by desert in regard of our great and greeuous offences that so being poore in spirit wee may sigh and cry for grace whereas those that are proud in spirit care not for it We see this by common experience that the perceiuing and feeling of greeuous and dangerous diseases and distemperatures in the bodie will driue men to the Physitian to intreat for physicke that so their sicknesse may be cured and in like sort the discerning and descrying of the lothsome and noisome corruptions wherewith our soules are infected and indangered will driue vs vnto the Lord to craue mercie and grace from his owne meanes that our iniquities may bee fully pardoned and our sinfull nature soundlie healed For when nothing is more irksome vnto vs nor more feared of vs then sinne then nothing is more desireable with vs nor more desired of vs then grace Especially if in the third place wee consider the excellencie thereof how it bringeth with it freedome from all euill Consider the excelency of grace both from the guilt of sinne and from the punishment of sin and withall the enioyment of all blessings needfull for body or soule for this life or that which is to come If I say the setled meditation hereof doe once sinke into our hearts it cannot but set our affections on fire with an ardent and earnest desire of the same Nothing makes vs so weake and cold in hearing the word or communicating of the Sacrament as that wee haue not sufficiently tasted how good the Lord is And thus much of the meanes of getting a spirituall appetite Now it followteh Come I say buy wine and milke And verse 2. Eat that which is good and let your soules deligt in fatnesse The drift of all these borrowed speeches is to shew that God offereth vnto and will bestow vpon the faithfull that seeke vnto him such spirituall good things as shall much comfort and refresh their hearts and make their soules as it were fat and well liking Whence ariseth this doctrine Doctr. 2 that Whosoeuer commeth to Christ Iesus in the religious vse of his ordinances All the wants of the faithful supplied by Christ shall haue all his wants supplied be they neuer so many and neuer so great Are they thirstie hee hath water of life for them Are they hungry hee hath all variety of dainties to refresh them Are they babes here is milke to feede vpon Are they strong men yet wearied out with afflictions and temptations here is bread that wil strengthen their fainting hearts Are they heauy and pensiue here is wine to glad their sorrowfull hearts In a word Christ Iesus hath plentifull prouision of all sorts and would haue vs eat that which is best for vs commanding that our soules should delight in fatnes and in the good things that hee offereth vnto vs. This doctrine is further illustrated and proued vnto vs out of Ezekiel Ezek. 34. where the Prophet hauing sharpely reproued the shepheards of Israel that fed themselues and not their flocks that did not strengthen the weake nor heale the sicke c. hee promiseth that God will set a shepheard ouer them euen Christ Iesus verse 23. who should performe these two things viz. feede his sheepe and bring them to their rest then hee vndertaketh in all casualities to looke vnto them I will saith hee seeke that which is lost c. where obserue how hee frameth his remedy to their necessitie some haue lost themselues and as silly sheepe would wander vp and downe and neuer returne to their shepheard againe but become a pray to the enemies of their soules those he wil seeke and not loose any of them whom he hath so dearely bought Some are as it were driuen away by strong corruptions and violent temptations those hee will bring againe though they be caried neuer so far Others haue been crushed and broken with many sorrowes and miseries euen with one breaking vpon another by reason of their owne sinnes those he will bind vp and cure all their wounds Others againe are weake and full of imperfections those hee will strengthen by the power of his might and at length make them strong men in Christ So that wee see euery one according to his need shall receiue comfort and reliefe from him and there are reasons hereof The first is taken from the infinite power of Christ Reasons whereby hee is able to saue and to succour his people whatsoeuer their estate bee If the first Adam being onely man Hee is able were able to destroy and ouerthrow all mankind then much more is the second Adam being God and man of sufficient power to recouer his elect especially seeing that the meanes he vseth are farre more forcible to repaire our breaches then Adams meanes were to make them and more effectuall to worke out our happinesse and saluation then his were to procure our miserie and destruction The second is taken from his readines being euery whit as willing as he is able to do this for vs. He is ready As God the father gaue him a charge so he vndertooke it and accomplished the work which hee gaue him to doe Iohn 17.4 it was his fathers will that he should saue his people and hee willingly performed whatsoeuer was required of him in that behalfe and therefore before hee yeelded vp the ghost hee vttered these words It is finished Iohn 19.30 signifying that hee had gone thorow with that painfull worke which the Lord had imposed vpon him now hauing done the greatest for vs hee will not faile vs wee may bee well assured in smaller matters which depend vpon the former Thirdly hee is also infinite in wisdome and therefore able to finde out the best way He is infinitly wise and to determine of the fittest time withall other circumstances to releeue and comfort vs. There is many times such confusion in the minds such hardnesse in the hearts such blemishes in the names such weaknesse vpon the bodies and such wofull breaches in the estates of Gods seruants that no man nay nor all the men in the world know how to redresse the things that are amisse but if it please our Lord Christ Iesus to take the cure in hand nothing shal be found too difficult for him but that which seemeth impossible in the eie of reason shall appeare not onely possible but very easie vnto him and therefore in all these respects it must needs be a certaine truth that those that seeke to him and waite vpon him shall in due season bee receiued by him Which may be an incouragement vnto vs Vse 1 whatsoeuer our wants and necessities be to make Christ our refuge and to flie vnto him for a supply if wee come to wisedomes feast wee shall finde all things prepared that may bee for strength or for delight Prou. 9.2 if wee bee hungrie our Sauiour will satisfie vs with good things and neuer send vs emptie away if wee be babes hee hath
fathers wrath and with Satan death and hell and for our sakes in particular sustained such wofull terrors in his soule and torments in his body that he cried out in the bitternesse of his heart my God my God why hast thou forsaken me and at length shed foorth his most precious blood for the pacifying of his fathers displeasure and the satisfying of his infinite iustice And withall wee should seriously ponder vpon the inconceiuable loue of God the father in giuing his onely and welbeloued sonne to suffer such vnspeakeable tortures for vs who were cursed rebels against him and thence bee drawen to thinke on the hainousnesse and odiousnesse of our sinnes which so farre incensed the Lords wrath and indignation that nothing could quench the flame thereof but onely the precious blood of his deere sonne Secondly when we see the minister distributing the bread and wine we are to consider that as those outward elements are offered vnto vs by man so Christ Iesus with all his benefits is offered vnto vs by the blessed Trinitie Thirdly when we reach foorth our naturall hand to receiue the bread and wine we must withall reach foorth the hand of faith to apprehend and lay hold of Christ Fourthly in eating the bread and drinking the wine we must apply Christ with all his merits particularly vnto our selues and be assured that as that bread and wine are made the nourishment of our bodies so Christ his body and blood are made the nourishment of our soules and as certainly as the bread and wine are made one substance with vs to strengthen our bodies and to refresh our hearts so surely Christ is made one with vs and we with him and than our soules shall bee strengthned and our hearts spiritually reuiued either presently in the very act of receiuing or afterwards in due time when wee shall stand in most neede of comfort And therefore in assurance of faith wee should stirre vp our hearts to expect all the forenamed benefits of remission of sinnes and sanctification of our natures together with the fruition of all necessarie outward blessings and the remoouall of all hurtfull crosses Well were it for vs indeed if wee could looke for these things to be bestowed vpon vs but the greatnes and multitude of our sinnes is such that we iustly feare they will keepe good things from vs. This doubt should not perplexe nor trouble vs See the Sermon on Isa 1. if wee bee truely penitent for all our transgressions for Christ hath paid for many and great sinnes as well as for fewer and lesser Doct. 7 1. Iohn 1.9 Ezek. 36.25 and through him the Lord is ready to pardon all and all manner of iniquities as well the greatest of them as the smallest and if once our sinnes bee done away all the fore named benefites doe of right belong vnto vs. Thus much concerning the meditations that are needefull in the very act of receiuing What is to be done after our receiuing 1 First wee must giue hartie thankes vnto the Lord for this inestimable benefit which we haue receiued in being partakers of the Lords supper What to bee done after our receiuing Secondly wee must carefully marke how wee speed and what successe we finde and if the Lord afford vs present comfort wee must bee much more thankefull and endeauour by all good meanes to nourish and cherish the same and if wee misse of it for that time wee must notwithstanding giue God the glorie of his truth in making good his couenant and euerie part thereof and therefore with confidence and constancie waite and pray for the blessing resoluing with our selues euery one in his owne soule that as sure as God is true and faithfull in his promises wee shall in the fittest season reape fruite and profit by his ordinance which in conscience and obedience vnto him we haue been partakers of In which regard euery particular beleeuer may boldly speake in this or the like manner vnto his owne soule I haue with as great vprightnesse as I could communicated at the Lords table and there receiued the seale of the euerlasting couenant of grace and therefore shall it assuredly bee performed vnto mee and albeit my faith and assurance of Gods fauour bee but weake it shall be strengthned and whatsoeuer Satan or mine owne deluded conscience tell me all mine iniquities are pardoned and couered and I am at this very instant as free from sinne in Gods account Psal 32. as Adam was before his fall and as the Saints and Angels are now in heauen yea as Christ Iesus himselfe is I being a member of his mysticall bodie And so for Sanctification though I be tainted with much ignorance with many errors with bad affections and euill actions yet the Lord according to his couenant will reforme all and giue me a minde to know him and his will and a memory to hold fast what I know hee will giue me a heart to loue him to feare him and to obey his commandements I shall haue Christ his power to strengthen and vphold me his wisdome to instruct and direct me his spirit to work al needful graces in me so that all the powers of hel shal neuer be able to preuaile against mee much lesse shall the affictions of this world be able to separate me frō Christ Iesus I need not feare any euill For all shall worke together for the best vnto mee Rom. 8. neither can I want any thing that is good for God hauing giuen vs his sonne how shall hee not with him giue vs all things Thirdly wee must determine and endeuour to lead a new life bringing foorth the fruits of repentance faith and loue more abundantly then in former times as hauing renewed our couenant with the Lord for that purpose and therefore when wee finde any sinnefull motions stirring within vs wee should reason thus did I not at the Sacrament vowe and couenant with God to striue against all manner of corruptions and did I not receiue the seale of the couenant in assurance that I should haue power and strength against them why then should I yeelde vnto them why should I bee any longer in bondage vnto them nay I will not serue sinne in the lusts thereof but will resist it and by the power of Christ I shall get victorie ouer it Rom. 6.14 for the Lord hath said that sinne shall not haue dominion ouer vs. So also when we finde wants and imperfections in our best seruices as coldnesse in praier distractions in meditating vnfruitfulnesse in hearing deadnesse in singing of Psalmes c. As also impatiencie or fainte-heartednes vnder crosses disgraces persecutions c. Let vs then relieue our selues with these or the like meditations was I not lately at the Lord table where I receiued a pledge of my ingrafting into Christ who is the true vine and is there not in him sufficient Iuice of all good graces to bee deriued to euery branch that is
Nehemiah and in those of his time O Lord I beseech thee let thine eare now harken to the praier of thy seruant and to the praier of thy seruants who desire to feare thy name Hee could not say that they did so feare his name as they should but this they could say that they desired to doe it better which desire was a fruite of the grace it selfe This should instruct and incourage vs still to bee doing in the seruices and workes of God Vse Oh but wee finde many imperfections Obiecti and many wants and weakenesses in our selues What of that If we aime at perfection Answ and haue respect to euery commandement of God and come as neere the marke as we can the Lord will accept vs according to that wee haue and not reiect vs for that we haue not If wee could obey perfectly to what end were Christ his obedience and if God should looke after none but those that can fully please him in all things hee should bee a Lord and a master without subiects and seruants Psalm 130.3 If thou O Lord saith Dauid shouldest marke what is done amisse who should stand Therefore though wee cannot pray with that feeling heare and read with that profit sing Psalmes with that ioyfulnesse and cheerefulnesse of heart as wee should though wee cannot forgiue our enemies long for Christ his comming haue such a tender feeling of the afflictions of the Saints nor attaine to such heauenly meditations night or day as wee doe desire and as God doth command yet let vs not bee discouraged if we striue to bring our wicked flesh to the performance of these duties and though we haue much adoe with it yet if wee draw it as a Beare to the stake vnto Gods worship and to the performance of Gods duties in publike and priuate and when we feele most backwardnesse and vntowardnesse in our nature yet wee consent in our very soules that the Law of God is holy and good and iust and that our wils and affections are indeede very corrupt and rebellious but we would rather then all the world that things went otherwise with vs that sinne might bee subdued and grace planted in steede thereof and it is our continuall griefe that God should bee so gracious and kind and liberall to vs and we can be no more obedient and loyall and seruiceable vnto him if I say wee find such a heart within vs we need not be dismaied but may cheerefully goe on with full perswasion and vndoubted resolution that the Lord will be mercifull vnto vs and take our obedience in good worth Onely that wee may not deceiue our selues let vs bee euermore carefull to vse the meanes whereby wee may grow better and auoid the meanes whereby wee may bee made worse As was more largely taught in the former Sermon in the end of the 3. Doctrine For if one say that hee desireth heauen and yet will neuer frequent Sermons nor good companie where hee may bee instructed nor vse any priuate or publike exercises of religion whereby hee may bee edified he is no more to bee regarded then a sluggard that pretendeth that hee meanes to haue a good crop and yet will neither manure nor plow nor sowe his ground but when others are labouring hee is sleeping or loytering as no man will euer looke that the one should haue a plentifull haruest of Corne so will no wise man beleeue that the other shall obtaine a plentifull crop either of grace heere or of glory hereafter Yee shall eat the good things of the Land Before hath beene shewed that all repentant sinners shall haue the blood of Christ to wash and clense their soules now in these words is declared that they shall not onely haue spirituall grace but also right vnto and the right vse of all the benefits of this life Whence this doctrine may be gathered that Obedience to Gods commandements Doct. 10 though it be not perfect True obedience brings outward presperity Deut. 28.1.2 c. brings the blessing of God vpon vs for outward things as well as for inward This is promised in Deuteronomie where Moses speaketh thus vnto the people of Israel If thou shalt obey diligently the voice of the Lord thy God and obserue and doe all his commandements which I command thee this day then the Lord thy God will set thee on high aboue all the nations of the earth And all these blessings shall come on thee c. Blessed shalt thou bee in the Citie and blessed also in the field c. and so he goes on shewing that true and faithfull obedience is that which bringeth all maner of blessings for body and soule for name and estate yea and for seed and prosperitie also 1 Tim. 6. 4.8 And therefore the Apostle telteth Timothy that goodlinesse is great gaine and that it hath the promises of this life and of the life to come in which regard Dauid saith I haue beene yong and now am old Psal 37.25 yet I saw neuer the righteous for saken nor his seed begging their bread Hee had seene and so may wee that children of great men haue broken forth into many horrible sins and so haue beene brought to a strange and miserable and violent death and to many wofull straites and extremities before their death but hee neuer saw neither shall wee see the godly seed of godly men forsaken of God and men and left as vagabonds to beg their bread but God hath euer had and still will haue a speciall care of them and euer made al necessarie prouision for them either hee himselfe by a more particular prouidence of his casteth sufficiently of these outward things vpon them or blesseth their labours so that they are made a meanes of maintenance vnto them or if they faile that way hee moueth the hearts of some or other of his seruants to pitie them and to supply their wants so that whatsoeuer their necessities be they are freed from that curse that is denounced against the seed of the wicked to wit Psal 109. â—0 that they should wander vp and downe as vagrants begging their bread and making a trade of that vile and wretched course of life And there is cause why we should rest fully resolued of this point Reason that none of Gods houshold shall euer want necessarie reliefe Because all will yeeld that hee is the gouernour of heauen and earth and the disposer of all things in them both and then they must grant further that those that are best and doe best shall speed best because God loueth them most and how then can we make question whether or no the Lord will bestow vpon them a competent measure and a comfortable vse of these earthly blessings seeing all is in his hand and hee wisheth so well vnto his owne people especially seeing hee hath straightly charged vs not to care what wee shall eat Math. 6.25 or drinke or what wee shall put on but first
