but a sauour of death vnto death to him Secondlie hee may goe farre in faith he may beleeue the word beleeue the promises of the Gospell beleeue Christ died for sinners yea and hope he is one of them that Christ died for yet profit him nothing Thirdlie he may goe farre in repentance for he may confesse his sinnes he may feele prickes in his conscience hee may haue a sorrow in his heart for them he may weepe and shed teares for them yea hee may promise to amend yea make some satisfaction for wrongs done yet bee farre from saluation Fourthly he may goe farre in outward shew of an holy life he may be a iust dealer an ordinarie goer to the Church a good pay-master a releeuer of the poore a bountifull housekeeper yet in the end for all these you may goe to hell Reason A reason of this doctrine that hypocrites can goe so farre in these is because it pleaseth him verie well to make a faire shew for that vsuallie they bee grounded vpon worldly causes that likes him well as praise of men or pleasure or profit and gaine and the diuell will be readie to flatter him perswading him hee must needes be saued for that there be many that hope of saluation that come short of his estate Vse 3 Now let vs see what vse we are to make of this duty And first it teacheth vs not to content our selues with outward shewes nor inward motions vnlesse they proceed from the spirit of sanctification And that this may bee the more profitable to vs I will handle two things The first to set some differences betweene such as may haue the foure former gifts yet not bee sanctified vnto them Secondly to set downe foure sanctified graces which no reprobate can attaine vnto For the first 1. You haue heard how hee may be called and what therein he may performe but here he failes hee cannot yeeld willing obedience to all the commandements of God his calling is not effectuall to worke in loue to all an obedience to all he will dispence with some Secondlie you heard how farre he may goe in faith But the elect goe not only so far but they goe further which hee wanteth and that is an assured perswasion in his heart that the promises of the Gospell speciallie doe belong to him and that Christ died for him and he applies him with all the benefits of his passion to him and to his saluation This is not tasting of Christ and his merits but it is feeding on them and so are nourished to saluation Thirdly you heard how farre they may goe in repentance but they want the pith and the marrow of true repentance and they faile speciallie in three things The first is in the ground of true repentance The reprobate he euer lookes vpon the shame and punishment his sinne will bring him vnto but the elect hee looks euer to the losse of Gods fauor and loue towards him The one lookes vpon himselfe distressed the other looketh on God offended The second is they faile in the purpose For the purpose and promise of amendment of the hypocrite is but in his tongue by which hee will promise much Psalm 78.34 As the Prophet saith You saied you would not transgresse but yet you offer to your idols and grieue me with your sinnes And the like the Prophet Dauid saith of the Israelites in the Psalmes When he slew them they sought him c. vers 36. But it followes presentlie But they flattered him with their mouth and dissembled with him with their tongue But the purpose of the other is not so much in his tongue as in his heart hee doth carrie an vnfained purpose in his heart to amend and hee doth endeuour in his life neuer to fall into the like sinnes which before hee did liue in The third is they faile in the time The time of an hypocrite is for a fit like a morning dew For when God remooues his punishment from them they presentlie remooue their repentance from him but the time of the other is daily and continueth yea euerie day they make it a day of repentance And as they doe renew their sinnes so doe they renew their repentance Fourthly you heard how farre the hypocrite might goe in outward shew of sanctitie and holinesse of life But the elect contents not himselfe with outward shewes to men but labours and striues that his secret actions may be aswell approoued vnto God as his outward actions with men And thereupon is as fearefull to commit sinne in secret as openlie yea as fearefull to commit sinne in his secret closet as in the open market place Now followes the second thing viz. To set you downe foure principall sanctified graces by the which euerie one of vs may iudge of his estate to saluation The first is hee will suffer no sinne to raigne and to domineere in him that is he will not liue with delight and willing consent in any one sinne whatsoeuer be it neuer so pleasurable or profitable to him And this is commonlie in euery man that is not regenerate They haue the seede of Gods spirit in them therefore they can commit no such sinne They may sinne of ignorance yea of knowledge and of presumption but yet it shall haue no dominion ouer them they lie not in it or delight in it but trauell and take no rest till they be at peace with God in their hearts by prayer and doe not giue ouer till they feele assurance of pardon The second is an holie combat and fight for theelect are partlie flesh and partly spirit and these two are as opposit as light and darkenesse still striuing and fighting in the regenerate to get the victorie I grant there is a kind of combat and strife in the vnregenerat man but that is betweene the heart and conscience vpon the committing some grosse sinne but the other is betweene the mind and the mind the will and the will the affection and the affections the regenerate part against the vnregenerate part and this daily vpon the temptation of any sinne And this is perceiued by their carriage both before the sinne in the temptation of it in the act of sinning and after the sin committed Before the sinne haled and pulled to it their wil partlie vnwilling and partly willing the mind partly set on it and partly set against it the affections partly liking of it and partlie hating it Now if the vnregenerate part get the victorie and they fall into the act of sinning they find a terror and feare and a very vnwillingnesse in it So the act being committed as you heard before they hasten out of it hee gets him into one corner or other he cries he weepes he sighes he grones that he hath offended so louing a father entreating God that he will aide him by his spirit so as hee neuer fall into the like againe The third is that vpon any correcting hand of God vpon them and
