hath given to them that cleave constantly to his truth p. 769. The faithfull themselves have found much comfort in this p. 770. Lect. 145. The Spirit of God wheresoever he dwellâ— will teach and effectually perswade the heart in the truth of religion p. 771. No man can grow to certainty in matters of religion by any other meanes but by the teaching of the Spirit and proportionable to the measure of the Spirit of sanctification that a man hath shall his certainty be p. 773 774 Yet is not this to be accounted every mans private Spirit p. 775. The Spirits teaching to be judged by the Word Ibid. The ministery of the Word is the meanes whereby the Spirit useth to teach men p. 776 They whom the Spirit hath once taught and perswaded will certainely persevere in the truth Ibid. Lect. 146. Th'exhortation to constancy in the truth is very needfull and that even in these daies p. 777. by reason 1 that Papists increase 2 the multitude of other erroneous spirits 3 the generall decay of the zealous love of religion and of the life power of it p. 778. 1 Motive to constancy Corruption in judgement is the most dangerous corruption of all other p. 779 780. 2 Motive He that falls from the truth and embraceth errour was never taught of the Spirit p. 780. Though in some things of smaller moment the faithfull may be subject to errour and errors of that nature should not alienate Christians one from another yea in fundamentall points for a time Ibid. 781. Lect. 147. Though our perseverance in the truth be to be ascribed to the Lord alone yet he worketh it by meanes and will have us to bee agents in this work our selves p. 782 783. 1 We must carefully shâ—n all things whereby we may be in danger to be corrupted and drawne from the truth viz. 1. We must shun the hearing and conferring with them that are hereticks and seducers and the reading of their books We should not long to heare what they can say for their errors or against the truth p. 784. 2 Wee must take heed of affecting the knowledge of intricate curious and unprofitable points p. 785. There is a desire of knowledge which is commendable and no Minister should mislike in his hearers p. 786. Yet is there a desire of knowledge that is most dangerous Ibid. 1 When wee desire to know more of Gods matters then hee hath pleased to reveale in his Word Ibid. 2 When neglecting other things we seeke the knowledge of those high points onely that are above our capacity to understand and busie our selves in matters of controversie p. 787. 3 When wee desire knowledge onely for knowledge saâ—e without respect to the use and profit we may make of it for our edification in faith and holinesse p 788. Lect. 148. He that desires to hold fast his profession must use the meanes whereby hee may bee established in the truth and preserved from falling away from it foure directions are given us in Gods booke for this p. 788. 1 Hee must ground himselfe well in the knowledge of the truth and labour to bee assured upon good grounds that it is indeed the truth he holdeth Ibid. 1 Hee must acquâ—â—nt himselfe with the maine principles of religion and seeke to be perfect in them p. 789. 2 examine by Scripture what ever hee heareth or readeth and labour to get good proofes of Scripture for whatsoever he holdeth p. 790. 2 He must labour to take to heart that which he knoweth love it and make conscience to practise it He that by reading or hearing seeketh knowledge with an honest and good heart shall hold fast that which he professeth and none but he p. 792 793. Lect. 149. 3 He must take heed of declining from or forsaking the least truth his conscience hath beene convinced in Two things there bee that deceive men in this case p. 793 794. Though some truths be of greater moment then others yet it s a dangerous sin to be willfully ignorant of any truth God hath revealed or forsake it when we know it upon conceit that it is but a trisâ—e for 1 nothing that God hath revealed is of small moment or lightly to be accounted of 2 a man may make himselfe abominable to God by forsaking wittingly the least truth or receiving the least errour p. 794. 3 the best way to keepe us from falling from the truth in the maine points is to make conscience of falling from the least truth p. 795. 4 He must be constant in a conscionable use of all Gods ordinances 1 the ministery of the Word p. 796. 2 the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 3 prayer p. 797 798. Lect. 150. Every one that hath the Spirit of Christ will take to heart the cause of God and his holy religion p. 798. 1 No man can have the Spirit of Christs unlesse he love God unfeignedly above all things els Ibid. 2 He that doth thus love God must needs be zealous for God grieved and troubled to see him dishonoured 3 He that hath any true zeale to God in him will shew and expresse it principally towards the house and worship of God p. 799. More particularly 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ must needs rejoyce to see or heare that the true religion of God doth prosper and that the purity of it is restored or set up any where p. 800. 2 He that hath the Spirit of Christ will rejoyce in the frequencie and fullnesse of Church-assemblies 3 In the plentifull and free preaching of the Word p. 801. 4 Hee will rejoyce to see and heare that the ministery of the Word is fruitfull among them that enjoy it and powerfull to reforme their hearts and lives p. 802 803. Lect. 151. Three Reasons and grounds of the former doctrine 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ cannot but love the persons of all men and we love no man unlesse wee love his soule and unfeignedly desire his salvation grieve to see his soule in danger of perishing p. 803. He that desires the salvation of all will joy in the plentifull and sound preaching of the Word p. 804. Though God can save men without preaching yet he doth not ordinarily without it and its a fearefull signe hee meaneth not to save them he denieth preaching unto Ibid. 805. Though all bee not saved that have preaching yet it s a cause of comfort to see sound preachers abound p. 805. A man that hath no truth of grace in himselfe may yet be a meanes of conversion to others Ibid. 2 The respect wee have to the state and Church wherein we live which we are bound to love p. 806. 1 Nothing will make the state and Church so honourable as the liberty of the Gospell 2 nor so strong and peaceable 3 nor so prosperous and plenteous in blessings p. 806 807. On the other side nothing will sooner deprive it of all blessings then the neglect and opposing of religion p.
Gods children in deed and not in shew and profession only will strive to be profitable and to doe good to the places they live in and the more good they doe the liker they are to their heavenly Father That which God saith of Abraham Genesis 12.2 Thou shalt bee a blessing belongeth to all the true children of Abraham they are a blessing to the places they live in Not onely 1. by their prayers as Elias was to Israel Iames 5.18 At whose prayer the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit And Amos likewise Amos 7.3 6. The Lord repented for this at his prayer It shall not bee saith the Lord. 2. Not onely because the Lord for their sakes useth to doe good to the places where they live Gene. 39.5 The Lord bessed the Aegyptians house for Iosephs sake But even 3. In this respect also because they seeke and endeavour to doe good to them with whom they live and that not in spirituall things only but even in the things of this life yea he doth this diligently Prov. 11.27 He diligently seeketh good A good Christian is not onely Bonus vir a good man but Bonus civis a good Common-wealths-man a good Townes-man also It is said to the commendation of Mordecai Esd. 10.3 that he was accepted of the multitude of his brethren seeking the wealth of his people This gained him love and honour in the hearts of all the people he sought the publike good And of Iehojada it is said he was greatly honored after his death for this 2. Chron. 24.16 Because he had done good in Israel But you will say these were publike persons and great men it became them well to be such I answer it is true they were so and indeed of such men this is chiefly required For the thing that God aimed at in advancing of any was only this that they might be Patres patriae do more good to the Countrey places where they live then men in meaner degree can doe Rom. 13 4. He is the minister of God to thee for good and verse 6. For this cause pay you tribute also for they are Gods ministers And surely this is the onely thing that will gaine true honour and esteeme and authority unto Gentlemen and great men in the hearts of all that know them not their birth nor their lands nor their offices nor their power but their goodnesse I meane the readinesse that is in them to doe good to the places where they live Luk 32.25 The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was it that gained them such authority in the hearts even of Gentiles that they sought not themselves in these great places but the good of the people But this belongeth not to publike persons and great men only the poorest Christian that is must not live to himselfe alone but strive to bee profitable and to doe good to them he liveth with See the commandement of God for this Galat. 6.10 As wee have opportunity let us doe good unto all men A notable direction wee have for this Ieremy 29.7 Seeke the peace of the city whether I have caused you to be carried away captives and pray unto the Lord for it For in the peace therof shall ye have peace Though that City were a most wicked place yet seeing God by his providence had brought them to dwell there they were bound not only to pray for it but to seeke the good of it the Wealth and Peace and Prosperity of it by all meanes Such as truly feare God will not bee backward in any worke that tendeth to the publike good of the place they live in Titus 3.14 Let ours also learne to maintaine good workes for necessary uses that they bee not unfruitfull Now if wee apply this that wee have heard of this last point that hath beene observed for our imitation in the goodnesse and bounty of the Lord wee shall finde there are very many that are so unlike to our heavenly Father in this point that wee have no cause to judge them to bee his children First The Papists who are notoriously knowne to be so farre from seeking the peace and prosperity of their country that they have for many yeares uncessantly sought the utter ruine and subversion of it and the betraying of it into the hands of strangers yea such strangers as are the worst nation Ezek. 7.24 most bloudy enemies And this is not the fault so much of the men that professe popery this is the fault of the religion it selfe Their chiefe teachers the Iesuites the common incendiaries of the world teach them they ought to doe so they shall merit heaven by doing so Certainly this religion cannot be of God nor they that professe it And was there ever such a religion before in the world as this is Other heresies and religions there have bin perhaps that were as pernicious to the soules of men as Popery that is of the Gnosticks and Arrians of old of the Anabaptists and Antitrinitarians of late But a religion so pernicious to states and Common-wealths as popery is was there never heard of in all the world They have another father mentioned Iohn 8 44. Ye are of your father the devill and the lusts of your father ye will doe he was a murtherer from the beginning He whose name is in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon the destroyer mentioned Rev. 9.11 is the father of that religion that teacheth men to practise the ruine and destruction of their owne countrey Three things they pretend for all their practises against the state and Kingdome 1. The wrongs and oppressions they endure among us But to this I say admit all their clamors and complaints of this were most true yet can this make it lawfull for them to doe as they do The true ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith teacheth men thus Rom. 12.19 Avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith Lord. And Mat. 5.44 I say unto you love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you And can this then be any other religion then Antichrists that teacheth them to revenge themselves yea to revenge themselves as cursed Haman did Est. 3.6 But 2. they pretend zeale for Christ and his religion in this we are not onely their enemies but we are enemies to Christ and his religion they say and therefore it were a meritorious deed to destroy us all So did Iames and Iohn when they would have had fire to come downe from heaven to consume those Samaritans Lu. 9.54 But did Christ approve of that zeale Looke the next verse 55. He turned and rebuked them for this zeale yee know not what manner spirit ye are of So may we say to these
reward them oft that serve his providence in his justice for the ruine and destruction of men though they have no goodnesse in them at all it is no marvell though he reward them much more who by some goodnesse that is in them doe serve his providence in the preservation and welfare of men Secondly These civill vertues must needs be good things and such as God doth love and will reward because they are such things as God hath in his law commanded The Gentiles saith the Apostle Romanes 2.14 15. doe by nature the things contained in the law and shew the worke of the law written in their hearts As if hee should say These things doe evidently shew and declare that the law of God is written in their hearts You see then Beloved wee doe not discommend civill honesty wee doe not discourage naturall men from doing good workes wee doe not condemne all the workes of naturall men nor say that whatsoever they doe that are not religious is abominable and naught Nay wee heartily wish there were much more civill honesty in the world then there is Hee that is truly religious would bee ashamed that any naturall man should bee more honest then hee True religion is no enemy to civill and morall honesty nay it is a great nourisher and increaser of it It is a dangerous errour that most men are growne now unto to thinke it indiscretion and want of learning and judgement in a Minister to stand much in pressing of points of morality in his Sermon or in particular reproofe of such faults as are committed by men in their buying and selling and such like passages of their ordinary conversation and dealings one with another It is thought now adayes there is no divinity in this they goe besides their Text when they deale in these things No no beloved bee not deceived Those points that God in his Word standeth most upon wee must presse most in our ministery and those are these matters of your common practise It is a strange thing to observe how plentifull and particular and precise the Holy Ghost is in pressing men to deale justly in all their dealings with men even in weights and measures of all sorts You shall doe no unrighteousnesse in judgement saith the Lord Levit. 19.35 36 in mâ—â—eyard in weight or in measure Iust ballances just weight a just Ephah and a just Hiâ— shall ye have I am the Lord your God that brought you out of the land of Egypt And againe Deut. 25.13 16. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights of one kind hee meaneth a great and a small Thou shalt not have in thine house diverse measures a great and a small one to buy by another to sell by But thou shalt have a perfect and a just weight a perfect and just measure shalt thou have that thy daies may bee lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee For all that doe such things and all that doe unrighteously marke it I pray you all that doe unrighteously in what kind soever are an abomination unto the Lord thy God Marke also I pray you how much the Apostles in the New Testament doe presse upon Gods people in their exhortations that they would bee carefull to walke honestly Walke honestly towards them that are without saith the Apostle Paul 1 Thess. 