deuoured by the sword Obiect This maketh for the preuenting of a third obiection For some might say It were good indeed in these regards if wee could repent for our sinnes and wash our selues from our filthinesse but if we do not wee hope wee shall doe well enough while we liue and bee saued when we die For God is not so seuere as men would make him but he is gracious and mercifull and therefore wee meane to take our course and still to proceed in the same and yet I trust to speed as well as the best of them Nay Answer saith the Prophet doe not so for if yee refuse to obey and bee rebellious yee shall bee deuoured with the sword As if he had said God indeed is readie to forgiue and to clense all sorts of sinners that see how and wherein they haue offended and are troubled for their offences resoluing to leaue and forsake them and to practise the contrarie duties but they that refuse to obey and continue in their obstinacy the Lord will neuer forgiue them nor purge them from their iniquities but their sinnes shall cleaue as fast vnto their soules as the die doth vnto crimson or scarlet that can neuer by any Art or strength of man bee reduced to their former whitnesse againe And therefore the Prophet telleth them if ye refuse to obey ye shall be deuoured with the sword it is sure some feareful and strange plague or other shall fall vpon you and vtterly consume you As God hath mercy in abundance for penitent sinners so hath hee iudgements in as great plentie for obstinate rebels that refuse to submit themselues vnto him Now the things before spoken of both blessings and fauors promised to the penitent and plagues and punishments denounced against the obstinate hee confirmeth by one maine argument The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it As if hee should haue said Doct. 11 let men neuer discourse nor obiect on the one side or on the other for God hath said it and hee will doe it Hee is true and cannot lie hee is wise and cannot change hee is iust and cannot bee corrupted he is almightie and cannot bee resisted and therefore whatsoeuer his mouth hath spoken that his hand will bring to passe Hath God then said Vse 1 Whosoeuer eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood Iohn 6.56 hath eternall life and I will raise him vp at the last day then is it impossible that such should euer taste of Gods wrath or sustaine the punishment of eternall death Obiect Oh but Christ is in heauen and wee are in earth and how can wee then eat his body and blood Answ Faith hath a long and an high reach and the spirit of Christ hath as great a reach to conuaie the same vnto vs and our communion with him is not carnall but spirituall Oh Obiect but hauing so many corruptions and rebellions as I haue how is it possible that I should bee clensed The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Answ and therefore neuer cauill against it nor make question of it any more Indeed vnbeliefe cannot see how this should be effected and therefore ignorant vnbeleeuing Papists haue inuented a carnal maner of eating and drinking the body and blood of Christ And haue found out a Purgatory to scoure off that rust of sin that hath so eaten into mens soules but all such deuises for the washing away of sinne are but as muddy water that will not make vs one whit whiter but rather fowle vs a great deale more Gods meanes onely are effectuall to make vs cleane and pure in his cies and able to stand with boldnesse before him without any feare or trembling On the contrarie Vse 2 this is for the terror of those that haue their consciences so seared through long custome in sinning that notwithstanding all the threatnings denounced against presumptuous sinners they doe continue still in their idlenes their prophannes and all kind of wickednesse let them goe on and let them walke in the waies of their owne hearts and follow their owne counsels Eccles 11.9 and their carnall and wretched desires but withall let them know that for all these things God will bring them to iudgement And if ignorance will not wholly excuse men but that they shall bee punished for their offences then how many and how grieuous shall their stripes be that know their masters will and doe it not Surely if Christ shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to those that doe not know him 2. Thes 1.8 much more will hee come in wrath and indignation against those that doe know and yet will not obey the Gospel But as for those that see their infirmities and daily lament and grieue for them and striue against them let such be of good comfort Reuel 2.2 their painfull labour is known vnto the Lord and their earnest desire of faith and loue and repentance is a grace well pleasing to the Lord And they shall not onely finde mercie for the pardon of their sinnes and grace for the sanctifying of their soules but outward blessings also for their estate for the mouth of Lordhath spoken it The fourth Sermon of the Lords Supper 2. CHRON. 30.19 c. Verse 18. The good Lord bee mercifull toward him 19 That Prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord God of his fathers though hee bee not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuarie 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people IN the former part of this Chapter is declared how King Hezekiah in a zeale of Gods glorie and loue vnto his people made a proclamation throughout all Israel from Beersheba euen vnto Dan that they should come to keepe the Passeouer to the Lord God of Israel at Ierusalem for they had not done it for a great time in that manner as God required because of that Idolatrie which had ouerspred the Land For this purpose Hezekiah and his Princes sent postes with letters throughout all Israel and Iudah euen to the ten Tribes also that were full of sinne and miserie to admonish them to turne againe vnto the Lord their God that hee might returne vnto them and not to be stif-necked but to humble themselues to serue the Lord that his wrath might bee turned away from them But when the messengers came a great sort of the Israelites laught them to scorne and mocked them they were so inured vnto sinne and infected with Idolatrie that they set light by nay vtterly contemned all the wholesome and holy exhortations of that worthy King and his nobles Yet some of them whose hearts God touched euen diuers out of the Tribes of Asher and Mamasseh and Zebulun came to Ierusalem and the hand of God was in Iudah so that he gaue them one heart to doe the commandement of the King and of the Rulers insomuch that there assembled vnto Ierusalem much people to keepe the feast of vnleauened bread But by reason of the short
they were at their feasting merry together at which times many faults escape young people which they take little notice of but Iob considered thorowly of them and was euer mindefull and carefull to vse the meanes of God for the remitting and purging away of the same that his childrens soules might not bee infected nor Gods anger prouoked thereby A rare example worthy the imitation of all godly parents Note yet imitated but of avery few for how small is the number of them that are thus iealous and fearefull of themselues and if they faile of this godly care for their own soules how can they be iealous with a godly iealousie of the soules of those whom God hath committed vnto their charge Now the reasons why we must bee as ready to speake to God in praier as to them in precepts are these 1 First Reasons because God commandeth vs to pray one for another Now if those that are not tyed vnto vs by any neere bonds Iam. 5.16 Gods command are to be recommended vnto God in our praiers much more those whom God hath more especially vnited vnto vs either by nature or by dutie seruice on their part to be performed vnto vs. Yea Christ Iesus straitly commandeth vs to pray for our enemies Mat. 5.44 Now if that be a bounden dutie how much more is it to pray for our friends especially if withall they bee Gods friends seeing they by our praiers may bee much helped and without them much endangered The Prophet Samuel vnderstood that this was a dutie when hee accounted the neglect hereof to bee a sinne against God as in that booke it appeareth that hee did for when the people were frighted and humbled both by the words of Samuel and by the myraculous work of God in sending extraordinarie thunder and raine in the time of wheate haruest and thereupon came vnto Samuel saying 1. Sam 12.19 Pray for thy seruants vnto the Lord thy God that wee die not his answer was God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord verse 29. and cease praying for you A second reason is because except they ioine petitions vnto God with instructions vnto them No blessing to be expected without praier 1. Cor. 3.6.7 they can looke for no blessing vpon the good lessons they giue vnto them All planting and watering is in vaine except God giue the increase and if wee would haue any increase it 's good reason we should seeke it at his hand by praier Therefore both of them must bee ioyned together wee must doe the best wee can and then say as Noah did Gen. 9.27 Lord perswade Iaphet to dwell in the Tents of Sem. Except the Lord did perswade the heart as well as Noah did the eare hee knew all that he could doe was but lost labour Thirdly vnlesse they pray for a blessing No thankfulnesse vnlesse that haue gone before they can neuer be so thankefull for any good that is wrought vpon such as are vnder them They haue had no hand in pulling downe Gods hand vpon them and therefore they haue no heart to giue him praise for the same but when any gouernour or superiour hath had a strong hand in drawing downe the mercies of God vpon any that depend vpon him and seeth the good effect of his praiers and of his teares this cannot but make him glorifie and magnifie the Lords goodnesse for hearing and granting their requests in remoouing euill things or bestowing good things vpon such as are vnder their iurisdiction This serueth for the reproofe of those Vse that thinke they haue done as much as they need For Superiours sufficienly discharged their consciences if they haue called their children and seruants whole familie to the word and Sacrament and to be examined before they receiue the same though in the meane while they neuer call on the name of the Lord to blesse them and the meanes and to bee good and gratious vnto them where they failed in preparing themselues When Iacob was to send his sonnes into Aegypt to buy food of Ioseph he praied instantly that God would vouchsafe to be with them to giue them prosperous and good successe in the businesse they went about God almightie giue you mercy saith hee in the sight of the man Gen. 43.14 Now if he thought it his dutie to pray for them when they were to come before Ioseph which was but an vnder-gouernour in Aegypt how much more should wee count it our dutie to pray for such as belong vnto our charge when they are to come before the whole Trinitie euen before that God that is the soueraigne Lord and King of heauen and earth full of glorie and full of maiestie how much more I say should wee desire that they might finde fauour in his eies especially considering that Iacobs sonnes went but for the food of their bodies which they might either haue or want without any extraordinarie hurt vnto themselues whereas those that are to be partakers of Gods ordinances are to be suters vnto him for the food of their soules and so bee euerlastingly saued if they can obtaine it or else take their bane and bee liable to Gods heauie displeasure and in danger of iudgement inward and outward in bodie and soule not onely in their life time but for euer after if they repent not for their disorderly and contemptuous approching vnto him in his holy seruices so that there is much more reason wee see that gouernours should bee earnest with the Lord for those that are vnder their rooffe then there was for Iacob then to be earnest for his sons and therefore let all those bee humbled and reformed that haue beene slacke and negligent in the performance of this dutie Secondly Vse 2 let inferiours heere bee admonished that as gouernours are to sue vnto the Lord in their behalfe the husband for the wife For Inferiours parents for their children masters and mistresses for their seruants so they on the other side are to bee gentle and humble and tractable that their superiours may haue good incouragment and good successe in the supplications that they make for them Wee doe not read that Hezekiah at any other time dealt so earnestly with God in the cause of the people as at this time hee did and what mooued him to be so importunate now euen this that hee saw they had hearkened vnto his perswasion and taken great paines to come to Ierusalem from all quarters of the Land and being there hee perceiued that they had some sorrow and remorse for their former impietie and some desire to become better for the time to come now when hee discerned that they came on so fast and that they were halfe healed already hee bendeth all the force and strength of his praiers for the obtaining of mercy and fauour for them and so found that good effect that hee desired and expected And that was it that made Dauid so plentifully and
that which he here forbiddeth By meate figuratiuely so called which endureth vnto euerlasting life he meaneth the gifts and graces of Gods holy spirit whereby the soules of his people receiue strength comfort constantly euen vntill the fruition of that blisse and immortality whereunto they shall attaine for euermore hereafter Now for their better assurance that they might certainly know that they should not lose their labour in seeking for this durable foode this bread of life himselfe vndertaketh to bestow it vpon them and that by the appointment of God his father who hath sealed him to this office as Princes and great men do authentically confirme the authority of those whom they imploy in weighty affaires by their seales and letters Pattents This answer therefore of Christ consisteth of two parts A Reprehension Exhortation In the reprehension he declareth 1 What they neglected they made not a profitable vse of the miracle which they saw 2 Wherein they transgressed they had a sinister respect in seeking of him it was for their bellies sake and not for conscience sake In the exhortation he perswadeth them most to affect the spirituall meate by two arguments 1 In regard of the goodnesse and lastingnesse of it It endureth vnto euerlasting life 2 In regard of the Author of it 1 Christ giuing it 2 The father ordaining it to be giuen by Christ The words which they spake to Christ were reuerent they called him Rabbi and tooke knowledge in some sort of his strange manner of passing ouer the sea and had before in verse 14. testified that of a truth he was the Prophet that should come into the world And not so onely but as it apeareth in verse 15. They minded to take him and make him a King yet the first answer that he giueth vnto them is a rebuke whereby we learne that By faire speeches to vs Doct. 1 or courteous vsage of vs we ought not to be stayd from telling men of their faults Our best frinds must be adraoâ—â—hed when by our calling we are required to admonish them It beseemeth not a good man to suffer his heart to be as it were bribed with kindnesse that his mouth shold be stopped when God and fit oportunity calleth vpon him to open it Dan. 5 Though Belshazzer would needs haue Daniel cloathed with purple and a chaine of gold put about his necke with promise of great preferment yet Daniel spared not to tel Belshazzer that he had lift vp himselfe against the Lord of heauen and profaned his holy vessels and praised Idols and not glorified the GOD in whose hand was his breath and all his waies The example also of Elisha will proue this vnto vs when IehoraÌ„ the King of Israel made suit vnto him for the obtaining of water for himselfe 2. King 3.13.14 and two Kings more together with all their host telling him that they were vndone and should fall into the hand of their enimies if he did not helpe at this pinch and in this great strait not withstanding this submisse humble maner of intreaty he spareth him not being a wretched Idolater 2. Kings 8.9 12. but answereth him roundly and sharply What haue I to doe with thee saith he get thee to the prophets of thy father c. As the Lord liueth in whose sight I stand if it were not that I regard the presence of Iehoshaphat King of Iudah I would not haue looked towards thee nor seene thee Marke how lightly he setteth by this wicked king telling him that he would not giue him so much as a good looke much lesse be an instrument of releeuing him his army were it not for good Iehoshaphats sake whose heart was vpright with God though he were faulty in ioyning with those Idolaters And againe when Hazael came vnto him with a present of euery good thing of Damascus as much as forty camels could carry and vsed him with all reuerent respect calling him my Lord c. yet he dealt plainly with him and with tears told him what a tyrant he should be what hauocke he should make amongst the people of God So Christs Iesus an vndoubted patterne for our imitation when he came to Martha a good woman and very louing and kind vnto him yet being more carefull to make prouision for his body than to get prouision for her owne soule and finding fault with her sister Mary that was better imployed then her selfe Christs mouth was not stoped with her meate for he reproueth her and commendeth her sister saying Martha Martha thou carest and art troubled about many things Luke 11.41.42 but one thing is needfull Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not betaken away from her Now the reason of this Doctrine is 1. in respect of them Reason 1 because otherwise we should deale vnfaithfully with such as deale kindly with vs and when they shew their loue vnto vs we should shew our hatred towards them if we do not helpe them when we haue a calling and some likely hood of doing them good It were as great an iniury as if when a patient speaketh friendly to his PhisitioÌ„ telleth him that he wil coÌ„tent him at ful for al his care and paines that he shall take he thereupon should grow more remisse and carelesse and giue him rancke poyson in stead of wholesome receits and curing medicines 2 In respect of our selues if wee be slacke in admonishing our friends of things amisse in them because they speake louingly and carry themselues in a friendly maner towards vs wee shall thereby prouoke Gods displeasure against vs and so their faire words cheareful looks shal looke angerly vpoÌ„ vs and speake sharply vnto vs and we by our silence or by our flatery shall make their sinnes to become our owne and so both we and they shal be punished together This maketh for the iust reproofe of those that frame all their praises and dispraises according as they themselues are dealt withall if they be well spoken of and well vsed they wil be altogether for the parties that do so befriend them and they shal be sure of their good word but if others be preferred and they neglected especially if vpon their iust desert they be roundly taxed and reproued then the case is altered and the streame of their commendation turned another way and in stead of their former speeches of approbation you shall heare from the bitter inuectiues and termes of reproch much vnbeseeming the mouth of a ciuill man much more of a Christian Of this sort were those false and deceitfull Prophets which were likened to dogges Michah 3.5 let men cast a bone vnto them as it were and fill their mouthes with somewhat now and then and they will fawne vpon them and tell them their case is good they shall be sure of peace and prosperity God is well pleased and all things shall go well with them albeit in the meane while they be the most vile and
