Sodome and Gomorrah pierce the heavens with their crying sinnes oh know the heavens wil soone pierce them with showers of fire to destroy and burne them from the face of the earth yea if the whole world will conspire against God and rebell against his sacred Maiestie he will swallow them all up with a generall deluge and will only shew mercie to obedient Noah and his family Gen. 7.21 22. Oh then as the true sheepe of Christ heare wee the voyce of Christ obediently Gen. 7.1 with willing hearts to doe that which he enjoynes And thus wee have here the speciall markes of those that belong to the blessed fold of Christ Iesus they heare his voyce Frequently Intelligently Humbly Delightfully and Obediently what now remaines Will we demonstrate that we are of that blessed number sheepe of that sacred fold O then abandon wee all prophanesse all meere verball profession all insolent braving our of sinne all loathing and fastidiousnesse of sacred mysteries all rebellion against God and violent crueltie against men our pronenes to devoure our fellow creatures to make no question to sweare and for sweare to inlarge our estates or revenge our private malice Exod. 20.16 Lô thahhanah berahhecha hhed scheker for t is Gods owne injunction 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not answere a false testimony against thy neighbour Abandon wee therefore these base affections and heare wee the voyce of Christ with all due frequency with understanding hearts with humble affections with fervent delight as the very joy of our soules and as the summe of all with intire obedience ready to doe what the Lord injoynes resigning our wills to his blessed will both for our condition in this life and our eternall happinesse in the life to come For our condition in this life to keep us free from all unlawfull designments from all ungodly courses Iob. 7.20 netser haadam for as Iob speakes hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the preserver of men yea as the Prophet Esay speakes Esay 59.15 wee are written upon the palmes of his hands our walls are ever in his sight therefore he concludes by his Apostle that he will never faile us Heb. 12.5 that hee will never forsake us Resigne wee then our wills to his blessed will even for our estate in this life Againe for our eternall happinesse that hee will never take his holy spirit from us that hee will breake the power of the grave Hosea 13.14 ephdem she ôl miiad c. t is his own promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will redeeme them from the hand of the grave Oh death I will bee thy death oh grave I will be thy destuction and will bring them to a blessed kingdome Our Saviour himselfe doth witnesse it Feare not little flâ—â—â— it is your Fathers pleasure to give you the kingdome Luke 12.32 〈◊〉 an eternall kingdome for ever Hee therefore that labours to frame his life in this prescribed path of intire obedience the very nerve and sinew of a christian profession as hee plainely shewes himselfe to bee the sheepe of that blessed saviour Iesus Christ so he shall be sure to be compâ—st about with mercies in this life and a crowne of immortall glorie in the life to come And thus much for the first points namely Addition exprest in these words My sheep heare my voyce Come I now unto the second point Cognition contained in these wordes And I know them In a threefold manner may this blessed Saviour bee said to know his sheep observatively preservatively remissively First he may be said to know them observatively as noting all their steps and passages bee they of what nature soever Psa 139.2.3.4 This the prophet David doth plainly witnesse Thou knowest my sitting and my rising thou understandest my thoughts a farre off thou compassest my paths and my lying downe and art accustomed to all my waies there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it wholly oh Lord. Iob 13.27 This is Iobs acknowledgement Thou lookest narrowly unto all my pathes And againe Thou numbrest my steps Iob 14.16.17 and doest not delay my sinnes mine iniquitie is sealed up as iâ— bag As if he should say so present is it unto thy Majestie as things that are used to be kept under seale And concerning this particular the observation of sinne even in the sheep of his owne fould it is the confession of the whole Church Psal 90.8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance Many places might bee alledged to like purpose but these may be sufficient to any sober spirit truly qualified with grace to shew that Christ doth know his sheep observatively as marking all their steps and passages even their sinnes and their trangressions As for that errour so familiarly divulged in these partes that God can no waie see any sinne in the justified person it is more grosse than the darknesse of Egypt and worthy to be abhorred of all true christian hearts for the imputation of Christs righteousnesse is not as it is divulged a reall making of the creature righteous as if hee were righteous subjectively and not relatively for so to hold is to hold a notable dreame of papisme Faith the form of IustificatioÌ„ and therfore it is cleere that God seeth sin in the justified notwithstanding justification and doth often punish them for their sinnes as the Scriptures plainly witnes that is correctively though not vindicatively And whereas some are so nice that they will