4.12 And the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2.12 Have your conversation honest among the Gentiles And the Apostle Paul againe Phil. 4.8 Whatsoever things are honest think on these things As if he had said Be not forgetfull or carelesse of such things And Rom. 13.13 Let us walke honestly as in the day And in the following words he instanceth in some speciall points of dishonesty he would have them to take heed of It is dishonesty to be drunke yea to use rioting idle-company-keeping haunting and sitting at the ale-house to drinke or to game though a man bee never drunke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he It is dishonesty to use chambering and wantonnesse secret familiarity and dalliance with a woman lascivious speeches and gestures though a man never commit whordome Yea it is dishonesty saith the Apostle for a man to live in strife and envying to be a contentious person unpeaceable unquiet though he never oppresse or defraud or wrong his neighbour any other way Provide things honest saith he againe Rom. 12.17 In the sight of all men The word he useth there is worth the observing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if he had said Cast for this before hand take care of this that you do nothing that is dishonest that you faile not in any point of honesty by no meanes And he professeth Heb. 13.18 that this was a thing himselfe tooke much comfort in that he had a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly And what meaneth he by honesty Surely such duties of the second table which the light of nature teacheth men to make conscience of And why I pray you doe the Apostles stand so much upon commending honesty unto Gods people Surely for two causes First Because they knew that nothing would grace religion so much and win it credit in the eyes of all men as this would doe when they see that they that professe it are of honest conversation just men and faithfull and courteous and meeke and patient and humble and kind and mercifull men This reason the Apostle giveth 1 Pet 2.12 Having your conversation saith he honest among the Gentiles that where as they speake against you as evill doers they may by your good workes which they shall behold that is by your honesty such workes as they by the light of nature know to be good workes glorifie God in the day of visitation Secondly Because they knew that on the other side nothing doth make religion so odious and contemptible in the world nor so much harden the hearts of men against it as the want of honesty in such as doe professe it that they are guilty of such things as even by the light of nature all men may discerne to bee grosse and vile When the Canaanites and Perizzites had seene what the sonnes of Iacob had done to the Shechemites how they had broken their promise and covenant with them how cruelly and barbarously they had used them and all under a colour of zeale for their owne religion this made Iacob and his religion though alas he was farre from approving or consenting to this that they had done stink among the inhabitants of the land as himselfe saith Gen. 34. â—0 You see beloved what moved the Apostles to commend honesty so much unto Gods people in their times and surely the same reasons have moved mee to speake so much in the commendation of it unto you at this time Never was it more neglected by some professours of religion then now it is never did the Gospell receive more dishonour and reproach through the neglect of it then now it doth I beseech you
men So speaketh the Lord likewise of them Esa. 58.3.4 that used much not ordinary prayer only but extraordinary fasting and prayer yea seemed in their fasts to afflict their soules and to be much humbled but even then when they seemed so devout and holy they lived in strife and debate they used to smite with the fist of wickednesse Though they seemed to be very religious yet were they most malicious men Now they that live in grosse and notorious sinnes oppression malice uncleannesse drunkennesse cousenage and such like though they make never so good a profession as in all ages the Church hath had many such are most palpable and grosse hypocrites Neither ought they to be ever a whit the better thought on for their good profession Let such either leave their grosse sinnes or forsake their good profession or else the better profession and shew of goodnesse they make the more odious they will make themselves both to God and man Secondly some of those hypocrites that I told you of that seemed to have very good things in them did not only live in grosse sinne while they made so good a profession but they did make so good a profession for this cause principally that they might thereby the better cloake and colour their foule sinnes For this wee have a proofe in the example of that ruler of the Synagogue of whom we heard out of Luke 13.14 15. he could not without great indignation see Christ heale and the people come to be healed by him on the Sabbath day and our Saviour calleth him hypocrite for this Why Because hee could not see the Sabbath broken without great indignation Or because hee out of his ignorance tooke that to be which was not indeed any breach of the Sabbath day No verily our blessed Saviour would never have passed so sharp a censure upon him for either of these causes But Christ knew that not his zeale for the Sabbath but his malice against him was the true cause of his indignation and therefore the Evangelist Verse 17. Calleth him Christs adversary This malice against Christ he durst not for feare of the people make open shew of He findeth no fault with Christs healing but with the peoples travelling to be healed on the Sabbath day He cloaketh his malice against Christ with this â—aire pretence of his great zeale for the Sabbath day This also is most grosse and palpable hypocrisie yea the most odious kinde of hypocrisie that can be when men shall use Religion as a cloake to hide sinne when men shall professe goodnesse of purpose that they may the more safely and with the lesse suspition commit any sinne And yet many such vile wretches have beene in all ages and are still to be found in the Church of God One example only I will give you for this though I might give many which haply you may out of your owne knowledge paralell in these times And that is that woman of whom we read Pro. 7. who though she were a most impudent Whore yet could say to the foole whom she entised unto lewdnesse Verse 14. I have peace offerings with me this day have I paid my vowes She did use to performe not the ordinary duties of Religion only and such as God did enjoyne and require of all men such as peace offerings were but to shew more then ordinary zeale and love to piety she made vowes also unto God which was a free and voluntary service whereunto by no expresse law she was tyed nay and she duly paied her vowes too How could her husband or any body else ever suspect this devout and religious woman to be a Whore Nay this was certainely one of the strongest arguments she used to allure the young man to folly and to cloake and hide from him her extreame filthinesse that she seemed so Religious and good a soule For this was the effect of her speech unto him though the love I beare to thee above all men in the world make me desire to enjoy and take my pleasure with thee yet I would not have thee thinke me to be a prophane and lewd and common strumpet No I feare God love Religion and goodnesse I thanke God I have peace offerings with me this day have I paid my vowes Would any honest heart think it possible that one that liveth so lewdly should seeme so Religious yea that they should seeme so Religious for this purpose only that they might live so lewdly Yet you see so it hath beene and so it is with too many in these dayes they would not come so constantly to Church as they doe but only for this cause that they might more freely and with lesse suspition continue the dishonesty and lewdnesse that they use at home These persons certainly take Gods Name in vaine in an high degree and let them be sure The Lord will not hold them guiltlesse that take his Name in vaine Exod. 10.7 specially in so foule and odious a manner as this is To every such a one I may say as the Apostle doth in another case unto Ananias Acts 23.3 God shall smite thee thou whited wall that usest to cover thy rottennesse with this vernish How soone he will smite thee or in what manner or degree he will smite thee is knowne only to himselfe but certainly God shall smite thee thou painted wall that makest Religion a cloak for any lewdnesse whatsoever it be The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination saith the Holy Ghost Pro. 21.27 How much more when he bringeth it with a wicked minde The hearing of the word and receiving of the Sacrament and prayer that any lewd man useth is abominable unto God how much more the hearing and receiving and praying of these men that doe these things to this end that they may sin the more freely Now these two sorts that I have already named are so grosse and palpable hypocrites as many of you wil easily discerne your selves to be better then they The other three are closer hypocrites a great deale yet hypocrites too and odious unto God The third sort of those I told you of that had very good things in them and yet were no better then hypocrites were such as though they lived not in grosse sins yet the Religion and goodnesse they made profession of had no power in them to reforme their hearts and lives Of this sort were they I told you of out of Ezek. 33.30 32. 1. They came constantly to the Ministery of the word 2. Even to the Ministery of Ezekiel who did not use to preach Placentia unto them but was wont plainly and roundly to reprove their sinnes they shunned him not nor liked the worse of him for that 3. They tooke great delight to heare him his preaching was to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument 4. They professed great love to his person 5. They used when they had heard him to talke
Get a true knowledge and sense of thine owne sinnes p. 265. This also the best preparative to the Sacrament Ibid. Lect. 53. 5 Get before a lively faith p. 266. the reasons of this the necessity of faith in this respect p. 267. rules to try our faith by p. 268. Comfort for such as have true faith though in the least measure p. 269. Lect. 54. 6 Get before hand a sound hope and assurance that when thou dyest thou shalt goe to heaven p. 270. Notes to trie true hope by p. 271 c. 7 Get before hand a good conscience and be carefull to lead a godly life p. 272. 8 Seeke this grace of God by hearty prayer p. 273. Lect. 55. The Text 1 Psal. 51.5 cleared against the Anabaptists by answering two questions p. 275. The youngest infant is guilty of sin and deserveth to be damned p. 277. In what respect infants called innocents holy Ibid. p. 278. and some also borne in the state of grace p. 279. How severe God hath beene in his judgements towards some infants Ibid Three waies they are guilty of sinne pag. 280. Therefore 1 Anabaptists erre grossely 2. Great need they should be baptized 3 Observe and take to heart Gods judgements on them 4. The sins of little ones not to bee neglected p. 281. Lect. 56. The sinne that is in infants is derived to them from their parents Though there bee three other causes of actuall sins p. 282. yet of originall sin this is the onely cause Ibid. Why the children of the holyest parents are borne in sin p. 283. yet this doeth not excuse or extenuate their sins nor give cause to deny reverence or duty to parents Ibid. Great is the duty that children owe to their parents p. 284. For they have all received that benefit from the parents godly or ungodly rich or poore which no duty of theirs can requite Ibid p. 285. No man hath cause to be proud of his parentage Ibid. Parents should be humbled for the sinnes of their children p. 286. Lect. 57. Our originall sinne is that for which God may most justly abhorre us and for which we should be deeply humbled p. 301 303. Lect. 58. Parents should use their utmost endeavour to breed grace in their children For 1 No. way like this can we shew we love them as we ought 2 Iustice bindeth us to it 3 It will be our chiefe comfort to see grace wrought in them p. 287. 4 They will bee more dutifull to us 5 This will give us assurance that there is truth of grace in our selves 6 God hath charged us and put us in trust with their soules p. 288. 7 The hope of the Church and propagation of the Gospel depends on this 290. Lect. 59. Meanes to destroy corruption to breed grace in our children are these Wee must 1 Maintaine our authority There is an honour due to us from our childe p. 291. This we must take heed we loose not Ibid. This many loose by neglecting 1 to feare God themselves and to give good example p. 292 2 to keepe their children in awe when they are young p. 293. Correction necessary for children and three great sins parents commit in neglecting this Ibid. 294. Lect. 60. Secondly we must instruct our children 1 By teaching them the principles plainely even whiles they are very young p. 294. 2 By acquainting them with the practise of religion 3 bringing them to Church even while young 4 examining them how they profit at Church p. 295. 1 Obj. Absurd to teach little ones religion Answ. 1. No for they are capable of the feeds of grace 2 child-hood the fittest age to be wrought upon this way p. 296. 3 Though it doe them no good for the present it may prepare them for grace and doe them good hereafter p. 297. 2 Obj. No heed to be taken to the good things seeme to be wrought in children for they will loose them againe Three answers given to this Ibid. Thirdly we must give good examples to our children great force in this p. 298. Fourthly wee must take heed how wee place them at schoole or in service or in mariage p. 299. Fiftly we must bee earnest with God in prayer for them Ibid. In using these meanes wee may comfort our selves though we see them fruitlesse oft p. 300. Lect. 61 Two rules to try all doctrines in religion That Doctrine cannot bee of God 1 that gives any thing to man in matter of his salvation any cause of boasting or confidence in himselfe 2 That is agreeable to naturall reason and grounds it selfe most upon that pag. 304. The Papists errour touching originall sin p. 305. How dead wee are by nature and void of all freedome of will unto good in foure points Ibid. Concupiscence without consent is sinne p. 306 307. Lect. 62. The knowledge of our naturall corruption is of great force to humble us p. 308. viz. 1 to keepe us from priding our selves in best duties we have done p. 309. 2 to humble us when we pray Ibid. Long prayers not unlawfull so it be with foure cautions p. 310. respect to be had to th' ability of them that joyne with us Ibid. 3 to humble us in our fasts Fasts are to no purpose if wee bee not humbled in them p. 311. 1 for Gods judgements upon ourselves and the Church Ibid. 2 for th'outragious sinnes committed every where that wee know or heare of pag. 312. 3 For our owne sins specially Ibid. 4 specially for our originall sin Ibid. Lect. 63. Every one should endeavour to be delivered from the danger of his originall corruption especially p. 313. Three motives to this p. 314. Meanes 1. Seeke to be justified from it by Christ. Labour to be in Christ and to know by faith that Christ is ours for then God cannot loath us for it Ibid p. 315. 2 Labour to finde that by the Spirit thou art delivered from the dominion of it and to cleanse thy selfe from it and to mortifie it This meanes more sensible then the first though not so perfect p. 316. Lect. 64. Meanes we must use to mortifie corruption in our selves 1 Observe the first stirrings of it and what sins thy heart is most inclined to p 317. 2 When thou discernest it set thy selfe against it viz. resist it hate and dislike it and grieve for it Ibid. 318. 3 Shun all occasions and provocations to it Be sober 1 in the use of the comforts of this life p. 319. 2 In following the businesse of our callings some part of every day to be spent in religious duties p. 320. Lect. 65. The fourth meanes to mortify corruption is a diligent and conscionable use of the exercises of religion p. 321. Great force in reading and hearing of the Word to mortifie corruption Ibid. Prayer hath great force to mortifie sin p. 322. The fift meanes of mortification is to beare afflictions willingly and patiently Ibid Great force in affliction this way p. 223.