congregation Answ For answere But tell me hast thou satisfied God by repentance Hast thou runne to him and intreated him in Christ Iesus to bee satisfied I tell thee penance in the Church will not keepe thee out of hell till Gods anger bee appeased and it is only Christ that must appease him and it must be faith and repentance in thee that must be the meanes to obtaine it Obiect Others obiect I meane to marrie her and so to make her an amends Answ For answere Say thou doest meane so I denie not but it is a thing both lawfull and fit to be so But yet till there haue been repentance wrought in thee for this grieuous sinne Gods wrath and Gods curse will follow thee at the heeles Yea I say further that after thou hast married her till there be a reconciliation betweene God and thee al the time thou hast liued in marriage thou hast liued a fornicator Is there any here who are priuie in their consciences they haue abused their bodies with their wiues before the solemnising of Wedlocke and entrance into that holy ordinance and couenant of God hast thou repented hast thou been grieued from thy heart then no doubt thou hast obtained pardon But if thou haue felt no griefe no sorrow no humbling no teares but made account all is well and healed by mariage know thou and know thou againe God will one day call thee to a new reckoning and will take vengeance on thee in the depth of hell Vse 3 A third vse hereof is to such Magistrates as be put in trust for the punishing of this sinne that they looke vnto it better then they haue done and that they let it not goe so slenderly punished or not punished at all as many of them do It is to be lamented at this day to heare what winking what bribing there is to maintaine this sinne Yea it is to bee feared that there bee many frenchhoods and veluets coates maintained by this sinne Yea experience doth shew vs and by experience I speake it how readie many will bee to ride and run to Iustices of peace and Ecclesiasticall courtes to speake and to countenance out a common fornicator and an adulterer when the same parties in case of wrong done to an honest man will not set their foote out of the dore to speake a word to doe him any good Can the Lord forbeare long to punish vs when this sinne amongst other sinnes cries loud in the Lords eares for vengeance No no as the Prophet saith Ierem. 5.9 Hee will visit for these things and his soule will be auenged vpon such a nation Or prophane person as Esau Text. Now followes the other sinne he dehorts and drawes them from which is prophanenesse And because there were diuers did make light account of it and many others that did not know what it meant he sets downe an example of a man hated of God before he was borne and being dead is as it were hung vp for a spectacle for all prophane men to looke on set out in the booke of Genesis the 25.27.28 Chapters And hence before wee proceed to the opening of the storie we are to obserue something in that the holie Ghost sets before vs the example of a prophane man Doct. 3 A principall end and drift why the holy Spirit of God sets before vs examples in the old Testament as well as in the New is not so much that men should read them as stories or therein see the seueritie of God to others but for spectacles and examples to vs that wee should take heed of their sinnes that moue the Lord to lay such punishments vpon them The Apostle to the Corinthians hauing set downe the rebellion of the Israelites together with their punishment 1. Cor. 10 6-11 presently telles the end and vse of such examples which was his seueritie to them and to bee warnings to vs as appeareth in the eleuenth verse So the Apostle Iude telles vs that Sodom and Gomorah and the cities about them which the Lord destroyed for following strange flesh were and are set foorth for a warning and example to all filthie and beastly minded men So that so long as there is a people vpon the earth so long hath the Lord set downe in scripture examples of his wrath to forewarne them of the like seueritie against them And wee see that diuers for some horrible offences are hung vp in chaines not onely to shew the kings seueritie against them or for men to stand gazing vpon them but for warnings to all his subiects to take heed they runne not into the like offence lest they incurre the like punishment And therefore for murtherers the Lord hath Gen. 4. as it were hung vp Cain for prophanenesse Gen. 27. Numb 16. Esau for murmurers against God and his Ministers he hath proposed Coreh Dathan and Abiram Iudas to all Traitors Lots wife for all Apostataes These and many more are set forth for examples to vs. These and many more are not pictures of Gods anger onely hung vp to be gazed vpon but to warne vs by their examples of the sinnes Reason There are diuers reasons to bee shewed of this doctrine but in that my time is so neere spent I will content my selfe with one which is Because God is not mutable but the same God to vs as to them and as hee hath left them for examples to vs so he can leaue vs for examples to others If hee doe not wee are the more bound to him and not to abuse his patience and long-suffering to vs but rather to meete him in time by repentance The vse hereof serues to teach vs what vse we should make in reading the stories of Gods iudgements vpon others in the booke of God not so much to wonder at them that they had no better grace or to admire the seueritie of the Lord against them but to applie it to our selues and to say in our hearts This example is set out to warne me to teach me that if I commit the like sinne I may feare the like punishment or worse Which reprooues specially two sorts of men at this day 1. Sort. The one is such as in reading diuers chapters of the Lords iust iudgement against diuers nations cities Kings Priests men women children for their sinnes committed against him make light account of them as if it no whit concerned them though their consciences condemne them of the like sinne They read the storie of Esau Gen. 27. and of Gods wrath against him for his prophanenesse yet though they know in their hearts they set more by their pleasure then by preaching by their gaine then by godlines by their pottage then by religion yet it neuer so much as mooues them at al. So againe how many doe read the storie of Lots wife Gen. 19.26 who for her looking backe was turned into a monument of Gods anger yet themselues are priuy of the decay