not have the afflictions that are imposed upon Gods children to be called punishments herein they at least much forget themselves for they seeke to pull away the genus from the species for the word punish is the genus and respects any affliction whatsoever correction is the species or determinate kinde shewing it is a punishment for amendment and to bring them to Christ So in like maner revenge may be said to be the species of the punishment inflicted upon the pertinacious wicked as proceeding wholly from the wrath of God against their sinnes Now it is a cleere rule that the genus and the species have a mutuall relation that that which may be spoken of the one may be spoken of the other and therefore the corrections imposed upon Gods children may truly be called punishments Nor doth this distinction or difference of the species take away or destroy the unitie of the genus as it is obiected for these rules are cleare that distinctio specierum non tollit unitatem generis againe perficitur genus determinations oppositarum differentiarum Imputation being an externe act and out of us in regard of the matter imputed and is onely internall and within us not materially but formally as farre forth as it is apprehended by faith and so applied unto the soule and conscience and therefore cannot be a reall or materiall making which is justification but
of infection and that in a twofold kinde for first as that grievous maladie is of that nature that it doth soone spread an infectious steame unto all those that associate themselves with these Senec. Vitia serpunt in vicinos contactunocent so deales sinne it doth soone as Seneca speakes taint and infect the neighbouring parts Hence it was that our grant-parent Eve associating her selfe with the wicked Serpent Gen. 3. became soone infected with his contagion to her great miserie and the miserie of all her posteritie Hence it was that godly Ioseph living in the polluted Court of Pharaoh became soone tainted with the contagion thereof Gen. 42.15 to sweare by the life of Pharaoh and to speake against his own knowledge and conscience Gen. 42.9 Hence it was that the Apostle Peter conversing with the wicked company Mat. â—6 58 Luke 12.55 the enemies of Christ Iesus became so farre infected with their foule pollution as to deny his most loving Master Aug. in Ps 99. Inter malos boni gemunt sic ut grana inter paleas sicut lilium inter spinas Bern. Heu mihi quia undique mihi pericula undique mihi bella undique mihi tela volant unâ—ique tentamenta quocunque me vertor nulla securitas Therfore well might Austine say inter malos boni gemunt c. the godly doe grone amongst the wicked as the wheat amongst the chaffe as the lillie among the thornes well might Bernard complaine woe is mee for dangers are on every side warres on every side darts doe flie on every side on every side temptations whither soever I turne me there is no security The people of Israell had great experience hereof whilst the Cananites became as thornes in their sides deeply piercing them with the foule infection of their loathsome impieties Thus we see that sinne is fitly compared unto a Leprosie in respect of infection spreading it selfe abroad unto remote and neighbouring parts Iudg. 2.3 Secondly sinne is fitly compared unto a Leprosie in regard of infection more proximate and personall for as that disease doth spread it selfe all over the body infecting every part thereof with its foule contagion so deales sinne by the soule it spreads it selfe all over it it annoyes and polluts every part thereof it blindes the understanding that it cannot discerne the excellent things contained in Gods word it dulls the will and makes it froward in the waies of God most backward to all goodnesse most forward to all evill it depraves the affection and makes it alienate from God for as one speakes a sinner is dumbe and blinde Parat Ser. de Temp. Peccator mutus cecus est he hath neither will nor tongue that prayseth and magnifieth God he hath neither understanding nor heart apprehending or taking knowlege of his sacred mysteries for as the Apostle speakes 1. Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceiveth not the things that are of the Spirit of God they are foolishnesse unto him hee cannot know them for they are spiritually discerned Thus wee see that sinne is fitly compared unto a Leprosie both in respect of remote and proximate infection Lastly it is fitly compared unto a Leprosie Principiis obsta sero Medicina paratur in respect of curation for although it bee a worthy rule concerning all maladies to stay them in the beginning for feare they grow incurable yet is it most especially urgent concerning this foule contagion for if this be not soone lookt unto even in his very enterance alas it growes forever incurable Such a disease is sinne if it bee not carefully lookt unto in the very beginning of it Peccator inveteratus per peccatum induratur Hieron Dum parvus est hostis interfice it will soon take strength and grow exceeding dangerous for a sinner grown old in sinne becomes hardned by sinne therefore Hierome gives worthy counsell to destroy this enemy whilst he is smal even when it is but in thought for as Bernard tells us Evill thoughts whilst they dally with us they throw us downe to destruction Bernard Malae cogitationes dum ludunt illudunt Thus we see that sinne is fitly compared