we are chastened of the Lord that we should not bee condemned with the world Yet taketh he no pleasure in correcting them but as hee doth it most unwillingly Psal. 103.8 He is slow to anger Lament 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men so is he most apt to repent him of the evill hee is constrained to bring upon them and to bee troubled with it Therefore it is said of him Ioel 2.13 and in many other places that he repenteth him of the evill Both which properties are most pathetically expressed Hosea 11.8 How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee up Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together And this is the first point in this comparison Secondly the very sight of the misery another is in will move a man that hath the bowells of a man and is tender-hearted to pitty his case and bee willing to helpe without any other respect at all to the person be he friend or foe good or bad onely because he seeth him to bee in misery Mine eye affecteth my heart saith the Church Lamen 3.51 because of all the daughters of my City yea the more the misery is that he seeth any man in the more he will pity him and be ready to helpe him as we see in the example of the Samaritan Luke 10 33 34 When he saw the Iew stripped of his cloathes and wounded and halfe dead he had compassion on him and went to him and bound up his wounds c. And in this respect it is oft mentioned as a duty wee owe to them that are in misery to visit them to go and see them Iam. 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God is this to visite the fatherlesse and the widow in their affliction But you will say is that enough I answer yes he that doth that if he have a mans heart in him cannot choose but doe what he can to helpe him They have cut off my life in the dungeon saith the Church Lament 3.53 and cast a stone upon me because they would not see my misery and therefore that is noted for the cause why neither the Priest not the Levite helped the poore man they could not abide to looke on him but passed by on the other side Lu. 10.31 32. Even so is it with our most mercifull and tender-hearted Father the very sight of our misery without any other motive in the world is sufficient to move him to pitty and helpe us yea the more our misery is the more ready will he be to succour us Exod. 3.7 See how pathetically the Lord speaketh Surely I have seene the affliction of my people for I know their sorrowes and am come downe to deliver them Ieremy 31.20 My bowells are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Yea the sight of the misery even of wicked men doth worke this upon his tender heart Psal 146.7 8 9. The Lord looseth the prisoners the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind the Lord raiseth them that are bowed downe the Lord preserveth the strangers hee relieveth the fatherlesse and widow So againe Psalme 78.38 He being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yea many a time turned he his anger away and did not stirre up all his wrath and yet these men were but hypocrites they never sought to God but in their affliction verse 34. and 36. They did but flatter him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongues And thus have you seene the tender mercies of the Lord. Thirdly In the Lord there is a multitude of tender mercies He is aboundant in goodnesse Exod. â—4 6 Plenteous in mercy Psal. 86.5 Full of compassion Psal 86.15 Rich in mercy Ephe. 2.4 Admire it we may but no man is able to expresse and utter how great the mercy of the Lord is Psal 36.7 How excellent is thy loving kindnesse The mercies and kindnesses of all the men in the world compared to it are but as a drop of water to the great Ocean My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. Esay 55.8 9. For as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts See this difference in three points 1. A man can forgive small wrongs but the wrongs may bee so great as no man can forgive but there is no sin so heinous but the Lord is able to forgive it Exod. 34.7 Forgiving iniquitie transgression and sin Matth. 12.31 All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men Hee is able to forgive a debt of ten thousand talents and not be undone nay be never the poorer Matth. 18.27 2. A man can forgive one a great wrong if it were but in one action but the wrongs may be so many and of so many kinds as no man can forgive them but the Lord is able to forgive sins though they were as many yea more then the haires of our head as David complaineth his were Psal 40.12 3. A man is able once to forgive yea to forgive it may be even such wrongs as hee counteth very great and manifold but hee can never forgive or thinke well of him whom hee having forgiven sundry times yet hee still wrongeth him in the same kind but the Lord is able to forgive him that hath relapsed often into the same crime For hee requireth this mercy even in us Matth. 18.22 Thou shalt forgive him I say not unto thee untill seven times but untill seventy times seven times So that Gods children shall have no cause to say to their heavenly Father as Esau said to his father Gen. 27.38 Hast thou but one blessing my father Canst thou forgive but once yes hee is able to forgive the same offence often times if it be truly repented of The use of this Doctrine is first for instruction even to teach and assure you to testifie unto you as the Apostle did to Gods people 1. Pet. 5.12 that this is the true grace of God wherein you stand that the religion and Doctrine that is at this day and hath beene through Gods mercy now many above sixty yeeres without interruption taught and professed in the Church of England the Lord in mercy grant it may continue so to bee and which you have received and found comfort in is the only true ancient Catholique Propheticall and Apostolike faith Because it giveth the whole glory of mans salvation and of every degree and piece of it from the beginning to the end to the free grace and mercy of God and to nothing else Therefore the Apostle in that place I last named 1. Pet. 5.12 calleth the true religion and Doctrine of God for that is it hee meaneth in that place by a Metonimy the true grace of God because the whole
men certainly this is not the spirit of Christ which descended upon him in a bodily shape like a Dove Luke 3.22 this is not the spirit of Iesus the Saviour of the World whose name your hypocriticall teachers will needs beare this is the spirit of Apollyon the destroyer that teacheth men to doe so 3. They pretend the wickednesse of our nation and of our religion also Admit our religion were as bad as they can imagine Noveltie heresie Idolatry Calvino-turcism as they blasphemously terme it Admit that in our Land they were oppressed persecuted kept in extreame bondage servitude Yet 1. our religion cannot be so bad as that was in Babylon 2. nor the oppression be so great which they indure in our Land as those which Gods people indured in Babylon 3. Our Land is their native Country wherein they and their ancestours were borne and bred wherein they have many of them attained to great wealth and state the meanest to many more comforts then ever Gods people did in Babylon that strange land that land of miserable bondage and captivity And yet Gods people might not nay durst not conspire the destruction of Babylon or the betraying of it to a forraine enemy but were bound to seeke by all meanes the peace and prosperity of it and to pray to God for it as you have heard out of Ieremy 19.7 Three things there bee that move mee to insist so much upon this point 1. To instruct you how to deale with such friends of yours as are addicted to Popery I know well that that prophecy is now fulfilled which you read Rev. 17.2 the Whore of Babilon hath made the inhabitants of the earth drunke with the wine of her fornication It is vaine thing to reason with or seeke to perswade drunken men But surely if there be any of your friends that have not yet drunke so deepe of that cup that they have lost their wits this will be as likely an argument to perswade them that that religion cannot be of God as any you can use unto them 2. To confirme your selves in the dislike and detestation of Popery and that we may with comfort resist even unto bloud striving against this sinfull this bloudy religion Heb. 12.4 3. To warne you of the great danger we and our nation do continually live in that have among us so mighty a generation of these vipers that so we may be made more carefull to make sure our peace with God and to cry instantly unto him as David doth Psal. 3.7 8. Arise O Lord save me O my God salvation belongeth unto the Lord thy blessing is upon thy people Selah The second sort of those that declare themselves not to be the children of our heavenly father are such as are so farre from doing good in the places where they live that they are the undoers of men usurers extortioners decayers of townes and depopulatours of them Of whom it may be said as Esa. 59.7 Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting and destruction are in their paths Mic. 2.1 2. They devise iniquity and worke evill upon their beds there they hammer it when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hands they covet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and his house even a man and his heritage These men I take the readiest way to bring ruine upon their owne houses You know who it is that hath said Esa. 5.8 Wo unto them that joyne house to house and field to field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth but what followeth verse 9. In mine eares said the Lord of hosts of a truth many houses shall be desolate even great and faire without inhabitant And Hab. 2.9 We to him that coveteth an evill covetousnesse to his house that he may set his nest on high Thou hast saith the Lord verse 10 11. consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people and hast sinned against thy soule For the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answer it 2. Certainely let all oppressours and cruell persons of what kind soever all usurers and extortioners that like great pikes devoure all the little fishes that come neere them pretend religion never so much make never so faire shewes Gods children they are not they beare not his image they are nothing like him his children they are whom they resemble in their disposition they are the children of Apollyon the children of the destroyer Thirdly All lewd persons even in this point shew themselves not to be the children of God but of the divell even because they doe no good to the place they live in but are a burden a plague and a curse to it That which the Prophet speaketh of swearers Ier. 23.10 because of oathes the land doth mourne may be said of drunkards also and whoremongers and idolaters and profane wretches they will make the place mourne they live in they are as Ionah was in the ship they will endanger all that live with them they are as Achan was to the whole host of Israel Iosh. 7.1 For Achans sake the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel Of them it may be said as Esa. 14.20 Thou shalt not be joyned with them in buriall because thou hast destroyed thy land and slaine thy people Zach. 7.14 For they laid the pleasant land desolate Therefore 1 do what you can to keepe such out to get such out of your families and townes you live in 1 Cor. 5.13 Therefore put away from among you such wicked persons 2 If you did beleeve this you would all joyne together to restraine and punish these lewd persons according to the exhortation of the Apostle Heb. 12.15 Looking diligently lest any root of bitternesse springing up do trouble you and thereby many be defiled Fourthly Such as live idly and without a calling or in such a calling as is unprofitable to the Common-wealth such as whereby others receive no benefit or profit at all that serve for no other use but to devoure Gods creatures and make a dearth This is noted for a grievous sinne and a chiefe part of the corruption of our nature Rom. 3.12 They are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is profitable and usefull to others And religion and grace where ever it prevaileth maketh men profitable as it did Onesimus Phil. 11. The Papists dote much upon the monasticall life and count it a state of great perfection because in it men spend their whole time in prayer and heavenly contemplations But the Scripture teacheth us it is a state of greater perfection to live in such a calling wherein a man may be most profitable and usefull to others David counted it a great affliction and matter of humbling to him Ps. 31.12
The caveats are two First take heed thou seeke not to ease and deliver thy selfe out of this distresse by unlawfull means And there be three false wayes whereby men are wont to seeke ease in this case and to put God and their owne spirituall estate out of their mind 1. By shunning that ministery that did use to touch them to the quicke and to pierce their hearts Thus did Ahab shun Micajah 1 Kin. 22.8 I hate him for he doth not prophesie good concerning me but evill And Felix Paul Acts 24.25 Goe thy way for this time and when I have a convenient season I will call for thee 2. By giving over their private duties of reading and prayer saying in their hearts with that desperate Pursevant whom Ioram sent to apprehend the Prophet 2. Kings 6.33 What should I wait for the Lord serve the Lord any longer 3. By giving themselves over to carnall mirth to drinking and gaming and good fellowship according to the counsell Sauls Courtiers gave to him 1 Samuel 16.16 Seeke out a cunning player on a Harpe and when the evill spirit from God is upon thee let him play and thou shalt be well But take thou heed of seeking ease to thy soule any of these wayes hate them abhorre them that give thee this counsell and say with Iob 21.16 Let the counsell of the wicked be farre from me and with David Psal. 119.128 I hate every false way For 1. they that take this counsell make Satan their Physician to cure them when God hath made them sicke their Surgeon to heale the wounds that God hath made in their soules And certainely all his medicines and salves have deadly poison in them the wounds hee seemes to heale hee makes farre more incurable The wounds that God makes none but God can cure Iob. 5.18 Hee woundeth and his hands make whole Gods meanes which they shunne though they doe make them sad for a time yet they have in them the seed and roote of comfort and will bring the heart to comfort in the end if they bee constantly and conscionably used the sadnesse that they cause maketh the heart better as Solomon speaketh Ecclesi 7.3 That ministery that pierceth most is of a healing and comforting nature compared therefore to an excellent oyle and balme Psalm 141.5 And of Religion and religious duties Solomon saith Proverbs 3.17 All her paths are peace Where as Satans meanes on the contrary though they seeme to give ease and joy to the heart for the present yet indeede they doe the heart no good they can worke no sound cure on a wounded spirit Ecclesiast 2.2 I said of mirth what doth it Nay it makes the wound in the end worse then it found it Proverbs 14.13 The end of that mirth is heavinesse 2. They that take this course doe seeke to hide themselves from God as Adam did Genesis 3.8 1. And what madnesse is it for a man to thinke hee can bee able to doe so A child or a servant may runne away from his father or Master when they are angry or threaten them but who can runne away or hide himselfe from God Psalme 139.7 Adam thought to have hidden himselfe but hee could not Genesis 3.9 2. Admit one could doe so yet is not that the way to recover his favour by hiding our selves or running from him Draw neare to God saith the Apostle Iam. 4 ◠and hee will draw neare to you The second caveat I must give you is this take heed you yeeld not unto this tentation but resolve to resist it that is the way to overcome it if thou resist it not thou art in danger to be overcome of it Iames 4.7 Resist the Devill and he will flye from you When so foule a tentation as this is to bee perswaded that God hateth thee and hath rejected thee and is thine enemy that thou hast no part in Christ nor in Gods mercy is suggested into thy mind reject it with detestation as our Saviour did the like Matth. 