the Word of God to a love and liking of the heavenly knowledge therein contained and to a sound and sincere practice of it in our lives and conversations may be this The Word of God is as it were an Epistle or Letter as one of the Fathers calls it written from God Almightie unto us miserable men published by his owne Sonne sealed by his Spirit witnessed by his Angels conveyed unto us by his Church the Pillar and ground of Truth confirmed with the bloud of millions of Martyrs which hath alreadie brought thousands of soules to Heaven and fills every heart that understands it and is wholly guided by it with Light and Life with Grace and Salvation Now let us imagine a man to have a Letter sent unto him but by an Earthly King or some great Prince in the World wherein hee should have a Pardon granted him for some capitall Crime and high Offence whereby hee were lyable to a terrible kind of death or wherein hee should be fore-warned of some great and imminent danger hanging over his head and readie every houre to fall upon him or wherein hee should have assured and confirmed unto him under the Kings Seale some rich Donation or great Lordship Now I say if a man should receive but a Letter from some high and mightie Potentate upon Earth wherein any of these favours should be conveyed unto him how reverently would he receive it how thankfully would he accept of it how often would he reade it how warily would he keepe it how highly would he esteeme of it Why in this royall and sacred Letter sent from the King and great Commander both of Heaven and Earth all these favours and a thousand more joyes and comforts are conveyed unto every beleever and practiser thereof In that we are fore-warned lest by our ignorance impietie and impenitencie wee fall into the Pit of Hell and everlasting horror In that we have promised and performed unto us the pardon and remission of all our sinnes whereby wee justly stand guiltie of the second death and the endlesse torments of the damned By the vertue of it we are not onely comforted with grace in this World but shall undoubtedly be crowned with peace glory and immortalitie in the World to come Such a Letter as this hath the mightie and terrible God most glorious in all Power and Majestie who is even a consuming and devouring fire sent unto us miserable men by nature wretched and forlorne creatures Dust and Ashes why then with what reverence chearefulnesse and zeale ought wee to receive reade heare marke learne understand and obey it A second Motive may be the precious golden and divine matter which is contained in the Booke of God and that true and ever-during happinesse to which it onely can bring us There is nothing proposed and handled in the Word of God but things of greatest weight and highest excellency As the infinite majesty power and mercy of God the unspeakable love and strange sufferings of the Sonne of God for our sakes the mighty and miraculous working of the holy Spirit upon the soules of men There is nothing in this Treasury but Orient Pearles and rich Iewels as promises of grace spirituall comfort confusion of sinne the triumph of godlines refreshing of wearied soules the beautie of Angels the holinesse of Saints the state of Heaven salvation of sinners everlasting life What Swine are they that neglecting these precious Pearles root only in the Earth wallow in worldly pleasures feede upon vanities transitorie trash and vanishing riches which in their greatest need will take them to their wings like an Eagle and flie into the Heavens Besides the Word of God is only able to prepare us for true happinesse in this world and to possesse us of it in the world to come It only begets in us a true intire and universall holinesse without which none shall ever see the face of God or the glory of Heaven for it is impossible hereafter to live the life of glory blessednes in Heaven if we live not here the life of grace and sincerity in all our waies It is called the immortall Seed because it regenerates and renewes us both in our Spirits Soules and Bodies in our Spirits that is in judgement memory conscience in our Soules that is in our will and affections in our Bodies that is in every member If the Prince of this world hath not blinded the eyes of our minds and that we be not reprobats as concerning salvation it only is able to inlighten our understandings to rectifie our wills to sanctifie our hearts to mortifie our affections to set Davids Doore before our lips that are offend not with our tongues to set Iobs Doore before our eyes that they behold not vanity to manacle our hands feet with the cords and bands of Gods Law that they do not walke or worke wickedly nay and it is able to furnish and supply us with sufficiencie of spirituall strength to continue in all these good things and in a godly course vnto the end And if we be once thus qualified we are rightly fitted and prepared for the glory that is to be revealed As before this holy Word did translate us from the darknesse of sinne into the light of grace it can now much more easily with joy and triumph bring us from the light of grace to the light of immortalitie and everlasting pleasures at Gods right hand A third Motive may be this Wee must be judged by the Word of God at the last Day If any man saith Christ Ioh. 12. 47 48. heare my words and beleeve not I judge him not for I came not to judge the World but to save the World He that refuseth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken it shall judge him in the last Day Whensoever wee shall come to judgement and appeare before Gods Tribunall and wee little know how neere it is two Bookes shall be layd open unto us the one of Gods Law another of our owne Conscience The former will tell us what wee should have done for the Lord hath revealed it to the World to be the rule of our faith and of all our actions The other will tell us what wee have done for Conscience is a Register Light and Power in our Vnderstanding which treasures up all our particular actions against the Day of Triall discovers unto us the equitie or iniquitie of them and determines of them either with us or against us Now we must not take any exception against the first that is the Law of God For the Law of God saith David Psal 19. 7. is perfect converting the soule The testimonie of the Lord is sure and giveth wisedome unto the simple Wee cannot against the second that is the Booke of our Conscience for it was ever in our custodie and keeping no man could corrupt it there
brought forth by the power of the Word in the Wombe of the Church he therefore casteth out of his mouth after him flouds of outward crosses and vexations If he cannot wound him in his soule yet he will vexe him in his body goods and good name if he cannot hinder him of Heaven he will give him little rest or quiet upon Earth if hee cannot bring him into disgrace and disfavour with God he will be sure to rayse him hatred enough malice and discountenance amongst men He will doe his worst to fill and loade him with all outward discomforts and discouragements as povertie sicknesse slanders scoffings raylings reproaches contempts and a thousand other persecutions But in such cases as these let every child of God comfort refresh and hold himselfe in heart cheare and courage by such considerations as these First it is a Decree of Heaven resolved upon and ratified by the Lord our God confirmed by the experience of all the Patriarkes and Prophets of the Apostles and professors of Christ of all the Saints and servants nay and of the Sonne of God himselfe that through many tribulations wee must enter into the Kingdome of Heaven So often therefore as wee shall see any miseries or afflictions comming towards us for our profession of sinceritie and righteousnesse sake let us acknowledge them to be as so many most certaine and infallible markes that we are in the right way to Heaven through which if we but walke a little further with patience we shall descry a Crowne of Glory which is our owne for ever of which all the afflictions and pressures of a thousand Worlds are not neere worthy Secondly though by this meanes by these outward crosses and afflictions Sathan dischargeth upon us the very gall of his bitternesse the poyson of his malice and arrowes of his spight yet by the mercifull and medicinall hand of God they are returned upon his owne head they strike through the heart of sinne and become as precious restoratives to repaire in us the decayes of spirituall life for in Gods children crosses and afflictions have these worthy effects and workings 1 They start us out of our securitie carelesnesse and coldnesse which by little and little may grow upon the best They breed in us a conceit and sense of our owne wants and the necessitie of Gods providence and protection They adde Oyle unto the flame of our first love put life into our religious exercises and power and spirit into our prayers 2 They curbe and controule the pride insolencie and impatiencie of our nature They coole and kill the heat headlongnesse and intemperancie of our affections They weaken indeed the whole old Adam in us with all his lusts concupiscence and venome but give strength to the new man with all his godly and gracious motions holy and heavenly actions 3 They make us with indignation to spit in the very face of this vaine deceitfull and flattering World the temporall love of which is the eternall losse both of bodies soules in the other World They happily weane us from the love of it and make us willing to part with her paps to bid all her enticements adiew and to trample under feet the fading pleasures vanities thereof they make us to teare our groveling hearts and rent our dull affections from the Earth to which they cleave and are glued so fast and to lift up both our heads and hearts to Heaven and to the glory which is to be revealed longingly to desire the comming of Christ the Life that lasteth and to be clothed with our House which is from above 4 Lastly they are as sharpe and precious eye-salves to cleare and enlarge the spirituall sight of our soules too much dimmed and darkened with earthly dust and with gazing too long on the painted glory of the World that so wee may see further into the great mysterie of godlinesse deeper into the masse and dunghill of our owne corruptions and frailties wider upon the vanities of the World and higher into the happinesse of Heaven and that great Beautie Glory and Majestie above They serve unto us as sowre Sawces and bitter Wormewood to bring us out of love with our sweet sinnes and to breed a distaste in our mouth against transitorie delights They are as sharpe pruning-knives to lop and cut away the excesses vanities and unnecessarie cares that grow upon us and so to trimme us that wee may bring forth more profitable plentifull and fairer fruits in godlinesse and Christianitie Thus Sathan is disappointed in his plots and policie his malice makes a medicine for our soules hee purposeth and hopes by crosses and afflictions to turne us backe or make us wearie in our course of holinesse but by the mercy of God they become as spurres to pricke us forward in our Christian Race and as hedges to keepe us in from wandering out of the way Now in a third place That Gods child may not too much be cast downe or put out of heart for crosses and persecutions raysed against him for a profession and the practice of sinceritie let him consider that howsoever Sathan and wicked men be the instruments and executioners which maliciously procure and immediately inflict miseries and vexations upon the children of God though they be the meanes to lay tortures and torments upon their bodies crosses and losses upon their goods and outward estates spots and impression and crueltie upon the face of their harmelesse innocencie slanders and disgraces imputations and staining aspersions upon their reputations and good names sometimes terrors temptations and amazements upon their minds Yet in all these our gracious God hath the chiefest stroke a principall hand and the greatest sway he directs limits and moderates the rage and furie of all our enemies whether they be Devils or men as it pleaseth him and ever certainely to the singular good of his children if they be patient and faithfull Miserie saith Iob chap. 5. 6. commeth not forth of the Dust neither doth afflictions spring out of the Earth Neither indeed principally and originally from Man the Lord of the Earth nor from the Prince that rules in the Aire nor from the Host of Heaven God himselfe is the chiefe commander guider and directer of all vexations and ill of punishment that befalls any man and inflicts it for our sinnes and corruptions upon the reprobates as appeares in Pharoah for their further hardening and confusion upon his elect for their conversion and correction Let us then in all our sufferings and afflictions stirred up against us for sticking to sinceritie and keeping a good Conscience lift up our eyes to the mightie Lord of Heaven and Earth who by the strong Arme of his Omnipotencie holds fast in a Chaine Sathan that raging Lion and great Goliah that hee cannot stirre one Linke further than hee will give him leave hee cannot goe a haires breadth beyond his Commission Nay and that
glory which shall be revealed Rom. 8. 18. But the carnall Gospeller he thinkes it is good sleeping in a whole skin he lookes for a Gospel of ease for a soft and silken service of God for a Church as one speakes all of Velvet And therefore rather than he will suffer any losse or worsing any diminution or disparagement in his outward estate in his reputation wealth and worldly happinesse he will make shipwracke of a good Conscience he will yeeld to the corruptions of the Times and with the greater part rest and repose himselfe peaceably and pleasantly upon his Bed of ease and carnall securitie never considering that the Crosse is the Christians triumph that Christ himselfe was crowned with Thornes and that wee must through many afflictions enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Act. 14. 22. A fourth marke may be gathered out of the fourth Verse The prayers and praysings of God in the mouth of Gods Child are frequent free and fervent but with the carnall Gospeller they are very rare cold and formall The Reason is Gods Child is very sensible of his corruptions and wants hee still longs and gaspes for more grace with a spirituall taste he sweetly relisheth Gods great mercie and goodnesse unto him he hath the love of God and the spirit of prayer shed into his heart by the Spirit of Adoption and therefore his heart is as full as the Moone of godly motions and meditations which like a continuall Spring sends out groanes and sighes unutterable many zealous and faithfull prayers and thanksgivings unto his gracious God with a free and feeling affection But the carnall Gospeller because his understanding was never enlightened his heart never truly humbled his affections never sanctified because he hath no sence of his wretched estate nor present feeling of grace nor sound hope and assurance of happinesse in Heaven why therefore he hath no great mind or heart or list to prayer hee hath no great delight or exercise in this holy businesse and if he doe pray which is but seldome and coldly it is but lip-labour and lost labour because it is without faith and feeling for fashion custome or company because he was so taught in his youth or that he superstitiously thinkes the very worke wrought and a number of prayers solemnely said over will sanctifie him A fifth marke may be gathered out of the sixt and seventh Verses The Child of God doth not onely passe through with patience for the profession of Gods truth and sinceritie lesse and inferiour miseries as losse of goods losse of friends and reputation with the World slanders disgraces and wrongs but hee also holds his soule as it were continually in his hand as David here sayes of himselfe readie if need be and the times so require even to shed his bloud vnder the Sword of Persecution or to lay downe his life in the flames rather than to dishonour so mercifull a God to betray his holy Truth or by his backsliding and falling away to hazard that Crowne of Glory which by the eye of faith he hath alreadie in sight But the carnall Gospeller in time of peace and plentie while he lives quietly and at ease without crosse or trouble in faire and Sun-shine dayes may perhaps be a stout and peremptorie Professor but hee ever shrinkes in the wetting he pulls in the head in the fierie triall ever when trouble or persecution commeth because of the word by and by he is offended The sixt marke is gathered out of the two last Verses The Child of God holds his Word farre more deare than any precious Treasure than the richest Inheritance than great Spoyles than thousands of Gold and Silver It is the joy of his heart and therefore it inclines and inflames his affections with love and zeale to doe Gods will and fulfill all his Commandements And no marvell though the true Christian find most sound and unconceivable delight in the Word of God the Doctrine of Heaven For by it he is borne anew and made heire of Heaven by the Light of it he sees his Name written in the Booke of Life never to be raced out by man or Devill all the sweet and gracious promises of salvation and comfort revealed in it are sure his owne So that thence he knowes and is perswaded undoubtedly that after a few and evill dayes spent in this miserable life he shall remaine and reigne eternally in the glory of God of Christ Iesus the blessed Spirit and the holy Angels But it is otherwise with the carnall Gospeller for whatsoever shew or protestation he makes to the contrary yet indeed in his heart affections and practice hee preferres his pleasures riches and profit before hearing of Gods Word sanctifying his Sabbaths and obedience to his Commandements And no marvell for because hee yet never lived the life of faith but is a meere stranger to the mysterie of godlinesse hee hath no true interest nor sound assurance in the joyes of another World and therefore feeds onely and fills himselfe with transitorie and earthly contentments Now I beseech you beloved in Christ Iesus let every one with singlenesse of heart and sinceritie examine his owne Soule and the spirituall state of his Conscience by these signes and marks which I have now delivered to you out of the example and precedencie of the Christian affections and holy disposition of David a sanctified man and a principall patterne of pietie and zeale for all faithfull ones Know you not saith the Apostle that Iesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates So undoubtedly if Iesus Christ be in you if you be of Davids stampe and temper that is alreadie possessed of the state of grace and marked out by the Spirit of sanctification for the glory that shall be revealed you doe find in some good measure these markes and signes of an holy man in your selves 1 That you are enlightened and guided by the Word of God in all your wayes 2 That you have not onely good motions and purposes for a zealous and constant service of God but doe faithfully with sinceritie and integritie of heart performe the same 3 That you suffer joyfully and patiently afflictions and disgrace in the World for the testimonie of Gods Truth and profession of sinceritie 4 That you freely and faithfully with much feeling and fervencie of spirit offer dayly prayers and prayses unto the Lord. 5 That you had rather part with the dearest and most precious things in this life nay life it selfe than leave the service of God and the testimonie of a good Conscience 6 That you have more comfort and delight in hearing reading meditating conferring of and applying unto your owne soules the holy Word of God than in the treasures and glory of the whole Earth Such markes as these you must finde in your selves if you ever meane or hope to finde true contentment in this life or