of their first loue and with Demas haue embraced the world and yet are no whit dismaied at al Look vpon her all you that are priuie to your selues and guiltie of blacksliding in your zeale and loue to the Gospell She was turned into a pillar of salt and remaineth a spectacle of Gods vengeance for al such as thou art She was turned into a durate substance without speedie repentance hee will turne thee into a heauie iudgement and that is hardnes of heart which is harder then salt for it is the plague of all plagues You then that of religious seruants are become irreligious masters you that are priuie to your hearts that 10.20.30 yeeres agone you were more forward and zealous in Gods worship and now are decaied and cold looking backe to the pleasures and profits of this world looke one Lots wife shee as it were hangs in chaines for a wofull spectacle to behold Let her moue you to labour to recouer that you haue lost lest the Lord make you spectacles to others as she is made a spectacle to you And for this citie and others is Ierusalem in the Scripture to bee a perpetuall example her special sinnes were pride contempt of Gods word and abuse of Gods Prophets Her doome is recorded for England and for thee London whose pride is as great if not greater then euer hers was And for whose contempt and abuse of Gods Ministers it is a wonder the Lord smites not the land Let vs all then hereafter in reading stories of the Lords iudgements on others make them examples and warnings for vs else to make account the same God that was reuenged on them will not let vs escape The second sort that this doctrine reprooueth 2. Sort. are such as in setting their children to read in the Lords booke they heare the storie of Lots drunkennesse of Dauids adultery of Peters deniall and thereby they doe blesse themselues and strengthen and comfort their hearts yea they haue learned to alleage them as examples to extenuate their sinnes Am I a drunkard so was that good man Lot Am I an adulterer saies another so was that man after Gods owne heart Dauid Shall I despaire of my saluation saies the wicked persister in sinne and I reade the theefe repented on the crosse and found mercie at the last houre O vile wretches who hath bewitched you to peruert Gods word to your destruction It is as much as to poison thy soule Looke on their repentance Lot fell of infirmitie and no doubt repented with much griefe yet looke vpon Gods iudgement vpon that incestuous seed Looke vpon Dauid reade the 38. Psalme it made him goe crooked his sinnes were as fire in his bones he had not a good day to his death but the griefe of his sinnes made him to roare out Thou wouldest be loth to buy thy sinne as he did And as for the example of the theefe First the Lord knocked but once by one sermon and he repented but thou hast had many sermons and hast had many callings and cryings to thee yet repented not Secondly this is an extraordinary example and there is not the like in all the Scripture againe And the end is that thereby wee should neither despaire nor presume one that wee should not despaire and but one that we shuld not presume This example is for all penitent sinners who vpon their repentance may assure themselues the Lord will receiue them to mercy Now if thou canst promise to thy selfe the same repentance and faith in Christ that hee had then maiest thou promise thy selfe the same felicitie hee now enioyes But looke thou on his fellow who had no grace to repent and who hangs as an example to all impenitent wretches to looke vpon that they despise not the mercie of God nor reiect his call by vs lest it come to passe that when thou wouldest repent thou canst not To thee that doest strengthen thy selfe in thy sinne vpon presumption of mercie to other Deut. 29.19.20 I referre thee to the words that the Lord himselfe speakes Deut. 29.19.20 He that when he heareth the words of the curse blesseth himselfe in his heart saying I shall haue peace though I do walke according to the stubbornenesse of mine owne heart thus adding drunkennesse to thirst the Lord will not be mercifull vnto him but the wrath of the Lord and his ielousie shall smoake against that man and euery curse that is written in this Booke shall light vpon him c. Looke thou on this and the like threatnings of God against such as strengthen their hearts in their sinne Thus much at this time being loth to be ouertroublesome referring the rest till euening Prayer Let vs pray for a blessing vpon that wee haue been taught FINIS THE SECOND SERMON HEBREVVES 12.16.17 Let there bee no fornicator or prophane person as Esau which for one portion c. YOu haue heard in the forenoone beloued in Christ the summe and drift the holy Ghost aimes at which is a certaine dehortation therein disswading euerie good Christian from two great vices which hee calles by the names of the rootes of bitternesse which are Fornication and prophanenesse Of the one we haue spoken it now resteth we speak of the other vice hee disswades them from And because I suppose the most of you were present in the forenoone I will not stand to make any large repetition of that which was then handled but onely of so much as may make a better preparation to that which shall be now deliuered You must note that the holy Ghost in his dehortation from this sinne of Prophanenesse propounds Esau the elder sonne of Isaac for an example and hauing set downe the vse and end euery one should make in the reading of such examples of Gods seuerity in scripture and not to take the name of God in vaine by either lightly passing by them as making no vse at all or else abusing them to strengthen themselues in their sinnes by the example of the Lords mercie on others wee proceeded no further in the morning Now I come to that which followeth which is the person that is set foorth as an example to all prophane men It is Esau as you haue heard the eldest sonne of Isaac And this may seeme very strange that Esau should be a man hated of God before he was borne and that he should bee hung vp as an example to all prophane men to take warning by First he was honourablie descended for Abraham was his grandfather and Isaac was his father Secondly hee was a man whom God had blessed with great riches and one of the wealthiest in all the countrie Thirdly we doe read of great blessings to his posteritie Gen. 36.41 for of him came fourteene Dukes and were in great account Yea further if yee read in the booke of Genesis of his cariage and behauiour you shall find hee had diuers good morall vertues and kind partes in him and such as I