4.10 Get thee hence Satan But how should I resist it wilt thou say The Apostle telleth thee 1. Peter 5.9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith Two things thou must do in this case First consider what God in his word hath said concerning such as thou art Search into the word acquaint thy selfe with Gods promises Thus did Christ resist Satan Matth. 4.4 7 10. This is the sword of the spirit Ephesi 6.17 Resolve therefore thus with thy selfe as David doth Psal. 85.8 I will hearken not what Satan or mine owne heart saith but what the Lord God will say of such as I am Say to thine heart as our Saviour doth to the Lawyer Luke 10.26 What is written in the Law how readest thou It is written Psal. 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him And such a one thou canst not deny thy selfe to bee It is written Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but who so confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy It is written Ps. 105.3 Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord. It is written Rom. 5.20 Where sin abounded there grace did much more abound There is no comparison betweene the multitude and hainousnesse of thy sins and Gods mercy or Christs merit It is written Iohn 6.37 Him that commeth to me desireth unfainedly to have benefite by me and to beleeve in me I will in no wise cast out and such a one thou canst not deny thy selfe to bee And many other such comfortable promises are written in Gods word Acquaint thy selfe with them ô they may stand thee in great stead one day David found this Psal. 119.93 I will never forget thy precepts for with them thou hast quickened me Secondly Resolve with thy selfe thou wilt give credit unto and rest upon that which God hath said in his word though a thousand Devils and thine owne heart also should say never so much to the contrary though thou have no feeling nor comfort at all in the assurance of Gods favour Say with David Psal. 56 3 4. When I am afraid I will trust in thee Why so In God will I praise his word in God have I put my trust As if hee had said though I be full of feares and consequently void of comfort and feeling yet I have Gods word and promise and that I will trust to For we live by our faith and not by our feeling Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by his faith It is the nature of faith to give credit unto and rest upon the word though wee see or feele nothing to rest upon Hebr. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seene So that looke what the Apostle saith of hope Rom. 8.24 We are saved by hope but hope that is seene is not hope the same may be said of faith We are saved by faith but faith that is seene is not faith Indeed that and that only is true faith that is grounded
extraordinary constantly who yet cannot master nor subdue any one lust but if they did use them conscionably and in a spirituall manner certainely the strength of their corruptions would bee abated by them Walke in the spirit saith the Apostle Galat. 5 16. and yee shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh If in this as well as in other parts of our conversation wee could walke in the spirit performe spirituall duties in a spirituall manner wee could not fulfill the lusts of our flesh as wee doe See the truth of this but in two exercises of religion not to trouble you with more that are in most dayly use with all Christians and that is the Word and Prayer First There is great force in reading of the Word and hearing of it to subdue and mortifie sin in us if it be used conscionably Now yee are cleane saith our Saviour to his Apostles Iohn 15.3 through the word which I have spoken unto you The conscionable hearing of the Word is able to cleanse the heart from the corruption that is in it It is therefore called Iamesâ— 21 because as the sciense of a good fruit that is grafted into a crab-tree-stocke will change the nature of the juyce and sap of it so the Word is able to change our natures quite See two notable instances of the power the Word hath this way 1. In the young man in whom wee know all kinds of lusts are most strong and violent and yet of him David saith Psal. 119.9 that if he would but conscionably exercise himselfe in the Word if he would take heed to his way according the Word he might be able to cleanse his way to cleanse his heart even from those unruly lusts of his 2. In a King who of all men in the world is in most danger as of other sins so specially of this to have his heart lifted and puffed up with pride and contempt of them specially that are his owne subjects and yet of him the Lord saith that if he will but exercise himselfe conscionably in the reading of the Word hee shall obtaine power over this corruption For giving the reason why hee would have him every day to read some part of the Bible he saith thus Deut. 17.20 That his heart bee not lifted up above his brethren and that he turne not aside from the commandement to the right hand or to the left As if hee should say this will subdue both the pride of his heart and every other corruption that is in it And two reasons there are why it must needs be so First Because the Word is able to discover every corruption to us how closely soever it lurke in our hearts and the loathsomnesse and odiousnesse of it also by the law commeth the knowledge of sin saith the Apostle Rom. 3.20 It is a discerner and discoverer of the very thoughts and intents of the heart as he saith Heb. 3.12 Compared therfore to a glasse Iam. 1.23 and to the light that maketh all things manifest as the Apostle speaketh Eph. 5.13 Secondly Because there is also a divine spirit life and power in it to work upon the heart to conquer and kill sin in it The words that I speake unto you saith our Saviour Iohn 6.63 they are spirit and they are life I have hid thy word in my heart saith David Psal. 119.11 that I might not sin against thee How could that keepe him from sinning Surely when any lust began to rise in his heart when he was tempted to any sin if he could then but remember some sentence of Gods word that condemned that sin that would be of force to stay him from it That even as our blessed Saviour himselfe did overcome Satan with Scriptum est It is written Matth. 4.10 so may the members of Christ bee able to overcome Satan and their owne corruptions by calling to mind and meditating and applying to themselves that which is written in the Word against them So saith David Psal. 17.4 By the words of thy lips I have kept mee from the paths of the destroyer For it is the sword of the spirit as the Apostle calleth it Ephes. 6.17 It is the weapon of our warfare mighty through God to cast downe our imaginations and every thing in us that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivitie every thought to the obedience of Christ as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor 10.4 5. This Divine power that is in the Word to bridle and subdue their corruptions Gods people have alwayes felt and found by experience in themselves and doe all of them to this day and that is the cause why they doe take such paines for it and esteeme more of it as Iob speaketh Iob 23.12 then of their necessary food They that regard not the Word exercise not themselves in the reading and hearing of it or if they doe read and heare it yet have no care to hide it in their hearts and to use it as the sword of the spirit against their owne corruptions certainly such are farre from mortification any have no desire at all to mortifie and kill sin in themselves The other exercise of religion that hath such force to master and conquer our corruptions is prayer if it be used conscionably and spiritually This was the meanes that Paul used when hee was troubled with the thorne in his flesh and sought to be rid of it 2 Cor. 12.8 and by it he obtained though not a full deliverance from it yet strength sufficient to master it so as he was not overcome by it That which David saith of his worldly enemies Psal. 56.9 every Christian may say of these lusts that warre against his soule When I cry unto thee then shall mine enemies turne backe When we can pray we may be sure to become conquerours over any of our lusts By our faithfull prayer we may be able to deliver any brother from the bondage of any sin that he is fallen into if it be not the unpardonable sin For so saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.16 How much more may wee have confidence to obtaine by prayer deliverance from the dominion of any of our owne corruptions For of all suits we can make to God we have greatest assurance to speed in this when we pray for grace How much more saith our Saviour Lut 11.13 shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that aske him Certainely this is one chiefe cause why the most of us can no better prevaile against our corruptions because we doe not more heartily complaine unto God of them and pray against them And wee may say as the Church doth Esay 64.6 7. Our iniquities like a wind have taken us away they carry us headlong whether they please And the reason is given in the next words There is none that calleth upon thy name or that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee The fift meanes the spirit of God in the word hath
drudgery in the world But alas beloved this is but a false slander that is cast upon the wayes and service of God And wee must say of it as our Saviour doth of the tares that were sowed in Gods field Matth 13.28 The enemy hath done this The devill hath raised this slaunder and suggested it into the minds of men to terrifie them from Gods service by it There is no truth in it at all For though indeed wee must goe under the yoke if wee will bee his servants and obey his commandements wee may not be allowed to live as we list yet if wee can once humble our selves to beare this yoke of Christ wee shall never have cause to complaine of the hardnesse or uneasinesse of it Take my yoke upon you saith our Saviour Matth. 11.29 30. even to the humbled sinner who was like the bruised reed who was already weary and heavy laden and therefore unable to beare any heavy burden or to weare a yoke that would pinch and gall him even to this man saith Christ take my yoke upon thee feare it not for my yoke is easie and my burden light If this yoke doe pinch or gall any man the fault is not in the yoke but in himselfe because hee taketh it not upon him but like an untamed and unruly bullocke strugleth with it and is unwilling to beare it If any of Christs burdens seeme intollerable to any man the fault is not in the burden but in himselfe hee hath some bile or corrupt sore upon him that maketh him unable to beare the lightest burden that can bee laid upon him And thus speaketh the Apostle Iohn also of all Christs burdens and commandements 1 Iohn 5.3 This is the love of God that we keepe his commandements if wee bee his servants and beare any love to him wee must indeed keepe his commandements but his commandements are not grievous it is no bondage to bee tyed to keepe them In which respect also the Apostle calleth it the law of liberty Iames 1.25 It is the greatest freedome and liberty in the world to bee obedient unto God Certainely no man hath just cause to complaine of the hardnesse of Gods service nor to bee afraid of it There is no life under heaven so pleasant as the life of Gods servant there is no service in the world so easie and comfortable as the service of God is If men obey and serve him saith Elihu Iob 36.11 they shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their yeares in pleasure This I know will seeme to many of you a strange paradox but if you will marke well what I shall say I will make it evident that it is so and that in three respects Lecture LXXXXI On Psalme 51.6 Iune 17. 1628. FIrst I will shew you that religion doth not so abridge men of their liberty in lawfull delights as is pretended Secondly That the taskes and duties that it imposeth upon men are nothing so hard as Satan would make us beleeve Thirdly That the service of God is so far from being a bondage and drudgery that it is in sundry respects the most comfortable life in the world For the first Though God doe indeed restraine his servants from licentiousnesse and liberty to doe what they list his servants must live under a law under government they must beare his yoke Yet is his yoke even in this respect a most easie yoke to all that can once humble themselves to beare it For hee doth allow to his servants liberty enough even in the comforts and delights of this life Nay no man under heaven can with that freedome of heart and true delight use any of the creatures of God any of the comforts of this life as the servants of God may That which the Apostle saith of marriage and meates 1 Tim. 4.3 may likewise be said of all other lawfull recreations and delights God hath created them to be received with thankesgiving of them which beleeve and know the truth As if he had said For their sakes they were ordained they are the people that have just title unto them God hath called us to peace saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.15 that is not an hard a troublesome and rigorous but a free and comfortable condition of life even in respect of these outward things And in this respect among others the Apostle saith Gal. 5.13 Brethren yee have beene called unto liberty onely use not your liberty as an occasion to the flesh Religion doth not forbid the use of any lawfull delight but the abuse of it onely Secondly The taskes that God sets to his servants the burden he layes on them I meane the duties and services that hee requireth of them are not hard and heavy nay they are certainely light and easie to bee borne and in this respect also the service of God is no bondage nor drudgery it is the most easie and comfortable life in the world and it is nothing but the deceitfulnesse of Satan and of our owne naughty hearts that causeth us to judge otherwise of it Now if any man shall object and aske mee Are all Gods commandements easie indeed Is it a matter of no hardnesse or difficultie to observe them For answer unto this I will shew 1. How and in what respect they are hard and difficult 2. How and in what respect they are light and easie to be peformed For the first The commandements of God and burdens he layeth upon men are hard and heavy in three respects First To every wicked and naturall man the commandements of God are not onely hard but impossible hee can doe nothing that God requireth in that manner that God requireth I know well that many things which such men doe may seeme to other men and to themselves also to bee very good workes All these things saith the young man Mat. 19 20. have I kept from my youth up But indeed this is utterly impossible every unbeleever is reprobate unto every good worke Titus 1.16 How can yee being evill saith our Saviour Matth. 12.34 speake good things that is constantly and conscionably Can the Aethiopian change his skinne or the Leopard his spots saith the Lord Ieremy 13.23 then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill And that which our Saviour saith of the covetous man Luk. 18.25 may also truly bee said of the fornicatour and of the drunkard and of the proud man and of every wicked man It is easier for a camel to goe through a needles eye then for such a one to enter into the kingdome of God or to keepe any of those commandements that are against his sin Secondly To every regenerate and godly man the commandements of God are not onely hard but impossible to bee kept in that manner that the law requireth In that respect the Apostle Peter professeth Actes 15.10 that the law was svch a yoke as neither their fathers none of the holy Patriarches nor prophets nor they none of the