unto a Leprosie in respect of separation infection and curation Thirdly Sin fitly compared unto a Phrensie propter securitatem stoliditatem violentiam the disease of sinne is fitly sympathized by a Phrensie and that in a threefold kinde in regard of security in regard of stolidity and foolishnesse in regard of fiercenesse and violence First in respect of security for those thus affected how much the more grievously the maladie doth possesse them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or common sense is so offended in those troubled with Phrensie that they cannot rightly judge of the nature of any thing as Arist doth witnesse lib. 3 de anim cap. 2. Helcot in Lib. Sap. Peccator quanto pejor tanto minus se reputat peccatorem Prov. 18.3 1. Sam. 15.32 so much the more secure they are carelesse of any thing presumptuous in all things fearing no danger as having lost the use of common or reflecting sense by which they should judge of the nature of things So is it with those laden with the Phrensie of sinne how much the more deep in iniquity so much the more secure for it is truely said that a sinner how much the more worse hee is and deepe in sinne so much the lesse doth hee repute or reckon himselfe a sinner whence it is that Salomon tells us that a wicked man when hee comes into the depth of wickednesse he contemnes that is all admonitions all conceipt of misery becomes most presumptuously secure never considering any imminent danger or stroke of justice ready to bee imposed for sinne committed as Agag when hee was ready to be hackt in pieces hee securely concluded the bitternesse of death was past So pernicious Babel when God was ready to throw downe judgement against her Esa 47.8 shee presumptuously resolved I shall be a Lady for ever misery shall never seaze upon mee So Nebuchad-nezzar when hee was ready to be rejected and made as a beast of the field hee securely proclaimed a most induring pompe Is not this great Babel that I have built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my Power for the honour of my Majesty Dan. 4.27 As if hee should say my state shall never be changed who can bring downe my might and power So that pampered Epicure though God had sent out a decree against him that very night to take his soule from him Luke 12. yet silly sot the picture of this madde world hee went to bedde with a wonted song of presumptive security Soule take thine ease thou hast much goods laid up in store for many yeares little thinking that that very night should put a period to his life and turne his long hoped joyes to present everlasting woes therefore first sinne is fitly compared to a
upon them seemes to draw into an utter oblivion And thus we see that sinne is fitly compared to a Fever to a Leprosie to a Phrensie to a Lethargie Oh now what shall this impresse within us Is this the nature of sinne is it a disease a disease so grievous so hard to bee cured how well might this instruct us to relinquish sinne to bee warie how we entertaine that dangerous maladie But what may we not here stand a pauld and amaz'd may we not well cry out oh tempora oh mores for what heart can conceive what eare hath heard or what tongue can expresse the miserie of these times oh that the eternall power would inspire some power of his spirit to make our dull and earthie mindes fit to record and apt to utter some breviat of this wicked age Alas forsake our sinnes warie how we give entertainment to sinne a strange discourse oh how the flintie heart returnes it back againe and seemes to eccho in my eares Tush tush a voyce for heaven but not for earth what should we become the wonder of the world t is not the fashion of this strong stomackt age to make a question how full they gorge themselves with sinne Most true indeed what can bee more cleere The opinion of the world for now the trade of sin is growne full ripe * hee is held a sot of no regard that treads but ordinarie stepps of sinne but dives he downe to hell and fetch he thence some strange unheard of damned plot that may amaze the minde astonish modest eares and be a wonder to the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 câ—leritas ad nequitiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 malignè diligens Such amongst other of this time seeme those to be in the Romish iudgement that plotted that horrid stratagem the powder-treason hath he not only as Basill speakes a notable dexteritie to invent mischiefe but as Eustathius speakes becomes most diligent and watchfull to put it in practice oh he is the man surpassing wise a worthy polititian oh none to him Those grosse and common sinnes ebrietie adulterie base usurie and foule blasphemie become such hacknies of the world so frequent and familiar in every place that these they seeme no sinnes at all they will tell you they can prescribe If you commence a suit they will plead a custome If you urge it further they will prohibit and draw you downe to the judgment of the world Egregious wickednesse reckoned by unhallowed spirits for wise political inventions where you may bee sure they will prove their suggestions So that these foule sinnes by their communitie and continuitie seeme to have purchased to themselves such a kinde of immunitie that you may behold them to walke up and downe the streets without controule very gravely very gentleman-like as if they