the comforts of Heaven in the life to come Now I come to a more speciall and particular consideration of every Verse in order and thence togather such Notes and Doctrines as may best instruct us in the way to Heaven First David tells us in the first Verse That Gods Word is a Lanterne to his feet and a Light unto his paths Which that you may better understand I will tell you the meaning of the words and explaine unto you the severall tearmes First the Word may be taken three wayes 1 For the substantiall Word of God the second Person in the Trinitie Ioh. 1. 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God 2 It may be taken for the written and sounding Word as it onely strikes the eare and informes the understanding but it is not conveyed neither sinkes it into the heart by the powerfull assistance and sanctified concurrence of Gods Spirit it being not prayed for to the conversion and sanctification of the whole man And so the Word is heard and understood of many that shall never be saved but returnes unfruitfull 3 It may be taken for the working and effectuall Word as it is the power of God unto salvation as it is rightly understood applyed unto the heart and Conscience possest of the thoughts and affections and practised in the life and conversation This Word thus understood inlived managed and powerfully applyed by the Spirit of God was a Light unto Davids steps and so is a guide unto the paths of all true Christians to the worlds end That you may understand how the Word is a Light you must consider 1 That Christ is called Light Ioh. 1. 4. The Ministers are called the Light of the World Mat. 5. 14. The faithfull are Lights Phil. 2. 15 16. The way of the righteous saith Salomon Prov. 4. 18. shineth as the Light that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day The Word of God is also called a Light as in this place But first Christ is Light of himselfe and originally he is the Fountaine and everlasting Spring of all the Light of Grace and Glory both in Heaven and Earth Hee is called The Sunne of Righteousnesse The Sunne you know hath his Light rooted in his owne faire Body and receives that from none other and with that hee enlightens the Moone the Starres the Aire the Earth all the World Even so the blessed Sonne of God the Sunne of Righteousnesse hath in himselfe and from himselfe the Light of all Wisdome and Knowledge Mercie and Comfort and from him floweth and springeth whatsoever Light of Glory is revealed unto his blessed Saints and Angels in Heaven or whatsoever Light of Grace is shed into the hearts of his sonnes and servants here upon Earth 2 The Preachers of the Word are Ministers and Messengers of this Light and therefore are but Light ministerially They are as the Starres and so they are called Rev. 1. 20. They receive all their Light from the Sunne of Righteousnesse CHRIST IESVS and either doe or should convey and cast their borrowed beames upon the earthly cold and darksome hearts of the people of God that they might turne from Darkenesse to Light from the power of Sathan unto God Act. 26. 18. 3 The Word is Light instrumentally which being powerfully sanctified unto us for our salvation and being holden out unto us by a conscionable Ministerie is as a Candle or Torch to guide us through the darknesse of this World unto our eternall Rest 4 Lastly the faithfull are Lights Subjectivè because they receive this Light into their Vnderstandings whereby they see the Wonders of Gods Law the Secrets of his Kingdome and the great Mysterie of Godlinesse and the way to Heaven into their Consciences whereby they have their sinfull miserable estate by nature discovered unto them and the way to Christ for remedie and salvation into their affections whereby they are enkindled with zeale for Gods truth honour and service into their actions and conversation whereby they shine as Lights in the World amid a naughtie and crooked generation Phil. 2. 15. And after the Sunne of Righteousnesse once arise in their hearts like the Sunne in the Firmament they shine more and more in all holy Vertues unto the perfect day untill they reach the height of Heaven and the full glory of the Saints of God In the third place by Feet is meant his minde and understanding his affections thoughts actions his whole life all his wayes All these in David were guided by the Light of Gods Word Lastly by Paths are meant every particular step every turning and narrow passage in his speciall calling For this Light the Word of God doth not onely guide a mans feet into the way of peace and put him in the right way to Heaven but also goes along with him inlightens and directs every step that his feet doe not slide It so informes him with spirituall wisedome that hee layes hold on every occasion for the glorifying of God descries every little sinne and appearance of evill disposeth every circumstance in his actions with a good conscience and warrant out of Gods Word This then is the meaning of this Verse David the man of God had the Word of God working powerfully upon his soule as a Light that is As a Lampe is to the life and safetie of the body in darke and dangerous places so was this Light to the life and salvation of Davids soule in the darkenesse of this World and shadow of death To guide his feet and paths that is his mind affections thoughts actions his whole life all his wayes and every particular step and passage thereof This Verse being thus understood let us now come to gather some Lessons and Doctrines for our instruction The first shall be this There is no man can hit the way to Heaven or walke in the paths of Righteousnesse through the Kingdome of Grace in this World unto the Kingdome of Glory in the World to come except he be inlightened informed and instructed in the holy Word of God The second Note wee gather out of this Verse shall be this The Word of God is a Light not onely to guide us into the way to Heaven and instruct us in our generall calling of Christianitie but also to leade us along in a course of godlinesse and to direct us particularly in our speciall calling I will first follow the former Doctrine which in few words and plainely I thus propose unto you No man can at first finde the entrance or after hit the way to Heaven except he be enlightened and led along by the holy Word of God For David as here wee see a man of great worth and understanding otherwise excellently and extraordinarily qualified could not find out or follow any other Guide or direction to Heaven but onely the Light of Gods Word
the Kingdome of Grace For when Christ told him hee could not be saved except hee were new borne hee strangely and foolishly replyes How can a man be borne which is old How can he enter into his mothers Wombe againe and be borne Thus you see there can no other meanes be named or thought upon not all humane Knowledge nor worldly Wisedome nor good Meanings nor Will-worship nor the Word it selfe in the Letter which can leade us into the wayes of Righteousnesse or bring us unto Heaven but onely the Light of Gods holy Word holden out unto us by a profitable Ministerie and the power of the Spirit A second Reason of my Doctrine may be this No man can ever see the Kingdome of God except he be borne againe except he be a new creature a new man as is plaine in Christs words unto Nicodemus For our new birth or regeneration is the necessarie passage from Nature to Grace from prophanenesse to sinceritie It is that whereby wee are wholly sanctified and set apart unto God from the sinfnll corruption of our naturall birth and the evill fruits thereof to serve God in our whole man both body soule and spirit Now you must conceive that this new birth must necessarily spring from the immortall Seed of the word of God for so it is called 1 Pet. 1. 23. It is the Seed of our new birth salvation and immortalitie And you may as well looke for Come to grow up in your fields without sowing without casting any Seed into the furrowes as to looke for Grace to grow up in your hearts or to reape the fruit of holinesse everlasting life except this immortall Seed the Word of God be first cast into the furrowes and fallow ground of your hearts and be there received with reverence and attention nourished with prayer and meditation and fructifie in your lives and conversations Hence it is that Gods Word is called The Word of Salvation Act. 13. 26. The Word of Grace Act. 14. 3. The Word of Life Phil. 2. 16. The Power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1. 16. For there is no power of Grace or spirituall life to bee had ordinarily upon Earth or salvation and eternall life to be hoped for in Heaven except a man be enlightened with the knowledge and enlived with the power of the holy Word of God There is no entring into the Kingdome of God except a man bee new borne except hee bee first renewed in his spirit soule and body And there is no new birth without the immortall Seed the Word of God And therefore without knowledge and direction in the Word of God no salvation The third Reason of my Doctrine is this The Word of God hath only the power and propertie to search into and to sanctifie the whole man even to the inmost thoughts and the secret cogitations of the heart All the devices and imaginations of mans heart lye without the walke of humane justice and censure no word or writing of man is able to bridle them or bring them within compasse no Law of Nature or Nations can affright or restraine the freedome and wanderings of thoughts onely the Word of God can amaze search and sanctifie them The weapons of our warfare saith Paul are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe Holds casting downe the imaginations and every thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivitie every thought into the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. The Word of God saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes is lively and mightie in operation and sharper than any two-edged sword and entreth through even to the dividing asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. The Word of God may be said to be living or lively in three respects 1 Because whereas we naturally live under the shadow of death and in the darkenesse of sinne it quickens us with a new and spirituall life it cheares and comforts us with heavenly Light 2 The Word may be called Living because it selfe is immortall and lasteth forever as doth the living and eternall God the Author of it 3 But most especially and agreeably to the place in the Hebrewes it is called lively because it enters with great power and secret insinuation into every part and power both of soule and body So that as our life is scattered and dispersed into every little part and least veine in us and we feele it both in paine and pleasure even so the vertue of the Word of God pierceth into every member into the most secret and hidden Closet of the heart either to breake and bruise with terror and astonishment the very bones crush the sinewes of the sinfull soule or to fill them with marrow and fatnesse and to refresh the affections of the truly penitent with joy unspeakable and glorious God tells us in Ieremy that his Word is like fire and therefore it can easily insinuate into all the creekes and corners of our corruptions it can fully and clearely enlighten our Consciences and discover unto us the sinfulnesse of the most lurking and secret thoughts Thus you have this first Doctrine plainely proved and confirmed unto you No man can at first finde the entrance or after hit the way to Heaven except he be enlightened and led along by the saving knowledge of the holy Word of God No other meanes which the power of Nature Wisedome Learning or the whole World can afford will serve the turne in this businesse of Salvation It is the Seed of our new birth as I told you there can be no growing of grace or reaping of glory without it It hath onely power to shake ransacke and search into the inmost secrets of the heart It onely can sanctifie us both inwardly and outwardly both in soule and body both in thoughts and actions without which both inward and outward holinesse no man shall ever see the face of God Now I come unto the Vses of this Doctrine And in the first place it may serve for confutation of the Papists those great employsoners and murtherers of infinite soules of men Is the Word of God as a Lampe and a Light without which wee cannot see the first step or set one foot aright towards Heaven Why then sinfull and pestilent is their practice who hide this blessed Light from the people of God in an unknowne Tongue and by their bloudie Inquisition damme up the holy Fountaines of heavenly Truth which should spring up in every mans heart unto eternall life Whose cruell and craftie Religion for bloud of Princes and cursed Policie are the principall supporters of Poperie teacheth them to blindfold and hood-winke the poore Laitie in forced ignorance lest they should know Gods will or any way to Heaven but
may be they may heare attend and understand what is delivered but it breedes no more reverence impression or spirituall reformation than an ordinarie Tale or humane discourse As though that holy toyle and sacred breath were spent onely to entertaine the Time and busie mens eares for an Houre and not as Christ tells Paul To open their eyes that they might turne from Darkenesse unto Light and from the power of Sathan unto God 4 Vpon some the Iudgement and Curse of comming without Conscience and due preparation doth so farre prevaile and hath such power that they become scorners and raylers against the Minister or his Doctrine or both at every Sermon they catch something that they may cavill at deprave and calumniate And so wickedly and wretchedly oppose their discourse wit and spirit of contradiction against the face of Heaven and heart of Divine Truth They wrangle and repine in deed and truth whatsoever their pretences or protestations may be to the contrarie against that Great Majestie whose Message it is against that Holy Spirit which should sanctifie them and the Word of Grace which should save them 5 Others there be even of good hearts and affections Professors and in some good measure practisers of the power of godlinesse yet because they are carelesse and neglective of this needfull Christian dutie of preparation are possessed with much deadnesse of heart and dullnesse of spirit at those holy Exercises Their zeale and fervencie which should be quickened and inflamed at every Sermon is dulled and benummed with senselesnesse and satietie They doe not so tremble or are cast downe with Divine Comminations and denouncements of Gods Iudgements against sinne or so refreshed with the gracious promises of Life and Salvation as they ought to be They doe not enjoy and reape the thousandth part of that delight comfort and benefit as they well might by the Ministerie of the Word because their hearts are not purged and prepared They doe not with that chearefulnesse receive with that sweetnesse taste and rellish with that life and vigour disgest the Food of Life The eye of their minde for want of premeditation doth not so clearely see and discerne the infinite beautie of that sacred Majestie represented unto them or that glorious grace shining unto them in the face of CHRIST IESVS Their hand of Faith doth not with that feeling and fastnesse lay hold upon and claspe about the rich Treasures revealed in the Gospell In a word they bereave themselves of much good blessing comfort and growth in grace which they might and ought to have by hearing of the Word for want of due preparing and disposing the heart thereto This dutie of Preparation then though that it be not much thought upon or ordinarily practised yet it is of great necessitie and speciall use for all those which looke for benefit or blessing by the preaching of the Word There is no great Affaire or of weight and consequence eyther in Nature or Art in necessarie businesses and civill Negotiations or in matters of Complement Ceremonie and Enterview but there is required some bethinking preparation and prae-dispositions for the more happie and successefull accomplishment execution and performance how much more in the affaires of God matters of Heaven businesses of eternitie and salvation of mens soules The Ground must be manured and prepared for the Seed if wee looke it should fructifie and prosper how much more should our dull and dead hearts bee stirred up and furrowed as it were with humiliation reverence and repentance that by the grace of God and the sanctifying power of the Spirit it may lodge and take deepe root in them and spring up to eternall life The Body must be fitted with a Preparative and the humours as it were gathered unto a head if wee desire the Physicke should worke forcibly and kindly and rid us of their noxiousnesse and superfluitie how much more ought our Soules with an impartiall and narrow inquisition to be searched and layd open before they receive the Water of Life and spirituall Manna that so they may more seasonably and soundly be washed and purged from corruptions and imperfections preserved in spirituall health and prepared for eternall life The Ground must be layd and some imperfect Draughts Shadowes and resemblances premised before a Picture can be done to the Life or a full proportion and lively representation pourtrayed or presented to the eye how much more ought the ground of our hearts to be fitted and prepared that by the preaching of the Word the Image of Christ Iesus may with a lively and fresh impression be stamped upon them Were a man the next day to goe about a businesse that mainely concerned eyther his life or livelyhood the state of his Lands or danger of his life Would not his minde be troubled before-hand Would it not breake his sleepe the night before Would he not be musing and plotting by what meanes he might worke out his deliverance and safetie what behaviour and carriage might be fittest to winne favour and grace in so weightie an affaire How much more ought wee before wee intrude into the House of God where matters of our greatest and highest interest are proposed handled and debated by the Minister of the Word even life eternall and everlasting estate in another World I say how ought wee to thinke with our selves how wee may make our soules fittest to understand and accept the Covenant of Grace to receive the Seale of the Spirit and to get assurance of that glorious and royall Inheritance in the Heavens Nay yet further even in matters of complement and enterview there is wont to be preparation especially if the presence and persons were the greater Ioseph when he was sent for to goe before King Pharoah hee shaved his head and changed his rayment because hee was to appeare before so high and royall a presence Queene Hester durst not presse into the presence of King Ahashuerosh before shee had prepared her selfe How much more ought wee to fit and prepare our selves base and miserable wretches Wormes and no men as wee are with feare and trembling when wee come into the House and presence of the mightie Lord of Heaven and Earth before whom the Seraphins hide their faces the Nations are as a drop of a Bucket and the inhabitants of the Earth as Grasse-hoppers especially sith there hee offers and tenders unto us enlargement from the slaverie of sinne purgation from our pollutions and a Crowne of life upon that condition that wee repent forsake all our sinnes and resigne up our selves in sincere and humble obedience unto all his Commandements Inducements we have and Motives many both from Precept and Practice in the Booke of God for the performance of this Christian dutie of Preparation Take heed to thy foot sayth the Preacher when thou enterest into the House of God and be more neere to heare than to give the sacrifice of fooles for
