ditch and make my Clothes to abhor me my Excuses with which I would cover my Sin would leave me in a worse pickle of pollution That vile Shimei sped better at Davids hands upon 2 Sam. 19. 19 20. his speedy and humbe submission and acknowledgement of his offences then either the innocent Amalekite that brought 2 Sam. 1. 15. 2 Sam. 4. 12. Saul's Crown or those perfidious Brethren that brought Ishbosheths Head when the one knew himself to be an offender and the three last thought they had merited and looked for a reward The penitent Prodigal had better Entertainment at the Fathers hands that cryed out Father I have sinned then the elder Brother that pleaded he had never offended Judahs Ingenuous confession of the miscarriage what shall we say or how can we clear our selves the Fact is apparent God hath brought our Sins to light we are all thy Servants c. so wrought upon Josephs Bowels that he could not speak one rough word more but fell to embracing and comforting them 3. In the third place because both Obedience and Repentance are defective our next Remove is to fly to the bloud of Christ by Faith and this three-fold Cord will be sure to hold fast the Anchor of thy Soul This is the only safe remove to trust to and this gives a supersedeas to all other Excuses Repentance is a good Cover-sin in some cases and goes a great way but the Bloud of Christ is all in all when all is 1 Joh. 1. 7. 9. done to cover and take away Sin it cleanseth us from all unrighteousness It was not all sorrow and contrition but the offenders highing and flying to the City of Refuge and abiding there which Num. 35. 25. did Excuse and secure him from the hands of the Avenger And the death of the High Priest did fully acquit him from his Crime Christ is our great and only Excuse-maker our only Advocate and Mediator and if be he our Apologist we shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Excuse in a good sense Who is he that will contend with me saith the penitent and believing Soul flying to Christ He is near that Justifieth me who Esay 50. 8 is he that will condemn Christ hath died c. and he maketh Intercession for us and his Intercession is above all the Pleas we can make for our selves Benjamin came off better by Judahs interceding for him and Nabal by Abigals then if either had spoken the best they could in their own behalf This made the Apostle desire to be found in Christ not in his own righteousness The Righteousness of Phil. 3. 9. Christ if we speak properly is the only Cover-sin and his Bloud the only Expiation and his Intercession our best plea and defence and true Faith our best Title and Claim By him all that believe are Justified there 's our safety from all which we could not be Justified by the Law Acts 13. 39. And to this give all the Prophets Act. 10. 43 witness that whosoever believeth in him shall receive forgiveness of Sins and where Remission is granted there is no more need of Excuses Christ saith to the troubled Soul that is perplexed to think what answer to make as to Mary Magdalen mourning why weepest thou what troubleth thee is it any want He saith as the good old man to the Levite that knew not where to Lodge Peace be to thee let Judg. 19. 20. all thy wants be upon me Is it Debt He hath undertaken and speaks to his Father in thy behalf as Paul for Onesimus If he Philem. 6. 18. bath wronged or oweth any thing put that on my account Is it Sin He saith in thy behalf interceding for thee as Abigal to David Vpon me upon me let this Iniquity be charged He was made Sin for us 2 Cor. 5. 21. Is it the Fathers Wrath and Curse thou fearest as Jacob did his Fathers He satisfieth thee in the words of Rebecka to her Son Fear not upon me be the Curse Gen. 27. 13. only obey my voice Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law having been made a Curse for us Gal 3. 13. 4. The fourth and last way to make sure against all sorry and beggarly Excuses is to furnish thy self with solid substantial and unexceptible Excuses such as can't be excepted against such as the Servants of God of old were wont to repel any motion to sin or diversion from duty by whereof I shall instance in five out of the Old Testament and as many out of the New And the first is that known one of Joseph when thou art sollicited to any base and sinful act resist it with this How can I do this great wickedness and sin against Gen. 39. 9. God 2. Get Tamars Excuse when