am in doubt many of vs come short of and yet perswade our selues to be good Christians First you haue not read a more louing kind and gentler sonne to his father then he was and his father againe loued him dearely and more dearelie then hee did Iacob Gem. 33.4 Secondly how kind was hee to his brother who though he went with a full purpose to haue slaine him yet meeting of him his heart so melted that he fell on his necke and kissed him yea his kindnes was such to his father that hearing of his death Gen. 25.19 came many a mile to performe his last dutie and to see him buried and laid him in his graue yet wee reade him branded for a castaway Againe was hee a couetous man truelie no Gen. 33.8.9 as may appeare in the storie when he met his brother Iacob who offering him a great present he did refuse it protesting hee had enough which did argue a mind void of couetousnesse Was he proud no verily for as we reade when his brother and hee could no longer dwell together he in courtesie gaue place to his youngest brother What was his sinne was he a drunkard an adulterer an vsurer We doe not reade that hee did liue in any of these grosse sinnes What then was his sinne He was a prophane man and therefore hated of God and set vp for a spectacle to all the world From whence wee may obserue for our instruction Doct. 4 Howeuer a man may haue many temporall blessings and morall vertues yet being a prophane man it is not only sufficient to bring seuere punishments vpon him but he carries a principall brand of a castaway I say againe and marke it though a man be come of a most honorable descent though kind and dutifull to his parents though rich and wealthy in regard of the things of this life yea though hee be contented and be very humble outwardly yet if he be prophane he may carry the very brand of a reprobate So that it is one of the greatest sinnes in the world to be prophane and irreligious yea many papists I meane the simple and ignorant Papist are in better case then a prophane man Not that I teach that euery one shall bee saued by his owne religion for as there is but one true God so there is but one true way by which he will be worshipped and by which we shall attaine to saluation consisting in true reconciling of vs to God in Christ And I grant the poore deceaued Papist is not in the right way for he seekes other waies and depriues himselfe of the righteousnes of God in Christ going about to establish his owne inuentions And further they be Idolaters and worship stockes and stones the worke of mens hands therefore cannot looke to be saued in this way Yet I sa yt here is more hope that God will shew mercie vnto them then to a prophane person because they doe it of ignorance he of presumption which caused Peter to tell the Iewes that they were capable of mercie Act. 17.3 because they did it of ignorance And this must mooue vs to hope well of many of our ancestors who liued and died in the time of Poperie who no doubt would not haue so beleeued if they had knowne it not to haue been the truth which they professed But the prophane person cannot bee ignorant but that his course of life is sinne therefore more hope of such ignorant persons then of the prophane Atheist It is not morall vertues ciuill honestie kind natures that is the way to heauen Nay a man with these may be a miserable man except he be sanctified with religion Wee doe not hold as the Papists falsely charge vs that good workes are needelesse to saluation Iam. 2.14 For wee both know and teach that faith without good workes is dead and it is a shame if Christians exceed not worldlings yet we say that all morall vertues in a man without religion are vnauaileable to saluation and as Salomon saith in another case they are as a ring of gold in a swines snout Honestie and ciuilitie are most pretious Iewels but they that haue them without religion are no better then swine Example of Nicodemus Iohn 3.3 who was accounted a most honest man in the world an vpright dealer a common frequenter of the Temple liberall to the poore c. yet our Sauiour told him it was not his kind nature nor his morall vertues nor his ciuill carriage would bring him to heauen except hee were regenerate and borne anew that is except there were another nature wrought in him and so become religious The like example wee haue of the Apostle Paul who bragges of his estate by nature Phil. 3 4.5.6.7.8 saying that no man could boast of outward things as he either of stocke tribe kinred zeale or righteousnesse of the law Of the which hee saies he was vnrebukeable that is no man could iustly detect him or say so much as blacke was his eie But when the Lord wrought true religion in his heart hee cries shame on them all and accounts all but dung in respect of the benefit that comes by religion Wee must not flatter our hearts with outward ciuilitie amongst men but labour to approue them religious towards God It is not our care and conscience of the second Table will afford vs one iot of comfort to saluation except they bee grounded on conscience and respect of the first Table It is not our detesting and freedome from pride drunkennesse whoredome theft vsurie slandering that will bee accepted of God except there be planted in our hearts a feare of God a loue to religion a conscience of sanctifying the Sabbath day a reforming of families and instructing our children a hating and abhorring the sinne of swearing and departing from infidelitie impenitencie and hardnesse of heart which the Lord by his spirit workes in those that hee makes religious Yea if all the morall vertues that can be possible were in a man yet if these bee wanting Matth. 22.38 hee is a prophane man and remaineth in the case of damnation To this end our Sauiour calles the first table the first and the greatest The first because it must bee preferred in the first place and chiefe roome before our eating sleeping marrying rising labour c. there must goe some part and duety of the first table The greatest because the punishment thereof will be greater then the other Vse Now for the vse of this First it teacheth vs to make triall in our hearts whether wee bee infected with this sinne of prophanenesse or not And though there bee many and sundrie signes to trie our hearts by yet I will content my selfe with foure things besides the chiefest of all which followes in the next words to bee spoken of which the holy Ghost hath set out and branded Esau withall The first is his behauiour in the matching himselfe in marriage wherein he shewed his