surely be avenged of them for this sinne as we may see in the denunciation following Fifthly Ier. 7. 4 8 9 10 11. Trust not in lying words saying The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord c. They rested upon the outward formes of Gods worship without reformation It is just our case Many amongst us satisfie themselves and thinke it will serve the turne for salvation if they rest upon the Sabbath heare the Word receive the Sacrament and conforme to the outward exercises of Religion though they abide in their sinnes and have no acquaintance at all with the power of the Word the Mysterie of Christ conversion to God or holy conversation Sixtly Isa 6. 9 10. Goe tell this people Heare yee indeed but understand not see yee indeed but perceive not make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavie and shut their eyes lest c. Oh this is heavie that a Minister should be sent to a further hardening of a people And yet it is just with God and they shall feele it on their Bed of Death The Theefe on the Crosse was converted with a piece of a Sermon they are not wrought upon after many yeeres therefore it is just with God as an act of judgement because they would not come in after so long a time to give them over to such judiciall hardnesse Consider these things and tremble all yee that have any wayes strucke at the face of Christ by contempt of his Ministerie For the humbling of your soules into the dust for this horrible sinne peruse in bleeding hearts in secret that blacke and bloudie Catalogue of fearefull provocations which are ordinarily to be found in and certainely set upon the Score of such as hate to be reformed under a conscionable Ministerie Which made Christ say Ioh. 15. 22. If I had not come and spoken unto them c. 1 Despising it shutting their eyes against that glorious Light erected in their faces to leade them to Heaven See Math. 10. 14. Whosoever shall not receive you nor heare your words when yee depart out of that house or Citie shake off the dust of your feet Here is a notable place to affright all those that are unworthie partakers of the Ministerie For the understanding whereof take notice of these five points 1 It is as if they should say Here I have gone a long journey and have contracted dust and sand by my travell and taken a great deale of paines and loe here I shake off this dust in witnesse that you had Christ offered you and you would not accept him 2 To intimate unto them I care not for any of you or yours but onely I seeke the good of your soules I respect not so much as the dust I prize more the conversion of any of your soules than all yours and this dust shall witnesse it 3 They shooke off the dust as a witnesse I will have nothing to doe with this Citie for I know the Plagues and Iudgements of God will seize on this place as it was with Sodome and Gomorrah I will have no communion and societie with these wicked people 4 They did shake off the dust to intimate that destruction should come upon them For it is said Psalme 1. That they should be driven away as the dust As that is shaken with the winde so shall they be with the wrath of God 5 In testimonie and witnesse against them This very dust shall be witnesse against them Doe you thinke then that their Sermons and Catechising shall not If the dust that they gathered by their paines will be witnesse what will all their Sermons and praying and such paines be Now this sinne of despising the Word is a sinne above that of Sodome Vers 15. Verily it shall be more easie for Sodome and Gomorrah in the Day of Iudgement than for that Citie 2 Murmuring against it Iob. 6. 41. Luk. 15. 2. 3 Cavilling against it Act. 13. 45. 4 Contemning it Ier. 44. 16. Act. 17. 18. What will this Babbler say They accounted Pauls precious preaching vaine babbling 5 Mocking and scorning it 2 Chron. 36. 16. Act. 2. 13. 6 Persecuting it Math. 10. 23. And so they become like mad Dogges throwne into a River or tyed up in a Chaine which doe snarle at bite and teare those that put out their hands to helpe and set them free fearing they come to torture and to trouble them more Iust so it is with many prophane wretches which lye drowned in sinne and chained in Sathans fetters If a man put out his hand by the Ministerie of the Word to save them from sinking into Damnation and to free them from the Snares of everlasting death they rage and rayle they barke and bite like mad Dogges holding themselves to be disquieted disgraced and tormented before their time Thus you have seene the sixe Curses and the sixe Sinnes that the not profiting by the Word doth bring upon a people 2 Now in the second place let me tender to your most serious thoughts some quickening Motives for the stirring of you up to profit by the Word 1 Some taken from the Word it selfe the Ministerie whereof you have slighted What then is the blessed thing you have so wickedly abused It is 1 The Word of Salvation Act. 13. 26. No other Word or created Power can save your soules from Hell 2 The Word of Truth Eph. 1. 13. There is error in all other Truths whether Naturall or Morall or Politicall and goe to any Art there is weakenesse and infirmitie in the braine of man that there can be no certaintie but here is all Truth and here is infallibilitie you need not doubt of any 3 It is called the Word of Life Phil. 2. 16. All other Learning whatsoever when it hath furnished you with ornaments and parts it leaves your soules starke dead in sinnes and trespasses But this is a Word of Life it inspires spirituall Life and brings eternall Life 4 It is called a Word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 19. Let the Sea runne nothing but Gold and let Heaven and Earth be turned into Gold and Silver and offered unto God it could not reconcile us If all the creatures would lose their being be annihilated and come to nothing yet this could not save Iudas or any one reprobate but the Word hath beene a blessed instrument for reconciling many soules to God 5 It is as it were an Epistle or Letter as one of the Fathers calls it written from God Almightie unto us miserable men wherein hee writes his Will and Word and sends it to us the Ministers are the readers of it and they bring the newes from Heaven And what is the matter of it Concerning eternall life or eternall death concerning the good of your soules Now if you had a private Letter come from the King concerning your advancement or your deliverance and forgivenesse for some dangerous Treason or both how
and other places It was their spirituall coldnesse which sharpened the Papists swords against them It was their not entertaining the Truth with the love and power of it which gave the Imperiallists power over them 3 In a third place take some helpes and remedies to become profitable hearers and saving proficients by the Ministerie your enjoy which hath thus long beene it is a reproachfull and rufull thing I speake the savour of death unto death unto the most 1 Be perswaded to beleeve and obey the blessed Commandement of our Saviour himselfe Math. 6. 32. Seeke ye first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof in the first place and all other things shall be added to you To which bee quickened by considering 1 To what end wee came into this World What a wofull and bewitched people are they who being reasonable creatures having an understanding Light like the Angels of God having eyes in their heads to fore-see the wrath that is to come hearts in their bodies that can tremble as the leaves of the Forest which are shaken with the winde Consciences that are capable of unspeakable horror bodies and soules which can burne in Hell for ever and yet some have lived twentie some thirtie some fortie some sixtie yeeres and yet to this day have not learnt one sound spirituall Lesson for the true good of their soules either out of the Booke of God the Booke of Nature the Workes of God or any other way Why to what end doe you thinke were you created and put into this World To eate and drinke and sleepe to lye and sweare and root in the Earth to Dice and Card and goe in the Fashion to contemne the Ministerie shamefully to belye slander and rayle upon Gods people as too precise to die and then not to be damned Assuredly thou wast not borne and placed upon the Earth for to serve thine owne turne to please thine owne heart to follow thine owne wayes to live for a while like a Beast in sensuall contentments and then to goe to Hell Certainely thou wast sent into this World for some other end for some greater businesse and important affaire even for that One necessarie thing Luke 10. 42. to know serve and obey thy God and to save that precious Soule of thine in the Day of Christ to seeke first the Kingdome of Heaven to know and feele the vertue of Christs death and resurrection This I say is that One necessarie thing All other things are but respectively necessarie so farre as they further this end ought onely to be subordinate and contributorie nay to be accounted but drosse and dung to this Phil. 3. 10. 2 Consider that upon this moment depends eternitie 3 What is a man profited if he shall gaine the whole World and lose his owne soule Math. 16. 26. 4 The difference of the life and death of the Christian and Carnallist 2 Take the counsell of the holy Apostle Col. 3. 16. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly c. 1 By hearing it in season and out of season 2 Tim. 4. 2. Preachers and hearers are relatives Christian hearers in ancient times heard their Pastours day after day 1 Because yesterday wee made mention of the Theefe c. saith Ambrose Which implyes his preaching the day before 2 You that were here yesterday c. Which implyes his preaching the day before In another place I suppose you remember how farre me discoursed yesterday from that very place let us to day begin Elsewhere he saith From whence we spake much yesterday Againe Yesterday we came even to that Verse c. Yesterdayes Sermon was protracted c. The latter part of the Psalme of which wee spake yesterday c. Yesterday a shorter Psalme was handled 3 First therefore let us perswade you that you would amend and abandon your Oathes For although I spake of the same matter yesterday and the day before that yet notwithstanding I will not cease to day nor to morrow nor the day after that to perswade the same things Whence it appeares that hee preached the day before and the day before that and would preach the day following and the day after that 4 Yesterdayes sight Brethren provoked me to this Sermon c. This Sermon was made upon Easter Monday and no doubt he had preached on Easter day 5 Yesterday c. To day wee will discourse briefely of Baptisme and the benefits that flow from thence to us Although yesterday our speech did flow more hastily from us both because the time did urge as also least length of speech should beget disdaine and satietie for the satietie of speech is no lesse an enemie to the eares than too much meate is to the body These Orations were divine and as Sermons and this was made on the day immediately after an holy-day The Greeke Church at that time celebrated the day of Christs Baptisme 6 If you remember in yesterdayes Sermon c. Chrysostome in his tenth Homily upon Genesis expostulating with his people because they were so few tells them That every houre of the day is seasonable to heare a Sermon nay the very night is not unseasonable for such a purpose urging for proofe thereof the place I prest before 2 Tim. 4. 2. and Pauls practice Act. 20. preaching untill midnight These are his words What meanes it that there is a lesse assembly of you to day and not so frequent a multitude of those who flocke to us For it is not so with spirituall things as with humane which are divided to determined times Every time of the day is fit for a spirituall Sermon And what doe I say the day time yea if the night should come upon us it doth not prejudice or hinder spirituall teaching For both Paul writing to Timothy said Be instant in season and out of season c. And againe heare blessed S. Luke saying Paul being about to depart on the morrow prolonged his Sermon to the middle of the night Tell mee I pray thee did the time hinder Was therefore his word of Doctrine hindered Austin sometimes preached thrice upon the same day Doe not wonder deare Brethren if I have preached thrice to day God assisting me There hath happened to day a fearefull chance c. Chrysostome in the Evening as we may see in his eleventh Homily upon 1 Thess 5. saith hee Even as if any one should cast water on the wicke of this Candle or should onely take away the Oyle hee would put out the Light so is it with the gift of the Spirit He tooke his example from the Lampe that burnt by him when he was preaching and sayes You may quench this Lampe by putting in water and you may quench it by taking out the Oyle And great Basil also the like The Evening and the Morning saith he is made one Day
Fathers I say I will suppose them to be as it were Gyants and wee Dwarfes Yet set a Dwarfe upon a Gyants shoulders and hee will see further and so might certainely wee but for Slouth Idlenesse Worldlinesse Ambition and other such base and vile degenerations of these later Times It may be further objected That there was more necessity of the Fathers frequent Preaching especially in those Primitive Times for more plentifull publishing and propagation of the Gospel c. and suppressing Heresies c. Passingly weake and untrue There is farre more need of much Preaching now than in former times For wee live in the last dayes wherein those perillous times are come upon us which Paul fore-tells 2 Tim. 3. 1. c. and wherein iniquitie abounds and the love of many waxeth cold c. Math. 24. 12. And at this day wee oppose the Hydra of all Heresies Poperie which opposeth even the whole Body of Christianitie Againe their Homilies are against Drunkennesse Pride Swearing Luxury Covetousnesse love of the World Vsury painted Faces false Haire Anger Envie Ambition c. All which sinnes and many more reigne and rage at this day with more hainousnesse and an higher hand than heretofore 2 A second meanes whereby the Word may dwell plentifully in us is by a constant and conscionable reading the Booke of God This Exercise is commanded to Kings and Captaines Deut. 17. 17 18 19. Iosh 1. 8. who may seeme most priviledged by their intanglement in many and weightie affaires Christ bids the Iewes Ioh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures as the well-spring of eternall life The Holy-Ghost commends the Iewes of Berea as more noble than they of Thessalonica because they received the Word with all readinesse of minde and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so Act. 17. 11. See Deut. 6 7 8 9. See many Motives to this dutie before It is the Word of Salvation of Truth of Life of Reconciliation a Letter from Heaven a Treasurie of all excellent things it shall judge us it onely can heale a wounded Soule it containes all our evidence for Heaven and it is the object of divine Faith c. Nay and because the Papists have wickedly dammed up this Fountaine of Life from the common people heare the judgement and zeale of Antiquitie in pressing this dutie First heare Chrysostome Heare I pray you all yee Lay-men saith Chrysostome get yet Bibles a Medicine for your Soules c. You cast all upon our shoulders You ought onely to be instructed of us but your Wives and Children should be by you c. But now adayes your Children preferre divellish Songs and Dancings even as Cookes and Caters and leaders of Dances but none knowes any Psalme The same Chrysostome to stirre up men to diligent reading the Scriptures maketh good this assertion There is no affliction or miserie of body or soule but may receive a Medicine out of Gods Booke 1 A man heavie-hearted and of a sad spirit saith hee takes the Bible in his hand after hee hath met with that place Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou so disquieted within me hope thou in God c. he is refreshed 2 Another saith he is oppressed with extreme povertie beholds the wicked wallow in worldly wealth and flourish like a greene Bay-tree But after hee hath cast his eye upon that Psal 55. 22. Cast thy burthen upon the Lord and hee shall sustaine thee c. he is comforted 3 Another is hunted with calumnies and insidiations c. and no humane helpe will be had the Prophet saith hee doth teach him what to doe in these words They did speake against me but I prayed 4 Another is forsaken even of his friends and kinsmen and contemned of those who were most beholding to him Heare how the Prophet behaved himselfe in such a case Psal 38. 11. c. 13. c. He concludes thus Thou hast seene whensoever any calamitie doth oppresse a man how convenient an Antidote he may take from the Scriptures and all care of this life may be driven backe neither should we be grieved for any thing that falls out Therefore I beseech you that you would come hither and diligently attend to the reading of the holy Scriptures not onely when you come hither but even at home take the holy Bible into your hands and goe reape the profit that is in them with great earnestnesse Moreover what that sensible Bread doth to encrease bodily strength that Reading doth to the soule for it is spirituall nourishment and makes the soule vigorous c. But wee may adde to Chrysostomes Antidotes these 16. more 1 Art thou wearie of the wayes of vanitie and comming on with a grieved and sorrowfull heart for thy sinne to meet thy deare Redeemer and doth the conceit of the number and hainousnesse of thy transgressions crosse and confound thy hopes of being received to mercy Why then looke upon Paul he shed the bloud of the Saints with extraordinarie rage and furie Act. 9. 1. upon Manasseh a man of prodigious impietie 2 Chron. 33. 6. upon some of Peters hearers who crucified the Lord of Life Act. 2. 23. If these will not serve the turne looke upon Adam who cast away himselfe and undid all and was the cause that all that issued out of his loines unto the Worlds end fell into the damnation of Hell and yet all these upon repentance were received unto mercie And therefore if thou canst now heartily repent feare no former sinnes 2 Hast thou by the violence of Sathans temptations the slie enticements of thine owne sinfull nature and the cunning insinuations of thy former bosome-sinne beene fearefully overtaken with some scandalous fall since thou wast converted and gave thy Name unto Grace and upon illumination of thy conscience remorse and meditation of returne thou art ashamed to look Christ Iesus in the face because thou hast so shamed thy profession and thou art so troubled with horror and conceit that thy case is singular that thou canst find no ease to thine humbled and sorrowfull heart Why then looke upon David Peter c. transcendent instances that thou may not sinke into despaire 3 Art thou plunged into the perplexities and fearfull apprehensions of a spiritual desertion Art thou deprived of thy former comfortable feelings of Gods favorable countenance Hast thou no comfort in prayer c. Looke upon David Ps 77. 4 It may be upon thy Bed of Death when Sathan will make thy sinnes appeare farre more ugly and horrible to the eye of thy Conscience than ever hee did before and will perswade thee all he can that all thy holy services unto God and new obedience was quite marred with Pride Hypocrisie and by-respects I say it may be then thy heart will quite faile thee and thy conceit of Gods wrathfull and angry countenance for thy sinne may so oppresse and confound thy soule that thou mayest