helpfull it maketh vs blessed in this present life and in the life to come it bringeth with it the comfort of the spirit the feeling of gods loue and fauour and the comfortable vse of all outward good things We are not likely at least not certaine to continue here many daies and what an vnspeakeable comfort then is it to be assured that when we goe from men we shall goe to God and when we leaue the earth wee shall inherit heauen that we shall haue peace at our death and glory after our death If the pestilence enter into our houses or take hold of our owne persons when none dare come vnto vs then God will be with vs though our bodies be insected yet our soules can neuer be so infected if we haue grace in our hearts but that God dareth to enter into our houses to visite vs and when our soules shall be parted from our bodies he wil not thinke it too much to giue them a place of rest with himselfe in his owne kingdome at length vnite them to our bodies againe that they may enioy euerlasting blisse together as they haue bene imployed in Gods seruice together Seeing then Vse 1 that the benefit of labouring for grace is so great this serueth to reproue those that are slothfull in the things of God slothfull in repairing to the Word and in mingling the same with faith in their hearts slothfull in trauelling with their owne soules in examining their hearts and laying the edge of gods threatenings to their corruptions for the cutting off of the same These men thinke that grace will grow as weedes doe without any plowing manuring or sowing of the ground though they neuer pray earnestly nor heare carefully nor be at any paines for the reforming of their hearts or of their liues yet they thinke they shall haue goodnes enough by an ordinary course and conclude that heauen shall be cast vpon them whether they will or not as if God could not chuse but saue their soules But these foolish men doe altogether deceiue themselues and they shall find by woful experience that except they set their minds hearts tongues hands and all the powers and parts of soule and body on worke they shall neuer attaine vnto any godlinesse at all and therefore of necessity be depriued of euerlasting life But we like of the Word Obiect and loue the preaching and preachers thereof Answ But what measure of faith and of other graces of Gods spirit haue you gotten thereby if you be distitute of those it is sure you haue not laboured as you should for the same for whosoeuer seeketh findeth Talking of gold siluer the like and declaring to others how much we affect them wil not keepe vs from penury we must so labour for them as that we get them if we would be rich men A sluggard may desire to get the victory but he must fight for it that will haue it and the like holds in spirituall things those that would be partakers of them must vse the meanes that God hath appointed for the accomplishing of their desire And therefore this rebuke lights vpon the heads of all such sluggards as will not bestir them in this weighty matter nor liue in the field of grace nay whē the crop of grace is brought home vnto their houses they wil not open their dores to receiue it they wil not so much as giue attention to the word but are like the high way side that doth not so much as receiue the seede that is cast vpon it but lette the Diuell catch away all from them Secondly Vse 2 this may be an Apologie for those that are faithfull and painefull in seeking for the Word if it be a thing so exceeding necessary then are not they to be blamed that are content to vndergo any toile for the obtaining of it it is no precisenesse nor needles labour neither are such to be checked and reprehended but rather to be cōmended and encouraged for this is it that is foretold in Daniel Dan. 12.4 Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall abound If men haue a dangerous sicknes they seeke help from the Phisition though far off none findes fault with them nor makes question why they should seek to be healed If householders want prouisiō at home they wil repaire to the market none cries out vpon them What wretched men are these that cannot keepe them from the market haue they not oxen and sheep at home for though they haue men are so wise as to consider that they are not made ready for their turn Now if they are not blamed nor indeed blame worthy that do thus seeke for corporall Phisicke and sood then why should they be blamed by Papists and such as are Popishly affected that seeke for that which is spirituall Se the 2. Sermon one Mark 14. Doct 6. it being far more requisite and necessary Which the sonne of man shall giue c. Doct. The efficacie of the Word Doct. 5 The efficacie of the word and Sacrament of Christ and Sacrament is from Christs owne hand Whosoeuer would haue grace must receiue it from Christ himselfe hence is that promise made vnto the Israelites The Lord thy Gods will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed that thou malest loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule that thou maiest liue They to whom it did belong to circumcise their bodies could goe no further then the outward circūcision it was God only that could cut off the corruption of their hearts and frame them vnto obedience that which is spoken concerning that one Sacrament holdeth as true in all the rest man can giue only the externall signes God must giue the inward vertue And the reasons why it pertains vnto Christ is a work of the Godhead only are diuers First Reasons 1 one is taken out of the text where it said Him hath the Father sealed it is Christ his office vnto which the Father hath ordained him he alone hath commission and warrant to deale in it and whosoeuer else doth arrogate that vnto himselfe is an intruder and shall be punished for that he goeth about to thrust Christ out of his chaire Secondly as it belongs to him so he alone is of ability to doe it none besides him can deale with the heart wherein this worke doth principally consist He onely knowes it and he alone can cure it as the first Adam did kill vs 1 Cor 15.45 so the second Adam must quicken vs. No man can giue natural life vnto another no not that which brutish creatures doe enioy nay nor so much as that which plants doe liue by much lesse can any one giue spirituall life vnto another Paul may plant and Apolos may water but God alone giueth the increase Thirdly experience will confirme vs in this point for who be the mē vpon whom the ordinances of God
Iohn 6.32 which came downe from heauen Thirdly if the bread by the words of cōsecration be transubstātiated it wil follow that wicked cōmunicants may also partake of Christ for Paul saith 1 Cor. 10. that all good and bad did eate the same spirituall meate c. as touching the outward signe and Element and so cannot afterwards perish and be damned for that whosoeuer eateth of Christ his flesh c. Iohn 6.55.56 hath eternall life and he will raise him at the last day for he dwelleth in vs and we in him Now it is certain that there is no cōmunion betwixt the Lord Iesus wicked sinners neither are they in the state of saluation neither shall they be raised vp vnto Glory at the last day and consequently they feede not on him and the Sacramentall signes are not transubstantiated into him A fourth reason is from the end for which the Sacrament was instituted by Christ and is continued in his Church Then his meaning was not according to his humane nature to conuerse with his people one earth after a bodily manner for though he were present with his disciples at the first celebration sensibly in his manhoode yet the purpose of it for afterwards was to continue a memoriall of him when the heauens should containe him Acts 3 21. Luke 22 29. therefore saith he doe this in remembrance of me Which should be superfluous and needlesse if he were continually conuersant with his members euery where in the Masse and in the Lords Supper Fiftly many fowle absurdities do ensue vpon this grosse opinion of transubstantiation for First either one Christ in his bodily presence must be both in heauen and earth Absurdities and in innumerable places there at one instant or else be multiplyed and many Christs many Sauiours and many redeemers must be dispersed throughout all the Churches where the Masse is offred or the Sacrament administred and so when the Lord did first celebrate it there was to be one Christ breaking and distributing and another Christ broken and giuen one Christ to Peter another Christ to Iohn and to euery Apostle one Secondly how can cruelty be here auoided how can men deuoure him and not kill him how should men swallow him vp and yet offer no violence vnto him A glorious body may be in many places at once Obiect and be eaten and not hurt because it is not patible nor mortall But when the Disciples first receiued him Answer he was both mortall for he dyed on the morrow and patible for he was in an agony and torment that night and therefore how commeth it to passe that the nailes should haue force to kill him which onely pierced some part of his body rather then their teeth which chewed him whole But he himselfe saith This is my body Obiect So it is sacramentally and by a Trope Answer but not literally and simply as the words may be misconstrued The like kinde of speech is vsed in other Sacraments Circumcision is called the couenant Gen. 17.13 the Lambe is called the Passeouer Exod. 12.11 the rock Christ 1 Cor. 10.14 And is not the cup sayd as well to be the bloud of the new Testament and yet our Sauiour calleth the consecrated wine the fruit of the vine Matth. 26.29 But Christ saith Iohn 6.53.55 Obiect Except ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud yee haue no life in you for my flesh is meate indeede and my bloud is drinke indeed He speaketh not there of the Sacrament Answer but rather of the faithfull embracing of him in his word for the Lords Supper was neuer before nor at that time instituted and as yet the words of consecration had not bene spoken and therefore if this be vnderstood literally without the spirituall meaning thereof it will follow that either Transubstantiation was before the Lords Supper or the Lords Supper before the night in which he was betrayed And in this place he maketh no mention of bread to be turned into his body and the words wrested would rather argue his body to be transubstantiated into bread or flesh then breade to be changed into his body Secondly Vse 2 as this serueth for the confutation of them that hold there is no bread at all in the Lords Supper so it maketh against such as thinke there is nothing but bread to be expected there that we are to receiue onely the outward signe in a bare remembrance of Christ his death and passion and so do they depraue the mysteries of God and extenuate his promises as if when the Lord calleth all his people to this memorable banquet he should deceiue them with empty dishes and with painted meat in stead of better cheere Ester 1 It would haue bene a great disgrace for Ahashuerosh to haue dealt so when he called all his Princes to a banquet and therefore they are iustly to be reproued that esteeme so basely of this holy feast seing God offereth and exhibiteth truly though not corporally his owne Sonne with all his precious merits to euery faithfull receiuer so that euery guest at his table may truly be said to feede on Christ Iesus Thirdly Vse 3 this is for instruction that seeing by this Sacrament we may be so nearely vnited vnto Christ we should come with a large expectation of receiuing good from the same and therefore make preparation for the same accordingly that so we may not come vnworthily lest we receiue iudgements in stead of mercies Fourthly here is another instruction that when we come to this celestiall feast we fall to it and feed of it as Christ biddeth vs Take and eate let vs set our eyes our eares our taste yea and our hearts also aworke with all serious meditation to make vse of those heauenly mysteries and when we see the bread broken let vs boldly conclude Christ was broken for me and therefore I shall escape the breaking which I haue deserued and when the bread is giuen vnto vs let vs resolue Christ with all his benefites is bestowed vpon me and when we eate the bread let vs assure our soules of this Christ is made vnto me the true bread whereby my soule shall be nourished vnto life eternall This is the earing that the Lord requireth and accepteth and thus doing we shall shew that there is mutuall loue and kindnesse betwixt him and vs which is a thing well pleasing vnto him and therefore he exhorteth all his seruants saying Eate O friends drinke and make you merry Cant. 5.1 O welbeloued None but those that are friends can eate of his dainties and all those that are friends will eate of the same therefore if euer we would shew our selues to be Christ his friends if we would enioy the feeling of his loue vnto vs and be assured of our loue towards him let vs refresh our soules at this banquet and not let our Sauiour be at cost in vaine in making so good and so large
made vnto him The Doctrines of the fifth Sermon on ISA. 55.1 1 The thirstie soule alone hath interest in the graces of God and shall reape benefit by the meanes of grace 2 Whosoeuer commeth to Christ Iesus in the religious vse of his ordinances shall haue all his wants supplied 3 The best things are best cheepe 4 Nothing can satisfie and content the minde but grace The Doctrines of the sixt Sermon on MATH 22.11 1 God is the onely absolute king ouer all the whole world 2 The Lord taketh notice of euery guest that sitteth at his table 3 It is not sufficient to come to Gods wedding seast but wee must come as fit guests for so great a banquet and so glorious a presence 4 When God hath to deale euen against sinners yet hee dealeth in good and peaceable tearmes 5 Sinners shall haue nothing to say for themselues when God en tereth into iudgement with them 6 The speciall time and place of the punnishment of wicked men is after this life in hell fire The Doctrines of the seauenth Sermon on PSAL. 119.1 1 Religion is the way to happinesse 2 So much sinceritie as any one hath so much happinesse shalt hee haue 3 It is a marueilous great prerogatiué to bee freed from the bondage of sinne 4 Nothing is superfluous that is done in obedience to Gods holy will The Doctrines of the eight Sermon on IOHN 6. 1 By faire speeches to vs or courteous vsage of vs wee ought not to bee staied from telling men their faults when by our calling wee are required to admonish them 2 Christ Iesus is acquainted with the purposes of such as come to his seruices 3 A man cannot bee both a worlding and a Christian 4 They are most prouident for themselues whose greatest labour is for grace 5 The efficacie of the word and Sacrament is from Christ his owne hand The Doctrines of the ninth and tenth Sermons on MARK 14.18 1 Iesus Christ knew before what sufferings hee was to vndergoe 2 They are likely to stand best who are most fearefull of falling 3 No bands of kindnesse can make wicked men faithfull vnto godly men 4 Wicked men fulfill the will of God to their owne condemnation 5 All the delights and contentmenes of wicked men in this world cannot counteruaile their miseries in the world to come 6 The efficacy of the Sacrament is from Gods owne hand 7 Christ Iesus in the Sacrament by Corporall foode giueth a most sure possession of himselfe and vnion with himselfe 8 Christ in the Sacarment doth make vs a full meale 9 Faithfull communicants at the Lords table come to bee enriched by Christ his legacie Errata Page 5. Line 18. Read drowsinesse Page 18. l. 38. r. full sore Page 23. l. 6. r. thus Page 35. l. 4. r. maine Page 39. l. 27. leaue out id est Page 69. l. 2. r. other Page 75. l. 6. r. souud Page 85. l. 18. r. must not Page 101. l. 5. r. posterity Page 107 l. 12. r. impenitent Page 143. l. 9. r. grosse Page 144. l. 3. r. all Page 132. l. 3. r. releeued Page 147. l. 3. r. beloued Page 149. l. 16. r. pay Page 150. l. 27. r. it Page 157. l. 2. r. condemned Page 163. l. 18. r. end l. 29. r. should Page 167. l. 6. r. distastefull Page 1 12. l. 9. r. him Page 117. l. 24. r. grace Page 126. margent r. Iosua P. 1. l. 11. r. blessed man where are declared p. 12. l. 10. r. make account p. 13. l. 3. r. tribulations p. 15. l. 15. r. destroy p. 22. l. 22. r. as finde p. 24. l. 35. r. knife p. 33. l. 37. r. make good p. 35. l. 2. r. tongues l. 4. r. against all c. p. 4. l. 36. r. and such like sensuality P. 41. l. 1. r. ambitious desire of aduancement or to become great men P. 47. l. 8. r. labour p. 55. l. 26. r. so in this will p. 59. l. 31. r. poyson A BRIEFE DIALOGVE CONCERNING PREPARATION FOR THE WORTHIE RECEIVING of the Lords Supper taken for the most part out of the Sermons following WHat is the Lords Supper It is a Sacrament of the eternall couenant Math. 26.28 whereby through the vse of bread and wine rightly administred and faithfully receiued Ioh. 6.27.54 c. the soules of them that are ingrafted into Christ are spiritually nourished vnto eternall life What then is required of those that will be partakers of this heauenly food at the Lords table They must be prepared as meete guestes for such a banquet Math. 22.12 1. Cor. 11.28 For the better attaining to this preparation how many things are there to be considered Three first what is to be done before the partaking of it Secondly what at it Thirdly what after it What is that which must be done before There must be 1. an examination how fit wee are to receiue 2. A premeditation of the benefits that wee are to receiue And 3. faithfull and feruent praier for Gods blessing vpon our examination premeditation and receiuing Of what points are we to examine our selues First Examination 1 in generall whether wee bee of the number of the faithfull and haue in vs the life of grace for otherwise wee are vtterly vnfit to be partakers of the Lords Supper which is appointed for food to continue spirituall life where it is and not to worke it where it is not to bee for nourishment vnto Gods children but for the bane and destruction of dogs and swine that dare presume to meddle with the same Secondly wee must examine our selues more particularlie Concerning what matters Whether wee haue attained vnto a competent measure of repentance knowledge faith and loue which if we can finde in our selues we may resolue our hearts in that point of general examination and conclude that we are within the couenant of grace and haue communion with Christ Iesus and therefore are in state to be communicants at his table How should we trie our selues in the matter of repentance Wee must examine Repentance 1 1. whether wee haue at any time carefully sifted our hearts and behauiour to finde out as many of our corruptions as possibly we could 2. Whether we haue beene and are hartily sorrowfull for the same 3. Whether wee haue rightly confessed them before the Lord with an earnest desire of the pardon thereof And 4. whether wee purpose and resolue for euer hereafter through Gods gratious assistance to reforme both our hearts and waies Is there any necessitie of that searching of our selues Yes verily Searching 1 for otherwise wee shall bee found hiders of sinne See the Sermon on Prou. 28.13 Doct. 1. Iob. 20.12 which hindreth all true prosperitie and argueth plainlie that there is in vs a loue of iniquitie and abundance of hypocrisie which will keepe vs from reaping benefit by the word or Sacrament Whereby should we trie our selues to the intent we may come to a more full and particular sight of