Ioh. 5 3. His commandements are not grievous But wee have also the experience of the faithfull in all ages who have beene so farre from finding of that hardnesse in the yoke of Christ as was in the yoke of Moses that terrour in the law of Christ as was in the law of Moses that they have found more sweetnesse in it then in any thing else in the world And by how much the more the inward man and grace of regeneration hath growne and increased and as the flesh and corruption hath decayed and bin weakened in them by so much the more easie they have found the commandements of God to be by so much the more sweetnes and delight they have felt in them We know how plentifull and patheticall David is in expressing this Oh how love I thy law saith he Ps. 119.97 ver 143. Thy cōmandements are my delights As if he had sayd they are to me in stead of all delights pleasures in the world And thus the Prophet professeth Ier. 15.16 Thy word was to me the joy rejoycing of my heart And whence commeth this strange alteration and difference betweene the people of God Moses quaked at and found terrour in the Law David joyed and felt sweetnes in it all Gods people at the delivery of the law desired they might heare no more of it Paul and Ieremy delight rejoyce in it O see beloved what Christ hath done for us he hath taken out the sting of the law that it is no more a killing letter See the difference betwixt Christ and Moses betwixt the law and the Gospell And thus have I finished the second part of my answer and shewed you that the Lord setteth no such hard taskes to his servants as Satan pretendeth The commandements and duties that God enioyneth unto them that are in Christ are not impossible nor hard to be performed it is nothing but this cursed flesh of ours that maketh us so to complaine of the commandements of God and repine at the yoke of Christ as we use to doe Now come wee to the third and last part of my answer to this slander that Satan hath raised against the religion and service of God wherein I will shew you that it is so farre from being a bondage and drudgery that it is the most happy and comfortable life in the world And for proofe of this I will lead you no further then unto the consideration of the person that wee doe service unto how gracious and good a master the Lord our God is unto all that serve him We find among men that great men that have honour and power and authority can want no servants every one coveteth that themselves and their children may belong to such And whose service is so much to bee desired in that respect as the Lords is Who would not feare thee saith the Prophet Ieremy 10 7. ô King of nations for to thee it doth appertaine As if he had said All greatnesse and Soveraignty all power and Majesty belongeth unto thee But when unto greatnesse and power goodnesse also and graciousnesse of disposition is added when men can say of a man that he is not only a great man but hee is also one that useth to bee good and bountifull to his servants this hath wonderfull force to draw the hearts of all men unto him For a good man saith the Apostle Rom. 5.7 some will even dare to dye for such a one men thinke they can never doe too much And certainely if wee knew the Lord well and how gracious and good hee is towards his servants there is none of us here but would desire and long to bee in his service And that which David saith Psalme 9.10 of putting our trust in him may also bee said of doing him service They that know thy name will be glad to serve thee And surely Satan deceiveth men and keepeth them from serving God and being religious by no device more then by this that he perswadeth them as he did the lazy and unprofitable servant Matth. 25.24 that the Lord is an hard master hard to be pleased apt to exact rigorously of his servants more then they are able to performe Observe therefore I pray you that you may perceive how false a slander this is the gracious disposition of the Lord whom we do service unto in these foure points especially First His aptnesse to winke at and passe by our offences Whereas we can doe no worke hee setteth us about so well but wee shall offend many wayes in it and find cause to cry him mercy for it as good Nehemiah did Nehem. 13 22. the Lord is not apt to marke and observe strictly every thing that is done amisse but useth to winke at and is ready to passe by and remit many slips and failings of his servants in this kind I will spare them saith he Mal. 3.17 as a man spareth his sonne that serveth him If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquity saith David Psalm 130 3 4. ô Lord who shall stand As if hee had sayd Who could endure thy service But there is forgivenesse with thee that thou mayest be feared As if he had said That aptnes that is in thee to forgive thy servants their slips would make any man that is not a very beast willing to serve thee This made the Church break out into these words of admiration Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage As if he should say Where shall a man find such a master as thou art Secondly Observe his aptnesse to accept of that little wee are able to doe That whereas wee are oft so untoward unto good duties that wee find our selves unable to doe any thing To will is present with us as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7.18 but we find no ability at all to performe that that is good we have nothing in us but an unfeined desire to doe well and a griefe that wee cannot doe it this good Lord and master of ours is apt to take even that in good part if wee but doe what wee can and accounteth that as perfectly performed by us which hee seeth us unfeinedly desire and endeavour to doe If there bee first a willing mind saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.12 it is accepted according to that that a man hath and not according to that that a man hath not And whereas wee when wee have done our worke best are apt to bee ashamed and discouraged in our selves because wee have so slubbered it over and done it so illfavouredly this good master of ours is apt to accept of in Christ and to take in good part these poorest services that are done in faith and obedience unto him Yea hee is apt to delight in them and to praise us for them Our spirituall sacrifices the Apostle telleth us 1 Pet. 2.5 are acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. And let mee see thy countenance
are the works which as they be proper and peculiar to the Gospell and such as popery could never skill of so are they of all other the best works most acceptable unto God and most profitable unto men And certainly to conclude this first branch of my exhortation of all good workes of all workes of charity that any man can doe this is the best and that that will yeeld him most comfort when he hath beene the instrument to provide the meanes of knowledge and instruction for a people to settle and establish a sound ministery among them that had none before and to maintaine and so to give incouragement to an able and conscionable minister that is already setled and placed among a people It is said of good Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 7.6 that his heart was lift up in the wayes of the Lord. As if the holy Ghost had said thus of him Hee did most zealously seeke to promote and advance the true religion of God And how did hee most shew his goodnesse and zeale That you shall see in the three next verses Hee provided carefully that all his people might bee well taught and instructed he sent teaching Levites and able ministers into all parts of the land and magistrates also with them to protect and encourage them in their ministery And this is noted for one of the best works that ever Hezechiah did 2 Chron 30.22 He spake comfortably to all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord 1. he encouraged and heartned he spake to the heart saith the originall of all the Levites 2. hee encouraged them because they were able and conscionable teachers because they taught the good knowledge of God to the people And hee did not so himselfe onely but it is said further of him 2 Chron. 31.4 Hee commanded the people to doe the like to give the portion of the Priests and the Levites that they might bee encouraged in the Law of the Lord. Hee knew they could never doe their duty with any heart and encouragement if due maintenance were with-held from them See yet a third example for this in King Iosiah of whom wee read also 2 Chron. 35.2 3. that hee encouraged the Priests and Levites to the service of the house of the Lord. No good worke wee can doe will better argue that wee are truly religious and feare God indeed then the kindnesse and bounty wee shew to Gods faithfull ministers Obadiah feared God greatly 1 Kings 18.34 and marke the reason is given to prove this for when Iezebel cut off the Prophets of the Lord Obadiah tooke an hundred Prophets and hid them and fed them And it is worthy further to be observed in the example of Iehoshaphat 2 Chron 17.7 that hee is said to have sent his princes to teach in the cities of Iudah They were not preachers certainely hee sent them onely to countenance and encourage the Levites and even for that cause they are said to teach in the cities of Iudah And so all you that doe encourage the ministers of God that doe comfort and protect them in their ministery are your selves doers of this blessed worke So saith our Saviour Matth. 10.41 Hee that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward A Prophets reward is due to him that doth the worke of a Prophet but every one that doth entertaine and encourage the faithfull ministers of the Gospell any way doth the worke of a Prophet for he shall receive a Prophets reward I know well this is a great paradox to many now a dayes 1. they thinke they may bestow their bounty twenty wayes better then in placing and maintaining of able ministers 2. they thinke there is no want of preaching there are preachers enough and too many too every where 3. they thinke it a great priviledge to give nothing to the maintenance or to increase the maintenance of a preacher 4. they are so farre from encouraging the minister by any free gift for the increase of his maintenance that by spoyling and with-holding from him that which is his due they discourage him in his ministery all that they can But to these men I have foure things to say First That in the judgement of those three worthy Kings nay in the judgement of the holy Ghost who noteth and commendeth them for this to place and maintaine able ministers is a chiefe good worke a principall worke of mercy above all others Secondly That notwithstanding the plenty of teachers they talke of yet there bee still a great number of congregations that want able teachers whose case is extreamely to bee pitied thinke of their case and judge of it by the Prophets words Now for a long season saith he 2 Chron. 15.3 Israel hath beene without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without law Thirdly That the want of sound knowledge and instruction is the chiefe cause of all the wickednes in the land and that so many perish in their sins as appeaâ—reth by that complaint the Lord maketh Hos. 4.6 My people perish for want of knowledge Fourthly and lastly To him that is still resolved notwithstanding all that hath beene said it is no good worke no deed of charity to place and maintaine able ministers it is no sinne at all to shew no kindnesse to give no encouragement that way to his teacher no nor to with-hold from him what hee can I can say no more but what the Angell of God saith Revel 22.11 Hee that is unjust let him bee unjust still But let him withall blot out of his Bible and so his owne name also out of the booke of life that expresse commandement of God Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate with him that teacheth in all good things And this shall suffice for the first branch of my exhortation that concerneth the duty wee owe unto other men wee are bound to desire and procure so farre as in us lyeth that all men may have the meanes of knowledge Secondly If knowledge bee both the foundation and the seed also of all other graces as wee have heard it is then such of us as have charge of others as all we that are parents and governours of families have are bound to use our best endeavour to bring them to knowledge that are under our charge It is a vaine thing for us to hope that either by correction or example or by any other meanes of civill education they can bee brought to grace till the knowledge of religion bee first wrought in them This is plaine by that direction the Apostle giveth unto parents Ephes. 6.4 and that that he saith to parents of their children may as well bee said to masters of their servants And yee fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the instruction and information of the Lord. To this end 1. We must hold our selves bound to teach them our selves God established a testimony in