meane and comprise all the active inferior powers of the Soule Will Affections Sence as they are polluted and empoysoned in the puddle of originall corruption and afterward being fleshed in sensuall pleasures and enfierced by Sathans suggestions become the furious executioners of all the sinfull decrees and unsanctified determinations of the mis-guided understanding and wisedome of the flesh 8 In hearing the Word be sure First To give earnest heed Heb. 2. 1. Secondly To consider seriously 2 Tim. 2. 7. Thirdly That wee be not in this respect like leaking Vessels and have Sieve-like memories Heb. 2. 1. Fourthly To keepe the Word with much adoe with great contention and colluctation Luke 8. 15. 9 Suffer the Spirit of Bondage to have its worke upon thee Conclude horror upon thy heart by the working of the Law from such places as these Deut. 29. 19 20. 2 Thess 1. 8 9. Rev. 21. 8. 10 When thy Conscience is once throughly wounded by the preparative worke of the Spirit of Bondage and all thy sinnes even those in which thou hast taken greatest delight become heavie and a grievous burthen upon thy heart then let that heavie heart of thine receive spirituall warmth refreshing and life First By perusing the Lord Iesus in all the passages of his Love Sufferings and Satisfactions from his comming from the Bosome of his Father untill his returning unto his right hand againe especially hanging upon him bleeding and dying and crying under the burthen of our sinnes My God my God c. and so conquering and concluding It is finished Secondly By a feeling survey and sure setling upon all the Promises of Life sealed with his righteous bloud Thirdly By cleaving to Gods sweetest Name which is to forgive iniquitie transgression and sinne Exod. 34. 6 7. Fourthly By resting with all thankefull and joyfull acknowledgement and rejecting resolutely all scrupulous and fearefull injections upon that blessed Mysterie of Gods free grace which reacheth from everlasting to everlasting 11 Then ever after walke watchfully and fruitfully in the path which is called holy Now for continuall growing and profiting by the Ministerie in that new and blessed course and for thriving by the food of the Word which thou enjoyest take these directions looke unto these things First Looke to the dressing of it that thy spirituall Cooke be cunning and conscionable Otherwise it may sometimes turne into ranke poyson unto thy Soule fill thee with winde and puffe thee up with a causelesse good conceit of thy selfe impaire thy spirituall health keepe thee stinted as it were and at a stay c. Nay an ill spirituall Cooke by his jugling Trickes may make thee beleeve all thy life long that thou growest in Grace and shalt goe to Heaven and thou art starke dead in sinnes and trespasses and shalt be damned Secondly The emptying and disburthening of the Stomacke of thy Soule of all Humours Passions Prejudice Crosses Troubles Temptations c. or any thing that will hinder the puritie and power of the Word from taking possession of thy Soule even the Honey-combe the sweetest thing in the World is loathsome as the Wise-man sayth to a full stomacke Thou must bring an Heart and Head like two emptie Buckets to draw with greedinesse and joy the Water of Life out of the Wells of Salvation Thirdly To procure and rayse an Appetite before thou come from consideration first of its Necessitie Where the Word of God is not preached the people perish as you had it in the former Treatise Secondly Excellencie It is farre more precious than purest Gold dearer than thousands of Gold and Silver Thirdly Sweetnesse It passes the Honey and Honey-combe David in his absence from the meanes holds the Swallow and Sparrow happle Birds Fourthly Profit It builds up the inner man c. Fourthly The Reception of it That it ever be entertained with farre more attention and reverence than if wee were hearing the mightiest Monarch in the World speaking immediately unto us by personall compellation about the weightiest affaire and neereliest concerning us That it be ever heard as the Word of the mightie and ever-living God Fifthly Retention The most wholesome and soveraigne meat if presently voided nourisheth not at all many fall into a Consumption of Grace by reason of weakenesse this way They are hot and fierce to get unto a good Sermon and they doe well to be carefull thereabout but their forwardnesse and fervencie cooles and expires when the Sermon is done They after have little more to doe with it save onely to say it was a good Sermon As many have an unsatiable appetite in devouring meat who cannot keepe it for any space of time The retentive power of the Soule then must be strengthened and exercised or else the attentive and attractive addes but more deadnesse to a spirituall Atrophie Sixtly Concoction By repetition either in way of conference with our neighbours and Christian friends or in way of examination without Wives Children Servants Schollers or other inferiours But principally by that first excellent Exercise of Meditation which is the very life of profitable Hearing and the want of it the death of all good Lessons It inflames the heart with a kindly heat to practise as in brooding the Hen inspires heat and begets life secondly and by the heat of Prayer that both warmes the heart fits the food and brings a blessing upon both Seventhly Digestion By application of the points unto our owne particular by sorting the particulars of the Sermon unto our owne necessities for the conquering of this Lust ruling of that Passion leaving this Sinne performing that Dutie c. Eightly Practice Walking in the strength of it afterward which makes it our owne and keepes the Soule in health and growth and comfortable temper And thus wee may constantly grow by the Ministerie of the Word which is the principall publike Banquet which the Lord hath provided for feeding his Childrens Soules The Sacraments are a second Service Even by the first that is Baptisme wee may grow not onely when wee feele it in our owne bodies but also when wee see it administred unto others And therefore the custome which hath prevailed in most places of neglecting and contemning this part of the Food of our Soules is to be severely censured and sharpely reproved By the second that is the Lords Supper wee may thrive excellently if wee follow those Directions in my Preparative to it To which I referre you in the succeeding Treatise FINIS A BRIEFE TABLE OF THE CHIEFE HEADS Contained in this Treatise of the SAINTS GVIDE A. AFfection to be joyned with hearing pag. 179 Afflictions no strange thing p. 118. They are but short 120 Afflictions raised by the Devill against Christians 109 Antidotes against afflictions 110 c. Application required in hearing the Word and why 180 181 Apostates their danger 103 Atheisme 50 Attention in hearing required 174.
THE SAINTS SVRE AND PERPETVALL GVIDE OR A Treatise concerning the WORD Which as the Israelites Cloud conducts us from Aegypt to Canaan whereunto wee must take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a darke place till the Day dawne and the Day-starre arise in our hearts BY That Reverend Learned and Godly Minister of Christ Iesus ROBERT BOLTON Bachelour of Divinitie and late Preacher of Gods Word at Broughton in Northampton-shire IOHN 3. 20 21. Every one that doth evill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deeds should be reproved But he that doth the truth commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God LONDON Printed by E. Purslow for Rapha Harford in Queenes-head-Alley in Pater-Noster-Row at the Signe of the Gilt Bible 1634. THE SAINTS SVRE AND PERPETVALL GVIDE PSAL. 119. VER 105. Thy Word is a Lampe unto my feet and a Light unto my paths OF all other parts of the holy Bible this Booke of the Psalmes penned for the most part by David the sweet Singer of Israel and a man after Gods owne heart is stuft and fill'd with greatest plentie and varietie of precious Lessons and instructions unto eternall life The choice and flower of all things profitable and comfortable for the right course of a Christian life is therein briefely contained and very movingly and feelingly exprest In them we may be acquainted with the Majestie and Mysteries of God with the Sufferings of Christ with unfained Repentance unwearied Patience spirituall Wisedome and wonderfull Courage of the godly man and true Christian In them we may behold the terrors of Wrath and the anguishes of an afflicted Conscience the comforts of Grace and great Deliverances the wonderfull workes of Providence over this World and the promised Ioyes of that World which is to come In a word all good necessarily to be either knowne or done or had is plentifully as out of a rich Treasurie reveal'd and offer'd unto us in these heavenly Songs of David Amongst which this 119. Psalme a part of which I have now read unto you is as it were a precious Iewell or cleare Crystall wherein wee may see the right temper and state of true godlinesse and sinceritie the markes and properties of all true worshippers of God the zeale and affections of all faithfull Christians the very lively Anatomie and laying open of a good and gracious Soule This whole Psalme doth consist of 22. Parts or Portions of Staves or Octaves even just so many as there be Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet and every Portion containeth in it eight Verses and every Verse of every Portion or Staffe begins with the same Hebrew Letter The which speciall and extraordinarie penning and disposing of the Psalme doth declare and set out unto us these three things 1 The diligent intention of mind and carefull meditation of the Author in the framing and composing of it 2 The preciousnesse and worth of the matter contain'd in it in that it pleased the Spirit of God to deliver it in choice and speciall order 3 A desire and purpose that it might more easily be learn'd by heart and committed to memorie and often and earnestly meditated and thought upon being set downe unto us in so faire and easie order of the Hebrew Letters This Part or Portion which wee have now in hand is the foureteenth and doth containe in it many worthy and gracious Lessons for our instruction and devotion in heavenly things proposed unto us out of the practice and Christian carriage of this holy Prophet and Man of God David a perfect patterne of all true zeale and pietie In the thirteenth Portion immediately going before David had delivered specially two things First How by his love reading study and meditation in Gods Word he had attained most excellent knowledge wisedome and understanding so that thereby he was become farre more wise than his enemies that is than Saul and all his politike Courtiers and Counsellors of State Hee had more understanding than his Teachers than the great Doctors and Rabbins for all their deepe Learning being not sanctified unto them He understood more than the grave and ancient men for all the worldly wisedome and great experience they had gathered in many yeeres and through length of dayes Where by the way take this Lesson There is no wit or policie not all the Learning in the World or worldly wisedome can make a man truly wise that is wise unto salvation but onely a powerfull and working knowledge out of the holy Word of God The Reason is Because all other wisedome doth onely provide for the Body for a temporall happinesse in this life for a few and evill dayes and leaves the Soule in a sinfull and wretched estate shortly in the day of Visitation to be overtaken and fearefully confounded with strange astonishments horrors and despaire and hereafter wofully to be tormented amongst wicked Devils in the Lake that burnes with fire and Brimstone for evermore But wisedome out of the Word of God doth so furnish a mans Soule with Grace and all holy Vertues that in despight of all creatures hee may live comfortably in this Vale of teares and in endlesse joyes in the World to come Now I pray you tell me whether is truly the wiser man hee that for an inch of time makes much of his wretched Body that must shortly rot in the grave and be devoured of Wormes and turned into dust but in the meane time lets his immortall Soule that can never die sinke into the Dungeon of everlasting woe and miserie or hee which by taking sound and saving counsell and direction out of the Word of God and howsoever he be hated and neglected of this vaine World yet yeelding chearefull and constant obedience thereunto provides unspeakable comfort rest and blessednesse both for Body and Soule through all eternitie Secondly In the second part and foure last Verses of the former Portion David sets downe the fruit use and benefit which sprung from his divine knowledge It sweetned his heart with much comfort and sound contentment and cheared him with joy unspeakable and glorious amidst all crosses and discomforts it bridled and restrained him from every evill way it kept and preserved him in the paths of righteousnesse it bred in him a hatred and loathing of the wayes of error falsehood and hypocrisie Where by the way I would give you this other Lesson We must labour and be sure that we draw our knowledge in Gods Word into practice action and exercise otherwise it will not onely be unprofitable and unfruitfull unto us but indeed bring upon us a greater and more fearefull condemnation For For He that knowes his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Luke 12. 47. All our knowledge is in vaine except by the power of it our inward affections be sanctified our words seasoned
with grace our actions and conversations guided with spirituall wisedome and unfained sinceritie After David had thus in the former Portion layd downe unto us and confessed what excellent knowledge he had got out of the Word of God and the precious fruit and benefit he had reaped and enjoyed by it Now In the first Verse of this present Portion hee makes as it were a protestation and profeâ—â—ion that he is wholly and onely enlightened and led in all his wayes by this holy Word of God as by a Light or Lanterne The brightnesse thereof doth not onely bring him into the wayes of righteousnesse and blessed estate of Christianitie but doth also conduct and guide him in all the paths and particulars of his life and actions in all the parts and passages of his speciall calling For he saith Thy Word is a Lampe unto my feet that is whereby I see and discerne the way to Heaven and the narrow path through the Kingdome of Grace and a Light unto my paths that is a guide to direct me in every particular step at every turning that so I may keepe a straight course and the readie way to the Kingdome of Glory That David had thus wholly yeelded and resigned up himselfe to be guided and governed by the glorious Light of Gods holy Word appeares in the Verses following First in Vers 106. by a solemne Oath and sacred resolution to keepe Gods righteous judgements and an unfained and constant purpose to performe the same I have sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous judgements Secondly in Vers 107. by his patiencie and sufferance of wrongs disgraces and afflictions which the wicked and prophane World heaped upon him for his profession of holinesse and sinceritie For except he had loved and followed the Light of divine Truth whensoever the fire of persecution and tribulation because of the Word had beene kindled against him hee had shrunke backe and fallen away I am afflicted very much quicken me O Lord according to thy Word Thirdly in Vers 108. by the offerings of his mouth and calves of his lips that is the spirituall sacrifices of prayers thanksgiving and gracious Vowes for Gods service which with a free and fervent spirit and earnest desire of acceptation he continually offered unto the Lord O Lord I beseech thee accept the free-will offerings of my mouth and teach me thy judgements Fourthly in Vers 109 110. by his stedfastnesse and sticking to the Law and Word of God though hee was beset and strongly incompassed with snares with dangers and with death it selfe His soule was continually in his hand that is hee was ready and resolved every houre rather to part with his life than with a good Conscience to shed his bloud rather than to forsake the Truth and Commandements of God My soule is continually in my hand yet doe I not forget thy Law The wicked have laid a snare for me yet I erred not from thy Precepts In the two last Verses upon the former reasons hee concludes the Point That his heart and inward affections do dearely embrace Gods blessed Word as a most rich and lasting Inheritance as his sweetest and greatest joy and that hee bends all the powers of his soule and best endevours to be led with and to follow the Light thereof even unto the end untill it bring him to immortalitie and Light that no man can attaine unto Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart I have inclined my heart to performe thy Statutes alway even to the end Thus you see in generall the meaning of this Portion Before now I descend unto particulars and come to gather Notes severally from the Verses in order let vs take notice I beseech you for our instruction and examination of our owne soules of sixe notable markes and signes by which a true Christian may be discerned from a Temporizer a sincere server of God from a carnall Gospeller The first I gather out of the first Verse Every sonne and servant of God doth with humilitie chearefulnesse and obedience yeeld and submit himselfe to be wholly and onely directed and guided by the Light of Gods Word in all his wayes both generally of Christianitie and particularly of his speciall calling as David here did But the naturall man that is not yet entred into or acquainted with the state of Grace is led and guided in his courses onely by the Light of Reason and worldly Wisedome by good Meanings without ground and warrant out of the Word by a blind and ignorant Devotion by the Multitude Examples Custome of the Times and such like blind Guides But if he take any advice and direction out of the Word of God it is but in part by halfes and for a time A second ariseth out of the second Verse Every Child of God doth not onely promise vow and purpose to forsake and abandon all his knowne sinnes to watch carefully and conscionably over all his wayes to delight in and to sort himselfe with godly and gracious companie to have a respect to all his Commandements and to keepe his righteous Iudgements but hee doth also truly and throughly performe it hee goes through-stitch with his spirituall affaires and with constancie and courage walkes in a setled course of Christianitie But the unregenerate man not yet soundly seasoned with the power of Grace howsoever he hath sometimes good motions and purposes arise in his heart to forsake his former evill wayes and to fall to godlinesse howsoever in the time of Sicknesse of some great Iudgement or when his Conscience is terrified by the Ministerie of the Word when he seriously thinkes upon the day of his death and of that great and last Iudgement or the like hee makes Vowes with himselfe perhaps that hee will be a new man and change his courses But when he is once out of danger againe when he comes to the point and practice he is not so good as his word he doth not pay and performe his former Vowes and purposes hee is presently choaked againe with worldly Cares and drowned in earthly Pleasures And so all his goodnesse is as a morning Cloud and as the morning Deaw it goeth away The third marke lyeth in the third Verse Every Child of God doth with contented patience with strong dependance upon Gods providence with rejoycing in his sufferings beare and endure many miseries and pressures layd upon him for his profession and practice of sinceritie He well knowes out of the Word of God and feeles by his owne experience That all which will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution 2 Tim. 3. 12. And therefore he makes up his account with the World and is at a point with all that is under the Sunne hee is perswaded that all the afflictions of this life are not neere worthy the