glory So again when we call upon men to duty to come in and receive Christ How do all with one consent make Excuse my Calling Oxen Farm Merchandize will not permit and give me time the work is good I confess I speak not against it but the time is not yet I am a Child ignorant an unlearned person I have a full purpose hereafter when more at leasure when out of debt settled in the world when I have buried my aged Father and my self my own man and my estate in my own hand but let me alone till then or till I am old sick dying and then I will do what you will have me So again when we perswade men to believe how backward and slow of Heart are many to embrace the Promises rejecting and in as much as in them is frustrating the grace of God with such like put-offs the Promise is good and too good for me I too bad altogether unworthy neither holy nor humble enough the means are unlikely c. or I fear it is now too late the day of Grace is past the Decree is gone forth Providences are dark Promises delayed my sins afflictions fears doubts temptations great and dreadful Satan assaults dogs insults triumphs and which is saddest of all God hath forsaken me my Prayer are not heard the Vision doth not speak my Flesh fails my Heart fails and my Hope is even giving up the Ghost I might go on Reader thus to enlarge and multiply particulars but must crave thy pardon for this tediousness if either thou desirest more or art not at leisure to read the whole let me advise thee to turn to Chap. 9 10 11. and seriously consider what thou there readest of the veariety vanity sinfulness and danger of Excuses But here thou seest enough to convince thee how common and frequent Excuses are and how justly to be spoken against All the world is undone by them nothing but Excuses Excuses every where Every man hath his Omer full So that call for what you will and put men upon what you will all you must look for is to be put off with an Excuse As he said once To will is present to perform I find not so to Excuse is present to perform I find not an inclination To fly from repent of and turn from sin requireth pains to perform the duties of Sobriety Righteousness and Godliness requires pains to exercise Faith and Patience requireth pains and so the whole of Real Christianity but an Excuse is easie cheap and costeth little I shall trouble thee no longer Reader but desire God to give us all his grace to avoid all sinful and destructive Excuses and that in stead of these we may get our selves furnisht with some of those Better Excuses recommended in the end of this Discourse in particular these five I would commend at present in stead of all others First that of a good Conscience then thou needest no other of which Saint Bernad saith well Optima Câ—ique Excusatio est Testimonium Conscientiae The best Excuse of all is an Excusing Conscience This was St. Paul's Excuse Our rejoycing is this The testimony of our Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. It is above a thousand Witnesses we say and I may add above ten thousand Excuses Saint Peter calls it the saving answer of a good Conscience and prefers the vertue of it above that of Baptisme alone 1 Pet. 3. 21. 2. Next to that ready sincere and universal obedience then no need of any devised Excuse when thou canst say with Jacob My righteousness shall answer and speak for me Gen. 30. 33. and with the Apostle we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness as Excuse-makers do 2 Cor. 4. 3. 3. Because Conscience may yet accuse and our Obedience falls short the next good Excuse is Humiliation and Repentance timely and true Shemei after all his foul-mouthed rayling and cursing sped better at David's hands by his making hast to humble himself and crying mercy 2 Sam. 19. 20. then that less guilty Amalekite who brought a Crown coming in his confidence of good Service 2 Sam. 1. 5. And the self-condemning Publican at Gods hands than the self-justifying Pharisee Neither were any received to mercy at Josuah's hands but the self-humbling mercy-begging Gibeonites all that stood upon their defence were cut off 4. With humble Confession and Prostration joyn fervent Prayer This was David's Excuse or Relief Against thee have I sinned turn thy face from my sins and the Lord answered I have taken away thy Sin Self-accusation and Repentance with Prayer obtains absolution and remission This is the Apology or self-clearing mentioned 2 Cor. 7. 11. If we therefore cannot come in with the elder Brothers Apology I have served thee these so many years neither transgressed at any time then come in with the younger Brothers confession and supplication Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son c. 5. Lastly above all fly to Christ by Faith that he may make thy Excuse by interceding for thee His Office is to mediate reconcile and plead for us as our Advocate to undertake for us our Surety to take away Sin as our Propitiation then what need of Excuses wheas Sin is taken away through him we shall be presented unblamable unchangeable before God Col. 2. 