our corruptions By the law of God psal 119.59 which is the true touch-stone examining our selues by euery commandement that so wee may discerne if not all yet the most part of the corruptions of our soules and errors of our liues and for our more orderly proceeding herein we may vse this direction following wherein are set downe the chiefe heads of most of the sinnes against euery commandement Sinnes against the first Commandement 1 ATheisme which is If any desire prooues of Scripture for these particular sinnes mentioned he may vse the helpe of M. Dods booke on the commandements or of the True watch where many of these are touched when men either thinke there is no God or liue as if there were no God 2 Idolatrie which is the hauing of a false God 3 IgnoraÌ„ce vncapablenes of knowledge errors heresies 4 Forgetfulnesse of good things especially of those that most concerne vs and chiefly at that instant when we should make vse of them 2. Remembring of euill things especially of those that may most corrupt vs and chiefely then when wee should be most free from the thought of them 5 Vnwillingnesse vnto good things principally to the best readinesse vnto and wilfullnesse in euill especially the worst 2. Impatiencie vnder crosses 6 Distrust of Gods power mercie c. promises and prouidence whence carnall feares are wrought and cherished and the true feare of God is expelled and banished 7 Presumption vpon Gods mercie 8 Carnall confidence in wit learning wealth strength friends c. thinking our selues the better or safer simply for them whence ariseth pride and securitie 9 Too much loue of euil as also of our selues our friends our pleasure profit credit c. 2. To little loue of God and of goodnesse of Gods seruants and seruices 10 Hatred of God and goodnesse 2. Want of hatred against our owne and others sinnes 11 Abundance of worldly sorrow shame and discontentment 2. want of spirituall griefe and indignation against our owne and others transgressions 3. Not lamenting for the calamities of Gods people priuate or publike 12 Immoderate carnall mirth too little spirituall ioy 13 Hardnes of heart benummednes of Conscience or hellish terrors and accusations proceeding from doing things either without or against the rules of the word Sinnes against the second Commandement 1 BAse and vnwarranted conceits of God as when wee frame any image of him in our minds 2 Worshipping of images 3 Adoration of Angels or Saints obseruing holy daies in deuotion to them swearing by them c. 4 Approbation of Idolatrie by presence speech gesture silence keeping of superstitious relikes and monuments keeping companie with Idolaters c. 5 Neglect of any of Gods ordinances as of preaching hearing reading meditation conference the vse of good bookes and of good companie of priuate and publike praier fasting making of vowes c. 6 Superstitious fasting rash vowes breach of lawfull vowes abuse of lots c. 7 Want of sorrowe for being borne of Idolatrous forefathers Sinnes against the third Commandement 1 PRofession ioyned with profanenesse whereby Gods name is dishonoured 2 Abusing of Gods word by 1. fruitlesse speaking of it 2. framing iests out of it or against it 3. maintaining of sin by it 4. applying it to charming c. 3 Abusing the names or titles of God 1. By admiration as by saying in our common talke ô Lord oh Iesus c. 2. by cursing c. 4 Swearing vainely outragiously falsely c. 5 Blaspheming 6 Taking a lawfull oath without due reuerence and consideration 7 Praying without faith feeling reuerence feruency not waiting for an answer c. asking euill things aiming morein our requests at the releeuing of our necessitie then at the aduancement of Gods glorie 8 Hearing reading meditating conferring singing of Psalmes and receiuing the Sacrament without preparation attention reuerence delight and profit 9 Light passing ouer of Gods great workes of creation preseruation redemption as also of other his mercies and iudgements 10 Abuse of our Christian libertie to the hardening insnaring peruerting or iust greeuing of any Sinnes against the fourth Commandement 1 NEglect of preparation for the Sabbath before it come and of fitting our heartes for holy seruices when it is come 2 Profane absence from or vnfruitfull presence at Gods ordinances 3 Excessiue eating and drinking which causeth drunkennesse and vnfitnesse for Gods worship 4 Doing any ordinarie worke of our calling 5 All recreations which distract 6 Vaine and worldly speeches and thoughts 7 A secret desire that the Sabbath were ouer 8 Neglect of calling our selues or others to a reckoning after holie exercises 9 Giuing libertie to our selues in the night before the whole Sabbath be ended Sinnes against the fifth Commandement Sinnes of all inferiours in respect of their superiours 1 VVAnt of reuerence inward or outward 2. Neglect of praier 3. and of humble submission Sinnes of all Superiours 1 Want of loue 2. Failing in praier 3. and in giuing good example Sinnes of Children in respect of their Parents 1 Disobedience 2 Murmuring at their parents corrections though vniust 3 Contemning of them for any defect of body or minde 4 Vnthankefulnesse in not releeuing them not standing for their deserued credit c. Sinnes of Parents 1 Negligence in not instructing their children betime 2 Not correcting them till it bee too late or doing it with bitternesse without compassion instruction and praier 3 Giuing them ill example 4 Neglect of bringing them vp in some lawfull calling 5 Not bestowing them timely and religiously in mariage 6 Light behauiour before them and too much familiaritie with them whereby they become vile in 〈◊〉 eies 7 Louing beautie or any outward parts more then Gods image in them 8 A sin peculiar to the mother is reâ—â—sing to nurse them Seruants sinnes inrespect of 〈◊〉 â—ouernours The three first sinnes of childreâ— may be in seruants as also these that follow 1 Idlenesse in their calling 2 Vnthriftinesse and vnfaithfulnes in dealing with their Masters goods and affaires 3 Stealing priuy defrauding of them c. 4 Eie-seruice Diuers sinnes of Parents are found in Masters as also these that follow 1 Vnaduised entertainement of sinfull seruants 2 Not vsing religious exercises with them not admonishing nor correcting them or doing it in an ill manner greeuing more when they faile in their businesse then when they are slacke in Gods seruice 3 Not recompensing their labours by giuing them a due reward when they are with theÌ„ when they part froÌ„ them 4 Neglect of them in sickenesse vniust stopping of their wages for that time 5 Not releeuing them if they be able in their age who haue spent their youth in their seruice Sinnes of the wife in respect of her husband 1 Failing in reuerence which appeareth in froward looks speeches or behauiour 2 Disobedience in the smallest matters Sinnes of the Husband 1 Not dwelling with his wife 2 Neglect of edifying her by instruction and example 3 Denying her comfortable
a few teares ouer him and so the meditation of the seuerall sufferings of Christ and of Gods gracious promises made vnto vs in and through him should cause our hearts to be dissolued into teares 4 Fourthly we must as often as fit occasion is offered goe vnto the house of mourning Make vse of others crosses where we may be put in minde of our wofull estate by reason of our wicked nature and sinnefull cariage in violating the Lords holy precepts and commandements and this is commended as the parte of a godly wise man by Salomon in Ecclesiastes where it is said Eccles 7.6 The heart of wise men is the house of mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth And the reason why this is a part of wisdome is rendred in the 4. verse It is better to goe to the house of mourning then to the house of feasting because this is the end of all men and the liuing shall lay it to his heart And if others chastisements should affect vs Of our owne much more should Gods correcting hand vpon our selues mooue vs and and when he smiteth vs wee should ioyne with him and take his part and smite our owne hearts and then if Gods stroakes on others or on our selues doe make vs mourne for our rebellious behauiour against the Lord happie and blessed are wee for so saith the Prophet Blessed is the man O Lord Psal 94.12 whom thou chastisest and teachest in thy Law and our Sauiour also Blessed are those that mourne Mat. 5.4 c. therefore when we finde our selues inclined to heauines in respect of any outward scourge that lieth on vs or on our friends let vs take hold of the occasion and turne the course of our griefe another way which if we can attaine vnto and make our sin to be our greatest sorrowe Christ Iesus shall bee our greatest ioy and wee being mourners of Sion shall be comforted in due season our iniquities shall be remoued as a cloud and scatered as a miste and wee receiued into euerlasting fauour Thirdly Vse 3 this is for the singular comfort of Gods children What though they haue been like the people of Sodome and of Gomorrah and haue liued like beasts all their life long yet is there hope that they shall not be cast off nay if they can once beginne to rinse and purge their hearts though their sinnes haue beene neuer so horrible and odious and abominable they may be assured of the free and ful pardon of them al neither need they make any doubt at all hereof for if such kind of sinners might not attaine to this it were in vaine for the Lord to exhort them to repentance but wee see heere that though these Iewes had receiued many blessings heard many instructions and threatnings out of the word and felt many corrections from Gods owne hand and nothing would driue them from their accustomed course of rebellion yet notwithstanding all this if now at last they would grieue their hearts in good earnest and not passe ouer the matter with some sleight mourning for so farre wicked Saul went when Dauid had told him of his fault in pursuing him that was innocent but striue for a soaking and working sorrow if I say they would labour for this the Lord offers them mercie so that they should foorthwith bee disburdened of the guilt and freed from the punishment of all their former wickednesse For when sinne is once cast out of the heart God hath no quarell against the partie and it can neuer lurk there long except it be fedde with excuses and allowance It neuer stickes so close nor cleaues so fast but godly sorrow will make a separation betwixt it and the soule Note and crush the very head thereof That giueth life and roote vnto it and makes it grow and bring foorth abundance of fruite when wee loue it and can say somwhat for it but if we do not nourish it in our souls but ba nish it thence we shall bee accepted whatsoeuer our life hath formerly beene for as God will neuer sprinckle the blood of his owne sonne vpon a carnall and proud and prophane heart so hee will neuer denie to giue the merits of his sonne vnto an heauie and sorrowfull and contrite spirit Take away the euill of your workes from before mine eies As if hee should haue said hitherto you haue but dissembled in the duties performed by you which hollownesse of yours though men could not so well see and discerne yet the Lords eies haue been and are still cast vpon your doubling and halting and false dealing and therefore if you would haue him to looke fauourably vpon you take away from his sight that which causeth him to frowne vpon you not onely your euill workes for so hypocrits may doe but the euill of your good works for heere wee must vnderstand God did not aime at the subuersion and ouerthrow of the former duties of religion but wisheth them to doe the same workes of pietie still but in a better sort then they were wont to doe them whence this doctrine offereth it selfe for our learning that A Christian must not onely doe good things Doctr. 2 Good things must be done in a good maner but must doe them in a good manner otherwise God may and will reiect the works and confound the doers of them This people here had many ontward obseruations as doth appeare from verse 12. to the 16. Yet because their seruices were not performed in faith and loue God did vtterly abhorre and detest them They would keepe the Sabbaths and frequent the solemne assemblies but they would learne nothing at all though their bodies were there their hearts were not there but either about their busines in the familie or their affaires and dealings in the world thinking how to reuenge such or such an iniurie how to releeue themselues in such or such a necessitie or the like or perchance worse matters They would make long praiers but their hearts were full of wrath and their minds full of doubting and so in other exercises of religion still they mingled their owne corruption in so much that God could haue no liking of them Such were the Scribes and Pharisies also who vsed to preach to giue much almes to pray and fast often and had a verie smoth outside for so much Christ grants them that they were painted Sepulchres faire to behold and looke vpon and graues so couered ouer with greensward that one might walke ouer them againe and againe and yet neuer perceiue any rotten bones therein Notwithstanding all this the vengeance of God is denounced against none more often and earnestly by our Sauiour then against that kinde of people as appeareth plainely in the Gospell Mat. 23. And why because they tooke not away the euill of their works for which cause the Lord Iesus tels them Luke 16.15 Yee are they which iustifie your selues before men but
the word and by getting that sight of their wants that might cause them to come with an eager appetite vnto Gods house They seldome or at least very coldly pray vnto the Lord to giue them an vnderstanding minde and a teachable heart to profit by the meanes but for the most part thrust in themselues ruedly with a proud and vnprepared heart and with vnrulie and distempered affections that when they stand in Gods holie presence are wandring from the duties in hand and running after their couetousnesse or after their delights and so if the word flie in at the one eare it flies out as fast at the other And they doe not mingle it with faith as they should doe but with theirowne corruptions Hebr. 4. which hinder the effectuall working of it and so it seales vp vnto many their owne iust condemnation in steed of being an instrument of God for their edification and saluation And as for Gods owne children in steed of those excellent graces that might be thereby wrought in them it oftentimes hardens their harts and fittes them for sharpe correction So for praier whereas they should lift vp pure hands without wrath and without doubting Corruptions in praier many neuer care what maner of sacrifice they offer vnto the Lord but are full of passion which distracts them and full of vnbeleefe which excludes them from hauing interest in God blessings and so their praiers tumble down againe vpon their heads and bring vpon them iudgements in steed of mercies They may truly say that they haue sought for helpe often and haue had no hearing but it is long of themselues for the sea is not more full of water then God is full of mercy to all that call vpon him in truth and if they could put away their vnbeleefe and hypocrisie and other euils that are mixed with their suites and supplications they should finde that none is so kinde a Father as God is and they should not bee so ready to aske but hee would bee more readie to giue if so be they did come in faith and aske aright as God requireth The like may bee said for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper diuers there are that partake of it as often as their neighbours doe but they are so farre from receiuing benefit and comfort therefrom that it proues hurtfull and vncomfortable vnto them and why because they put not away the euils of this worke Euils to be remoued by communicants But what are they may some demand They are diuerse One common euill Ignorance 1 is grosse and palpable ignorance that men come not discerning the Lords bodie and blood that is not being able to put a sensible difference betweene that and common bread and wine and so comming vnto it no otherwise then to their ordinarie foode not conceiuing much lesse well considering what they are to receiue from God what from man what examination is to be vsed that they may bee worthy receiuers of it what iudgements are to bee feared if they bee vnworthy receiuers and so they feele those iudgements before they feare them 2 A second euill to bee remoued from this worke Vnbeliefe 2 is vnbeliefe which hinders vs that wee cannot finde the inward vertue of those holie mysteries For when wee drawe neere to the Lords table wee should make reckoning of greater benefits then all the kings and kingdomes of the earth can affoord vs. For there God the Father is the feast-maker hee giueth vs for our intertainement the body and blood of his owne sonne to feede vpon hee offereth vs and would exhibite vnto vs if wee had faith to apprehend it Christ his perfect righteousnesse and increase of our true holinesse and entitleth vs to all comforts in this life and to the crowne of glorie in the life to come This many know but they want faith to make application of it to themselues and thence it commeth to passe that their soules are so barren of grace notwithstanding their often communicating at the Lords table The woman in the Gospel that was troubled with a bloody issue said in her heart before shee came to Christ Note if I may but touch the hemme of his garment onely I shal be made whole Math. 9.21 and according to her faith it was vnto her for that touch healed both her soule and body yet shee had no speciall commandement to come nor promise of good successe if she did come nor experience of any in her case that had sped well before her if shee were thus confident hauing had so few meanes to confirme her what strength of faith should wee come withall and what a stedfast expectation of mercie should wee haue setled in our hearts when wee come to Christ Iesus in this his ordinance seeing that wee haue both a commandement and a promise and the examples before our eies of such as haue found vnspeakeable good by this holy Sacrament and there is more reason why our Sauiour should pitie vs then why he should pitie that woman for we haue a more dangerous issue of sinne in our soules then she had of blood in her body and many of vs haue beene longer troubled with it then shee was with hers and hee came rather to heale the sicknesse of the soule then to cure the maladies of the bodie And besides all the former hee shall haue more glorie by sauing vs from sinne then by healing her from a bodilie infirmitie and the taking and eating of the blessed Sacrament of the eternall couenant is much more effectuall to draw vertue from Christ then the bare touching of his garment was and hee is neerer vnto vs now in his gracious presence then hee was vnto her then in his bodilie presence This wee should beleeue and rest vpon and if wee doe not wee offer vnto the Lord the greater iniurie for hee is no deceiuer but purposeth to bestow that vpon vs in truth which he makes offer of in shew euen to giue vs as full a communion with the righteousnesse of the second Adam as wee had with the corruption of the first Adam Euen as the branches doe partake of the sappe of the Vine and the members of the body haue life and motion deriued vnto them from the head so shall we receiue grace and life from Iesus Christ in and by his holy meanes so often as wee doe thankefully vse them 3 A third euill that must be put away when wee are to bee partakers of the Lords Supper Vncharitablenesse is vncharitablenes and vnmercifulnesse for that is a feast of loue where we are to receiue further assurance of Gods loue to vs and an increase of our loue to God and men And how can we looke for mercie if we shew no mercie or how can wee expect from the Lord a generall acquittance for all our debts and trespasses when we will not passe by small matters of offence in our brethren Therefore as we would finde any fauour in heauen let