had nothing to doe with the societie of hell as if these were no sinnes at all for in this deepe transgressing age nothing seemes worthy of that name The indulgent judgement that men use to have of sin and wickednes but some horrid-acted stratagem that may seeme to put the very Divells themselves to schoole now none seeme to bee wicked but such as are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extreamely wicked wicked as it were beyond comparison oh such bee our times so strange bee our affections but oh wretched creatures whither doe you bend your course oh see your estate observe your condition you are full of foule diseases your soules are laden with the burning Fever of sinne with a loathsome Leprosie whose great contagion is ready to make a separation betwixt you and your God alas with a violent Phrensie which makes you warre against God grow insensible of your miserie and smile when your destruction approacheth even with a grievous Lethargie which makes you sleepe in sin and continue in wickednesse never remembring either heavenly joyes or hellish miseries And what will you still remaine in this estate will you take no notice of your great distresse shall neither the burning of the Fever nor the contagion of the Leprosie nor the violence of the Phrensie nor the oblivion of the Lethargie worke any impression upon you shall they be no motives to you to make you forsake your impieties and to become warie how you entertaine any sinne which ever carries with it the nature of all these grievous diseases Oh then what can remaine to you but endlesse woe and miserie what can be your estate but as David spake of the mountaines of Gilboa never dewes to fall on you more no showres of grace to mollifie your hearts but as you have begun in sinne so to end in sinne through the strength of your disease by which you have so violently resisted the sweet fountaines of Gods mercies so often compassing your soules But blessed bee the hills of Armenia which give rest unto the Arke of the Lord oh blessed those that give way to this voyce of God and become moved to forsake their sinnes and cautious how they ever entertaine that grievous disease which seekes to inthrall them with an incurable distresse And thus much for the action Metaphorically set forth in the word heale plainely shewing sinne to bee a dangerous disease and consequently never able to bee cured by any but by God himselfe as the principall efficient which concludes the scope of my first part the matter subject I will heale Proceed wee now unto the second generall the predicate Rebellions I will heale their Rebellions When sinnes of infirmitie or sinnes of ignorance are committed these doe taint the soule and make it liable to eternall death Rom. 6.23 for the reward of sinne of any sinne whatsoever is death but when wee lade our selves with rebellions sinnes pertinaciously committed and continued in against our knowledge and our conscience oh these may well be said to exasperate and incense a speedie passage of Gods justice against us for as the Prophet Samuell speakes Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednesse and idolatrie as proceeding from the same loathsome sinke an incredulous unbeleeving heart yet even this great wickednesse the Lord is content to heale and cure it to the repentant and truly humbled I will heale their Rebellions plainely shewing that great sinnes limit not Gods mercies but if we truly mourne for sinne and become sincerely humbled for our impieties endeavouring to apply his blessed mercies unto them desiring them in the merit and mediation of that loving Saviour Iesus Christ he will not faile to heale even the rebellious soares of our soules When bloudy Cain and treacherous Iudas had committed great and grievous wickednesse whence was it that they perished in their evills alas not because Gods mercies were not able to cure them but because they desperately despaired never fixed eye upon those soveraigne comforts Wee may see in Mathewes Gospell our Saviour tells us he would have gathered together wicked and rebellious Ierusalem as the hen her
affections that forgetfull of his owne redemption and of the redemption of all the elect he brake out Master Luke 9.33 it is good being here let us build three Tabernacles one for thee one for Moses and one for Elias but wist not what hee spake When worthy David had but some secret taste of this incomparable blisse by the intimation of Gods Spirit Psal 84.10 hee concluded that one day in the Courts of God were better than a thousand elsewhere Psal 42.1 2. yea he did long after it Like saith he as the chased Hart doth bray after the water brookes so doth my soule cry unto God my soule is a thirst for God even for the living God when shall I come and appeare before the face of God Oh how fit therefore that we should Run from the loathsome heape of our corruptions 1. Cor. 15.50 and bend our Race wholly unto eternall glorie for corruption cannot inherite incorruption Rev. 21.27 No uncleane thing shall enter into the new Ierusalem nor any thing that worketh abomination Psal 5.4 for as the holy Ghost speakes our God is not a God that loveth wickednesse nor shall evill dwell with him Oh saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 69.10 know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdome of God