no better grace but to sell away their birthright Vse 2 A second vse hereof serues for an admonition to you all to take heed you harbour not this sin lest you come to see it with griefe shame when it is too late To thee then that art priuie to thine heart thou preferrest this day the selling of thy worldly commodities in thy shop or the working secretlie in thine house as too many of you doe of thy trade and occupation before the holy assemblies I tell thee accursed is that gaine so gotten Take heed of three dangerous enemies to draw thee to prophanenesse The first is carnal reason which will labour to withdraw thee from loue and delight in religion putting into thy mind that as there is nothing gotten by being religious so there is much danger gotten by being too forward The second is the world which will labour to perswade thee from being too precise and forward in running to Sermons for it will hinder thee of much pleasure and profit that otherwise thou mightest haue yea and if thou looke not to it in time it will bring thee to beggerie And that it is the propertie of an Infidell not to prouide for wife and children This is a dangerous enemie and doth preuaile with many The third enemy is irreligious friends the neerer the worse A religious young man cannot haue a greater enemie to draw him to prophanenesse then an irreligious father or mother or brother or sister A religious husband cannot haue a more pestilent enemie to coole his zeale and loue to religion then an irreligious wife Set downe this for a certaintie you that bee religious that your greatest enemies shall be those of your owne house that be irreligious Vse 3 A third vse hereof is to encourage vs all to goe on boldlie in our profession notwithstanding the scoffes and taunts wee shall haue of prophane men Oh let them alone this is their time for howsoeuer now they doe laugh at vs to see vs to lose so much pleasure and profit as they thinke we might get yet a day wil come the Lord himselfe will laugh at them to see their follie Prou. 1.24 To thee that scornest and mockest at such as serue the Lord in sinceritie of heart If a man should call thee villaine and foole thou wouldest be angrie Iob 30.8 but the holy man Iob saies thou art so and all such as thou art Of all the markes of a castaway one of them is to bee tainted with the sinne of scorning at a godly man for his seruice to God Gen. 21.9 It was the marke that Ismael was branded withall and sent him to hell because he was a mocker of Isaac I tell thee God accounts he hath no greater enemies then such As example of the messengers that came from Ahaziah 2. King 9.10.11.12 who in mocking sort flouted the Prophet calling him in scorne man of God but were punished with fire from heauen The like wee reade of 42. children that were deuoured of two beares for mocking Elisha the Lords Prophet But hearken thou what the Lord saith which is Deut. 32.41 That he will whet his glittering sword and his hand shall take hold on iudgement and execute vengeance on his enemies and will reward them that hate me Amongst which enemies in one of the chiefest number he accounts a scorner Text. He was reiected for he found no place c. Now followes the second degree of his punishment which is how he labours to obtaine it againe yea he goes so farre that he weepes for the losse of it yet all in vaine Doct. Whence wee are to obserue for our instruction that many a ciuill man may go very farre in outward signes and shew of repentance yet liue hated of God This lesson is well to be marked of vs because there be many at this day which liue amongst vs who if they can performe any outward shew of repentance as to sigh or grone and specially to shed teares doe thinke they haue waded farre in repentance But wee must learne that it is not outward shewes will serue for reprobates may goe farre in shewes of saluation yet shall come short and neuer obtaine it Gen. 37 34-38 Consider of Esau in seeking the blessing hee went to his father hee fell vpon his knees he cried out for very griefe he was ashamed hee had so lightlie and at such a rate passed away his birth-right hee wept hee shed teares Who would haue thought but this repentance had been sound Did either Marie or Peter or the theefe in outward shew goe any further or much beyond him Yet theirs was true repentance and accepted of God but his was counterfet and hee and it both reiected Example we haue of Orpah the sister of Ruth Ruth 1 7-14 how she went far in shew she leaues her countrie she trauels along she weepes aswell as Ruth yet in the end a few words and reasons perswade her to turne backe so there are many can make a faire shew in matters of faith and repentance but either carnall reasons or irreligious friends or one thing or other drawes them quite away This appeares in that vnpardonable sin Heb. 6.4 where is shewed how first they may be illightned with vs indued with knowledge and vnderstanding of the word that hath been preached vnto them Secondly they may taste of the heauenly gift that is Luke 8.13 they may gladly receiue the word and reioyce in it as our Sauiour describes in the parable of the seed cast into stony ground Thirdly they may be partakers of the holy Ghost that is of diuers graces of the Spirit as namely lightned with knowledge and ioy in their vnderstanding as also of gifts of preaching of tongues and the like Fourthlie they may taste of the good word of God that is they may not only know God by the law which is fearefull to the sinner but by a more sweet vnderstanding of the Gospell which saith Come vnto mee all yee that trauell and be heauie laden so calling it the good word of God as that glad tidings of saluation Fiftly they may taste of the powers of the world to come that is they may know and confesse that the end of the Gospell is eternall life to all that faithfully beleeue and liue in it Thus may wee see how farre such a one as may commit the sinne against the holy Ghost may goe and make shew in the way of saluation Mark 6.20 Another example wee haue in Herod who is said to heare Iohn Baptist yea farther he heard him gladlie yea hee did reuerence him yea which is more hee reformed many things by his preaching to him that before were amisse yet cast away and forsaken of God So a verie castaway may goe farre in many things As first in his calling he may heare the word he may vnderstand it assent to it ioy in it practise some duties commaunded by it yet to be