22. Ar thou therefore overwhelmed with Sin Guilt Fear and Dismaydness cry to him as Hezekiah did Esay 38. 14. Lord I am oppressed undertake for me and with the words of the expiring Thief Lord remember me now thou art in thy Kingdom Luke 23. 42. And now I have no more to do but to commend thee to God and to the word of his Grace and to intreat thy favourable acceptance of this Discourse such as it is and to pray that thou maist make thy best of it This I hope thou wilt find at leâ—st as St. Austin said of his Writings while he was taken up in writing that he was kept from being Idle or worse employed so while thou art Reading thou art kept from spending thy time more unprofitably unless thou bast in thy hand some more profitable Book of which blessed be God our present age is well stored and therein I would by no means be thy hinderance only desire thy Prayers for a Blessing upon this and all the Endeavours of other Godly Men whether Preaching or Writing whose aim is next to the glory of God and the declaring his Will to seek and further the Peace and welfare of his Church and to contribute their utmost to the furthering of the salvation of Souls In which number is The meanest of Gods servants Io. Sheffield THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. THe Text opened and Observation raised Page 1 CHAP. II. Several kinds of Excuses 1 Good 2 Bad. 7 Evil Excuses referr'd to three heads 1 Sin 2 Duty 3 Faith 8 1 Excuses as to Sin are 1 fetcht from self 2 from others
Staivâ— I must not of necessity I must strike in with my Masters Debtors though to his prejudice and make sure of somewhat to take to A necessity of his own making There is never any necessity of sinning Sin often brings men into necessities no necessity can ever bring a man out of sin 13. Among other frivolous Excuses 13. Besides my intention this is one also It was besides my intention little did I dream this or that would have followed I was drawn in But we should remember those frequent Items Come not Prov. 5. 8. near her corner Shun occasions Abstain from appearance of evil 1 Thess 5. 21. Keep to thy Calling and ways and so keep thee off the Devils ground as he said once of a Maid that he took possession of finding her at a Stage-play and out of his Circle We find by experience the coldest Water becomes hot being a while over the Fire and the hardest Ice soon begins to thaw being near the Heat The beginning of many Evils as well as Contention is like the letting out of Water out of the Banks or kindling of a Fire who knows where either may stay Therefore the Wise mans Counsel is Cease before it be Prov. 17. 14. medled with q. d. Make an end before thou begin Full little did Dinah think Gen. 34. 1 16 27. her Visit in Civility or Curiosity would have occasioned her deflowring And aâ— little did Shechem think that deflowring would have cost so much Blood And it is like Aaron never thought of making the Calf when he asked their Earings But undoubtedly it was the furthest end of St. Peter's thought to deny his Master when he entred the High Priests Palace which he had so solemnly protested against But we may see we are no more our own when once out of our way Yet is this observable to our present Case This holy man never went about to excuse his crime by saying it was besides his intention but he went out and wept bitterly Matth. 26. 75. 14. Nor are they a few who think to come off with this My fear betrayed me 14. I was surprised with fear that I knew not what I said or did The fear of man as Solomon observes causeth many a snare Prov. 29. 25. And a cruel Tyrant it is and too like that false Harlot spoken of in another place that hath cast Prov. 7. 26. down many wounded yea many strong ones have fallen under her hands Witness Abraham Isaac David Peter Cranmer c. Saints all of the first Magnitude Yet this is nevertheless a sin and to be bewailed Nor do such Examples excuse but condemn us the more if we think to have our sin Patronized by their Example Bis peccat qui exemplo peccat He sins twice that sins by anothers examplâ— We should guard our hearts against this base fear of Man with the awful dread of him who is able to destroy Soul and Body in Hell and consider whether it be not a more fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God than of a Man that shall die and the Son of Man which is but a Worm Then would this Divine fear quite destroy those false fears as Aaron's Rod devoured those false and imaginary Rods and prevent those Storms and Floods or Flames of horrour which the over-prevailing fear of Man hath betrayed us unto witness those notable Examples and Champions of Christ Peter and Cranmer and many other shrinking Professors who not till after much bitter Repentance flying to Christ obtained