vs put away from vs that vnlouing dispositiō that is naturally ingrafted in euery mans heart and striue to get in our soules and to expresse in our liues a true loue and Christian affection And to the end wee may shew indeed that wee haue this excellent vertue in vs let vs practise these 2. rules 1 First Rules of charitie Matth. 18.35 if thou haue a grudge against any labour from thy heart to forgiue and for euer to forget whatsoeuer iniurie or indignitie hath been offered vnto thee 2 Secondly if thou thy selfe hast done wrong to any other seeke to vndoe it againe Many when they haue beene iniurious vnto their neighbours and reuenged themselues vpon them will bee ready to plead for themselues and say I am satisfied I hope I need not seeke reconciliation with him for I beare him no malice But haue you not giuen him cause of griefe Note haue not you spoken wordes that sticke in his stomacke and wound his heart if you haue goe and reconcile your selfe vnto your brother Math 5.23 else your sacrifice cannot be accepted though you haue nothing against him yet if hee haue somewhat against you the rule of loue requireth that you should seeke peace with him if hee will not seeke it of you The like might be said for singing of Psalmes Singing of Psalmes men will vse it for a fashion sake because they would not seeme to reiect any religious seruice But if they would haue any edification or consolation thereby they must sing with the heart as well as with the voice and make melody to the Lord as well as outwardly before men And as these and the like corruptions are to bee separated from the workes of pietie towards God so Secondly there are other euils to bee remoued from our workes of mercie and of loue towards men Workes of mercie As in the matter of almes if wee thinke to merit thereby as Papists doe or seeke vaine glorie thereby as Pharises doe wee put not away the euill of that worke and therefore God will reiect the work itselfe So for admonition and reproofe Admonition they are very necessarie to be giuen yet if men doe these duties in wrath and distemper they shall doe more hurt by their bitternesse and passion then they can possibly doe good by their admonition Thirdly concerning the workes of our ordinarie callings we must cast off those euils that vsually cleaue vnto them Workes of our callings as First for masters to touch that part immediately before mentioned The masters dutie as it concerneth them more particularly in their places it is their dutie to deale with their seruants by admonishing them and by reprouing them yea and if need bee by correcting them also Reproouing which is as necessarie for them as their meate and drinke but then they must beware of wrath and outrage of bitternes crueltie and do as the Lord doth here he telleth the Iewes that they were worse then bruit beasts and nothing inferiour to the Sodomites in sinne and impiety but how doth hee leaue them here Oh no he deales mercifully with them and shewes them how they may amend all for otherwise they would haue fretted or dispaired So must masters deale not minister a sharpe and biting reproofe and then fling away from their seruants in a passion for that were not to deale as a Surgeon that comes to heale but as a robber Note or a theefe that comes to kill that giue a gash or a wound and so away nay as wee must shew them their sickenesse so we must giue them a medicine tell them where they goe out of the way and direct them into the right way yea and beseech the Lord also of his owne mercie and goodnesse to guide and order them better hereafter for else our admonitions will doe them more hurt then good a great deale They will hate the reproouer and despise the reproofe but neuer leaue the fault reprooued And thence it is that there are so manie complaints neuer man or woman was troubled with such children or such seruants Why what is the matter Oh wee haue reprooued them and told them of their faults so often and so earnestly and yet there is no reformation nor amendment of any thing but looke backe to your selfe now and perhaps the greatest blame will lie vpon you You are still exhorting Note and still crying out against them for their misdemeanour but how is it not done in a passion to ease your selfe and not in compassion to helpe them you haue giuen them diuers biting and cutting speeches but how many feruent praiers haue you made for them in secret you haue often beene greeued and rebuked them and doe still chide them verie sharply for failing in your worke but how many teares haue you shedde for their failing in Gods seruice and their grieuous offences against his holie maiestie if you cannot bee thus spiritually affected nor affoord them your praiers as well as your rebukes you may spare a labour for any good that is likely to come of all that you doe Therefore let masters of families and parents and likewise husbands when they are to deale this way with their wiues be carefull to do this dutie in wisdome and moderation in loue and tender affection to the soules of the parties offending If the faults bee priuate let the admonition bee priuate if they be great bring strong arguments to conuince the offender and to beate downe his sinne but spare tart and bitter and reuiling speeches that will rather exasperate then worke any cure vpon them that are faultie and blame-worthie So for labouring in our vocations It 's good to rise earely and to goe to bed late Labour and to eate the bread of painefulnesse so that a moderation bee kept that masters and seruants bee not oppressed but then we must take heed that we labour not for couetousnes nor in desire of filthie lucre but in conscience and obedience to God Note for otherwise wee shall bee froward and distempered when things goe crosse with vs and luste after the world and dote vpon the vanities of the world when things goe well with vs. If we serue the world or our selues in the paines that we take we shall be vexed and disquieted with continuall discontentment and euer turmoyled tossed with some inordinate affection or otherwise if we can get aduantage by doing of wrong we shal not much sticke at it and if a commoditie lie in our way wee will bee sure our neighbour shall be a looser rather then our selues Whereas if wee aimed at Gods glorie in our dealings and affaires of this life wee would rather suffer wrong then doe wrong and helpe others then hurt them knowing that when we doe best we alwaies speede best And as masters must heerein looke to themselues so must seruants in their places they must beware of eie-seruice Seruants dutie for many there are who when
their maisters eie is cast vpon them will bestir them very busily and doe much but when his eie is off them and hee absent from them they will either doe nothing at all or very little in comparison of that they might and ought to doe Such must remember that they should serue the Lord Christ in their places whose firie eies are still vpon them to reward them if they bee industrious and paineful and to punish them if they be carelesse idle and wasteful Fourthly and lastly for our recreations which being lawfull and warrantable in themselues Recreations yet seeing they are mingled with many horrible corruptions by the vsers or rather by the abusers of them we must be likewise carefull to put away the euils of them as First Corruptions thereof the euill end that is propounded by those that are much addicted thereunto and what is that for the most part not to refresh themselues but to gleane mony from their companions vnto which they haue no right at all The euill end of them either by Gods Law or by mans neither shall they euer be able to answer the loosing or getting of such money before Gods iudgement seate Yet that is the deuils sauce whereby their recreations are vsually sweetned which els would not be so wel pleasing vnto their fleshly taste which is a sufficient argument to confirme the vnlawfulnesse of such exercises to those that so vse them because that this mixture with all Note or most of their games and sports is that which the worst doe most delight in and without it count their recreation but an idle thing nay a meere vexation and torture A second mischiefe that vsually accompanieth such exercises Mispending of time is mispending of too much time in their vaine delights which may well be called vaine when they either wholly or for the most part hinder men from Gods seruice and from the works of their callings and make them altogether vaine idle vnprofitable burdēs of the earth Satan that old serpent whom they serue that are thus in bondage to their fond and wretched lusts hath many cunning wiles and craftie fetches both to allure them into his snares and to hold them fast when hee hath intangled them and this is one amongst the rest Note that when one gets and feeles it comming hee stirreth vp in him such a lust after gold and siluer or whatsoeuer they play for that they cannot make an end in any time And if any one loose hee perswades him though indeed there needes not any great adoe to perswade them their owne corruptions carrying too great a sway ouer them in this respect to play one game more to trie if they can recouer that which they haue lost and not to let the winners giue ouer with such dammage vnto them and aduantage vnto themselues and so let slip many a precious houre wherein if they were well busied they might get moregood vnto their soules then all the world is worth And as in gaming so in other pastimes as they call them they are so excessiue in respect of time that in steed of the right end of them which is to quicken and reuiue the spirits and to fit men for matters of greater importance they peruert them to a quite contrarie end and make them meanes to wearie and tire out themselues so that they are for that day vtterly disabled for any worke of religion or of their callings Yet it is strange to heare how those that carry the name and profession of Christianitie will shift off euerie wholsome admonition and rebuke that is brought against them with this what will you not allow vs recreation but it might be demanded of many of them to their shame what is your vocation that talke so much of recreation what sore labour haue you vndertaken so to wearie you that you should stand in neede of so much refreshing In truth if things were well examined we should finde that such make their sports to bee their vocation if they haue any at all not their recreation For they doe nothing else or very little else but eate and drinke and sleepe and play and so consume their daies and spend the greatest parte of their life like Epicures that dreame of no other happinesse but of following their delights and giuing themselues ouer to beastly voluptuousnes and sensualitie And whereas recreation should bee vsed onely as physicke they make it their ordinarie diet If wee should heare a man alwaies inquiring after skilfull Physitions Note and calling for nothing else but Physicke Physicke we would presently conclude certainely this man hath a very sickly body and what els can we think of those men that are stil following after vain delights and in whose mouthes there is nothing so vsuall as recreation recreation what else I say can wee thinke of them but this surely these men haue very sickely soules There is very little inward ioy and spirituall contentment in that heart where so much is sought for from these externall things A third euill in recreations is inward fretting and outward chasing especially when they breath out monstrous oathes Fretting and chasing blaspheming and fearefull blasphemies against the God of heauen and horrible imprecations and cursed speeches against his creatures which are too too vsuall in their carding and dicing c. For there are none more outragious people then those that are caried away with the streame of those vnruly lusts And whereas many of them will confesse that these things are amisse and should be mended but they know not how to doe it let such know that how lawfull soeuer such recreations are vnto others it 's sure they are vnlawfull to them Note For how can they either comfortably pray for a blessing vpon that they go about before they set forth in the morning whē they rush on such occasions vnto them at least of dangerous falling and fearefull prouoking of the Lord or how can they returne at night to render thankes and to looke their father in the face with any comfort when they haue beene all the whole day so busilie imploied in the seruice of the deuill and of their owne sinfull flesh what lawfull vse then can they haue of that which they can neither craue a blessing on before they vndertake it nor giue thankes for when they haue finished it seeing that wee are commanded Whatsoeuer we doe in word or deede Coloss 3.17 doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus giuing thankes vnto God the Father through him If such men therefore cannot remoue the euils of this worke Note it were farre better for them to remoue the worke itselfe which they may well doe and yet haue many other honest and Christian refreshings sufficient for their comfort contentment rather then so to misspend their mony and time and strength and to cast away their own soules in the pursuite of such base trifles and alluring vanities that doe so
a great part of the Scripture Yes surely few were better instructed then he was yet he found such great blindnesse of minde and deceitfulnesse of heart still when he came to matters of practise that hee neuer ceaseth crying for more vnderstanding of heauenly things As also the wise man exhorteth to call for knowledge to seek her as siluer Prou. 2.3.4 and to search for her as for treasures That as couetous men neuer thinke they haue gold and siluer enough so Christians must neuer thinke they haue heauenly wisedome enough 1. Cor. 14.1 but still couet more and more after spirituall things 1 Heere are those sharpely to bee reproued Vse 1 and much to be condemned who are too too well conceited of themselues and of their owne wits that will bragge and boast that they are not so simple but they know well enough how to serue God and to doe the duties that pertaine to them in their families they haue not beene so many yeeres maried nor liued so long in the world but they know sufficiently without teaching what belongeth to the dutie of an husband of a father Note of a master and all other things that a Christian man should know These foolish men in saying thus doe little consider what they speake against themselues and how farre they discouer their own nakednesse hereby they make it apparant that they haue in them no Christianitie at all for what are they wiser then all the Prophets and righteous men that liued in ancient times they saw and acknowledged their great want of the vnderstanding of holy things and that not for modesties sake 1. Sam. 1.11.13.14 but they and others rued it and felt the smart of their defects that way How foulely was Eli ouertaken through ignorance in censuring condemning good Hannah for drunkennes when shee was powring out her soule before the Lord because shee moued her lips onely and vttered no words in his hearing but spake in her heart vnto God And the like might be said of many indiscreete speeches actions of the disciples of Christ before the resurrection and till they had receiued the spirit of vnderstanding in a more plentifull measure Want of wisdome And to come more particularly to our selues who hath that wisedome that he should haue to make his vse of prosperity or aduersitie to profit by Gods hand in mercie or in iudgement vpon our selues or others nay who hath attained to that soundnesse of iudgement as to vnderstand the Scriptures so well as hee should when hee readeth them or heareth them read by others or which is a farre easier matter to make a right vse of them in applying them to his own soule when they are plainely and soundly preached and expounded vnto him he that thinketh that hee knoweth any thing fully and perfectly in these matters let him be assured that hee knoweth nothing as yet Prouerb as hee ought to know and as for him that is wise in his owne conceite there is more hope of a foole then of him For a naturall foole though hee bee not capable of instruction and aduise yet by the whip may bee kept within some compasse Prouer. 27.22 but nothing will be auaileable with a conceited foole Though thou shouldest bray him in a morter as the wiseman speaketh among wheate braied with a pâ—stell yet will not his foolishnes depart from him you may sooner driue his soule out of his body then you can driue folly out of his soule This is for our instruction Vse 2 that if wee would carry the name of Christians and be such indeed then we must learne our dutie to the intent we may doe it and euery one striue principally to know what hee himselfe should bee Many labour to speake well and to haue words of discourse but let vs learne to doe well which if we endeuour to doe then Thirdly here is matter of great consolation for vs Vse 3 for hereby we may gather good assurance vnto our owne hearts of the soundnes of our repentance and conuersion vnto the Lord this beeing here in the text set downe as an infallible note of those that haue indeede turned from their euill waies to serue the liuing God that they learne to doe well Proposing of good questions Therefore they may take this for their comfort who are still proposing of good questions what they must doe and how they must do it by what meanes they may get out of this or that sinne and attaine to such or such a grace how they may be most profitable helpefull and comfortable to themselues and others this was the practise of the Publicans and fouldiers and of all sortes that were inwardlie touched in their consciences by the preaching of Iohn Baptist Luke 3. euery one of them came vnto him saying what must we do of the Gayler who when once he began to be humbled came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas saying Sirs Act. 16.29.30 what must I doe to be saued for howsoeuer Gods seruants haue learned for the most part what things in generall must be done yet still they haue many scruples and doubts in their consciences as whether such and such things come within the compasse of their callings what warrant there is for it in the word whether it may be done at such a time in such a place before with or amongst such persons what circumstances they must obserue in their proceeding what affection they must carie in the matter and the like For they finde such a Sea of hypocrisie and pride in their hearts that they thinke they are neuer sufficientlie furnished with wisdome and goodnesse for the performance of holy duties but are still icalous and suspicious of themselues lest they should be led aside with by-respects Howsoeuer such men and women thinke and speake hardlie of themselues and are still bewailing their manifold imperfections and failings in euery good exercise yet the Ministers of God Note finde that of all others they are the worthiest hearers and practisers and receiuers of the Sacrament Manie count them learned Christians that haue gotten such knowledge as that they can say much but they are in truth the best learned that haue obtained grace to doe much according to the exhortation of the Prophet in this place Learne to doe well Seeke iudgement Now because men will very easily shift off generall precepts hee contenteth not himselfe with the former exhortation but as hee had bidden them to doe well so here hee commeth to particulars and sheweth them wherein their chiefe and speciall care and endeauour should bee to doe well Seeke iudgement c. Hee had before charged them that their hands were full of blood and that their great men and men of authoritie were notable oppressors and spoilers of their brethren and neighbours that were meaner then themselues following after rewards and not iudgeing the fatherlesse and the widowe nor suffering them to haue equitie