The Reasons of this Doctrine may be these which follow The first may be taken from the insufficiencie and inabilitie of all other meanes to bring us to Heaven as 1 All the greatest Learning and deepest knowledge in the World will stand us in little stead in this businesse Otherwise it had gone well with many ancient Heathens and Philosophers of old who fadomed as deepe and reached as high in the depths and mysteries of all humane Learning and knowledge as the light of Reason and strength of Nature could possibly bring them And yet they were utterly strangers to the life of grace and without God in the World When they professed themselves to be wise they became fooles saith Paul Rom. 1. 22. They were puffed up with a little vaine-glorious knowledge here upon Earth and got them a Name amongst men But alas what was this When as for the want of the Light of Divine Truth they lost their Soules in another World and their Names never came in the Booke of Life Where is the wise saith Paul in another place Where is the Scribe Where is the Disputer of this World As if hee should have said All the knowledge of the greatest Doctors and learnedest Rabbins in the World without Grace vanisheth into nothing into vaine-glory emptinesse and aire nay casts them with greater horror and confusion into the Pit of Hell Every man saith Ieremie is a Beast by his owne knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iere. 10. 14. Except besides all other knowledge he be enlightened from above and have that Divine knowledge sanctified unto him hee can come no neerer the happinesse of Heaven than a very Beast 2 Worldly wisedome and policie is so farre from making men wise unto salvation that it is not onely starke foolishnesse with God and good men but it doth strongly set it selfe and is at enmitie against God Therefore saith God I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will cast away the understanding of the prudent 1 Cor. 1. 19. Ahitophel was so wise even in the affaires of Kingdomes and businesse of State that the counsell which he counselled in those dayes was like as one had asked counsell at the Oracle of God and yet all this great wisedome in the end ended in extreme folly for upon a little discontent and disgrace in the World he sadled his Asse and went home unto his Citie and put his household in order and hanged himselfe 2 Sam. 16. 23. 17. 23. Although the end of all worldly wisedome be not so shamefull in the eye of the World yet undoubtedly it is most miserable and wofull in the World to come except their wisedome be sanctified and over-ruled by the Light of Gods Word Carnall wisedome can neither preserve a man from death nor prepare him to die blessedly it cannot stay his Life from going neither can it stop the Curse from comming it cannot deliver him from damnation in the World to come but rather encreaseth the grievousnesse of his punishment for in this life it hath kept possession against heavenly wisedome it made him uncapable of all good instructions it made him impatient of any rebuke and held him in ignorance and disobedience all his life 3 No good meanings or intentions without knowledge and warrant in the Word of God will ever serve our turne for salvation nay indeed they are abominable and hatefull in Gods sight Howsoever thousands deceive themselves in this point Vzzah had a good meaning in 2 Sam. 6. 6. when hee put his hand to the Arke of God and held it for the Oxen did shake it but notwithstanding the Lord was very wroth with Vzzah and God smote him in the same place and there hee died Iames and Iohn had good meanings when they called for fire from Heaven to consume the Samaritan that would not entertaine Christ but Iesus rebuked them and told them they knew not of what spirit they were Saul in 1 Sam. 15. had a good meaning when he spared Agag and the best of the Sheepe and of the Oxen to sacrifice them unto the Lord but notwithstanding Samuel tells him that he had done wickedly in the sight of the Lord and that the Lord had rent the Kingdome of Israel from him that day Peter had a good meaning when in Ioh. 13. 8. he would not suffer Christ to wash his feet but Iesus answered him and told him If I wash thee not thou shalt have no part with me Good meanings then are wicked missings of the true service of God except they be guided by knowledge warrant and ground out of the Booke of God Let no man then tell of his good meaning if he be ignorant in the Will and Word of God for certainely it will never serve the turne it will never hold out in the Day of Christ Iesus 4 No will-worship or will-service or voluntarie Religion as the Apostle calls it Col. 2. 23. which is forged and framed out of a mans owne braine humour and conceit without ground or warrant in the Booke of God though it be performed with never so glorious a shew of zeale and paines yet it is not any way availeable for our spirituall good and eternall happinesse nay indeed it is most odious in the eyes of God and ever lyable to a very high degree of his wrath and vengeance Baals Prophets 1 Kings 18. 28. were so hot and hastie in their will-worship that they cut themselves with knives and launcers till the bloud gushed out upon them The Papists they whip themselves they vow Continencie perpetuall Povertie and Regular Obedience and yet is the profession and practice of both bloudie and idolatrous When the Iewes worshipped God after the devised fashions of the Gentiles though their meaning was to worship nothing but God yet the Text saith they worshipped nothing but Devils Deut. 32. 17. And God there protests that therefore a fire was kindled in his wrath that should burne unto the bottome of Hell and set on fire the foundations of the mountaines So hated of Almightie God is all service and worship devised by the wit and will of man without warrant in the Word of God 5 Lastly not the Word of God it selfe in the Letter without the spirituall meaning and the finger of Gods Spirit to apply it powerfully to our soules and consciences is any sufficient rule of life or able to bring us into the Light of Grace This appeares in Nicodemus who was a great Doctor in the Law and the Prophets a chiefe Master and Teacher in Israel yet was a very Infant and Ideot in the power of Grace and mysterie of godlinesse For all his learning in the Letter of the Law he had not yet made one step towards Heaven for hee was not onely ignorant of but had a very absurd and grosse conceit of the new birth which is the very first entrance into
theirs which indeed is the right direct and desperate downe-fall into the Pit of Hell So that millions of soules live no lesse without Scriptures than if there were none and wofully walke in this World through darkenesse of sinne shadow of death and ignorance both of God and his Word unto endlesse and utter darkenesse in the World to come The Prophet David tells us in Psal 19. That the Law of the Lord is perfect and giveth wisedome unto the simple The Commandements of the Lord is pure and giveth light to the eyes In this place hee tells us That the Word was a Lampe unto his feet and a Light unto his paths Christ himselfe Iohn 5. 39. bids us Search the Scriptures even all without exception so many as looke for eternall life Not lightly and at leisure to reade them but with diligence to dive into them for so the word signifies in the Originall To seeke for the right knowledge and true sense of them as for Silver and to search for it as for Treasures The Noblemen of Berea Act. 17. 11. searched the Scriptures dayly whether those things were so that were preached unto them Saint Peter 2 Pet. 1. 19. calls the Word of the Prophets a Light which shineth in a darke place to which wee should take heed But the Pope and his Factors teach other Lessons The Catholike Church saith one of their chiefe Champions out of the Councell of Trent forbids the reading of Scriptures by all without choise or the publike reading or singing of them in vulgar Tongues The wise will not here regard say the Rhemists in their Preface to their Testament what some wilfull people doe mutter that the Scriptures are made for all men And soone after they resemble the Scriptures to Fire Water Candles Knives and Swords which are indeed needfull c. but would marre all if they were at the guiding of other than wise men And this is indeed one of their principall reasons Many abuse the Scriptures by ignorance infirmitie or malice to Errors Heresies Schismes and their owne destruction therefore they are not to be read of all without choise I answer they might as well reason thus Many men abuse Meat and Drinke by surfetting and excesse to the destruction both of their soules and bodies therefore men are to be deprived of Meat and Drinke Some men are infected with the Pestilence by drawing in corrupted and empoysoned aire therefore the aire is to be taken away and removed But as those men which are deprived of Meat and Drinke presently languish and pine away and die a temporall death and those that enjoy not the benefit of the aire are presently stifled for want of breath even so all those that want the spirituall Food of their soules out of the Word of God and the holy inspirations of his good Spirit builded thereupon howsoever they be fat and flourishing in their outward estates yet they are full leane and lanke in their soules and if they so continue must needes die an eternall death and perish everlastingly Let us then learne to detest and hate the bloudie Policie of the Synagogue of Rome which cruelly keepes from many thousand Soules that blessed Light of Gods Word which should lead them to eternall life They indeed pretend other Reasons But the truth is if the Word of Truth should be permitted and published to all there would be old running out of Babylon all their Pompe and Policie would downe their shamefull Iuglings and Cousenages their strong Delusions and Impostures would be laid open in the sight of the Sunne The Princes of the Earth that have so long beene drunken with the wrath of her empoysoned Wine would no longer commit Fornication with her The Merchants would buy no more her Wares but would stand afarre off from her for feare of her torment weeping and wailing No marvell then though the Papists labour might and maine and to this end maintaine a bloudie Inquisition to suppresse this Light of Gods Word lest it should discover their darknesse and hasten their destruction A second Vse is for terror feare and amazement to all them that doe not live and delight in the Light of Gods holy Word but yet are walking in the darkenesse of ignorance and in the shadow of death The whole World and every man in particular lyes in darkenesse that is in ignorance under sinne and so subject and lyable to damnation and eternall death There is no way to come out of this state of Darknesse Damnation and Death but by the Knowledge Light and Ministerie of the Word Hence it is that Act. 26. 18. it is Pauls charge and hee is sent to this purpose to open the eyes of men that they might turne from Darknesse to Light And Paul himselfe Eph. 5. 8. speakes thus unto the Ephesians Yee were once Darkenesse but now yee are Light in the Lord walke as Children of the Light Out of 1 Pet. 2. 9. it appeares that all Gods Children are called out of Darkenesse into marvellous Light Why then fearefull and most wretched is the state of all those who by the Light and knowledge of Gods Word are not translated and guided out of this Darkenesse For as in Darkenesse 1 There is much feare horror and discomfort a man cannot enjoy the lightsomenesse of Heaven the comfort of the creatures the companie of men Even so ignorant men not enlightened with saving knowledge are utterly without all hope of Heaven they have no sight or taste of the endlesse joyes thereof they have no companie or conference in heavenly matters with true Christians they have no comfort or interest in the Covenant of Grace or Promises of Salvation But Feare Horror and Despaire are most justly treasured up for them against the Day of Wrath and of the declaration of the just Iudgement of God 2 He that walketh in the Darkenesse saith Iohn knoweth not whither he goeth He cannot discerne his way he seeth not what is behind or before him he cannot descry or discover the dangers which are round about him But especially if the wayes through which he passeth be slipperie steepe and rockie full of pits and holes he is in danger at every step by some grievous fall to crush his body bruise his bones or breake his necke It is just so with every one that lives in ignorance of Gods Word and Truth he cannot possibly discerne the way to Heaven amongst the many by-paths of iniquitie he cannot judge in spirituall matters betwixt right and wrong good and evill Light and Darkenesse Christ and Belial prophanenesse and sinceritie though there be behind him a Life spent in much wickednesse lewdnesse and ignorance before him Despaire Hell and eternall Damnation about him the World with a thousand baites and pleasures to intice and intangle him in sinne Sathan like a roaring Lyon readie every houre to seize upon his
Soule and to teare it in pieces while there is none to helpe all the creatures armed and in a readinesse with whole Armies of Plagues and Vengeance to be revenged upon him for dishonouring God by ignorance in his Word Yet hee sees none of all this Hee neither knowes feeles or suspects these many dangers with which he is incompassed but goes on plodding with ungrounded confidence and wicked securitie in the way of wickednesse and destruction hee passeth with much desperate boldnesse through many dangerous and fearefull wayes wherein at every step he wounds his Conscience with one sinne or other in the meane time and at length falls headlong and suddenly body and soule into the Pit of Hell This is certainely the miserable and wofull state of all those that live in spirituall Darkenesse and are ignorant in Gods Word and the wayes of godlinesse It may be they may flatter please and perswade themselves that their case is good enough that when they heare of Heaven and those everlasting pleasures at Gods right hand they thinke notwithstanding that they shall come thither at length though they know never a foot of the way take no direction by the Light of Gods Word nor set one step by new obedience towards that place of blessednesse But indeed and truth they doe very fearefully deceive and over-shoot themselves And their case is just as if a man should fall asleepe upon the edge of some high and steepe Rocke and there dreame that he is made a King attended with a glorious Traine of Nobilitie furnished with sumptuous Pallaces and stately Buildings enriched with the Revenues Soveraignetie and Pleasures of a whole Kingdome But upon the sudden starting up and leaping for joy falls irrecoverably into the mercilesse and devouring Sea and so loseth that little comfort which he had in this miserable life Many wretched men lye and â—leepe and snort in ignorance and spirituall blindnesse thinking that skill in the Booke of God and points of Religion belongs onely to those that are Booke-learned entertaining much vaine hope of salvation without all truth or ground But when upon their Death-bed their Consciences are awakened by the finger of Gods justice out of the slumber of sinne they then too late find and see that all was but a Dreame for they suddenly fall and sinke into despaire horror and endlesse desolation The state then of ignorant men though perhaps they little thinke upon it or take it to heart is most fearefull in this life and will be most horrible hereafter In this World because they are unacquainted and untaught in Gods Truth points of Religion and way to Heaven they neither know their owne miserie the great mysterie of godlinesse or meanes to salvation and therefore live as aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel strangers from the Covenant of Promise without hope and without God in the World Which is a miserie of all miseries They are condemned alreadie For as it is Iohn 3. 18. He that beleeveth not in him is alreadie condemned And Saint Paul saith Rom. 10. 14. How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher So that without knowledge in Gods Word there can be no faith and without faith there is no salvation You may further see a notorious Linke of many wretched mischiefes which arise from ignorance Eph. 4. 17 18 19. Vanitie of mind and darkenesse of understanding are naturally in all men for wee are all starke blinde and utterly dead in respect of matters of Heaven and spirituall affaires From thence comes grosse Ignorance of God and all godlinesse and this Ignorance if it be not removed and dispelled by the Light of Gods Word is the root and cause of strangenesse from the Life of God Hardnesse of Heart Searednesse of Conscience and want of Feeling an itching wantonnesse and eagernesse to sinne a committing of any sinne without remorse occasion being offered an unsatisfiednesse and greedinesse in the pursuit of sinfull pleasures and in fulfilling the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and pride of life These are the bitter and poysoned fruits of Ignorance and want of knowledge in the Word of God and way to Heaven And what is to be expected hereafter appeares 2 Thess 1. 7 8 9. The Lord Iesus will shew himselfe from Heaven with his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance unto them that doe not know God and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Seeing then the comming of the Lord will be so terrible and fearefull to the ignorant so that they shall desire the Mountaines to fall upon them that they might hide themselves from the fierce wrath of the Lord and not behold his fearefull countenance and that they shall wish full many times they had never beene borne how ought every man which lives without the Light and knowledge of Gods holy Word feare and tremble And yet God knoweth hee cannot conceive the thousand part of those horrible torments which the ignorant and wicked persons endure for ever For as the heart of man cannot comprehend those blessed and glorious joyes which God hath prepared for those that love him so the woe torments and endlesse vexations which shall be poured with wrath and vengeance upon the head of the wicked infinitely passe the understanding of man None can conceive how horrible they are but onely he that feeles them It very deepely then concernes you Beloved in Christ Iesus as you tender the everlasting good and happinesse of your owne soules to labour by all meanes to be instructed and inlightened by the holy Word of God which is holden out unto you as a Lampe and Torch to leade you through this Vale of Teares and World of Darkenesse to the blessed fruition of the most glorious and everlasting Kingdome of Heaven Otherwise if you will needes continue in ignorance still marke what is your wofull state and condition howsoever you may seeme to shine outwardly to the eye of the World or in your owne conceits in pleasures in plentie in civill honestie in outward mirth and other worldly contentments yet in deed and truth your life is a life of darkenesse The god of this World the Prince of Darkenesse hath blinded the eyes of your mindes that your Vnderstandings are not onely darkened but you are Darkenesse it selfe Eph. 5. 8. Your workes are the workes of Darkenesse your way is the way of Darkenesse you are fettered and enchained in the power of Darkenesse Coloss 1. 13. In the darkenesse of crosses and afflictions of this life you shall be without any glimpse of true comfort and refreshing from the Lord upon your Death-beds you shall meete with nothing but darkenesse of despaire and horror in the Grave Sathan will guard you with the