mercy And that of miserable Spira is never to be forgotten who though he so repented and bewailed this sin that he was swallowed up of sorrow yet never gained peace or so much as the least glimpse of hope but died in extreme despair 15. Sometimes this is given in for Excuse 15. It was for a matter of moment It was not for a trifle but for a matter of moment my Livelihood depends on it as Demetrius pleaded for his Silver Shrines It was for a Prize saith another that which might make me and mine for ever I saw said Achan a Wedge of Gold a rich Babylonish Garment and two hundred Shekels of Silver and none was by to discover it and who would not put the Curse to the venture on such terms But Gold may be bought too dear as our Proverb saith It proved as all such Cheats do Aurum Tholosanum accursed Gold it consumed Achan and all his house Si violandum est Jus Regni Causa violandum est c. was the saying of an elder than Machiavel If a Kingdom lie at stake there can be no foul play to win it A Crown wipes off all blots and excuseth all Crimes tam patrata quam patranda already committed or to be committed as Alexander thought when he trussed up a pedling Pyrate that took now and then a Barque when himself as he was told by the same Pyrate exercised an universal Pyracy and Robbery by Sea and Land and criâ—d Have at all yet did he reckon his Name should be recorded in the Books of Fame O tandem major parcas Insane minori And of this Religion was Jeroboam who to get and keep the Crown thinks Conscience must not be too strait lâ—ced Rem si possis recte si non quocunque modo rem or regnum rather Kingdoms are to be gotten governed kept by other Arts than other private States are Therefore to get the Crown he waits the opportunity of a Rupture then makes his advantage of it to set his Master aside And when got the Crown he sets Religion to sale erects a new Model of Worship substitutes another sort of Clergy-men such as should throughly comply and outs all of their Ministerial Employment that were of Gods appointment But it is a Golden Saying of Solomon and worthy of a Christian Princes Motto in his Coin Justitia Prov. 16. 12. firmat Thronum The Throne is established by Righteousness This turned to the utter ruine of Jeroboam and his whole House So likewise those wise Master-Builders to make the House stand the surer must needs pull out the Head Corner-stone lest the Romans should come and take away their Place Dignity and Nation all lay then at stake as they then thought But did they not thereby pull an old House on their own Heads or rather as our Saviour said pull a Stone upon them which hath ground them and their Nation to Powder This brought on those very Romans which they feared and hastned on the Abomination of Desolation which they never feared 16. Another makes this his Excuse It was to cover his shame This was that 16. To cover shame set the Son of Jesse awork after that foul Act with Bathsheba Vriah must be sent for home if that will not do made drunk if that and nothing else he must be sent to his long home Alas poor Bethleemite Thou saidst thou wast once in a great
to him as 2. We do to them as they to us he did to me and is not this warrantable Solomon shall answer thee No saith he Say not thou I will recompence evil but wait on the Lord and he shall save thee Prov. 20. 22. And more plainly Prov. 25. 29. Say not I will do to him as he hath done to me I will render to the man according to his work We are often warned not to avenge our Rom. 12. 19. Mat. 5. 39. 1 Pet. 3. 9. selves or resist evil or return railing for railing but to overcome evil with good A divine Victory and a double Victory this is the one over thy own passion the other over thy Enemies fury By this means thou mayst heap coals of fire on his head to melt him either into repentance or self-condemnation as Saul seemed once to be when 1 Sam. 24. 16 17. 26 21. malice was repayed with mercy He lift up his Voice and wept This is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the singular thing wherein our Saviour would his Followers should out-do all others And is a great degree of Perfection To be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5. 47 48. To return good for good is Publicanish Evil for evil is Heathenish Evil for good Devilish But to return good for evil is Divine Christ like who forgave and pray'd for his Enemies God like who is kind to the unkind and to make the nearest approach and proximity to the life of the blessed yea to the Deity it self 3. Some are Strangers to us And we 3. Exâ—uses from strangers are apt to think we may do what we will to them we never saw them before and shall never buy or sell with them more But the Divine Precept strictly forbids all ill usage of Strangers in many places and requires he should enjoy the same Priviledges with themselves Ye shall not oppress Exod. 22. 