is that other place of Paul to Timothie Let as many seruants as are vnder the yoke count their masters worthy of all honour 1. Tim. 6.1.2 that the name of God and his doctrine be not euill spoken off And they that haue beleeuing masters let them not despise them because they are brethren but rather doe seruice because they are faithfull and beloued and partakers of the benefit And that was a thing worthy singular commendation in Iacob that hee serued Laban though a couetous Gen. 31.6.40 deceirfull and hard master with all his might Being in the day consumed with heate and with frost in the night his sleepe also departing from his eies And therefore those seruants are much to bee blamed that make religion an occasion of their vnfaithfulnesse which by how much it is more thorowly and deepely rooted and setled in the hearts of any should and will make them more true and trustie more conscionable and fathfull to their rulers and gouernours And the like may bee said of children what gifts of knowledge and speech soeuer they haue they can haue no comfort of the same vnlesse they giue all honour and reuerence and shew all dutie and obedience vnto their parents as the Lord commandeth them This may be an instruction vnto vs. Vse 2 Would wee be Christs scholers then the first letter and lesson that wee must learne is to doe well in our places Are wee children let vs labour by searching of the Scriptures to know our duties and to doe them Are wee seruants let vs get vnderstanding of the things that doe most concerne vs in our places and let our practise bee answerable to our profession and then wee shall shew our selues to bee truely religious indeed And the same exhortation might bee giuen to all others in their seuerall vocations which if wee can follow whatsoeuer our callings be wee serue the Lord Christ in them and shall be sure of full reward from him Oh but my calling is meane and my seruice base Though your worke be base yet it is not a base thing to serue such a master in it Note They are the most worthy seruants whatsoeuer their imploiment bee that do with most conscionable and dutifull hearts and minds serue the Lord where hee hath placed them and in those works which hee hath allotted vnto them Releeue the oppressed Hauing in the former words shewed them that they must doe that which is iust and right hee cōmeth now more particularly to declare vnto them wherein that consisteth namely in shewing mercy to such as are in misery and in being meanes of comfort vnto them that are in discomfor tand griefe of heart Whence this doctrine may be collected that It is a most acceptable seruice vnto the Lord Doct. 6 to comfort and releeue his people when they are in miserie and distresse Mercy to the afflicted an excellent seruice Psal 41.1 This is a worke so well pleasing vnto God that hee pronounceth him happy and blessed that considereth wisely and iudgeth charitably of the poore and needy though they haue no abilitie to helpe them nor to direct and counsell them yet if they can but prudently and mercifully consider with themselues surely this man or woman haue caried themselues so holily and blamelesly that this stroke is not fallen vpon them for their wickednesse nor for their foolishnesse but for their good and comfort as in the end it will appeare This merciful iudgement and censure concerning those that haue many and strange and heauy crosses lying vpon them is a thing that God much regardeth and recompenceth in all that are so affected towards his poore distressed seruants This also the Apostle Iames yeeldeth as an vndoubted marke of true religion saying Pure religion Iam. 1.27 and vndefiled before God euen the father is this to visit the fatherlesse and widowes in their aduersitie and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world His meaning is not that it is religion it selfe for it is a thing belonging to the first table but a signe of the same when our faith in God and loue vnto God maketh vs pitifull and liberall towards the children and Saints of God and such as he would haue respected and relieued So at the great and generall day of iudgement when all the world shal come to receiue sentence according to their works whether good or euill what is the matter of commendation that is giuen to the elect and the most euident marke of difference betweene the sheepe and the goates euen this Mat. 15.35 that they desired to doe good not in some one or two or in some fewe but in euery worke of mercie and of charitie That they fedde the hungry gaue drinke vnto the thirsty clothed the naked visited he sicke and imprisoned And on the other side the reprobate shall not be charged so much that they did hurt as that they did not the good that they might haue done vnto poore Christians in their wants and miseries And further Reason this sheweth it to be an excellent seruice for one to stretch forth his hand in relieuing the needie and in succouring distressed soules that whatsoeuer kindnesse is done to the least of them Christ sets it on his score and counts it as done vnto himselfe and hee will acknowledge it and reward it both in this present life and in that which is to come Euery one will come to this that if Christ Iesus should repaire vnto their houses hungry or thirstie or cold or naked they would with all their hearts part with any thing they haue to refresh and releeue him let such heare then what Christ himselfe saith to them that shew mercie to the poore Saints In as much therefore as yee haue done it to one of the least of these my brethren yee haue done it vnto mee Which is first for the great condemnation of them that do altogether shut vp their bowels of compassion from Gods children in their sorrowes Vse 1 and temptations and afflictions Whosoeuer hath this worlds good 1. Iohn 3.17 and seeth his brother haue need saith the Apostle Iohn and shutteth vp his compassion from him how dwelleth the loue of God in him This goeth sore against such in not louing his children they proclaime vnto all the world that they loue not God himselfe and therefore are not beloued of him and if it be so with those that doe not make manifest their loue by shewing mercie what shall wee thinke of those that are so farre from pitying and releeuing the distressed that they are readie to adde affliction to the afflicted It 's iust vpon you say they your indiscretion and want of wisedome in that you made more ado then needs and would bee more precise then wise and more forward then your neighbours c. hath brought you to all this woe and miserie This is cruell and vnmercifull dealing if they would do them no good they should do them no hurt Yet this
al our griefes and miseries wee should reason rather with God then with men For if wee be in distresse for our estate or in sickenesse of body or in perplexitie of soule in any of them or in all of them let vs goe vnto men Note and they will most commonly serue vs as Iobs friends did him lay sorer burdens on vs rather then ease vs of those we carrie alreadie and make our case a great deale worse then it is rather then minister any helpe and comfort vnto vs. But if we can heare and beleeue what the Scriptures of God tell vs wee shall finde that our state is neuer vnrecouerable but that if wee can bee trulie and soundly humbled there is hope and helpe for vs that God will giue vs an happy end of all our sorrowes and make vs great gainers by all our afflictions and temptations Though your sinnes were as Crimson they shall bee made white as snow In these words the Prophet hath reference to that that went before where he had charged them that their hands were full of blood Obiect Verse 15. For hereupon they might reply if wee bee such grieuous sinners how can wee dare to come vnto God for fauour is it not a terrible thing to appeare before him that is so iust and so holie how then can we looke that he should bee mercifull vnto vs It 's a thing not to be expected Answer Say not so saith the Prophet that is but a reason of the flesh as if God were no fuller of mercy then mortall men are or as if he could do no more then they can yes wee must know that howsoeuer men be vnable to change crimson or scarlet colour into white againe albeit they should lay all their wits and endeauours together and pull one thrid from another yet God can make your sins that are as crimson and as scarlet to become white as wool yea as snow it selfe If wee once fall a washing of our selues God will set in with vs and neuer leaue till all our iniquities euen in our owne apprehension and feeling bee quite and cleare remoued from vs so that none of them shall be imputed vnto vs but all set vpon Christ his score They that wash themselues by godly sorrow Doct. 8 the Lord will wash them from all their sinnes by the blood of his sonne Penitent persons shall bee washed from all their sins that whatsoeuer offences wee repent for wee shall bee sure to haue a pardon for So that the question is not what our faults haue beene but what our repentance is If wee bee truely deiected on our part it 's all one with God whether our transgressions haue beene more or lesse greater or smaller if wee repent truely wee shall bee pardoned fully bee our sinnes what they can bee secret or knowne So that though wee see spots in our selues yet God will see none nay when wee see our deformitie most God will make it most cleare vnto vs that his eyes are quite turned away from the same This is euident in the Prophet Ieremie where hee speaketh thus concerning them that should bee made truely penitent for all their euill waies and workes after their seuentie yeeres captiuitie In those daies and at that time saith the Lord the iniquitie of Israel shall bee sought for and there shall be none Ier. 50.20 And the sinnes of Iudah and they shall not be found for I will bee mercifull vnto them whom I reserue and the same is promised in another place 1. Iohn 1.9 Ezek. 36.25 c. where the holy Ghost speaketh thus If wee acknowledge our sinnes hee is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse And the like is couenanted in Ezekiel where the Prophet bringeth in the Lord speaking in this manner Then will I powre cleane water vpon you and yee shall bee cleane c. where God himselfe vndertaketh to be the washer and the blood of Christ is the water Now there are two things which terrifie penitent sinners and cause their hope of obtaining mercie either vtterly to faile or at least in a great parte to faint and waxe feeble Concerning both which the Lord in this place giueth them comfort One is the multitude and exceeding great number of euils whereof they are guiltie now for that hee telleth them that he would wash them from all their filthinesse without exception Another thing that doth vsually disquiet the hearts of those that are turning vnto God is that their sinnes haue been hainous and extraordinarie and many of them such as haue broken the couenant of which sort is Idolatrie concerning which Zach. 13.1 hee addeth and from all your Idols will I clense you and in an other place that hee would open a fountaine of grace to wash them from all sinnes euen from sinnes of separation and such presumptuous offences as deserued excommunication from Gods people yea and to bee cut off by the sword of the Magistrate And there is no cause to the contrarie but that God may remit and pardon one sinne as well as another excepting only the sinne against the holy Ghost which shutteth vp the heart from all repentance and all as well as one 1 Reason First because Christ Iesus hath satisfied for all alike for the greatest as well as for the smallest for euery one as well as for any one Isa 53.4.5.6 for so saith the Prophet Isaiah He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes c. Hee was wounded for our transgressions broken for our iniquities The chastisement of our peace was vpon him and by his stripes wee were healed All wee like sheepe haue gone astay wee haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid vpon him the iniquitie of vs all Whence it 's plaine and euident that Christ hath paied our whole debt and not a peece of it onely hee hath discharged our pounds as well as our shillings and pence and hath suffered for our must horrible and fearefull rebellions as well as for our smallest slippes And therefore as an honest creditor when the suertie hath satisfied him for all that was owing will not come with after reckonings nor challenge any thing of the debter so neither will the Lord lay any thing to our charge his sonne Christ Iesus hauing laid downe the full price for our iniquities whereby his wrath is appeased and his iustice perfectly satisfied That is one reason on Gods part why hee must of necessitie blot out of his booke and out of his remembrance all the offences of repentant sinners without any exception at all 2 Another reason there is on our part that hee that repenteth truely for one sinne doth repent as truely for all the rest and though none doe particularly know and discerne all the errors of this life yet God will accept of a generall humiliation for them and confession of them so that from both these laid together that
are blessed it is more then if it had beene said they shall enioy honour credit wealth and whatsoeuer outward blessing else can be named for that implieth thus much that they shall haue the good gifts of God so far as they are needful for them that they shal haue the right vse of them But this may seeme quite contrarie Obiect The wicked florish for commonly wicked and prophane persons liue in all manner of plenty when the godly sustaine penurie and scarcity and therefore in appearance godlinesse is not the best course to procure a happy and prosperous estate For the remouing of this doubt wee must consider Ans that howsoeuer the wicked of the world seeme to thriue best and to enioy great matters in comparison of that which good Christans haue yet in truth their case is nothing so good as is the case of Gods seruants but in the middest of al the things that they possesse they are very miserable for 1 First they haue right to nothing They haue right to nothing but are meere theeues and vsurpers and shall answer for laying hold of those things that are in truth none of their owne A thiefe may break into the Kings treasurie yet it is none of his but hee shall quickly bee thrust out thence and so may a moth creepe into a veluet gowne yet hath it no right there Iob. 27.18 but may bee brusht out at the owners pleasure and the same is the case of all vnregenerate persons they are intruders into other mens possessions and the great Landlord of the world may thrust them foorth when it seemeth best vnto himselfe and call them to a reckoning for medling with those things that they could lay no lawfull claime vnto by any one clause or title that is contained in Gods Law 2 Secondly as they haue no right to haue any thing They haue the right vse of nothing Isa 57.20 so neither haue they any comfortable vse thereof There is no peace to the wicked saith my God But they are like the raging waues of the Sea that cannot rest but are still tossed too and fro from one side to an other and cast vp filthy mire and durt And when they are most loude in their laughter and seeme to bee most pleasant and merry euen then their mirth is full of hollownesse and discontentednes for let them but haue some apprehension of death or of any sudden and extraordinarie iudgement likely to befall them nay let them bee but a little crossed and disgraced by any of their companions they wil bee suddenly distempered and much daunted and many times fall a trembling euery ioynt of them Dan 5.6 as Belshazzar king of Babel did at the sight of the hand writing on the wall And if no such thing doe betide them yet they are still pursued by such enemies as will suffer them to haue no great quietnesse nor comfort in the things of this present life which they doe possesse If we should see a Bucke hunted through a greene pasture where there is much pleasant grasse and many sweet and pleasant flowers and springs of water we would not thinke his case very happy nor that hee had any great inheritance there when wee perceiued the hounds following close at his heeles yet such is the state of all sinners they haue a large and pleasant walke perchance in this world but they are still hunted with many noisome lusts of couetousnes and pride and filthines and the like and Satan and the world haue them euer in chase and shall pursue them still till they haue driuen them into hell it selfe if they alter not their prophane and wretched course of life 3 Further Gods curse is vpon all they haue the wrath of God lying on their bodies and soules which poisoneth and inuenometh all that belongeth vnto them His terrible and vnauoidable curse shall euer close with sinners so that though they eat and drinke and wallow in their pleasures yet they can finde no sound delight nor true contentment therein because being possessed with hardnesse of heart and blindnesse of mind and being giuen vp to a reprobate sence all things that they haue are imbittered by their owne sinne and Gods heauie vengeance falling vpon them Put case all a mans bones were broken and one should put on him a veluet coate beset with pearles and diamonds in the most rich and costly manner that might bee and he should begin to thinke and say Now I trust I shall bee at ease and shall haue no more cause of complaint alas poore man his rich attire cannot take away his paines euen so fareth it with the vngodly sinne hath set them out of ioynt nay it hath so wrought on all the powers and parts of soule and body that it hath as it were chrusht all their bones in peeces and what sound peace rest or comfort can they then finde from all these outward things of the world that are cast vpon them till there bee some cure wrought on their soules But it is quite contrarie with Gods children though they be pressed and pinched with many distresses and wants and driuen to many extremities and straights yet they may bee fuller of ioy in the middest of their afflictions then the wicked are in the middest of their iollity Acts 16. Paul and Silas were fuller of gladnesse and of true contentednesse in the dungeon when their feet were fast in the stocks then Herod was on his throan hauing all his flatterers and Sycophants about him Note to extoll and magnifie him The very teares of the people of God are sweeter and more comfortable then the greatest ioy of carnall and wretched sinners for the Lord is with his in mercie and goodnesse whereas his face is bent against the wicked and impudent Psal 37. and thence it is that a little that the righteous hath is better then great riches of the vngodly Better is a dinner of greene hearbs seasoned with the blessing of God then many daintie dishes poisoned with gods wrath and malediction And albeit the Saints of God bee sometimes depriued of these transitorie things yet they shall neuer bee depriued of Gods fauour and that want of outward things shall bee supplied with inward graces They haue a sure promise that they shal haue sufficient and God neuer giueth lesse then he promiseth though many times he do giue more and if that which is wanting in drosse be paide home in good Gold we need not much to complain as if we were loosers by such an exchange Therefore let vs shut vp all with that saying of Salomon Prou. 2.20.21.22 Walke thou in the way of good men and keepe the waies of the righteous For the iust shall dwell in the land and the vpright men shall remaine in it But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it But if yee refuse and be rebellious ye shall be