euen then when hee punisheth sore whereby he seemes to frowne vpon them they can run to him in prayer and make their mone to him as example of Dauid who cries out O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger Psalm 6.1 neither chasten mee in thy displeasure though the Lord seeme to bee angrie by afflicting of them yet they runne to him as to a father It grieues them to see their father displeased being like to a louing sonne who grieues to see his father angrie yea euery wrinkle in his fathers browe makes him to feare yet so as that that is grounded on loue and therefore runnes vpon his knees to him for pardon So is it with Gods children though their father chastise them with heauie and bitter afflictions yet they run to their father with this perswasion that though they haue failed in the dutie of a sonne yet he cannot faile in the affection of a father Contrarie to this the hypocrite and vnregenerat man vnder Gods heauy hand vpon him or his wife children goods c. he runs from God fleeing from him as from a tyrant and betakes him to his monie friends sports merrie companions yea to witches coniurers wizards or any vnlawfull course if they haue hope of reliese The fourth is a ioy and delight to meete the Lord in those places and by those meanes hee doth vsuallie meete his in It is true Gods presence is in all places but yet he is said to be more ordinarie present in those places where is word is preached where there are holy and religious exercises of praver meditations conference of scripture singing of Psalmes or the like Indeede hypocrites will come to Church but it is not with ioy and with delight it is not of conscience to meete the Lord to hearken what hee saith vnto them and to put it in practise in their liues but rather some worldly busines driues them or for custome or neighborhood or to auoid the name of a Papist A second vse hereof serues for the reproofe of two sorts of hypocrites and first Those who take themselues good Christians and in good state if they liue a ciuill life especially if they can make a faire shew of louing religion and can talke of it though their conscience accuse them of some sin they doe liue in and they can say to themselues as Lot said by Zoar Oh is it not a little one Gen. 19. But hearken to me thou that thinkest it a small matter to liue in one I tel thee liue and die impenitent in the one and it will be thy destructiō Did not Herod make outward shew of many things yet because he would not leaue the one sin of incest God cast him off and reiected him I tell thee one hole in a ship will in a short time sinke the whole ship Tell me thou that with thy outward holines liuest an vsurer a drunkard a carelesse wreth darest drink but one dram of poison so one raging sinne will bring thee to hell The second sort are those who hauing sinned and liue in some raging sinne yet if they can now and then thrust out a few teares thinke it good repentance and haue repēted in an high degree But alas they be much peceiued for their teares bee but hypocriticall And that appeares in that either they bee shed in aduersitie as were Sauls Iudas Esaus or else in the congregation at the sermons as hypocrites do but in their closets or in secret they cannot shed one teare I tell thee deceiue not thy selfe for teares be no more signes of true repentance then are words Text. He was reiected Now followes the third degree of his punishment which is that hauing set the time of mercie so light hee is now denied though hee vseth meanes to obtaine it The date is out at the glasse is run therefore no meanes will preuaile Doct. 8 Whence wee doe learne that such as by their prophanenesse doe wilfully refuse the offer of Gods mercie and doe preferre their pleasures and profits before it may run so farre that all the meanes they can vse shal neuer obtaine mercie at the hands of God I say as there is a time in which the Lord will wooe vs yea he sends his Ministers to entreate vs Hosea 6.4 yea he will chide and expostulate the matter with vs why wee will not accept of his mercie so there is and will be a time that after the refusing of grace and contemning of mercie offered the Lord will shut vp and bolt vp the gate of mercie so as he will not be entreated at our hands any more Psalm 95.7.8 This is prooued to vs by the Prophet Dauid in one of the Psalmes where hee exhorts the people that they will take and accept of the time the Lord offers them lest it come to passe by their contempt and refusing the time of grace the Lord cast them off and reiect them I denie not but that in respect of vs til God haue manifested his wil there is hope but in respect of Gods secret decree the time of Gods mercie may bee out euen during this life therefore when mercie is offered we must take heed wee wilfully contemne it not lest we prouoke the Lord to be gone and vtterlie reiect vs. One of the fearefullest signes of a castaway is to delay and put off the Lords gratious offer of mercie as wee reade of Pharaoh Exod. 8.9.10 who when Moses offered himselfe to pray to the Lord for him he put it off till the next morrow so hee that hath the graces and mercies of God offered to him to day and puts them off from his youth to his age and from his old daies to his death-bed may iustly feare an vtter reiection euen then when he hopes of most comfort For the further pressing this doctrine on our consciences let vs obserue some places of Scripture And first let vs see what the Lord saith to such as despise Wisdomes call being of three sorts The first that like fooles content themselues with ignorance The second that scoffe at the Lords offer by his seruants The third which are carried away by their owne lusts Because I haue called and yee refused Prou. 1.24 I haue stretched out mine hand and none would regard Verse 28. And then shall they call vpon me but I will not answere they shall seeke me earelie but they shall not find me Noting that as they refused the time in which he called so they should call in hope of mercie but they should not obtaine The like we reade how the Prophet Esay calling Ierusalem to repentance in sackcloth and ashes for their sins Esay 22.12.13 she fell to sporting and feasting despising the Lords message and offer of grace by his Prophet what came of it you may reade presently that their contempt comming to the Lords eares he answeres Surely Vers 14. this iniquitie shall not be purged from you till yee die saith the