be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolators nor adulterers nor wantons nor buggerers nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkards nor railers nor extortioners shall inherit the Kingdome of God yea Rev. 21. ◠saith Saint Iohn the fearfull and the unbeleeving the abominable and murtherers and adulterers and sorcerers and idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Without Rev. 22.15 saith the same Apostle as excluded from Gods Kingdome shall bee doggs and inchanters and adulterers and murtherers and idolaters and whosoever loveth or maketh lies Amos 6.3 even all the troupe of unhallowed creatures who as the Prophet speakes doe cast farre from them the evill day living wickedly and dying impenitently Oh how fit is it therefore that we should run from the odious sinck of our sins whose loathsome steam have long prest the very Throne of God for revenge against us now at length as the Apostle speakes Col. 3.2 to set our affections on things which are above bending our whole course unto the blessed state of Glorie And thus much for the Materiall in the word Run Come I now unto the Formall exprest in these words so that yee may obtaine Which we may fitly consider antecedently and consequently that is in respect of the primitive and subsequent things As the primitive and principall thing necessary in the forme of this Race wee must run opportunè in due season necessary for the expressing of the forme of this Race First primitively therefore as the chiefe and principall in this Race wee are to bee cautious that we runne opportunè in due season whilst grace is offered before our hearts grow hardned and even incurable through the custome of sinne For know we The divers staires or steps of sinne 1. Grave There is even in evill as Aquinas speaks Ordo ab imperfecto ad persectum 2. Step. Leve light 3. Step. Delectabile delightfull Prov. 2.14 if sinne be entertained but a while it will bring a grievous obduracie for how soone doth sinne by certaine steps and degrees come to an incurable height Sinne at the first entrance is grave heavie troublesome and burdensome to the conscience especially where there hath beene any good education but stay it but a while and it will grow leve light a matter of small weight little or nothing troublesome at all but lodge it yet a little longer and it will grow delectabile thou wilt delight in it it will bee a joy and a pleasure to thy affections as Salomon speakes of some wicked ones that having some space of time continued in their impieties he tells us they did rejoyce in it and delight in their base ungodly courses but lodge it yet a while longer upon thy soule 4. Step. Insensibile insensible Prov. 30.20 and it will become insensibile sinne will seeme to thee no sinne at all as Salomon speakes of the adulterous woman who saith hee wipt her mouth and said shee had not committed iniquitie Ephes 4.19 Such were the Gentiles spoken of by the Apostle past feeling given to worke uncleannesse with greedinesse for consuitudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati 5. Step. Desiderabile Mich. 2.1 Amos 8.4 5. the custome of sinne takes away all sense and feeling of sinne but let it yet stay a while longer upon the soule * Or as those greedy Carnalists that did long to have the new Moone past and the Sabbath to be gone that they might by a small Ephah and false deceitfull weights devours and swallow up the poore and it will grow desiderabile thou wilt desire and long to commit wickednesse as those pernicious ones in the Prophet Michah which did invent mischiefe upon their beds and did practise it as soone as the morning was light to shew their indearment unto wickednesse or as those cruell Iewes which did desire and long to destroy the Apostle Paul or as wicked Herodias Act. 23.12 Mar. 6.19 which did thirst to bee revenged of Iohn Baptist for reproving her abominable incest 6 Step Defensibile Esay 5.20 but stay it yet a while longer upon the soule and it will become defensibile thou wilt maintaine and defend thy wickednes Oh this is a grievous estate and even an incurable miserie cursed by the holy Ghost Woe to them that speake good of evill woe to them that defend sinne and wickednesse oh saith Origen peccatum parta est mortis defensio limen inferni sinne even any sinne is the gate of death but the defence of it is the very next step to hell Such was the condition of those rebellious Iewes spoken of by the Prophet who being reproved for their Idolatrie Ier. 44.16.17 insolently replied in the defence of their wickednesse Wee have followed strange gods and wee will follow them still Such were they spoken of by the Psalmist who arrogantly in the defence of their unhallowed speeches proclaimed Psal 12.4 With our tongue wee will prevaile we will speake fraudulently falsly and deceiptfully our lips are ours therefore wee may speake what we please who is Lord over us who shall controule us for that we speake But stay sinne a while longer upon the soule and it will grow to the greatest height 7. Step Ostentibile it will become ostentibile thou wilt not onely speake in the defence of sinne but thou wilt boast and glory in it seeking as it were praise and commendation for thy wickednesse This is a very dangerous condition oh when will these bee cured therefore the holy Ghost declames against such as intolerable pernicious Why boastest thou in thy