not rest nor content your selves with any other good thing that may seeme to bee in you so long as you remaine ignorant and want knowledge not in this that your life is civill and honest and vertuous that you are just and mercifull too and doe many good deeds but joyne to your vertue knowledge saith the Apostle 2 Peter 1.5 An unblameable and a vertuous life will not serve the turne without knowledge no nor this neither that you have a good meaning and desire to doe well that you are devout and given much to prayer For the Apostle beareth record Rom. 10.2 that they had the zeale of God a zealous care to please God and to serve him and yet because it was without knowledge the wrath of God came on them to the utmost for all that as he telleth us 1 Thes 2.16 Secondly I would faine perswade you not to rest nor content your selves with some smattering or small measure of knowledge but seeke to bee rich in knowledge to increase and abound therein to attaine unto a setled and well grounded judgement in the matters of your religion to a certainty and full resolution in them Brethren saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.20 bee not children in understanding in malice bee yee children but in understanding bee yee men of ripe age Let every man be fully perswaded in his mind saith hee Rom. 14.5 Even in the least matter of conscience and practise a Christian should seeke for certainty and full assurance of understanding And this none of us can attaine unto unlesse the word of Christ dwell richly and plentifully in us as the Apostle speaketh Col. 3.16 But for the better enforcing of this exhortation that is so necessary I will speake distinctly of it and observe this methode in the handling of it 1. I will shew you what this knowledge is that we are bound to seeke for above all other things and to bee at such cost and charge for the obtaining of it â— I will give you Motives that may provoke us thus to seeke it 3. I will shew you the meanes we must use for the obtaining of it For the first It is certaine that not all knowledge no not all knowledge in the holy Scriptures in the true religion of God is so highly esteemed of 1. Many an hypocrite that was never converted unto God nor ever had truth of grace in him hath attained unto knowledge even unto this knowledge Therefore the Apostle speaketh of knowledge as of an ordinary gift common to all that live in the Church 1 Cor. 81. Wee know that wee have all knowledge As if hee had said That is no such great matter to bee gloried in Yea many an hypocrite hath had a great desire to get and to grow in knowledge and hath delighted much in it They seeke mee dayly saith the Lord of those hypocrites Esay 58.2 and delight to know my wayes 2. It cannot bee denyed but many an hypocrite and gracelesse man hath much excelled many of Gods dearest servants this way Iudas no doubt had more knowledge then a great number of Christs best hearers had Yea Satan himselfe the prince of darkenesse knoweth the truth much more clearely and certainely then many of Gods Elect doe and could say to Christ even then when hee was unknowne to the greatest part of the Church Marke 1.24 I know thee who thou art even the holy one of God Yea 3. there is a kind of knowledge that is a great barre and impediment unto grace and maketh men more wicked and uncapable of grace then otherwise they would bee Thy wisedome and thy knowledge saith the Lord Esa. 41.10 it hath perverted thee and thou hast sayd in thy heart I am and none else besides mee In which respect it hath beene observed in all ages that there hath beene more grace and power of godlinesse in the common sort of simple people oft-times then in the greatest schollers The common people heard Christ gladly saith the Evangelist Marke 12.37 But of the most learned men that were in those dayes it is sayd Iohn 7.48 49. Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees beleeved on him But this people that know not the law are accursed Insomuch as it is spoken of as a matter of great wonder Acts 6.7 that a great company of the Priests were obedient unto the saith What is then the knowledge that wee should so desire and make such high account of Surely such knowledge as David heere speaketh of In the hidden part thou hadst made mee to know wisedome such knowledge as the spirit of God worketh in the hearts of such as hee doth effectually convert saving knowledge sanctifying knowledge This is called the good knowledge of God 2 Chron. 30.22 the other will doe a man no good at all unlesse it grow unto this Of all the knowledge that is in naturall and unregenerate men that may bee truly said which Salomon speaketh Eccles. 1.18 Hee that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow the more thy knowledge is unlesse it bee for the present or at least prove in the end a sanctified knowledge the more shall the sorrow and anguish of thy soule bee one day Nay this onely deserveth the name of true knowledge The knowledge of holy men saith Solomon Proverbs 9 10. of regenerate and goodly men is understanding This is the knowledge wee should seeke and make reckoning of Teach me good judgement and knowledge saith David Psalme 119.66 Though wee have but a little knowledge yet if wee can find that little knowledge wee have is sanctified knowledge the knowledge of the holy wee may take more comfort in it then the greatest Clearks in the world can doe in all their learning The want of this knowledge should humble the best of us that though wee have much light and knowledge wee have but a little of this saving and sanctified knowledge This is that the Prophet Agur complaineth of Proverbs 30.2 3. Surely I am more brutish then any man and have not the understanding of a man I have not learned wisedome nor have the knowledge of the holy As if hee should say Till I have the knowledge of the holy and regenerate till I find I have sanctified knowledge I am bruitish and voyd of understanding Every unregenerate man certainely how great a clearke soever hee bee hath no true light in him but is in darkenesse even untill now as the Apostle speaketh 1 Iohn 2.9 and with all his knowledge and learning shall perish for want of knowledge as the Lord speaketh Hosea 4.6 O let every one of us take heed it bee not so with us Take heed saith our Saviour Luke 11.35 that the light that is in thee bee not darkenesse Take heed lest that knowledge that is in thee bee no better then naturall and carnall knowledge that that is in hypocrites and cast-awaies and in the divels themselves If the light that is in thee be darknesse saith Christ Mat. 6.23 how great is that darknesse Examine
God and the Ministery therof Many an hypocrite will constantly heare and frequent the best Ministery Yea he will heare with joy and delight in the best means whereby he may come to the knowledge of Gods will They seek me daily saith the Lord of such Esa. 58.2 and delight to know my wayes as a nation that did righteousnesse as if they were the uprightest hearted people in the world they aske of me the ordinances of justice they take delight in approching unto God Yea he will commend and extoll the best Preachers and professe great love unto them They come unto thee saith the Lord to Ezekiel Ezek. 33.31 32. And he was certainly no flatterer no man-pleaser he was a most faithfull and powerfull Teacher They come unto thee saith the Lord as the people commeth as farre as any as constantly as any of my people use to come and sit before thee as my people yea they shew much love with their mouth and thou art to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice As if he should say O how they will admire thee with what delight they will heare thee Thou art never tedious unto them though thou be never so long Now there is no such thing as this in the civill man He careth not a rush for the sound Ministery of the Word nay he despiseth it and counteth them all fooles that make such reckoning of it The second point wherein he sheweth his goodnes is his constancy in prayer You shall see how many an hypocrite keepe a constant course in prayer and that not in ordinary prayer onely but even in extraordinary too Of the Pharisee we read Luk. 18.12 that he fasted twice a weeke And for seventy yeares together the hypocriticall Iewes keep a solemne fast constantly foure times a yeare as you may find by comparing Zach. 7.5 8.19 together And in this point also the civill man commeth farre short of him He seldome or never prayeth unlesse it be in his bed when he is between sleeping and waking ye shall have no prayer in his family you shall see him sit down and rise up from his meat like a bruit beast without ever lifting up his eyes or heart unto him in prayer that hath given him his food and without whose blessing when he hath eaten it it can do him no good Much lesse doth he ever use to pray in secret unto God and as for keeping a religious fast he knoweth not what belongeth to it Thirdly Many an hypocrite is a strict observer of the Sabbath Day he will not travell he will not do any worldly businesse of his calling upon that Day The Ruler of the Synagogue whom our Saviour himselfe calleth hypocrite Luke 13.15 with great indignation and zeale reproveth the people for travelling and comming to be healed on the Sabbath Day and telleth them Luke 13.14 that there were six dayes in which men ought to worke in them therefore they should come to be healed and not upon the Sabbath Day And the hypocriticall Iewes blame the poore man greatly whom Christ had cured at the poole of Bethesda for carrying away his bed upon the Sabbath Day It is the Sabbath Day say they to him Ioh. 5.10 It is not lawfull for thee to carry thy bed On the other side the civill honest man careth not for the Sabbath at all Though the respect he hath to his credit and because he will be neighbour-like bring him to Church sometimes if he live where the fashion is to do so yet hath he no zeale for the Sabbath it never troubleth him to see it profaned by others nay he putteth no difference betweene it and another day for any businesse he hath so farre forth as he may do it without discredit and danger And as for going abroad to visit his friends or to send his servants forth about any businesse he thinketh it the fittest day in all the weeke Fourthly You shall have many an hypocrite that loveth the sincerity of religion and hateth Popery will-worship and idolatry with all the reliques and monuments of it Thou abhorrest idols saith the Apostle to the hypocriticall Iew Rom. 2.22 On the other side He loveth the sincerity of religion and gloryeth greatly in this that he professeth the Gospell and serveth God according to his Word Thou makest thy boast of the law saith the Apostle of such Rom. 2.23 But so doth not the morall man all religions are alike to him if they be commanded by authority He willingly walketh after the commandement as the Prophet speaketh of Ephraim Hos. 5.11 He seeth no great hurt in Popery he loveth their rites and inventions with all his heart And of all religions he liketh that best that hath most of them In which respect the Apostle calleth Gods owne ceremoniall law a carnall commandement Heb. 7.16 and carnall ordinances Hebr. 9.10 because they are so agreeable to the disposition and liking of a carnall and naturall man Fiftly and lastly Many an hypocrite goeth a great deale further in the reformation of his life than your civill man doth Many of them have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ as the Apostle speaketh 2 Pet. 2.20 As if he should say even that superficiall knowledge they have of Christ and of the Gospell hath made them leave many sinnes not grosse sinnes but even such as are small in comparison of others as the least oathes wanton words games that are doubtfull or of evill report c. The hypocriticall Pharisee as our Saviour telleth us Luk. 11.42 would not faile in the tything of mint and rue or the least herbe that grew in his garden and stood much upon this made great conscience of it as you shall find Luke 18.12 I give tithes saith he of all that I possesse Whereas your civill man maketh no bones of such petty sinnes as he calleth them but counteth them all precise fooles that make any scruple of them Now all these things that I hvae noted to be in some hypocrites are certainly all of them in themselves excellent good things 1. To frequent constantly the sound Ministery of the Word 2. To heare the Word not drowsily and heavily but with delight 3. To love and commend good Preachers 4. To use prayer constantly 5. To be zealous for the Sabbath and make conscience of travelling or doing any worldly businesse on that day 6. To love the sincerity of religion and hate will-worship and idolatry 7. Lastly To abstaine from the smallest sinnes and even from all appearance of evill All these I say are very good things Neither may any man dislike and despise these things as alas too many doe because they have beene found in the practice of some notorious hypocrites Let no man that hath heard mee this day teach that these things are to bee found in some hypocrites rejoyce in his heart as I feare some of you will and say these gadders
the Spirit of Christ may be known which I will not therefore now make any mention of I will instance onely in foure effects of the Spirit whereby you may be able to judge whether you have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God as the Apostle speaketh 1 Corinth 2.12 The first is your Charity the second is your Constancy in cleaving to the truth which you have received the third is your Taking to heart the cause of God and religion the fourth and last is your Sympathizing with the fellow-members of Christs mysticall body For the first of these There is no one grace whereby the Spirit of Christ may be better and more sensibly known to dwell in us than charity and meeknesse of spirit Iohn Baptist saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and it abode upon Christ as we read Iohn 1.32 I beseech you saith the Apostle 2 Corinthians 10.1 by the meekenesse and gentlenesse of Christ. As if he had said Of all the graces of the Spirit that did abound in Christ his meekenesse and gentlenesse did most excell And we shall finde that this is oft mentioned for a certaine signe of a man that is in Christ. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples saith our Saviour Iohn 13.35 if ye have love one to another As if hee should say This is so evident and conspicuous a marke of one that is in Christ as not themselves onely but others also all men may know them by this Beloved let us love one another saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.7 for love is of God and every one that loveth is borne of God and knoweth God He that loveth not knoweth not God for God is love saith he Vers. 8. And Vers. 12. If wee love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us And Ver. 16. He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him My little children saith he againe 1 Iohn 3.18 19. let us not love in word neither in tongue but in deed and in truth And hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him As if he had said A man may confidently assure himselfe that hee is in Christ and that hee hath the Spirit of Christ in him if hee love his neighbour unfeignedly not in word onely but in deed if hee unfeignedly desire to doe him what good he can O that we would impartially examine our selves in this first point beloved now especially that we are to prepare our selves to the Lords Table If thou be not in charity certainely thou hast not the Spirit of Christ and consequently thou art none of his I know well that many that have not Gods Spirit but are meere carnall men use to glory much in their charity and thinke they farre excell any that professe religion in this vertue But if there could ever have beene any true love to man and such as God approveth of in any soule that is not regenerated and sanctified by the Spirit of God certainely neither our Saviour himselfe nor his holy Apostle would have spoâ—ken so of love as you heare they have done No no the holy Scripture is most plaine in this point that no man hath any true charity in him but he only that is truly regenerate By this we know that we love the children of God saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 5.2 when we love God and keepe his commandements As if he should say All true love to men proceedeth from the love we beare to God as from the root and fountain This is love saith he 2 Ioh. 6. that we walk after his commandements As if he had said We cannot love our neighbour as we ought unlesse we love him out of conscience towards God and in obedience to his commandement The end of the commandement is love saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.5 out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned As though he should have said No man can have true love till he have first a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned I will therfore shew you how true Charity is to be tryed how you may discern and know whether you love your neighbour as you ought to love him and as no man that hath not the Spirit of Christ was ever able to do Try this First By the love thou bearest to all men Secondly By the loue thou bearest to them that have wronged thee and are thine enemies Thirdly By the love thou bearest to them that feare God especially Lecture CXLIII On Psalme 51.7 March 23. 1629. NO man hath true charity in him First that doth not love all men Secondly that doth not love his enemy Thirdly that doth not love such as feare God especially For the first They that have the Spirit of Christ in them do unfeignedly love all men See this plainely in that prayer of the Apostle 1 Thes. 3 12. The Lord make you to increase and abound in love saith he one toward another and towards all men How can this bee will you say Must wee love such as are wicked men Doth not the Holy Ghost make this a speciall note of a lewd and gracelesse man to love them that are wicked They hate the good saith the Prophet Mica 3.2 and love the evill Was not Iehosophat though otherwise so good a man greatly blamed for this Shouldst thou love them saith the Prophet Iehu to him 2 Chron. 19.2 that hate the Lord Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the Lord. Doth not David glory in this as in one principall evidence of the truth of his heart that he did hate wicked men I have hated them saith he Psal. 31.6 that regard lying vanities that is I have hated all idolaters And 139.21 22. he appealeth to the Lord concerning this and glorieth of this even before the Lord Do not I hate them O Lord saith he that hate thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine enemies I answer That in all these places there is no more meant but this First That wee must hate their sinne and that that is evill in them And that we are bound to hate even in the best men and in those persons whose persons we are most bound to love Ye that love the Lord saith the Psalmist Psalme 97.10 hate that that is evill There is no love of God in that man that hateth not sinne wheresoever hee seeth it even in his owne child in them whom he doth most dearely love Secondly that we must shew our dislike even to the persons also of scaâ—dalous and lewd men For first we may give them no countenance but shew our dislike by shunning all voluntary familiarity and kindnesse unto them while they continue such Have no company with him saith the Apostle 2 Thes. 3.4 that he may be ashamed I have hated the congregation of evill doers saith David Psalme
doth make and which may rise in your mindes against it And indeed if it were an objection of Papists onely I would never trouble you or my selfe about it But wee are all by nature ranke Papists in this and in many other points of religion and I know this first reason will seeme strange and absurd to many of you and that you will be ready to say what Shall every man in the matter of religion rest upon the instruction and perswasion hee hath from his owne private spirit This fond conceit saith the Papist hath already and still must needs bring into the Church an infinite variety of opinions in religion Quot capitatot sensus so many men so many mindes and opinions there must needs bee in religion if every ones private spirit bee supreame judge and determiner what is truth in the matter of religion Is it not a farre surer way for all men to depend and rest upon the Doctrine and instruction of the Church according to the ordinance of God then upon that which their owne private spirit teacheth them Aske the priests concerning the law saith the Lord Hag. 2.11 and againe The priests lips shall keepe knowledge saith the Prophet Mal. 2.7 and the people should seeke the law at his mouth Now unto this I have Foure things to answer First That though this Doctrine that every true beleever hath the spirit of God and that the spirit of God will teach him bee strange and ridiculous to such as are sensuall not having the spirit as the Apostle speaketh of some Iude 19. and indeed to every naturall man yet to the regenerate man it is not so The spirit of truth saith our Saviour Iohn 14.17 the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for hee dwelleth in you and shall bee in you Every true beleever every true Christian hath the spirit of God and knowes and finds in himselfe that hee hath it Because ye are sonnes saith the Apostle Galathians 4.6 God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba father Hee could not pray els nor cry Abba father unto God And he that hath it not let him scoffe and â—lout at it never so much is in a wofull case certainely and will find it to be so one day He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his saith the Apostle Rom. 8.9 Secondly The spirit that every faithfull man hath to teach and instruct him is not his owne private spirit as they scornefully and blasphemously call it for 1 it is the spirit of God even the same that first indited the holy Scriptures and inspired the holy Prophets and Apostles in the writing of them and is therefore best able to instruct and teach us in the true meaning of them Wee have received saith the Apostle â— Cor. 2.12 not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that wee might know the things which are freely given us of God And 2 besides it is not mans private spirit because it is one and the same in all the faithfull throughout the world and teacheth them all one and the same thing By one spirit saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.13 wee are all baptized into one body whether we be Iewes or Gentiles bond or free and have beene all made to drinke into one spirit As if hee should have said As all the faithfull throughout the world enjoy the same outward Sacraments so is the inward grace that is sealed thereby one and the same in all the faithfull throughout the world and teacheth them all one and the same thing So that this teaching that every true beleever hath and must have from the spirit is no cause of the diversity of opinions that is in the world no no it is the following and hearkning unto our own naturall and carnall spirits that is the true cause of that if we were all taught by the spirit of God we should agree better in opinion then we do Yea it is one and the same spirit that is in all the faithfull that are now living that it was in all the faithfull in old time and teacheth us now no other thing then it did teach all the faithfull from the beginning of the world So the Apostle alluding unto David and to the faithfull in his time saith 2 Cor. 4.13 We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeved and therefore have I spoken we also beleeve and therefore speake Thirdly Wee doe not say that that teaching and perswasion which every faithfull man receiveth inwardly in his owne heart from the spirit of God is the supreame judge and determiner what is true and what erroneous in the matters of faith and religion from which no appeale is to bee made for all hereticks and selfe-conceited persons will bee apt to pretend that but wee have a certaine rule given us whereby that which the spirit of God teacheth a man inwardly may be knowne and discerned from all opinions and motions that come from a false and fantasticall spirit and that is the written Word of God That Doctrine that is consonant to the Word is of the spirits teaching that that swerves from the Word comes certainely from a false and erroneous spirit By this rule we must judge of the spirit that is in other men Beloved beleeve not every spirit saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.1 but try the spirits whether they bee of God But how shall wee try whether the Doctrine that our teachers bring us bee such as they received and learned of Gods spirit or no Why wee must try it by this rule To the law and to the testimony saith the Prophet Esa. 8.20 if they speake not according to this Word it is because they have no light in them As if hee should have said they were never taught of God And this is also the rule whereby wee must try every opinion in religion that wee hold every motion and inclination that wee find in our hearts whether it bee of the spirit of God yea or no the spirit never disagreeth from the Word Behold saith the wisdome of God Proverbes 1.23 I will powre out my spirit unto you I will make knowne my words unto you And Esa. 59.21 This is my covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my word which I have put in thy mouth The spirit and the Word goe alwaies together Fourthly and lastly The spirit of God useth to teach the conscience by the ministery of the Word that is in the Church of God and not either by immediate inspirations and enthusiasmes or by any other outward meanes ordinarily but by this onely And by this also a man may judge whether that that hee holds in religion bee of the spirits teaching yea or no. Whether the good things that seeme to bee in him were wrought by the spirit of God that is if hee have learned and
and wonders that they doe yet might they bee false Prophets for all that false Prophets saith our Saviour shall shew great signes and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elâ—ct If it were possible saith hee It is not possible for any of Gods elect to bee so deceived by any false teachers as that they should fall into those errours that are fundamentall and persist in them The foundation of God saith the Apostle 2 Timothy 2.19 this decree of God which is the maine foundation of our whole salvation that standeth sure and can never bee mooved or altered And secondly wee are kept saith the Apostle 1 Peter 1.5 by the power of God through faith unto salvation And by our faith wee have in these things and in other the promises of God we stand as the Apostle saith 2 Corith 1.24 and not by any thing that is in our selves But though this bee so yet hath the Lord appointed some things for us to doe to preserve our selves from falling away from the truth And though he at the first made us without our selves not of our first creation only but of the first forming of the new creature principally is that to be understood which the Church speaketh Psalme 100.3 It is he that made us and not we our selves as appeares by the words that follow We are his people and the sheepe of his pasture we were meere patients in both those first workes of God yet will he not save us without our selves he will not preserve us in the state of grace nor bring us unto glory without our owne endeavour he will have us to be agents in this work our selves and co-workers with him Work out your own salvation saith the Apostle Phil. 2.12 and Iude 20 â—1 Build up your selves in your most holy faith and keep your selves in the love of God And whomsoever God hath elected and decreed to preserve so as they shall never bee deceived and drawne from the truth in them he will worke a care and endeavour to use all meanes to preserve themselves Yea he will make them to be diligent and painfull in working for themselves this way in doing their endeavour and using of the meanes whereby they may be kept from falling away from the truth The Apostle writing to the Hebrewes that had done much already to make sure to themselves their owne election and calling And wee desire saith hee Hebrewes 6.11 12. that every one of you doe shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end That yee bee not slothfull but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises No man can have full assurance of hope to bee preserved from falling away unlesse even to the end of his dayes hee bee diligent in using the meanes to preserve himselfe No man may looke to inherit Gods promises that is a sloathfull man that relyeth wholly upon Gods mercy and power and gracious promises and will use no endeavour take no paines to keepe himselfe from falling from God On the other side hee that will diligently endeavour himselfe to doe that that God hath directed him to doe and to use Gods meanes shall not need to doubt but that God will uphold him though the times were farre more dangerous than they are Hee that upheld Noah Genesis 6.9 and Obadiah 1 Kings 18.3 in such times as these were can certainely uphold us in these times God is able to make him stand saith the Apostle Romans 14.4 Yea and hee will cetainely doe it if wee bee not wanting to our selves Arise and bee doing saith David to Salomon 1 Chron. 22.16 and the Lord will bee with thee Do thy endeavour in the use of Gods meanes conscionably and thou shalt not need to doubt of successe In all labour there is profit saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 14.23 which is to bee understood as well of the paines wee are to take for our soules and for heaven as for that wee take for our bodies in our worldly callings Yea the Lord to shew the necessity of our own endeavour to encourage us unto this and to honour the use of his meanes is pleased to ascribe our preservation from falling and standing in the state of grace which is indeed his owne worke onely unto this our care of keeping of our selves Hee that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.18 A regenerate man may by a conscionable use of the meanes yet not hee saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 15.10 but the grace of God that is with him and with all others also that faithfully doe their endeavour keepe himselfe so as that Satan nor any of his agents shall ever bee able to touch him mortally to draw him to that sinne that is unto death Yea hee that will carefully doe what lyeth in him I speake still of the regenerate man may preserve himselfe though not from all sinne from all humane frailties and infirmities yet certainely from all grosse and scandalous sinnes even from such as hee hath beene by nature or custome most strongly inclined unto And I kept my selfe from mine iniquity saith David Psalme 18.23 You will aske me then what is it that God would have vs to doe to preserve our selves from falling into errour and to keepe our selves constant in his holy truth I answer they bee two things principally some things wee must avoid and some things wee must doe 1. We must carefully beware of and shun those things whereby we are in danger to be corrupted in our judgement and drawne away from the truth 2. Wee must diligently use the meanes whereby wee may bee established and preserved in it Of the first kind there are two wholsome and necessary directions given us in Gods Booke First Hee that would be constant in the truth of religion and not fall from it must shun and avoid them by whom he may be in danger to be seduced and drawne into errour Shun the hearing of them the conferring with them the reading of their bookes desire not to heare what they can say for their errours and against the truth This direction wee shall find often given unto Gods people Cease my sonne to heare saith the Holy Ghost Proverbes 19.27 the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge As if hee should have said Thou hast received the knowledge of the truth from the Word of God the writings of the Prophets and Apostles are the words of knowledge and these men would instruct thee and by great probability of reason perswade thee another way Give over hearing of such men saith the Holy Ghost This direction the Apostle gives Romanes 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren saith hee observe his earnestnesse in this matter marke them which cause divisions and offences are authors of new sects contrary to the doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them And this note our blessed Saviour