Barres of the Earth as in a Bed of hopelesse Darkenesse untill the Iudgement of the great Day And that Day will be unto you a Day of wrath a Day of trouble and heavinesse a Day of destruction and desolation a Day of Clouds and blacknesse as it is Zeph. 1. 15. And at the last you are to be cast body and soule from the presence of God and joyes of Heaven into utter Darkenesse there to be tormented amongst wicked Devils for ever and ever This is certainely the state of all ignorant men and those that will not be enlightened with saving knowledge out of his Word There is nothing to be expected of them but Darkenesse Sorrow Despaire and Horror A third Vse of this Doctrine may serve for admonition to all those who by the Light of Gods Word have alreadie found and are entred into the way to Heaven that they would suffer themselves with humilitie obedience and constancie to be led along in a course of sanctification by the holy guidance and direction thereof that they would shine dayly more and more in all Christian vertues exercises and duties For it is the propertie of all those which are become new creatures who are washed from their sinnes sanctified and new-borne by the immortall Seed of the Word and the Spirit of Grace to long after and earnestly desire the sincere Milke of the Word that they may grow thereby in knowledge comfort and new obedience A new-borne Babe will be pleased and satisfied with nothing but the Pap not Gold Pearles or any thing else will content it even so a new-renewed Soule doth ever hunger and thirst after the sacred and sincere Milke of Gods holy Word as Saint Peter calls it that it may dayly gather strength in grace otherwise as the Child so it would languish pine away and die He that growes not and goes not forward in grace had never true grace He that faithfully labours not to feed his soule with spirituall food never passed the new birth The way of the righteous saith Salomon shineth as the Light that shineth more and more unto the perfect Day Prov. 4. 18. For if the Day-starre of saving knowledge once appeare unto a man and the Sunne of Righteousnesse arise in his heart they never set untill they bring him unto that glorious Light above that no man can attaine unto He proceeds and profits in the great mysterie of godlinesse in faith repentance and sinceritie he growes from vertue to vertue from knowledge to knowledge from grace to grace untill hee become a perfect man in Christ Iesus It may be as the fairest Sunne may sometimes be over-cast and darkened with Clouds and Mists so the holinesse of a godly man may be over-clouded and disgraced sometimes by falls into a sinne upon infirmitie ignorance heedlesnesse or the like But if he be so overtaken after his passing through sorrow and griefe of heart for the same and his rising againe by repentance hee shines farre more brightly and pleasantly both to God and man in sinceritie and all holy graces he afterwards runnes a more swift and setled course in the race of sanctification So that ordinarily all Gods children shine as Lights in the World in the midst of a naughtie and crooked generation being once inlightened with saving knowledge and they still waxe brighter and brighter untill at last they come to shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament and the Starres in Heaven for ever and ever Looke to it then I beseech you whosoever hath alreadie given his Name unto Christ tasted of the good Word of God and received into his soule some glimpses of heavenly Light let him be sure to follow hard towards the Marke for the Prize of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus Let him set his best desires affections and endeavours to grow and proceed in all holy knowledge in the Light of Gods Word and chearefull obedience unto the same For it is a speciall note and marke of a man that is truly religious to goe forward and encrease in grace and understanding Hee must be like the Sunne which rising in the East enlargeth his glorious light and heat untill he reach the height of Heaven But as one well notes the true Christian must not be like Hezekiahs Sunne which went backward If a man back-slide waxe worse and fall away from good beginnings he addes weight unto the wrath of God and doubles his damnation Hee must not be like Ioshuahs Sunne that stood still It is so farre to Heaven and the way so narrow so rough and full of dangers and difficulties that he which stands at a stay will light short The Bridegroome will be entred in and the Gate shut before he come Hee that hath so much grace that hee desires no more did never truly desire any And he that endeavours not to be better will by little and little grow worse and at length become starke naught He therefore must be like Davids Sunne that great and glorious Gyant of the Heavens that like a Bridegroome comes out of his Chamber and as a Champion rejoyceth to runne his Race One grace in Gods child begets another and one holy action performed with sinceritie of heart doth inflame his affections with love and zeale with courage and resolution to undertake moe and to goe through-stitch with all the affaires of God and good causes For he alone knowes the invaluable worth and inestimable price of heavenly Iewels and therefore he is ravished with their beautie and growes unsatiable in his desires and longings after them He is still toyling and labouring in the Trade of Christianitie for more gaine of grace encrease of comfort and further assurance and securitie of the joyes of Heaven Sith hee hath alreadie tasted and fed upon celestiall and spirituall food he findes in that such unutterable sweetnesse and pleasant rellish that hee for ever after hungers and thirsts after it If then you would be assured that you are in the way to happinesse be sure to be led on by the Light of the Word in all heavenly knowledge spirituall wisedome and holy obedience A fourth and last Vse of my Doctrine is for instruction to all whether they be naturall or spirituall ignorant or instructed in the Word of God That they make it their chiefe and principall Christian care zealously and conscionably and constantly to heare attend and understand the holy Word of God and to be guided and conducted by the Light thereof in all the passages of their life and wayes of their conversation 1 And in this point I will first lay downe unto you certaine Motives that may induce and stirre you thereunto 2 Cautions or Caveats to fore-arme and fore-warne you of Lets and Temptations that may with-draw you there-from 3 Lastly some needfull instructions for your right carriage therein One Motive to stirre us up to a reverend regard and attention in hearing
upon the hairie scalpe of all such as goe on still in their wickednesse A fifth Let and hinderance of hearing the Word of God is an excessive and immoderate delight and an eager and earnest pursuit of the sinfull pleasures of a mans sweet sinne By a mans sweet sinne I meane that which his corrupt nature hath singled out and made speciall choise of to follow and feed upon with greatest delight and sensuall sweetnesse which by custome and continuance hath taken deepest root and surest hold in his heart upon which all his affections and desires are carried with sharpest edge heat and headlongnesse and to which hee makes all occasions and circumstances friends and acquaintance Religion and Conscience all the powers both of soule and body and outward estate serviceable and contributorie as to that which chiefely rules and reignes in him This sweet sinne in some is Worldlinesse Earthly-mindednesse and Covetousnesse In others it is Voluptuousnesse Lust and Vncleannesse Pride Pleasures Drunkennesse or such like Now certaine it is carnall prophane and unregenerate men doe many times preferre the pleasures of their sweet and most delightfull sinne before the comforts of Gods House the Congregation of the Saints and the preciousnesse of the Word preached And therefore howsoever they may ordinarily come to Sermons though it be rather for fashion and of custome than with heartie and true devotion yet if some speciall gaine and profit be to be layd hold upon at that time if some extraordinarie pleasure feasting pastime and companie be then to be enjoyed they make no Conscience to turne their backes upon the House of God and the Ministerie of the Word even upon the Sabbath day so for a little sinfull pleasure or worldly contentment wretchedly abandoning Gods holy Ordinance and the necessarie meanes of their owne salvation That many men are thus wickedly hindered from hearing the Word of God appeares in Math. 22. and Luke 14. The glorious magnificence and rich comforts of heavenly Cheare in the House of God are notably set out unto us there by divers circumstances in the Parable of the great Feast First it was a Wedding Feast which usually is full of joy comfort and great solemnitie Secondly it was made by a King and therefore like unto himselfe Royall and Princely in plentie and varietie answerable to his State and Greatnesse Thirdly it was made at the Marriage of a Kings sonne which would make it yet farre more sumptuous full of pompe and noble entertainment than if it had beene for a servant friend or ordinarie person By all this is meant the Ministery of the Word and Gospel of Christ Iesus wherewith every faithfull man is feasted made Gods sonne and married to Christ himselfe for ever in righteousnesse and in judgement in mercie and in compassion This Feast being in full readinesse Servants are sent out to invite Guests But for all the glory comfort and magnificence prepared for them in this Wedding and Royall Feast many refuse to come and make excuse One saith he hath bought a Farme and must needes goe to see it another hath bought five Yoke of Oxen and goes to prove them another hath married a Wife and therefore he cannot come another is busied about his Merchandise buying and selling and can hardly spare so much time Thus one sinfull delight or other profit pleasure companie or the like doe many times stay and hinder prophane and worldly men from hearing the Word of God and from this spirituall and heavenly Feast in his House whereby their soules might be satisfied as it were with marrow and fatnesse with the comforts of grace and a taste of the joyes of Heaven It is very strange that any man should be so bloudie and cruell to his owne soule that whereas by the breaking of the Word of Life unto him in such places as this he might have it furnished with spirituall strength towards everlasting life yet for some earthly pelfe and temporall pleasure absenting himselfe he suffers it to starve in ignorance and prophanenesse the immediate and certaine passages to eternal death Let a man imagine with himselfe when he purposes and resolves to absent himselfe from a Sermon that hee layes as it were in the one Scale of the Weights the glorious Majestie presence and honour of God the comfort happinesse and salvation of his owne Soule and in the other a little wretched pleasure or profit and so suffers this miserable Vanitie to weigh downe so infinite a Majestie For first Gods House where his Word is faithfully preached is as it were the Presence-Chamber of the everlasting King of Glory Here he sits in a Chaire of State with more speciall and eminent Power and Majestie as anciently he sate betweene the Cherubins Secondly Christ himselfe is here present For Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in his Name he is in the midst of them And so he is said to walke in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks and with speciall power and providence to direct and guide these holy Exercises Thirdly the holy Spirit of God is present in our Assemblies plentifully shedding into the hearts of the faithfull the rich Treasures of Wisdome and Grace Fourthly the blessed Angels of God are here as appeareth 1 Cor. 11. 10. not onely to doe service unto the Lord unto the Elect and unto his Ministerie but also after a sort to solace and rejoyce themselves in the beautie of Gods House and in the Mysteries published in the Gospel as appeares 1 Pet. 1. 12. Fifthly Gods holy Saints here present themselves in whom all our delight and comfort ought to be for they onely are truly excellent allyed unto Christ and heires of Heaven Lastly here alone ordinarily are to be had Blessings Life and Salvation for the Word preached is the ordinarie meanes to beget the unconverted unto God by inlightening their eyes opening their eares softening their hearts planting faith in their soules and holinesse in their conversations so that of the children of wrath they become the sonnes of God Hence it is that it is called a Ministerie of Reconciliation of Peace a Word of Grace of Salvation and of Life If a man be alreadie converted and in the state of grace he may receive these Blessings by it It is a powerfull meanes of the Spirit To encrease his knowledge in heavenly things and the affaires of the Soule by dayly clearing his judgement from ignorance and error by informing it with spirituall wisedome and all necessarie truths and needfull knowledge To adde strength and vigour and encrease unto his faith that hee may grow and proceed from the infancie and weakenesse in Christianitie to tallnesse and perfection in Christ To preserve him from luke-warmenesse worldlinesse and securitie to recall him from his wandrings and strayings out of the way of sincerity to settle
and secret judgement to suffer some of our fore-fathers to live and die under the tyranny and darknesse of Antichrist how much are we bound to blesse God that we are borne and brought up in the light of the Gospell and what heavie plagues and great damnation doe wee bring upon our selves if wee neglect or despise so great salvation I but yet further will some say wee have lived some of us fortie some thirtie some twenty yeares without so much preaching and yet have holden good credit and reputation in the world and prospered in our wayes would you now have us so forward in running to Sermons Strange it is to see how wise the simplest are in matters of the world about their temporall state but how simple and blinde the wisest worldlings are in the affaires of Heaven and about their greatest spirituall and eternall good Let us suppose a man to have lived long in a poore Cottage and now at length to have some great and rich Lordship befallen him doe you thinke hee would reason thus Why I have lived some thirtie or fortie yeerâ—â— now alreadie in this low estate with good conteâ—â—â—ent and credit amongst my neighbours and therefore here I will rest the rest of my dayes I am too old now to change my former estate Would such a foole as this be found in a whole Countrey And yet many Countries are full of such fooles in respect of spirituall advancement and the salvation of their soules Me thinkes those that have long lived in ignorance and blindnesse should rather conclude thus Have I thus long and so fearefully lived without God in the World without knowledge of his Truth faith in Christ and Conscience of my wayes Oh then it is more than high time now at length to awake out of sleepe and to open mine eyes and to imbrace this glorious Sun-shine of the Gospel which the Lord of his great mercy hath brought unto me that so I may be enlightened to eternall life As for prospering in the World that is no marke of a good soule nay it is commonly the Let of the wicked not to be plagued like other men but to bring their enterprises to passe Psalme 73. Nay yet further There is no greater Curse can befall any man than to prosper in the World and be out of the way to Heaven I but will others say to the attaining of eternall life what needs so much adoe so much preaching catechising expounding conferring meditating teaching and praying with our families which are so much and so often urged upon us When all comes to all this is the summe and end of all To feare God and keepe his Commâ—â—dements That we love God above all and our neighâ—â—â— as our selves And we hope we can doe this without all this adoe To feare God and keepe his Commandements which is the whole dutie of man as the Preacher speakes in his last chapter and to love God above all and our neighbors as our selves upon which hangeth the whole Law and the Prophets as Christ tells us Math. 22. are indeed soone spoken but not so easily truly learned and most hardly sincerely practised Is it enough thinke you to make a man a good Carpenter or Mason to say That that is soone learned and I know as much as the best workman can teach or tell me To build an House is nothing but to lay the foundation to reare the walls and cover it with a Roose Is it enough to make a good Husbandman to say I know as much as the best Husbandman can teach me for Husbandry is nothing else but to sowe and reape Is it enough to make a good Preacher to say It is no such great matter to make a Sermon I know as much in that point as the best Scholler amongst them can tell me To preach is nothing else but to expound the Text gather Doctrines and make use and application to the hearts consciences of the hearers But it would be long before these idle and emptie vaunts would build Houses fill Barnes or save Soules There is farre more required to these businesses than so There is to be undergone much toile and labour much care trouble expence and exercise before any of these workes can be rightly accomplished It is even so in the great worke of salvation and the attainment of Heaven The state of grace and trade of Christianitie is not so easily purchased practised There goes more to saving of a soule than bold ignorant brags than to say If that be all I hope I can quickly and easily learne to love God above all my neighbor as my selfe For before these there goes many things as knowledge of Gods will and Word a thorow view of our owne misery corruptions in the glasse of the Law strange agonies and sore pangs in the new-birth and sorrow for sinne refreshings and coolings by the mercies of God and merits of Christ faith repentance sanctification a blessed holy change in the whole man both body soule and spirit And then follows new obedience which consists in the uprightnesse and sinceritie of our owne hearts a conscionable and charitable carriage towards our neighbors and a zealous constancy in all religious duties and right service of God which must be universall in respect of the object that is we must walk in all his Commandements totall in respect of the subject that is we must serve him in all the powers of our soule and parts of our body in our thoughts words and actions In all which things and holy courses if a man be not particularly instructed experienced practised his love of God and his neighbour is but in word and tongue not in deed and truth A man if he be disposed may quickly perceive and discerne the truth or hollownesse of his heart in this point God hath straitly commanded an entire sanctification and keeping holy of the Sabbath Let a man then consider if he suffer himselfe to be drawne away from holy Exercise on that day by pleasures profit pastime companie ease idlenesse or other worldly occasions why then he preferres meere vanities and the desires of his owne heart before the glory and honour of God and so doth not love God above all The true love of a mans selfe doth chiefly principally consist in furnishing himselfe with saving knowledge sinceritie of heart godlinesse of life a good Conscience and spirituall comfort against hee come to Iudgement Now if hee love his neighbour as himselfe he is not still talking with him of worldly matters but especially labours with him for his conversion entertainment of grace and encrease in godlinesse If these be not his cares both for himselfe and his neighbour he truly loves neither Thus may a man examine himselfe through all the Commandements in particular and see whether it be so easie to love his neighbour as himselfe and God