The Lord will not deceiue them nor shut out those supplications that they make before him but according as they intreat of him where their faith is weake he will strengthen it where their repentance comes short hee will perfect it where their loue is cold hee will increase it and in a word where any good thing is wanting hee will supply it If Hezekiah Note praying for such a great multitude which had beene monstrous Idolaters and had continued long time in their Idolatrie heaping vp one abomination vpon an other and now came to the Sacrament not of their owne accord but by the intreaty and perswasion of Hezekiah and his Princes and being thus come failed much in that preparation which they should haue made if hee I say had such good and gracious hearing from the Lord things standing as hath beene said then how much more may wee expect mercy from him when we intreat for our selues who through Gods wonderfull restraint and gracious prouidence haue not fallen into such notorious euils nor into such greeuous and monstrous offences as they had done especially if wee haue this witnesse vnto our soules that wee come voluntarily and in some degree preparedly vnto the mysteries of saluation and are so farre from looking for intreatie or exhortation thereunto that through Gods grace and goodnesse wee would not bee restrained from it for any worldly gaine And healed the people For the vnderstanding of this wee must know that sinne maketh a wound and that the word and Sacrament are meanes and plaisters as it were to heale the same if they bee rightly applied and blessed vnto the receiuers of them In that they found this good effect vpon the eating of the Passeouer and Hezekiahs praier made for them the doctrine hence to be learned is that The Sacrament worthily receiued Doct. 5 doth heale and cure For whence came their healing in this place The vertue of the Sacrament but from the vertue of the Sacrament blessed vnto them at the earnest request of that holy king Hee telleth vs not the particular euils of which they were healed because we should conceiue that they were in a sort perfectly and thorowly cured of all First of the euils that were in their soules they were pardoned their consciences quieted and their hearts bettered so that they had a greater dislike of their own corruptions and of Satans temptations and more power to withstand them and to ouercome them then formerly they had Then for outward euils if there were any sickenesse or weakenesse or any other crosses or calamities vpon them they had the same either quite remoued or at least sweetned and sanctified vnto them for their profit and comfort For this is the substance of the couenant whereof the Sacrament is a seale made vnto penitent persons Ezek. 36. which hauing beene spoken of before it would be needlesse at large to repeat the same things againe Only in briefe for the vse of this point Vse let vs hence learne to make full account of this healing when the Lord shall please to make vs partakers of the body and blood of his deare sonne For then that seede is cast vpon euery faithfull heart that will spring vp in due season vnto euerlasting life and yeeld vs such fruit as we shal haue great cause to reioice and to magnifie the name of the Lord who hath done such great things for vs. Let vs then looke for much and we shall haue much Open thy mouth wide saith the Lord and I will fill it Therefore when we behold with our naturall eye the bread broken the wine powred forth and offered vnto vs by the hand of the Minister Note let vs lift vp the eye of our faith and looke vpon Christ Iesus who is as it were held forth vnto vs by the hand of the Trinity being broken with many sorrowes terrors in bearing his fathers wrath and vndergoing the punishment due vnto vs for our hainous trangressions and powring forth his precious blood to satisfie the Lords iustice to pacifie his displeasure conceiued against vs and as we with our bodily hand do receiue the outward elements so let vs by the hand of faith lay hold of our Lord Sauiour of al his merits assuring our selues that as the bread wine are made one substance with vs so is Christ Iesus in a spirituall maner made one with vs we with him he being the head we the members he the vine and we the branches c. And further let vs vndoubtedly beleeue that as by bread wine our naturall strength is increased and our weary bodies and languishing spirits refreshed so by those heauenly my steries daily applied our inward man shall bee confirmed and our hearts sooner or later comforted and reuiued And therefore in assurance of faith wee should stirre vp our soules to reioice and praise the Lord giuing vnto him the glorie of his truth in resting vpon him for the performance of all his promises made vnto vs through Christ Iesus and concluding euery one in his owne heart though my knowledge be but small it shall be increased though my memory be weake it shall be confirmed though my affections be out of order they shall be rectified though my stripes be many the number of them shal be diminished and though my graces be but few and feeble they shall be augmented and still further strengthned I shall haue Christs power to inable me to do good and to resist euill his wisedome to direct mee in the right way and to cause me to decline from all by-paths And in a word his good spirit to worke all my workes for me and to perfect all heauenly vertues in me And when after we haue been at the Lords table we find any sinfull motions stirring within vs let vs reason thus Did I not lately receiue the Sacrament for the curing of my soule and did not God grant it vnto me as a seale and pledge that hee would take away my stony heart Ezek. 36. and giue vnto me a fleshy heart Why then should I yeeld vnto my corruptions Nay I will not do so but resist and striue against the same and vrge the Lord with his owne couenant sealed vnto me in the Sacrament So likewise when wee see our manifold imperfections in Gods seruice our want of loue and good affection vnto his seruants our inabilitie to beare crosses and the like let vs repaire vnto the Lord and beseech him that is true and faithfull in all promises that hee will make good his word vnto vs in those particulars giuing vs strength to doe what hee commandeth vs and to beare with profit whatsoeuer hee laieth vpon vs. Which if we can doe so often as wee come vnto the Lords Table wee shall receiue great helpe and comfort against all our sinnes and sorrowes and be much stirred vp to loue and praise the Lord for the continuance and increase of his heauenly graces and
blessings which we shall surely gaine by the right vse of this his holy ordinance The fifth Sermon of the Lords Supper ISAIAH 55.1 c. Verse 1 Hoe euery one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and yee that haue no siluer come buy and eat Come I say buy wine and milke without siluer and without mony 2 Wherefore doe yee lay out your siluer and not for bread and your labour without being satisfied Hearken diligently vnto me and eat that which is good and let your soule delight in fatnesse 3 Incline your eares and come vnto me heare and your soule shall liue IN the Chapter immediately going before the Prophet from the Lords owne mouth pronounceth many gracious promises vnto his afflicted Church bidding them reioice in regard of the deliuerance that the Lord should worke out for them and the many and wonderfull blessings that hee should bestow vpon them shewing them to the intent they might giue more credit vnto his words that he that made them is their husband Verse 4 and their redeemer euen the Lord of hoasts who though hee had forsaken them and scattered them for a little while yet with great compassion would hee gather them and though hee hid his face in anger for a moment yet with euerlasting mercie would he haue compassion on them and that they might make no doubt thereof hee confirmeth his promise with an oath saying as I haue sworne that the waters of Noah should no more goe ouer the earth so haue I sworne that I will not bee angry with thee nor rebuke thee viz. in wrath and displeasure and therefore hee breaketh out into a patheticall and sweet compellation saying O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest that hast no comfort behold I will lay thy stones with the carbuncle and thy foundation with Saphyres that is I will make of thee a precious building for my selfe And as for their children he saith that they shall bee all taught of God and enioy peace and bee farre from oppression and from the feare of oppressors And howsoeuer the enemy would be stirring now and then yet saith God it shall be without mee and whosoeuer shall gather himselfe in thee against thee shall fall and that because all instruments of crueltie that could come against them were ordered by the Lord as being his by right of creation and therefore no weapons made against them should preuaile And this hee doth not appropriate to them only but saith it is the heritage of the Lords seruants which they haue right vnto in all ages Hauing thus declared what treasures were laid vp for them through the rich mercy of God in Christ hee commeth in this 55. Chap. to exhort them to lay hold of Gods gracious offer and in this exhortation sheweth 1 First what is the dutie that they must performe which is set foorth by Metaphoricall speeches taken from naturall things and applied to spirituall Hoe euery one that thirsteth come to the waters c. Signifying that as for the preseruation of their naturall life they must first haue a good appetite and then get meate and drinke to nourish and refresh them and if they cannot haue it otherwise must buy it and if it be not to be gotten at an easie rate they must be content to goe to the price of it so hee that would haue grace and haue the life thereof continued and the vigor therof increased in his soule must get an hungrie and thirstie desire after it and bee at cost to procure it though neither by siluer nor gold nor any charges of that kind as shall after be shewed 2 Secondly reasons whereby the same is enforced 1 The first whereof is drawen from the hurt that would ensue if they did not follow his direction they should misspend their mony and their labour and bee neuer the neerer to the obtaining of that which might content them Wherefore saith hee will you lay out siluer and not for bread and your labour without being satisfied 2 A second reason is taken from the benefit that they should find by attending to his exhortation to eat that which is good and to bring their soules to delight in fatnesse namely that all their needs should bee supplied and their miseries cured in briefe their soules should liue both the life of grace and of glorie Hoe euery one that thirsteth In that hee calleth none to partake of the holy things of God but those that are thus affected The doctrine is that The thirstie soule alone hath interest in the graces of God Doct. 1 and shall reape benefit by the meanes of grace Onely thirstie soules find refreshing frō Gods ordinances Those onely that feele their owne barrennesse and emptinesse and highly esteeme and heartily desire the mercies of God through the merits of Christ they onely I say haue right vnto and shall haue a portion in the same Therefore when Dauid would perswade God to bring him againe to the assemblies of the Saints where he might inioy the meanes of comfort and of saluation he vseth this as a forcible argument My soule thirsteth for God euen for the liuing God Psal 42.2 Psal 48.2 when shal I come appeare before the presence of God and againe My soule longeth yea and fainteth for the courts of the Lord c. Now the reasons of this point are these Reasons First no man hath any warrant to resort vnto the meanes of godlinesse but onely such as were before mentioned for Else no commandement Reuel 22.17 thus the Lord inuiteth men vnto him Let him that is athirst come and let whosoeuer will namely that is so qualified take of the waters of life freely so that none are bidden guests but such as haue thirstie soules Secondly none else haue any promise of speeding well if they should come for thus goeth the promise No promise Isa 44.3 I will powre water vpon the thirstie and flouds vpon the dry ground Till then we can neuer haue assurance of any benefit by Gods ordinances but when once we come with a longing heart that doth as it were gape and enlarge it selfe to take in the raine of grace as the drie ground doth to receiue the showres that fall vpon it then though we be neuer so thirstie wee shall bee fully satisfied and though wee bee neuer so drie and barren wee shall be made to flourish and grow as the grasse Verse 4 and as the willowes by the Riuers of water and that none other can grow in grace or gather any spirituall strength by the meanes it is euident in the Epistle of Peter where he exhorteth them in this manner As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that ye may grow thereby q. d. You may repaire vnto the word as often as you will and giue as diligent care as you can but you shall neuer get any inward growth of grace thereby vntill you bee as sharpe set for the foode of your soules as little
children are for their mothers milke but when once you attaine to such an eager desire of goodnesse then you shall grow from a little measure of strength to a greater and still increase in the inward man as children doe in the outward and finde a progresse in grace as they doe in nature Thirdly as those that are destitute of this spirituall thirst haue no commandement No fitnesse nor promise from God so neither haue they any fitnesse in themselues because they want that principall grace which doth fit men for the entertaining of Gods holy spirit which alone maketh Gods ordinances effectuall to wit humility which proceedeth from a sense of our owne miserie and a sight of Gods mercy now where this is wanting there is no place for Gods graces For God resisteth the proud Iames 4. and giueth grace onely to the humble Let a man bring vnto the word neuer so good a wit capacity and memorie hee shall neuer take profit by hearing till hee get a broken heart and an humbled spirit but God will euer resist and crosse and thwart all his endeauours because if hee should get any benefit by the Gospell hee would haue no minde to ascribe the glorie thereof vnto God to whom it is wholly due Note but to himselfe to whom no part thereof doth belong First Vse 1 for terror vnto such as haue no manner of appetite eagernesse nor earnestnesse for spirituall things but are altogether bent for profit and pleasure credit and promotion c. which carnall desires doe vtterly kill their appetite vnto better things and extinguish or bannish all good motions and affections that doe at any time arise in their hearts These wretched men are in a wofull case for they rush vpon the holy things of God without any commission and therefore without expectation of good from them And howsoeuer they may talke and brag of their profiting by the word yet God that seeth and searcheth their hearts esteemeth of them but as of dogs and swine that prophane his holy things If they would bee partakers of the water of life they must bee thirstie and if they would eate of the bread of life they must bee hungrie otherwise though they be present in the congregation and heare the word preached and see the wine powred out and the bread broken before their eies at the celebration of the Lords Supper yet they can haue no hope that they shall haue one drop of Christ his blood to wash away their sinnes but may rather expect the viols of his indignation to consume their bodies and soules and it is a iust vengeance of God vpon such prophane and irreligious persons that when they come to the Sermons to the Sacrament they get no good but rather much hurt therby and haue their lusts stronger their hearts harder and their minds far more blind and vncapable of any good knowledge euery day then other But what is the reason heereof may some demand Is not the word of God mighty to beate downe the strong holds of the deuill and is not the Sacrament powerfull in operation and able to worke great things Yes they are so and why then haue such no profit by them because they are abusers and prophaners and not meet receiuers of the same because they come not with any preparation or desire of a blessing vpon the meanes but for custome and fashion that they might not seeme to bee so bad as indeed they are nor to set so light by the holy ordinances of God as in truth they doe Secondly for instruction Vse 2 If wee would bee welcome to Christ Iesus when hee inuiteth vs to feast with him then let vs get a good stomacke to feed on such cheere as he offereth vnto vs. Otherwise if wee glut our selues before wee come to his Table and be onely looking on those dainties on which others are feedings it will not bee well taken at our hands but wee shall be as distastefull vnto the feast-maker as his prouision is vnto vs and those things which are vnto others the sauour of life vnto life shall proue vnto vs the sauour of death vnto our eternall destruction if our repentance doe not preuent Gods iudgement If Gods owne children comming carelesly and vnpreparedly cannot escape Gods hand 1. Cor. 11. then what shall become of those vngodly ones who come not onely negligently but altogether prophanely and so defile the sacred ordinances of God for to the vncleane all things are vncleane surely if iudgement begin at Gods house there is nothing remaining for vngodly men but a fearefull expectation of wrath and vengeance to be powred out vpon them in full measure In which regard it standeth vs vpon to looke vnto our hearts before hand and to the intent wee may come with this spirituall appetite the want whereof is so offensiue vnto God and dangerous vnto vs let vs vse all good meanes for the obtaining of it as First Meanes to get a spiritual appetite to purge away that which may annoy our stomacke and kill our appetite and what that is Peter telleth vs when hee saith Wherefore laying aside all maliciousnesse and all guile Allovv no sin 1 Pet. 2.21 and dissimulation and enuy and euill speaking as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word c. As if hee had said so long as you giue place vnto Note and delight in any euill so long as you carry a bitter and enuious mind against your brethren or an hypocriticall and dissembling heart towards God and suffer your euill affections to breake forth into euill speeches so long you can neuer delight in nor bee very desirous of the pure word of God and therefore can not possibly grow in the knowledge and practise of the same And therefore when we finde in our selues dulnesse and deadnesse and vnwillingnesse vnto good duties let vs conclude for a certainty that wee stand in need of Physicke for the purging of our soules for sinne worketh on our hearts as ill humors doe in our stomacks it maketh vs to loath all spirituall food and all meanes of refreshing And this take for an vndoubted truth which though our mouthes will not confesse yet our hearts must needs acknowledge when wee haue no desire to heare the word preached or to receiue the Sacrament when it is to bee administred there is some sinne or other not thorowlie repented of which so cloieth the soule that it cannot delight in those holy exercises and as our hearts are more purged by godly sorrow Matth. 5. so will our hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and the meanes thereof bee still increased in vs. This then is the first rule that wee must obserue for the getting of spirituall appetite viz. to put away the practise of all crosse euils and the allowance of all infirmities great or small A second is that wee must endeuour to know our owne misery what wee are by nature See thy miserie and
and exercise our selues in things of no worth which will make vs neuer the better or honester though wee haue them in neuer so great abundance but let vs labour for godlinesse which will free our hearts from discontentment and replenish them with true peace and lasting comforts The doctrines following shall be but euen named Heare and your soule shall liue Whence this doctrine is implied that All men and women are dead in sinnes and trespasses till the word haue wrought life in them Another point from hence might be this that They that conscionably vse the meanes shall receiue the life of grace and glory Prouided that they come thereunto with 1 Preparation setting themseues in Gods presence Eccl. 5. 2 With attention hiding the word in their hearts Psal 119. Pet. 2. 