21. and 23. 9. Lev. 19. 33. or vex the Stranger saith he for thou wast a Stranger in Egypt and thou knowest the heart of a Stranger Therefore put thy self in his case and do as thou wouldst be Exod 12. 48. 49. done unto One Law was both for the Home-born and the Stranger for the Forreigner and the Native The same Ephah Shekel Weight Measure Price Truth Equity Behaviour How courteous were Abraham and Lot to the Strangers that resorted to them And Philoxeny which properly signifies love of Strangers is as much pressed in the New-Testament as a duty of Christians and Ministers as most Heb. 13. 2. 1 Tim. 3. 2. others As therefore it were an unworthy thing to lay a stumbling-block before the Blind though he can never see it an unhumane thing to curse the Deaf because he cannot hear it So a most unchristian thing to deal injuriously with the Stranger because he may never discern it Thus have I done with Excuses taken from other men CHAP. IV. Excuses taken from God and from Satan NEither are Men content to fetch Excuses Excuses taken from God from themselves or others but they will open their mouths against Heaven Some have been so bold as to challenge God seeking any starting hole to creep out at as we have too many instances whereof some follow 1. Such as go about to excuse themselves 1. From his Providence and fault Gods Providence The first Excuse that ever was made seemed to glance this way The woman thou gavest me gave it me and so I did eat q. d. Hadst thou not given me that woman I had never offended But God gave her to be a help not a snare to the man Thus the Drunkard faulteth the Wine and therein God's Providence Had not the Wine such fragrancy delicacy of taste and that intoxicating quality I had not been overcome And the riotous Gallant had I not had such an Estate fallen to me I had never been so luxurious Thus must all be cast upon God and every man innocent But God gave the Woman to be an inciter to Good not an enticer to Evil It was thy own fault Adam not thy Makers Thy own intemperance Drunkard not the Vine Grape or Wine that is in fault And thou riotous person It is thy wicked abuse of thy State not the State it self which is to be condemned that was given for better Uses But how ill is God dealt withall in the mean time when his own favours are turned against him to his dishonour Suppose now a Prince should advance a Servant or a Son to the highest degrees of Honour and Dignity and should as some of the Roman Emperors have done and once a King of England did give him a Partnership in the Empire If this Servant Henry 11. or Son should afterwards lift up the heel against his Soveraign and break out into Rebellion and then should say You should never have raised me to this height of Honour but have kept me lower we would think he pleaded fair for his deprivation and destruction How justly may the Lord say Shall I not be avenged on such a Jer. 5. 7 8. Nation as this When I fed them to the full they assembled themselves by troops in Harlots houses And in another place When I gave them Corn and Wine and Oyl and multiplyed their Silver and Gold they bestowed it all on Baal spent it all on their Lusts Therefore he threatens to return and take all away again as fast as he gave it them Hosea 2. 8 9. 2. Some fly higher and pick a quarrel 2. From Gods Decrees at Gods Decrees as if they would charge all their Sin and Condemnation upon God themselves being either innocent or inevitably destined thereunto For thus are such black-mouthed persons represented cavilling Ezek. 33. 10. If our Sins and our Transgressions be upon as and wepine away in them how can we then live q. d. It is no fault of ours if we perish God Almighty might have helpt all this iâ— he had pleased But who art thou O man that thus disputest with Rom. 9. 30. God Yet let us reason the case together and see where the fault is in God or thy self First Thou wilt confess it was free for the Soveraign Creator to make his Creatures of what form and for what use he pleased as some Rational others Bruits Plants c. Nor have any of them cause to say why hast thou made me thus not us Men Angels us Bruits Men and Women 2. That God creating Man should endue him with such excellent faculties of understanding to discern Good and Evil of Liberty of will to make Election of his own acts thou wilt not say this was evil yet 3. To prescribe to man thus formed holy Precepts commanding Good forbidding Evil nor can this be called Evil but most Just that God's Soveraignty might be owned in the World and Man's Subjection exercised 4. To hedge Man in by Promises and Threats of Rewards and Punishments to