shew notwithstanding to have brought in all So it is in many by the malice of Sathan and bewitching enticements of naturall corruption in the forsaking of their sinnes In a true Conversion indeed when a man is about to buy the Pearle of great price unvaluable worth in the Gospel the Doctrine of Salvation the Way to Life and Graces of Gods Spirit he makes an universall sale of all his sinnes he selleth as the Text saith all that he hath not some piece of his sinfull Possession but even the very whole Lordship the entire Inheritance But it is otherwise with those whom Sathan inveagleth and ensnareth in this point Hee is well enough pleased that they shall seeme to be as forward in the reformation and amendment of their lives as any other and indeed that they shall be reformed in good part and carry some love and affection toward the Word and Ministers so that he may keepe hold and possession but in one corner of the heart For he knowes that that is enough to keepe the whole man body and soule his owne If he can stay but one sinne unsold he knowes the man continues still by the course of divine Law a bondslave of Hell By one little hole a ship will sinke into the bottome of the Sea The stab of a Pen-knife to the heart will as well speed a man as all the Daggers that killed Caesar in the Senat-house The soule will be strangled with one Cord of vanitie as well as with all the Cart-ropes of iniquitie only the more sins the more plagues and fiercer flame in Hell but he that lives and dies impenitent in one it will be his destruction One dramme of poyson will dispatch a man and one reigning sinne will bring him to endlesse woe and miserie Let us take heed therefore when we goe about reformation of our selves lest we be surprised overtaken by this malicious craft of Sathan Let us resolve upon a through-reformation which is only and ever undertaken with a purpose not to hold on in the willing practice of any one knowne iniquitie or sinfull course Which when we shall carefully earnestly go about Sathan will be sure to set upon us as Pharoah did upon Moses and Aaron When the Lord had commanded them to goe three dayes journey in the Desart to doe service and sacrifice unto him that by all meanes hee might hinder them in this holy businesse 1. He would have them to stay in the land and to doe sacrifice there Nay saith Moses it is not meet to doe so for then wee should offer unto the Lord our God that which is abomination unto the Egyptians 2. Sith this would not then serve but that they would needs out of the Land I will let you goe saith Pharaoh that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the Wildernesse but goe not farre away But Moses would yet none of this he would not abate a foot of the journey the Lord had appointed 3. Why then saith Pharaoh if you will needs goe so farre I am content your men shall goe but as it is fittest your children shall stay at home Nay saith Moses we will goe with our young and with our old with our sonnes and with our daughters with our Sheepe and with our Cattell will we goe 4. Well saith Pharaoh I will yeeld so farre unto you your children shall goe with you to serve the Lord onely your sheepe and your Cattell shall abide at home Nay saith Moses our Cattell also shall goe with us There shall not an hoofe be left Now when all this would not doe when Moses would not accept of any capitulations conditions restrictions or limitations in holy businesses and the service of God for he was at a point resolute he would not leave so much as an hoofe behinde Now I say when all the enticements and policies of Pharaoh would not prevaile to keepe Moses from serving and sacrificing unto God and that precisely and strictly according to his owne appointment and commandement but that to this end at length he wrung himselfe and all the Israelites out of the bloudy teeth of this persecuting Wolfe why then Pharaoh armes himselfe with rage and fury with six hundred chosen chariots and all the chariots of Aegypt with fifty thousand horsmen and two hundred thousand footmen as a Iewish Historian writes purposing with bloudy thirst to devoure at once and swallow up quicke even all the Israell of God But you know the conclusion was the Lord of Heaven gave a most glorious deliverance to his owne people wherein his bottomlesse goodnesse and infinite mercy shall shine cleare and bright for ever in all generations of the Church upon earth and through all eternity in Heaven But upon their enemies he brought such a strange and terrible confusion in the Red Sea which may strike astonishment and trembling into the heart and loynes of all prophane persecutors of godlinesse to the worlds end and amaze the very maliciousest fâ—end in hell while that Kingdome of darknesse stands Even iust thus doth Satan deale with all those who desire to bee conducted by the light of the Word out of the Aegypt and slavery of ignorance sinne prophanenesse and who are resolved frankly and freely to give themselves soules and bodies to Gods service and to enter a setled course of holinesse and sanctification hee useth all meanes and policies to keepe and detaine them in his Kingdome of darknesse If he cannot hold them in his chiefe palace and Court as it were where sinne especially raignes and revels it yet he will so farre hamper them that at least they still hover upon the confines and borders of the Regions of death If they will needs bee medling with reformation of their â—infull lives and that he cannot helpe it but something must be done he is content to yeeld unto them upon some termes or conditions that they cast him not quite out of their consciences but suffer him to sway and raigne in their hearts by some one gainfull or delightfull sinne or other 1. If they will needs feare God he stands not much upon it but that they may doe it outwardly and in profession so that they will continue in Aegypt within the Kingdome of darknesse and lie still in their sinnes and under the shadow of death 2. If this will not content them if they will not rest here but will needs out of the Kingdome of darknesse and dominion of death why he is not much against it but that they may goe the halfe way that is he will suffer them to forgoe and forbeare the outward practice and perpetration of many sinnes so that inwardly their heart and affections harbour nourish embrace them still and feed upon with a sensuall and delightfull remembrance the sinfull pleasures of iniquities formerly committed 3. If they desire and endevour to become new men both inwardly and outwardly to be sanctified
in actions and affections to serve God both in soule and body he will yet yeeld so farre that they may be rid of some sinnes both in heart and practice as perhaps of sinnes of custome but then he will be a suitor and solicitor unto them to retaine other sinnes as perhaps sinnes of nature For example It may be they may both forbeare the outward practice and also inwardly loath swearing drunkennesse and other such like sinnes of custome but they will nuzzle in the bosome of their affections pride lust anger and such other sinnes the naturall birth as it were of originall corruption 4. But if they also conquer these why then he tempts them mainly to continue at the least in worldlinesse For this in many mens hearts hath greater power and beares more sway than nature or naturall affection He will secretly suggest unto them that upon an eager and excessive pursuit of gaine and riches depends their life and livelyhood their credit and reputation their contentment and happinesse in the world so that perhaps at last of all after all this they rest and settle themselves upon sinnes of advantage as usury oppression unlawfull and excessive gaining earthly-mindednesse serving the Times and such like 5. But if by the grace of God any be so blessed from God above as resolutely to passe thorow all these traines and temptations and like strong Samsons breake through all these Cords and Cart-ropes of iniquitie and vanitie so that they will not yeeld an ynch to that cruell Pharaoh of Hell nor leave so much as an Hoofe behinde them in his Kingdome of Darknesse why then this spirituall Pharaoh presently armes himselfe with all the crafts and policies of Hell with Legions of Fiends and Princes of the Darkenesse of this World with all his malice against the salvation of the soules of men with the fire and furious rage of prophane wretches with the sharpe swords and impoysoned arrowes of lying and slanderous tongues and with all other advantages which either the lowest Hell or the wide wicked World can afford And thus appointed hee pursues and persecutes with bloodie and implacable furie all those who have escaped out of this captivitie farre more eagerly and enviously than ever Pharaoh did the Israelites That either hee may bring them backe againe into his bondage or else take them quite away and destroy them that they may not attaine the full Light of the Saints nor doe long service unto the Lord. And certainely if all the power of Hell the strongest temptations the scourge of tongues the Worlds malice the spightfull spirit of prophanenesse the frownings of friends the scornefull insolencies of enemies the cursed and enticing cryes of our old companions if wicked men or damned Devils be able to prevaile he will be sure to stay them before they enter into the state of grace and true blessednesse But yet if a man put on Pauls armour in Eph. 6. Davids royall courage Psal 3. 6. Moses princely zeale and truly Christian valour that he will not leave a hoofe behinde that is that he will not leave one corruption unmortified one affection unsanctified one rebellious action unreformed one knowne sinne unrepented of and unforsaken one holy dutie unperformed one Commandement unobeyed Why then hee may looke for a more glorious spirituall deliverance than Moses had a temporall Hell and confusion shall swallow up all his enemies but into his heart in the meane time shall be shed and plentifully powred comfort joy and peace and upon his head shall a Crowne of immortalitie flourish for ever hereafter I have stayed very long upon the fifth plot and practice of Sathan whereby he labours to make the Word heard unpowerfull and uneffectuall for the salvation of our soules For I know it is much and often exercised and with great successe and by it he prevailes with very many When by diligent hearing of Gods Word faithfully urged upon them they are driven and doe addresse themselves to a reformation and amendment of their sinfull lives he mightily endeavours to hinder disquiet and interrupt them in it to make it a reformation unto them but in part and by halfes unsound and unsaving So that it may be they may forsake sinnes of Custome as Lying Swearing Drunkennesse and such like but keepe sinnes of Nature as Pride Lust Anger and the like Or it may be they may forsake both these two kindes of sinnes and yet keepe sinnes of Advantage as Oppression unlawfull Gaining grinding the faces of the Poore serving the Time and such like Or they may leave all these and yet keepe sinnes of Companie as idle and vaine Talking filthie Ieasting rayling against and slandering their Neighbours uncharitable judging and censuring their Brethren and the like It may be they may be carefull in their generall calling of Christianitie but carelesse and unfaithfull in those particular places and callings wherein God in his providence hath set them Or contrarily they may be of Christian behaviour abroad and in publike as at Sermons and in the Church but unconscionable at home and in their private families never teaching or praying with them They may seeme zealous in the Commandements of the first Table and about the service of God but in the second and towards their Neighbour unmercifull unconscionable and uncharitable Or they may deale justly and honestly with others but be utterly voide and destitute of the knowledge and feare of God They may bee outwardly reformed but inwardly full of hollow-heartednesse and hypocrisie They may leave all other sinnes onely keepe one behinde which is called a mans sweet delightfull and bosome-sinne If Sathan can prevaile with a man any of these wayes hee keepes him his owne for hee that is soundly converted justified and sanctified indeed must needs be out of love with every sinne with the whole course of iniquitie and with sincerity and chearefulnesse embrace the entire body of Christianitie and have a regard to all Gods Commandements 6 Now I come to a sixt sleight and devise of Sathan whereby hee labours to make the Word fruitlesse and unprofitable unto us If he cannot stay us in our reformation but that we will needs through and cast away all sinnes why then hee seekes by all meanes to hinder our continuance and constancie If the Seed of the Word be received with joy and spring up for a time that is be practised for a while he rayseth up some persecution tribulation or crosses whereby it is presently blasted withers and comes to nothing The uncleane spirit may for a time goe out of a man and walke throughout drie places but if it be possible he will returne with seven other spirits worse than himselfe and the end of that man is worse than the beginning A man may flye from the pollution and filthinesse of the World as it is 2. Pet. 2. 20. but by the policie of Sathan hee may be tangled againe therein He may be washed as it
selfe-conceitedly to gaze upon that little sparke of holinesse hee findes in himselfe let him presently turne backe the edge and eye of this dangerous speculation upon the infinite puritie and endlesse perfection of God Almightie before whom the Cherubins and Seraphins the Crowne of Gods workemanship and the glory of creatures doe hide and cover their faces as not able to behold and endure the perfect brightnesse of his most pure and undefiled Majestie In whose sight the unstained splendour of the Heavens and the glorious beautie of the Starres are uncleane and foule darkenesse and deformitie The Sunne the fairest Body in the World made all of beautie and brightnesse if it were put neere unto that unaccessible and incomprehensible Light which encompasseth the Lord of Heaven it would vanish away as a darkesome Moat and Lumpe of Vanitie Nay in respect of God those divine and heavenly creatures the blessed Angels pure and immateriall spirits are chargeable with folly and vanitie Behold he found no stedfastnesse in his Saints yea the Heavens are not cleare in his sight How much more is man abominable and filthie which drinketh iniquitie like water Iob 15. 15 16. What art thou then wretched man that carriest about thee a Body of death Shall not his excellencie make thee afraid and his feare fall upon thee Behold saith Iob he will give no light unto the Moone and the Starres are uncleane in his sight How much more man a Worme even the sonne of a man which is but a Worme Behold he found no stedfastnesse in his servants and laid folly upon his Angels How much more in them that dwell in Houses of Clay whose foundation is in the Dust which shall be destroyed before the Moth These considerations are able to confound and cast downe below the Earth and Dust the greatest admirer and applauder of himselfe for his graces good actions and spirituall perfections When the Christian is tempted to a proud conceit of his spirituall sufficiencies let him compare himselfe with other Saints of God which perhaps having beene lesse sinners than himselfe in the time of their unregeneration and having lesse meanes parts occasions and encouragements to glorifie God yet excell him in zeale sanctification and the service of God Paul that great Doctor of the Gentiles and glorious Angell upon Earth for all his spirituall blessings and incomparable graces cryes out Rom. 7. 24. Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death David a man after Gods owne heart and a speciall royall Mirror for varietie of spirituall excellencies is so farre from being proud of his graces that hee is every where complaining of the burthen of his sinnes spirituall povertie and want and the miseries of his soule There is no health in my flesh saith he because of thy displeasure neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sinne for my wickednesses are gone over my head and are like a sore burthen too heavie for me to beare For his reputation in the World he tells us that he was a Worme and no man a very scorne of men and out-cast of the people In all times the best Christians have ever beene most sensible of the weight of their sinnes and corruption of their nature and from thence entertained a lowly conceit of themselves Where there is the greatest measure of sanctification there is ever the greatest humilitie If those then that be indeed in the highest favour with God lesser sinners than our selves and most sanctified be of an humble and lowly minde of a meeke and quiet spirit which is before God a thing much set by 1 Pet. 3. 4. let us take heed how we be proud of those graces which if we looke for Gods blessing upon them and comfort from them must bring forth in us humilitie and thankefulnesse Let him compare and examine and measure himselfe his wayes and workes by the Law of God and hee shall there finde much matter of humiliation repentance feare and trembling with continuall supply in abundance ministred unto him so that there shall be no roome left for any proud and over-weening conceit of any good thing in him That elect Vessell and great Apostle after he was regenerate for the unregenerate feele no such strife found such a vast and wide distance betweene the Law and his owne affections and best workes that for horror thereof he cryed out Oh miserable man that I am What spirituall good then is there in any of us miserable wretches wherein we should glory Let our best workes be as glorious as we can imagine let them be performed with never so great integritie and resolution cover them with grace derive them from the Holy-Ghost dippe and dye them deepe in the bloud of Christ put upon them all the rich attire and Papall magnificence with which the Church of Rome hath invested them yet to the purest eyes of God and in the cleare Crystall of his undefiled Law they appeare to be foule and spotted impure and like a menstruous clout The measuring then of our selves by the Law and Word of God is a notable meanes to keepe us in humilitie and to make us worke out our salvation with feare and trembling Let him consider what a foule and wretched what a damned and an accursed creature hee had beene had not his gracious God out of the unsearchable depth of his infinite goodnesse and mercie singled him out to be his servant upon Earth and a Saint in Heaven It was onely Gods free mercie that before all eternitie by the great Decree of his eternall election marked him out for Heaven and endlesse joyes from amidst the huge masse of all mankind It was the same that after caused him to send his owne and onely Sonne out of his owne Bosome and height of Majesty that with his dearest and precious bloud hee might redeeme his Soule from the snares of Hell into which hee was fallen by Adams fall which in due time by the inward speciall and effectuall power of his unspotted Spirit called him into his Kingdome of Grace washed him justified and sanctified him in the Name of the Lord Iesus Else otherwise had not these everlasting and unconceivable Blessings beene cast upon him by Gods free meere mercie without all cause or motive from man or any other created thing out of his infinite Selfe his case had beene unspeakably wofull For he should have lived in this Vale of Teares without God without Grace without Comfort without Conscience in Sinne in Darkenesse in Prophanenesse in all Spirituall Miseries And after the closure and period of these few and evill dayes he should have beene endlessely divided and abandoned from the joyes and comforts of Gods presence inchained without all redemption to despaire and horror and the hatefull fellowship of the Devill and his Angels and that which is the extremitie and upshot of all hellish miserie hee