very senselesse creatures witnesse it against whom timber stones lands bands monie doe crie apace for vengeance from God The third sinne is abuse of the good creatures God hath ordained for our nourishment by drunkennesse gluttonie c. Yea how rageth the sinne of drunkennesse in this Citie your owne consciences bee iudge How many wretched men powre the good creatures of God downe their throats into their bellies as a man should powre it into a â—un and that vpon their knees as it were asking Gods curse vpon them for the same And let vs proceed to the next punishment namely the plague Plague which you know in this Citie the Lord hath of late visited you withall and in very short space took away to the number of fortie thousand But what profit hath followed hereof amongst you a man cannot perceiue any sinne reformed Would you know the vsuall sinnes procure this they are speciallie foure The first is whoredome and adulterie of which this Citie is horriblie infected and for which it is no maruell though the Lord continue his striking hand among you The second is secrecie of sinne some defending sin some outfacing sinne some pleading for sinne some buying sinne some selling sinne Oh Lord who sees not our land besotted in this for what small conscience is made of any sinne that may be kept from the eies of men hauing no respect to the eies of God! The third is securitie in sinne And this cannot bee denied amongst vs as appeares by our groping after our sinnes with the Sodomites euen then when Gods hand is vpon vs. The fourth is vnworthie comming to the Lords Table 1. Cor. 11.30 a sinne common amongst vs and no sinne lesse accounted of For come to many on their deathbeds you shall heare them to confesse they haue been drunkards whoremongers vsurers couetous enuious c. but you shall neuer heare them confesse their vnworthie comming to the Lords Table And yet this sinne hath brought Gods hand on them aboue the rest And for the third punishment Sword viz. the sword a punishment long threatned to vs and of which long sithence wee had tasted of had not the Lord in mercie kept vs from it which is strange Deut. 32.41 considering our land swarmes with those sinnes that doe daily whet the Lords glittering sword to strike vs And they are specially three The first is pride in apparrell Esa 3 16-25 which the Prophet Esay told the Iewes would bring the sword vpon them Which sinne who sees not that euen this Citie is so infected withall that were not the Lord patient it could not choose but haue brought the sword long ere this day The heads and backes of women who are as proud as their husbands are couetous crie to the Lord for reuenge The second is hollow-harted repentance Hos 7 14-16 For which sinne the Prophet Hosea tels Israel Because in their shew of repentance they cried not to the Lord in their hearts when they houled on their beds they should fall by the sword And how hollow-hearted our repentance hath been appeares plainely by the want of the reforming of our grosle sinnes that ouerspread the land The third is the contempt of Gods Ministers as appeares in the second booke of the Chronicles where the Lord telles Ierusalem 2. Chron. 36.16.17 Because she did mocke his messengers and despise their admonitions and withall misused them he would bring the sword of the Chaldeans vpon them and would spare neither young man nor virgin ancient nor old God gaue all to the sword And how can we looke God should keepe the sword away when his seruants are thus hardlie entreated Nay I appeale to your harts if at this day many be not at more quiet and find more fauour that commit sinne then those that zealouslie reprooue sinne Yea how are these daies to be lamented when many vile notorious wretches and base drunken companions doe abuse the Lords Ministers I tell you plaine it is a generall complaint of all the faithfull Ministers in the land of their disgrace and discouragement they be offered in their Ministerie If we were many of vs either Lawyers or Physitians you would honour and reuerence vs but in that wee bee the Lords Ministers wee bee hated and abused Yea many account no better of vs but as their drudges to burie the dead to christen their children and to church their wiues as they terme it yea a rare thing to find one sound sincere louer of Gods word and Gods Minister And further who liues so quiet and at ease in the Ministerie as those that lead thousands to hel who liues more merrier then hee that hath gotten two or three benefices and dischargeth none of them Who liues more in the pleasure of the world and bee so fatted vp that their eies are readie to start out of their heads then such as preach by deputies And yet these carrie the honour and applause of the people when the faithfull Minister finds course entertainement And what shall let the Lord to execute vengeance vpon vs and to make his arrowes drunke with our blood Deut. 32.42 Seest not these things shame will follow thee Grieuest thou not at it woe wil ouertake thee The Lord Iesus open our harts to accept of his offered mercy giuevs grace to meete him betimes by repentance lest his wrath break out on vs like fire there be none to quench it Vse 2 A second vse hence we should make is for reproofe of many who post off the time of the Lords offer till age sicknes death of these there are specially two sorts The first sort 1. Sort. are such as plead the sweete promises of the Gospell At what time soeuer a sinner doth repent c. Come to me all yee that trauaile and are heauie laden and I will refresh you To the which I answere It is true and most true But to whom are these promises made and to what sinners They bee made to all repentant sinners that turne to the Lord with all their hearts But thou art an vnrepentant wretch and continuest in thy sinnes therefore these comfortable promises belong not to thee And what sinners doth he bid come to him those that be wearie and heauie laden that is whole sinnes pinch and wound them at the heart and withall desire to be eased of the burden thereof Therefore take no occasion to presume of the promises of the Gospell vnlesse thou turne from thy euill waies and repent of thy sinnes they belong nothing to thee The second sort are such 2. Sort. as doe alleage the example of the theese conuerted at the houre of his death presuming they shall find the like mercie To which I answere this was an extraordinarie example and the Lord hath set out but one and yet one But one that no man must presume by this example For what mad man will spurre his horse till hee speake because Baalam did so