digest So the Apostle chargeth the Church Romanes 14.1 not to trouble the weake Christian with doubtfull disputations And as these two precedents must teach us preachers not to trouble the people more then needs we must with matters of controversy so must this teach you that are Gods people not to busy your heads too much with these high points feed better of your milk before you meddle with strong meat be not like to the child that will be at the latter end of his booke before he have learned the first leafe If any of you shall say but I thanke God my capacity will serve to understand any point of controversie I am past a child in religion I answer First I doubt many that think so well of themselves if they were examined would bee found ignorant enough in the maine principles of our religion Sure I am it becomes the best to thinke more meanely of themselves Our Saviour calls his elect Apostles Iohn 13.33 and the Apostle all the faithfull that he wrote to 1 Iohn 5.21 little children Secondly As though a child can never without danger feed upon strong meat yet a man of yeares may safely eat milk so though the weake Christian can never without danger busy himselfe in intricate questions and controversies yet may the strongest Christian with profit seeke to bee better grounded in the maine principles of religion As new borne babes saith the Apostle 1 Peter 2.2 to all the faithfull desire the sincere milke of the Word that ye may grow thereby The third and last way whereby that desire of knowledge that is dangerous and hurtfull may bee discryed is this when wee desire knowledge onely for knowledge sake without all respect to the use and profit we may make of it for our edificaton in faith and holinesse of life This is the rule that we must follow in preaching to teach that onely that is usefull and profitable Paul did so himselfe Acts 20. I kept backe nothing that was profitable and hee chargeth Titus to doe so too Titus 3.8 These things speaking of matters of faith and practise I will that thou affirme constantly these things are good and profitable unto men And this is the rule you should follow in learning Teach me good judgement and knowledge saith David Psal. 119.66 Such knowledge as will do me good and make mee good The true religion that God hath taught us in his Word is called Rom. 10.8 The Word of faith and 1 Tim. 3.16 The mystery of godlinesse and 1 Tim. 6.3 The Doctrine which is according to godlinesse And if thou desirest the knowledge of any thing in religion to any other end then to increase faith and godlinesse in thy heart thou takest Gods name in vaine even in thy desire of knowledge and be thou sure that God will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine Exod. 20.7 Lecture CXLVIII On Psalme 51.7 October 18. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the second viz. to shew you the meanes that we must use to keepe our selves constant in the truth of religion and preserve our selves from falling away from it Foure principall directions I find given in Gods Book to this purpose First He that desires to abide constant in the truth must ground himselfe well in the knowledge of it labour to bee assured upon good grounds that it is the truth that hee holds Continue thou saith the Apostle unto Timothy 2 Timothy 3.14 in those things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of No man can hope to continue stedfast in any truth of God that hee hath not learned well nor unlesse hee bee assured upon good grounds that it is indeed the truth of God If yee continue in the faith grounded and setled saith he Col. 1.23 As if he had said No man can continue in the faith that is not grounded and setled in it that finds not good grounds for that he holds and beleeves I have chosen the way of truth saith David Psalme 119.30 31. Thy judgements have I laid before mee I have stucke unto thy testimonies No man can sticke to Gods truth that is drawne by others or carried by example or by the sway of the time to a liking of it but hee onely that hath chosen the way of truth that is hee that hath advisedly and upon good grounds undertaken the profession of it They that are children in understanding are apt to be tossed too and fro and carryed about with every winde of Doctrine as the Apostle saith Eph. 4.14 A man shall be apt to receive Popery or any other heresie if he be either ignorant or weake and ungrounded in the knowledge of the tuth as alas most of our people though they have beene hearers so long and professours of the truth will be found to be if ever a time of tryall shall come On the otherside knowledge will preserve a man from that danger Discretion shall preserve thee saith Salomon Pro. 2.11 and understanding shall keepe thee When a mans judgement is once convinced that it is the truth that he holds it will be hard for him to forsake iâ— because the more light a man hath in his heart the more strongly will his conscience reprove and checke and smite him when he begins to forsake it and to goe against it And that is the reason as our Saviour teacheth us Iohn 3.20 why lewd men shunne and hate this light that their deeds may not be reproved If therefore beloved you desire to hold fast your profession ground your selves well in that knowledge of the truth that you doe professe Wisedome is the principall thing saith the Holy Ghost Pro. 4.7 therefore get wisedome and with all thy getting withall that thou hast gotten and dost possesse get understanding As if he had said sell all that thou hast to purchase this pearle according to that in Pro. 23.23 Buy the truth and sell it not also wisedome and instruction and understanding Now he that would ground selfe well in the knowledge of the truth must observe these two rules First he must acquaint himselfe well with the first and maine principles of Religion and seeke to be perfect in them Though a man heare or reade never so much yet shall he never attaine to a well grounded knowledge in Religion till he be well catechised and instructed in the first and chiefe principles of it This course we shall find the blessed Apostles tooke in teaching the Churches and bringing them unto sound knowledge They gave unto them a summe of the maine and most necessary points of Religion that are clearely and plainly set downe in the holy Scriptures So you shall finde the Apostle Rom. 6.17 speakes of a forme of Doctrine that was delivered unto them And 2 Tim. 1.13 he chargeth Timothy to hold fast the forme of sound words which hee had heard of him which both in the next words Verse 14. And 1 Tim. 6.20 he calls his depositum that worthy thing
was a burden Observe in the Lords speech five things 1. This was one of the greatest sorrowes of Gods people in their captivity that they wanted then their solemne assemblies Though they might have some religious meetings for Gods morall worship yea they had publique fasts then foure times a yeare as appeares Zach. 8.19 yet their assemblies were nothing so solemne so populous as they were wont to be at Ierusalem 2. The Caldeans their enemy were wont to reproach them for this and to say to them to this effect where are your solemne assemblies now as it is said Lam. 1.7 they did mocke at their Sabbaths they joyed to see they could have no such solemne assemblies as they were wont to have as indeed the solemnity and greatnesse of the Church-assemblies hath ever beene a great eye-sore to wicked men 3. It was a burden to Gods people to have this reproach cast upon them they could have twitted them with nothing that would have grieved them more 4. That the Lord saith to his Church of these that were so sorrowfull for the solemne assembly these are of thee these are indeed naturall and kindly children and members of the true Church that do stand thus affected 5. And lastly The promise that the Lord makes to such I will gather them saith the Lord. I will have a speciall respect unto them and though they be thus scattered and dispersed not one of them shall be lost but I will bring them back againe to their own land Thirdly He that hath the spirit of Christ any true love or zeale of God in his heart will joy in the plentifull and free preaching of the Word which is a chiefe part of Gods worship a principall occasion of our most solemne assemblies All that have true hearts to God doe and ought to desire heartily and to pray to God for this When our Saviour had complained Matth. 9.37 that there were so few labourers about Gods harvest he commands his Disciples Verse 38. To pray unto the Lord of the harvest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he would cast forth speedily and without delay send forth or by a strong hand as in a case of present necessity thrust forth labourers many labourers labourers indeed he would have them to be not loiterers or such as should doe the worke of the Lord negligently into his harvest Brethren saith the Apostle 2 Thes. 3.1 pray that the word of the Lord may have a free course 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may run freely that preaching of it may not be hindred or interrupted by any meanes And Col. 4.3 Pray for us saith he that God would open to us a doore of utterance that we may have free liberty to preach the Gospell And as all men you see are bound to pray to God for the increase and liberty of faithfull preachers so will every one that truly loves God and hath any zeale for his glory rejoyce greatly in the liberty of the Gospell and when the truth is plentifully preached Wee reade in the reformation that Nehemiah wrought Neh. 12.44 That Iudah rejoyced for the priests and for the Levites that waited that stood saith the originall They joyed in this as in the chiefe part of the reformation of Religion that they had store of faithfull and able Priests and Levites and that they also stood and were setled and established in their places with liberty and maintenance and all good encouragements And the Apostle Paul was so zâ—alous for much preaching and rejoyced so much in the glory he knew redounded to God by it that speaking of some in Rome that preached the truth and sound Doctrine without all truth and soundnesse of heart he saith Phil. 1.18 Nothwithstanding every way whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached and I therein doe rejoyce and I will rejoyce saith he Surely they were very bad men of whom he saith Verse 15.16 that they preached Christ even of envy and strife even to adde affliction to his bonds to increase his griefe and trouble who was then in bonds and prison for the Gospell How could Paul rejoyce in such mens preaching will you say Certainely he knew that though they were so bad in themselves yet their Doctrine which was both for matter and manner sound might through Gods blessing upon his owne ordinance become effectuall to the conversion and comfort of Gods elect For be you sâ—re of this that if Paul had beene of that minde that he that is a wicked man himselfe cannot by his Ministery be the instrument of the conversion of another he would never have said of such men as these I doe rejoyce that Christ is preached by them yea and I will rejoyce in it On the otherside he that hath any true love or zeale of God in his heart cannot but grieve for the want of preaching that preaching should be hindred that good Preachers and such as God hath made able and willing to doe him and his Church service should have cause to complaine as Paul doth 1 Thes. 2.18 that Satan hinders them No good man will rejoyce in this but grieve and mourne for it It is said of out blessed Saviour Mat. 9.36 that when he saw the multitude to be like sheep without Shepheards that the harvest was great and the labourers so few that there was such want of preachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Holy Ghost his bowels eraned in him with inward griefe and compassion of their misery And which of us should not desire to be affected as our blessed Saviour was When Eliah would give unto the Lord himselfe a reason of that griefe and passion he was in which made him weary of his life he alleadgeth this for one chiefe cause of it and healledgeth it twice in that one Chapter 1 King 19.10.14 They have slaine thy prophets with the sword and it was a death to the good man to thinke of that Fourthly and lastly He that hath the spirit of Christ in him will rejoyce to see the Ministery of the word fruitfull in them that doe enjoy it and powerfull to bring them to the obedience of it when it goeth forth conquering men and to conquer more as it was Revel 6.2 said to doe in the primitive Church in those Apostolicall times This made Paul to rejoyce and praise God for the Thessalonians 1 Thes. 1.5 6. For our Gospell came not to you in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost and yee became followers of us and of the Lord. This is that that every good heart ought to desire and begge of God not only that the word of the Lord may have a free course but also that it may be glorified as the Apostle speaketh 2 Thes. 3.1 that it may have good successe and prosper in that that God sent it for that is to reforme the hearts and lives of men He that hath any true love or zeale of God in him will rejoyce to see this When the