should have had the fierce and horrible wrath and vengeance of God poured in full measure upon his body and soule which would have fed upon them as fire doth upon Pitch and Brimstone for ever and ever Out of these considerations mee thinkes a man should rather with humilitie and thankefulnesse admire and magnifie the mercies of God that hee is not alreadie a Fire-brand in Hell than any wayes be puffed up with any worthinesse in himselfe or dote upon his owne nothingnesse When a Christian is tempted to spirituall Pride let him deepely and thorowly weigh with himselfe what fearefull inconveniences and discomforts will ensue if hee give way to such temptations For so many follow in the course of Gods just judgement upon spirituall Vanitie and Pride dullnesse and deadnesse of heart a restraint of the influence of the Spirit a diminution and lessening or a slumber and cessation of the operations of grace a cooling of zeale and falling from the first Love Or when hee sees us so presumptuously to trust to our strength and stay our selves with our owne staffe he may quite give us over in some great temptation to some grosse sinne so that we may take the foile in the Conflict And then if wee once be over-taken with the old sweet sinne of our unregeneration or be ensnared with some new notorious transgression wee must of necessitie to our great discomfort enter againe the agonies of Soule anguish of Conscience and horror of Hell wee must enter combate againe with all the powers of Darkenesse wee must have our regeneration regenerated our new-birth new-borne and the precious bloud of the Sonne of God as it were shed for us againe Wee turne thereby Gods favourable countenance from us and the hearts and affections of true Christians wee put againe a sting into our owne Consciences and weapons into the hands of Sathan to vexe wound and torment us wee barre and bereave our selves of Gods gracious protection of the guard of Angels of peace of Conscience of joy in the Holy-Ghost of boldnesse in our wayes of reconciliation in the creatures and of all the comforts of godlinesse As a man tenders the preservation of his Soule from all these spirituall miseries let him take heed of entertaining a proud and over-weening conceit of his owne graces gifts or good actions Let him consider that the more spirituall gifts and graces he hath received from the free mercie of God the more will be required at his hands Me thinkes this should coole and allay any swelling conceit or proud perswasion that may arise in the heart and not suffer a man to play with them and dote upon them or give him any leisure with an over-weening and selfe-conceited flatterie to gaze upon them or to applaud and admire them in himselfe as though they were his owne but rather with all vigilancie and solicitousnesse with all care and good Conscience to occupie and imploy them for his Masters greatest advantage There is no gift or good thing in any man either of Nature or Grace of body or minde of wealth or honour of reputation or authoritie in the World but he must give shortly a strict and exact account of the usage and imployment of it before the impartiall and uncorrupted Tribunall of Heaven And the more excellent his gifts and endowments have beene in any kind he shall in proportion be answerable and countable for the more If the Lord hath enlightened heated and inspired any one with much saving knowledge with a great measure of zeale with a high Christian courage and resolution he lookes and expects for great gaine of glory unto himselfe many spoyles and conquests over his enemies a blazing and exemplarie brightnesse in holinesse of life much beautie and lustre to the Church much good and comfort unto Christians For much is required of them to whom much is committed Let a man then not labour to make himselfe glorious by those graces which are none of his owne but how by glorifying God with them in humilitie faithfulnesse and sinceritie and by improving and making the best of them for the Owners advantage hee may make a comfortable account at that great Day Thus farre I have proposed unto you some Motives to quicken and stirre you up to a conscionable and constant hearing and understanding of the holy Word of God and acquainted you with many sleights lets and temptations which Sathan usually casts in our way to hinder us therein Now in a third place I will lay downe unto you certaine rules directions and instructions for your right holy and conscionable carriage behaviour and importment in and about the hearing of Gods Word That the holy Word of God may be unto you the Word of Grace the savour of Life unto Life of power unto sanctification and salvation you must looke carefully and conscionably unto your preparation before you come unto your carriage while you are there and unto your behaviour afterward First for Preparation I am perswaded the want and neglect of a due and profitable preparation is the cause that thousands receive no benefit or blessing by the Word of Life but that the Sermons they heare are registred as in a Table of Remembrance before God as so many witnesses against them for their more fearefull confusion and greater condemnation at the Day of Accounts 1 For hence it is that to many it is the savour of death unto death because before they come they doe not addresse and prepare themselves for so glorious a Presence and royall Embassage from the King of Heaven though they heare it with their outward eares yet it hardens their hearts makes them inwardly more peevish grumbling stubborne rebellious and refractarie to the power thereof and prepares and ripens them for more heavie vengeance It is of it selfe the Word of Grace Salvation and Life a blessed preservative against Sinne and Death Damnation and Hell but by accident if men doe not reverence it tremble at it and submit themselves to the power of it it is a strong Hammer and Iron Scepter to harden their hearts more and more like an Anvile or Adamant and at length to breake them in pieces like a Potters Vessell Though in it selfe it be a saving and wholesome Medicine yet men of a rebellious and stubborne humour and temper turne it into Poyson 2 To some this holy Word by reason of unpreparednesse is but as the water spilt upon the ground and the breath of the Minister scattered in the Aire If you call them to an account after Sermon how they have profited they are as wordlesse and witlesse and indeed as gracelesse in repetition as if they had beene deafe asleepe in a trance or starke dead all the while 3 Others by their rash and prophane rushing into the House of God without all premeditation reverence or regard of that holy businesse they goe about become hearers onely of forme and custome for fashion and companie It
Lord. Thou shalt forget thy miserie and remember it as waters that are past Thy happinesse and comfort shall be so entire and unmixed so absolute and overflowing that the very remembrance of former miseries and terrors shall be drowned and devoured in the excesse and excellencie of that even as the travels of a woman in her joyes for a new-borne sonne Or if it be that thy former discomforts sometimes steale into thy minde they shall not be able to rest or remaine there by reason of the predominancie of spirituall pleasures but glide away as swiftly as the head-long streame of the most hastie Torrent Thine age also shall appeare more cleare than the Noone-day thou shalt shine and be as the Morning The Morning is the very Crowne of Time and the beautie of the Day the Poets call it the Rosie-finger'd Morning When they labour to describe corporall Beautie to the life and set it out in the best perfection and freshest colours that the utmost power and highest straine of wit and art can possibly devise they take their Metaphors and amplifications from the ruddinesse and brightnesse of the Morning And yet thou shalt be as faire as the Morning with all Divine Graces spirituall brightnesse and beautie of thy Soule nay a Soule set thicke with spirituall Graces is farre more faire than the Firmament with all those Eyes of Gold and fairest Lampes that shine from it Neither shalt thou be onely as the Morning but as the Morning Sunne thou shalt rise higher and higher in degrees of holinesse and strength of Grace untill thou commest to the highest point of perfection in this Heaven upon Earth the Kingdome of Grace And after thou hast finished thy course and left behind thee the comfortable heat of thy gracious zeale much Light from thy good example and the sweet influence of thy holy life upon thy death-bed thou shalt sett with the sweetest and brightest beames of all heavenly comfort into the immeasurable Ocean of endlesse joyes Thou shalt be bold because there is hope and thou shalt digge Pits and shalt lye downe safely Thou shalt be assured of Heaven and a Crowne of Glory hereafter that thou shalt walke through this Valley of Miserie like a Lyon nor Devill nor man nor beast nor any creature shall affright or amaze thee Cast thine eyes supernaturally enabled and enlarged with the Light of Faith from East to West into the bottome of Hell and glory of Heaven and thou shalt clearely see that all is thine by the purchase right and conquest of the Sonne of God The stones in the street shall be at league with thee the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee The creatures shall be all sworne to thy safetie the purest spirits the ministers of God shall be thy Guardians Saints and Angels are alreadie in thy sight Immortalitie hath lengthened thy dayes and the glory of God is before thee in a Glasse When thou doest take thy rest none shall make thee afraid yea many shall make suit unto thee When the darkenesse of the Night encompasseth thee thou shalt not be affrighted with terrors and apparitions when blacknesse and silence the habitation of feares and astonishment shall pitch round about thee thou shalt be lightsome with inward comfort when all thy Sences the scouts and watch-men for discovering dangers and preserving thy safetie shall be locked up his providence that neither slumbers nor sleepes shall tenderly and carefully watch over thee Whether thou die or live whether thou sleepe or wake thou art the Lords And therefore when thou sleepest thou shalt not be afraid and when thou sleepest thy sleepe shall be sweet Thou shalt not feare for any sudden feare neither for the destruction of the wicked when it commeth for the Lord shall be for thy assurance and shall keepe thy foot from being caught Yea many shall make suit unto thee Thou shalt be so encompassed with the blessings of God so protected from above so high in Gods favour that many will come for shadow and shelter unto thee they will looke for reliefe and comfort under the shadow of thy wings thy power and authoritie shall be a refuge and repose for oppressed and disgraced innocencie All these blessings and a thousand moe are built upon a through preparation of the heart as upon the first foundation stone Preparation is the very first step to all these degrees and height of happinesse But on the contrarie part if a man neglect preparing his heart praying unto God forsaking his sinnes reforming his family let him looke for nothing but Curses and Plagues But the eyes of the wicked saith Iob shall faile and their refuge shall perish and their hope shall be sorrow of minde They thinke their formall and customarie service of God will serve the turne and thereupon with great greedinesse and confidence expect and looke for the salvation of their soules after this life but they shall waile and gaze untill their eyes sinke into their holes and yet shall never be able to taste of true comfort They may crie untill their tongues cleave to the roofe of their mouth with the foolish Virgins Lord Lord open unto us Math. 25. but the Gate of everlasting happinesse shall for ever be shut against them They may struggle and strive by the strength of their good meanings and formall Christianitie to enter in at the strait Gate but shall never be able Their refuge shall perish They have stayed themselves upon broken staves of Reed and â—ow they will runne into their hands and hearts too unto their vexation and horror And their hope shall be sorrow of minde Their end shall be despaire and horrible confusion I have stayed long upon the motives and inducements to preparation before we come to the hearing of the Word or undergoe any sacred bâ—sinesse and upon the necessitie blessings and benefits of so holy a dutie The reason is I would gladly stirre you up and my selfe too to a through and constant practise and performance of it and because the neglect and omission of it is the cause that the Ministerie of the Word is not onely fruitlesse and in vaine unto thousands but which is a fearefull thing the savour of death unto death unto them I come now to the speciall points considerable in preparation before wee present our selves in this place to the hearing of the Word This preparation is an holy action or exercise which by examination of our Consciences purgation of our hearts prayer unto God and private reading the Scriptures maketh our soules fit Vessels to receive and entertaine the spirituall Treasures of Grace and food of eternall Life offered and tendered unto us by the Ministerie of the Word that so they may be the more effectually and fruitfully wrought upon and happily subdued to the power and practice thereof In this preparation I consider and require especially these foure things first Examination
of the Conscience secondly Purgation of the heart thirdly Prayer unto God fourthly Readinesse of heart to receive every truth First for Examination of the Conscience Examination is a dutie practisable by all true Christians at many times and upon sundry occasions It is either more extraordinarie and that is either in the time of solemne Fast and generall humiliation for some publike Plague and calamitie that lyes upon the State or Church Wee are then seriously to search and ransacke throughly our Consciences that wee may throw that or those sinnes out of our affections practise and allowance which have their part in pulling downe those publike Psagues upon us Or secondly when our family is singled out and visited with some speciall and extraordinarie scourge and judgement and then must we make an impartiall inquisition into our hearts lest we be the Achans which by our secret sinnes provoke Gods causefull wrath Or when our selves in a more private and particular manner are afflicted with some speciall vexation as by some maladie and miserie in our bodies with some terrors and feares in our minds or with some slanders disgraces and imputations upon our good names when Gods hand is upon us any of these wayes wee are presently to conceive that the sinnes of our soules are the true causes of all the miseries and crosses which befall us any manner of wayes and therefore wee are narrowly and exactly to enquire into our selves and to cast out our secret beloved sinnes those lurking rebels the breeders of all our woe Besides examination of our hearts in these or the like cases there is also a more ordinarie and usuall examination necessarie and required of us and that especially every day that we may make the Score of our sinnes lesse and our account shorter against the Day of our Visitation that wee may more entirely and comfortably preserve and enjoy Gods favour and protection inward peace of Conscience spirituall joy and Christian chearfulnesse in all our affaires and passages 2 Before wee come to receive and be partakers of the holy Sacrament of the sacred body and bloud of Christ lest by neglect and omission of this dutie we become unworthy receivers and so eate and drinke our owne judgement and damnation nay be guiltie of the innocent and precious bloud of Christ Iesus which one day will be an heavie and unsupportable burthen to our Consciences To be guiltie of the sinfull bloud of prophane men is able to make the proudest heart and highest stomacke to tremble and quake like an Aspen leafe and to strike through his soule with restlesse horrour and gastly sights Who is able then to beare the guilt of guiltlesse bloud Abels innocent bloud cryed for and pulled downe strange and desperate vengeance upon cruell Cain How loud then will be the crie of the bloud of the innocent Lambe of God How will it ring in the eares of God the Father How fearefully will it fill Heaven and Earth untill it hath brought downe Plagues and Curses upon those wofull Soules who irreverently and unpreparedly prophane so high and holy a mysterie A third ordinarie examination is before wee presse into the House of God and present our selves before his Ministers and Messengers to be instructed in his will from Heaven out of his holy Word lest this blessed Ordinance should be accursed unto us You may see in the Prophet Ezech. 14. 7 8. how the Lord threatens that person that comes to his Ministers to enquire of them or to be informed by them and yet separates himselfe from the Lord and sets up any Idoll in his heart and stumbling-blocke of his iniquitie before his face that the Lord will set his face against him and make him a signe and a Proverbe and cut him off from the midst of his people Whence wee may well inferre that it will be very dangerous for any to come to the hearing of the Word without examination of his heart whether there be any such stumbling-blocke of iniquitie in it or no. 2 Because that examination of the heart to finde out our corruptions tends especially to the cleansing of it therefore the second dutie before the hearing of the Word is the purgation or cleansing of the heart first from sinne which the Scripture beats much upon Iam. 1. 21. Lay apart all filthinesse and superâ—luitiâ— of naughtinesse and receive with meekenesse the ingrafted Word c. It is not meerely lay apart but put away quite and cleane all filthinesse and this is a fit preparative for the hearing of the Word as appeares also by that paralell place 1 Pet. 3. 1 2. Wherefore putting away all malice all guile and hypocrisie and envie and evill speakings as new-borne babes desire the sincere Milke of the Word And there is the same reason for any other sinne to be put away that there is for these mentioned As it is with the body when the stomack is foule and clogged with bad humours wee should first purge it before wee feede it for otherwise whatsoever we eate doth but nourish and encrease the corrupt humours of the body So it is with the soule when it is stuffed or clogged with sinne whatsoever is heard in the Ministery of the Word shall be perverted and abused by it and wrested to the destruction of it It is no wonder therefore that those that live in dissolute or scandalous courses those that are drunk on the evening before the Lords day or spend it in gaming or company keeping or have bin acting of some soule sinne and then repaire unto the Word it is no wonder I say that such goe away never a whit the better but rather worse than they came Did you ever know any Salve so soveraigne that would cure a wound that had a splint or an arrow-head remaining in it Surely every knowne sinne unrepented of hinders the saving operation of the Word in any mans heart yea it will make the Word the savour of death unto a man See to this purpose Ier. 7. 9 10. Secondly the heart must also be purged from all worldly cares and thoughts which may divide or draw away the heart Math. 13. 22. The cares of the World doe choake the Seed of the Word Luke 21. 34. The cares of this life doe surfet the heart Now as it is with a man in a surfet hee is not fit to eat neither can he digest any wholesome food so when as the heart is surfetted with worldly cares it is unfit for any spirituall food You know how it was with Martha Luke 10. 41. Iesus said unto Martha Thou art troubled about many things but one thing is necessarie Martha had a clutter of many worldly matters that made a great noise in her head and hindered better matters that she cared not for hearing How then shall they profit by the Word that doe jumpe out of their worldly businesse and from busying their heads about