whē he had gotten thirtie pence for a kisse but when hee came to see that he had sold his saluation for mony he was so wounded in his conscience Mar. 27.34.5 that hee could not rest till hee had bought a halter and hanged himselfe And so will bee the state of all prophane men when the crust of their conscience is remooued and they come to see their wofull change Prou. 6.33 they shall find as the holy Ghost faith in the case of adulterers he shall find a wound in his soule that without repentance shall neuer be put out The reasons hereof are Reas 1 First because the noblest parts of their soules are drowned their iudgements their minds their willes and affections all which time their conscience lies asleepe But when God either by his word or iudgements awakes them their conscience starts vp and flies in their faces and they say to their sinne 1. King 21.20 as Ahab said to Eliah Hast thou found me O thou mine enemie And so howeuer men can so lightlie sell away Gods blessings at so base a rate yet the sinne of prophanenesse will find them out in the end Reas 2 A second reason hereof is Iudg. 17. because hereby God will haue thē to iustifie him in his iudgements and say with Adonibezek that God hath iustly rewarded thē for their prophanenesse And how doth this daily fall out in many who in time of Gods hand on them crie out vpon the losse of time that they had no better grace then to sell away their soules for pleasure idlenesse pastime and vanitie Yea is it not the crie of all condemned persons vpon the gallowes to crie out of their graceles prophaning the Lords Sabbath Psalm 51.4 Thus will the Lord be iust when he speakes and pure when he iudgeth So that howeuer prophane men flatter themselues in their owne eies yea and pleade for their sinne Psalm 36.2 yet as the holy Ghost saith their iniquitie wil find them out And though they thinke that monie well gained and that time well spent that is gotten with the losse of godly exercises yet shall they come one day to iustifie the Lord when their prophanenesse shall find them out Let vs come to the vses to be made hence Vse 1 And first it serues for a terror to those that doe burie their soules in the things of this life as it is to be feared too many doe in this Citie who like Esau yea worse than Esau sell away in contempt many godly exercises on this day at a lower and baser rate than he solde his birth right he had some thing but they nothing but a little pleasure that God knoweth soone vanisheth away Iudas solde his Master for thirtie pence but there are many thirties in this Citie that will sell thirtie Sermons for lesse than thirtie pence Let vs come to a more neare examination of our selues and trie how guiltie wee are herein And this will appeare more plaine by setting down such things as laide open Esaus contempt of his birthright The first was his willingnesse to part from it and to bee without it hee neuer stood long debating the matter with his brother but well content to depart with it And so at this day amongst vs how many are there that willingly cheerefully can be content to be without the preaching of the word and shroud themselues where it is wanting how it stands with you be Iudge your selues But I know in diuers places of the Countrie many of our Gentlemen can well bee content to put vp with quarter sermons yea to starue their soules and commit the keeping of them to those who be more fitter for a beetle and a wedge then for any office in the Ministerie yea further they thinke too great a paines and too much toile to ride but two miles on the Lords day for the food of their soules when the same men cannot bee content vnlesse they haue two or three meales the same day for the pampering of their bodies let such know herein he shewes himselfe a prophane man The second thing Esau shewed his contempt in was his parting with it at so base a price For was it euer read of any the sold such a pretious treasure at so low a rate which was as before you haue heard the inheritance of his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham yea the holy and faithfull promises of God chiefly the kingdome of heauen and all for a messe of pottage We do greatlie wonder at this and no maruell Yet there are amongst vs that sell away the couenant and promises made to them in Iesus Christ at a lesse rate then a messe of pottage which they doe account a trifle And what canst thou make of thy pleasure pastime walking in the fields idlenesse sleeping and I tell thee they are farre worse then pottage in respect of heauenly things Is not this a wonderfull thing that men created after the image of God and specially to aduance his honor should no more esteeme of the precious pearles offered to them out of the Gospell then swine doe of Iewels like the Gadarens that esteeme more of their pigges then preaching And like little children that esteeme more their rattles and bables then they doe a bagge of gold As euen experience shewes in many in this your Citie that can walke in the streetes and by the Church doores and see the Preacher in the Pulpit yet in contempt can passe by preferring some worldlie matters before the pearle of the Gospell Obiect It may be some may obiect and say If they doe they be honest men they goe I warrant you about no vnhonest action Answ To which I answere Say they bee so and say they doe not So I may say that Esaus eating of his pottage was in it selfe no vnhonest or vnlawful act yet if with Esau they doe in their hearts preferre their walking or their busines before these holy meetings it argues their contempt to Gods ordinance and spots them with prophanenes The third thing wherein he shewed his contempt was the addition he made in parting with it which was that vpon the demand of Iacob his brother to him for it Why saies he Loe I am almost dead what is then this birthright to mee How like to this in effect are the speeches of many of our swaggerers at this day Come say they let vs bee merrie whilest wee may Sorrow hang sorrow when wee bee dead all the world is dead with vs. Another sort in seeing Christians out of an honest heart goe to the Church to heare the word which is the food of their soules let them take their Sermons to themselues and the diuell giue them good of them for I will haue my pleasure in despight of their hearts and I will take the time whilest I may But God will one day waken the consciences of such prophane men and it will wound and grieue them at their hearts that they had