3 With an expectation of good successe at length though God make them waite for a time The sixth Sermon of the Lords Supper MATTH 22. VERSE 11. c. Verse 11. Then the King came in to see the guests and saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment 12. And hee said vnto him friend how camest thou in hither and hast not on a wedding garment and he was speechles 13 Then said the King to the seruants bind him hand and foote take him away and cast him into vtter darknesse there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth IN the former part of this Chapter is set foorth the maruellous goodnesse and fauour of the Lord towards the nation of the Iewes vnder the parable of a King Connexion inuiting guests vnto the mariage-feast of his sonne and withal their horrible vnthankfulnesse in making light of it and refusing to come preferring their profits and pleasures before the meanes of their saluation whereunto they were called which indignitie and ingratitude of theirs towards the King of heauen together with their barbarous crueltie against his messengers is further set out by the punishment inflicted vpon them which was that the King being wroth sent foorth his warriours destroied them and burnt vp their Citie in which words our Sauiour hath reference vnto the destruction of that nation and of their Citie by the Romans who are called Gods warriours because howsoeuer they came against the Iewes in maliee and reuenge yet God had a speciall hand in ordering and disposing of all that they did so the greatest part of that people was vtterly cut off and the rest left vnder a heauie stroake euen vnto this day being destitute of the meanes of saluation which they contemptuously reiected when they were offered vnto them But howsoeuer these that were first bidden would not come to the supper yet the Lord would not bee vnfurnished of guests and therefore he sends his ministers vnto the Gentiles which sate in darkenesse and in the shaddow of death who made their vse of Gods message and came aboundantly vnto the feast so that the wedding was furnished with guests some good and some bad Thus farre the messengers had good successe that multitudes made profession as if they were desirous to liue vnder Christ his gouernment and to feede of his Supper though many of them did it with false and hypocriticall hearts Hauing thus shewed what the messengers did our Sauiour next declareth what the King himselfe did the place being filled with guests The interpretation hee came to see the guests implying that when men begin to make profession God vseth a more deligent search and examination then his ministers can doe for they can but iudge of men by their actions but the Lord dealeth immediatly with their hearts and consciences And therefore it is added that when he came in hee saw that which the Ministers did not a man which had not on a wedding garment where wee must not conceiue that their was but one such present for it is afterwards said that many are called but few are chosen vers 14. but this is the meaning that if there be but one hypocrite amongst many thousands God will finde him out and single him from among the rest The partie being thus taken the Lord falleth to an examination of him Friend saith he how camest thou in hither that is how darest thou come to the royall table of so glorious a King and hast not one a wedding garment that is hauing no repentance for sinne no freedome from the guilt or from the power of sinne nor any sauing grace at all how is it I say that thou shouldest presume to come into such a place and into such a presence hauing made no better preparation When God began thus to examine him in his owne person it is said hee was speechles hauing an ill cause and a guilty conscience hee had nothing to say for himselfe Heereupon the Lord proceedeth to passe sentence vpon him which is done after the manner of earthly Iudges Then said the King vnto his seruants that is vnto the Angels whose office it is as to gather the good corne into Gods barne so to bind the tarres together in bundles that they may be cast into hell fire bind him hand and foot there must not bee present execution but he must bee dealt with as a prisoner whose hands are bound that hee may not resist and his feet that hee may not runne away if either of them had beene at libertie hee might haue made some shift but when God comes to proceed in iudgement against men hee will strip them of all meanes both of defence and of escaping Further they are bid to take him away to wit from hauing communion with God with his Saints or Angels he must be taken from the place and meanes of all comfort and peace and happinesse and is that all nay saith God cast him into vtter darkenesse that is into hell a place of all miserie and woe which is implied by vtter darknesse a fit punishment for such kind of persons for seeing they are full of ignorance and of spirituall darkenesse while they liue God hath prouided that they shall haue enough of it they shall bee cast into a place of vtter darknesse where there shall be nothing but horror and anguish And yet if this were all their state were the more tollerable but this addeth vnto the miserie of the place that they shall bee very sensible of that miserie which is intimated when it is said there shall bee weeping not such weeping as many times befals men here when the teares of their eies abate the anguish of their hearts but such weeping as is ioyned with gnashing of the teeth signifying that they should not onely haue sorrow and griefe but such as should bee mingled with desperation and with horrible vexation and torture not such as should bee an ease vnto their soules but rather an addition vnto their woe In these words then is declared the seueritie of God against those that come vnworthily vnto his roiall feast where is shewed 1 First the cause of this his seueritie namely because they abuse
both him and his banquet in comming with the most foule and loathsome garments of the old man which doe more displease the eyes of the Lord then the most base and beggarly raiment in the world can doe the eies of an earthly King 2 Secondly the manner of Gods proceeding viz. 1 That hee conuinceth the consciences so that they are speechlesse 2 That he condemneth the persons vnto vnuoidable and yet vnsupportable torments Then the King came in Verse 11 From this title which is attributed vnto the Lord this doctrine ariseth that God is the onely absolute King ouer all the whole world Doct. 1 Hee it is that is blessed and Prince God the king of the whole world 1. Tim. 6.15 the King of Kings and Lord of Lords This Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged after that the Lord had made him being the mightiest Monarch in the world to become more wretched then the poorest man in the world liuing as a beast for seuen yeeres together after that I say the Lord had abased him and raised him vp againe hee acknowledged that God was the King of all the earth whereas hee thought before that he himselfe had been shewing what manner of King he is Dan. 4.31.32 namely the most high euerlasting of an vnresistable power so that all the inhabitants of the earth are to bee reputed as nothing in comparison of him And the reason why the Lord doth challenge vnto himselfe this title Reason to bee the only absolute gouernour of all the world is this that all power whatsoeuer is deriued from him and limited by him so that all changes and alteration proceede from his al-ruling hand and therefore good cause is there that he should haue the glory of all This reprooueth them Vse 1 that in words will acknowledge the Lord to bee the onely ruler of heauen and earth but in their deeds deny it for what doe they neuer care to get the knowledge of his lawes much lesse to obey them nay they refuse to vnderstand the statutes of the Lord and rise vp in open rebellion against him and yet none more ready then such to cry out of others that they are disloyall subiects such as care not for authoritie and the like Indeed those that are such are much to be commended But in truth they themselues in the meane while are the notablest rebels in that they stand out against the Lord of hosts But they will vaunt and boast that they carry themselues loially towards their Prince and are carefull to obey authoritie suppose for thetime that they doe yeelde outward obedience to the lawes which yet few such doe yet if they doe not submit themselues to Magistrates in and for the Lord all their loialtie is nothing worth for the Apostle Iude speaketh of some that had mens persons in admiration because of aduantage Iude 1â— against whom he pronounceth a woe they would fawne vpon such as were in authority haue them in high admiration Oh they were worthy men their commandements much to be respected so that if they would haue them lie or sweare or commit any villany they would be at their becke and why for their own aduantage that they might get some commoditie or clime to some preferment c. that was their drift and further then to serue themselues they regarded neither the persons nor places of those that were in gouernment all their crouching was for aduantage sake nothing for conscience sake Secondly Vse 2 sithence our God is the soueraigne Lord King of heauen and earth therefore when wee are to stand in his presence and to draw neere vnto his table let vs with all reuerence and due preparation and with all feare and care and good conscience present our selues before his Maiestie The holy Ghost himselfe giueth this aduice concerning an earthly Ptince that if any bee to sit at table with a great Ruler Prou. 23.1.2.3 hee should looke vnto his carriage and restraine his appetite and not behaue himselfe rudely and vnmannerly now if this bee a point of wisedome when a man is to feast with one that is farre his superiour to wash his hands to haue respect of his apparell and if hee haue any suit better then another to put that on and in no sort to carry himselfe disorderly and vnbeseeming such a presence if I say a man would and should deale thus before an earthly Prince that if there be any failing can but giue him a rebuk and check or inflict vpon him some outward punishment how much more carefull and circumspect should wee be when we are to sit at the Lords table who looketh not so much to the externall behauiour as to the inward disposition of the soule and if hee finde vs vnprepared and vnworthy cannot onely smite vs in the outward man but cast both body and soule into hell Thirdly Vse 3 this is for singular comfort vnto all Gods people seeing the Lord their God is the onely Monarch of the world that exerciseth his kingdome from generation to generation this should strengthen them against all crosses and losses and troubles and temptations that though men would tosse them vp and downe and trample them vnder their feet and for that end doe euermore plot and practise against them yet it shall goe well with the righteous for the Lord raigneth ouer their most mortall aduersaries and though the times change and mens affections change yet their king is vnchangeable the same for euer in mercy and goodnesse towards all his true hearted Subiects hee hath turned euery thing to the good of his Church heretofore and so will he deale with his faithfull seruant still euen to the end of the world And thus much of the person of God that he is a King Now for his behauiour he doth not onely prouide for his guests but is there present himselfe in the assemblie of Saints to see the guests not but he saw them before but this is spoken for our capacitie to signifie that as God doth see through vs so he will let men know and feele and finde that hee perfectly discerneth what they are and with what hearts they appeare before him Doctr. 2 whence ariseth this point that The Lord taketh notice of euery guest that sitteth at his table Gods cie is vpon all his guests There are many commers but not all of one disposition therefore doth hee take a view of them that their intertainment may be according to their condition and preparation that if they be good they may speede well if bad they may receiue according to their ill deserts This is euidentin Zephania Zephan 1.12 where it is said that the Lord will search Ierusalem with lights not that the Lord needeth candles or torches but to shew that there are many darke corners in mens hearts where sinne lies lurking which if we will not search the Lord will and finde out euery corruption therein as men by burning Lamps come to the sight of
good tearmes vnto repropates that are to be cast into hel fire then surely hee will much more vse mildnesse towards his people if Gods enemies haue good wordes from him then what may his friends expect at his hands And hee was speechles Doct. 5 Doct. Though sinners haue many excuses and colours Sinners shall to be put silence when they are to deale with men like themselues yet when God commeth to examine and sift their consciences they shall haue nothing to say for themselues This is to bee obserued in Iudas that though hee were very suttle and a notable cunning hypocrite yet when the Lord wakened his drousie conscience he brake foorth into a plaine confession I haue sinned betraying innocent blood Hee had no manner of defence or Apologie for himselfe in the world The reason of this point is Reason 1 because the conscience is the Lords officer and it cannot but speake truth when God will haue it through the light of knowledge which God hath put into euery mans soule by nature and that is the sorest and sharpest accuser that can be Further the Lord can set all their works in order before them and write them as it were in great letters that a man may runne and read the same If then we would be able to stand before the Lord at the last dreadfull day of iudgement Vse 1 when the bookes shall bee laid open and euery man shall bee iudged according to his works then let vs take that course which will make vs able to doe so and that is to get holy and sound loue and to testifie our louing heart by our louing behauiour not to loue in word alone but in deed Iob. 3.18.19 Chap. 5.17 Thereby shall wee assure our hearts before him and haue boldnesse in the day of iudgment so that pure and Christian loue with the fruites of it is the best meanes to make vs with confidence and comfort to hold vp our heads in the day of accounts Secondly Vse 2 this is for comfort against al the false clamors and accusations that are raised against Gods seruants the wicked here haue great matters to charge them with and haue much to say for their vnrighteous proceeding but at the day of the Lords reckning they that haue most to say now shal haue least to say for thēselues little doth any know how soone he may b called vnto the bar Therefore let Gods children commend thēselues vnto God in wel-doing he is the great Iudge of the whole world and with him righteous men shall haue good hearing in their iust and righteous eauses and all euill men shall be put to silence Godly men shall lift vp their heads with glory and wicked sinners shall stop their mouthes with shame Vers 13. Binde him hand and foot Hitherto of the examination conuictiō of him that had not on a wedding garment Now followeth this sentence well befitting the partie offending bind him hand and foot hee had abused his hands his feet and dishonoured God by his whole body and therfore iust it is that he should be punished in that take him away because hee had onely beene in the Church but not of the Church at the meanes but not profited by them therefore must he now be separated from all communion with God or his Saints And cast him into vtter darkenesse Seeing he loued darkenesse more then light therefore he shall haue enough of it Hee must be cast into a hell of darkenesse Doctr. 6 Out of all which this generall point may bee noted that the speciall time and place of the punishment of wicked men is after this life in hell fire heere vngodly men haue libertie both of hand and foote When and where wicked mens punishment shal be and the Saints of God are in greater restraint but why is that Because sinners shall neuer haue their full measure of woe till they be cast bodies and soules into hell fire at which time they shall be made capable of the extremitie of all miseries because their iniquities are growen to a full height Therefore let vs neuer enuy their prosperitie Vse 1 nor thinke that God taketh no notice of their sinnes because he delaieth to inflict punishment vpon them for the same Iudges doe cause notorious malefactors to be repriued sometimes but it is in no great fauour vnto them though in the meane time it may be they sharply correct their owne children so doth the Lord deale seuerely chastising those that are of his owne familie but letting reprobates thrine in their sinfull waies that in the end he may pay them home for all Secondly Vse 2 sith wicked mens punishment shall be principally in hell and the Church shall neuer be fully ridde of them till then Therefore let vs not be discouraged though for a while tarres be mingled with the wheat there is some vse of them and God seeth that wee haue need of such launders now and then whilst wee remaine vpon the face of the earth but when wee come to heauen wee shall be quite freed from them and therefore in the meane time let vs not take such offence at them as Brownists doe but wait Gods time when he shall command his holy Angels to separate them from amongst vs and to giue them their due in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for euer Thirdly Vse 3 let vs obserue this from the contrarie that as wicked mens full iudgement so godly mens full paiment is deferred till the last day They haue many comfortable refreshings here but at that day they shall be bathed in a whole sea of comforts As sinners at that time shall be depriued of all good things and bee vexed with all manner of euils so the Saints on the other side shal be exempted from all euill and be brought to the enioyment of all good things as sinners shall bee perfectly miserable so shall the Saints be perfectly happy as the one shall be sensible of their wretchednes so shall the other be of their blessednes and as the one shall be euerlastingly misesarable so shall the other be eternally happy in a word there shall bee euery way as much ioy and felicity in heauen and more too then there shall be woe and anguish in hell Which should stay vs from fainting vnder our crosses and sorrowes our temptations and corruptions Note wee can easily thinke that wicked men haue an ill bargaine though they enioy the pleasures of sin for a season because they must come to such torments in the end and why should not we iudge that we haue a good bargaine though wee passe thorow the fire and be in the Lords furnace for a while sith wee shall attaine to such ioies at last as farre furpasse the reach of any mortall man THE SEVENTH SERMON PSAL. 119. vers 1. c. 1 Blessed are those that are vpright in their way and walke in the law of the Lord. 2 Blessed are they that keep his
to touch their gouty and festered and corrupted consciences but they will wince and kicke and lay about them and cry out on those that are such iudgers and such busy-bodies as they tearme them and so reiect all wholesome reproofes carry a bitter heart against the reprouers Onely those that are sound-hearted can submit themselues in the lowlinesse of their minds and meekenesse of their spirits to beare admonitions when they neede it be he a superiour or an inferiour that administreth the same and labour to make a right vse hereof and to loue the partie the better that will deale so mercifully and faithfully with their soules Obser Indeed Gods best children may sometimes faile herein and begin to bustle and take on when they are somewhat sharply dealt withall and cannot so readily and chearefully swallow and disgest those bitter pils as they should but if they be grieued in their soules that they find so much pride in themselues though they be a little distēpered in company yet whē they are alone they are ashamed of their folly and desire more wisdome and grace to reape benefite by the admonitions that shall afterwards be giuen them and begin to thinke more reuerently of the parties that shewed them that mercy and kindnesse they should not be dismaied knowing that they are true Israelits in whom their is no guile notwithstanding that vnwillingnesse and vntowardnesse to vndergoe a rebuke that they find in them selues and their corrupt nature Thirdly Vse 3 this is for the great comfort of all such these notes of vprightnes in themselues though they haue many corruptions and imperfections mixed with their best works yet seeing they haue pure hearts they are happy and blessed and shall find the good effects of their blessednesse Note True holinesse and true happines are neuer separated As for perfection God lookes not for it at our hands If sinne hange on vs but wee would faine cast it off if we find vnbeliefe but would most gladly get faith 2 Chron. 30.18.19 if wee be troubled in our hearts with hardnesse but are desirous of softnesse if we be humbled for that we cānot be humbled sufficiently nor get such a large heart as we would to desire and expect grace from heauen let vs not be discomforted for our defects and frailties for the Lord wil spare vs and be gracious vnto vs in his beloued sonne according to that worthy prayer of good King Hezekiah The good Lord be mercifull toward him that prepareth his whole heart to seeke the Lord God of his Fathers though he be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary Though many haue bene braullers heretofore let them labor to be peaceable though they haue ben worldly let them striue to be heauenly though they haue bene filthy let them endeauour to get chastity though they haue bene ignorant and prophane let them study to obtaine knowledge and holinesse and then they may come to the Lords table welcome the Lord will haue respect vnto them and grant them pardon for their sinnes and supply all their wants and giue them more grace to doe their duty in the remainder of their life and in the daies of their pilgrimage that are yet behinde Surely they worke none iniquity That is they make not a trade and common practise thereof Slip they doe through the infirmitie of the flesh subtilty of Sathan and the allurements of the world but they doe not ordinarily and customably goe forward in vnlawfull and sinfull courses In that the Psalmist setteth downe this as a part Doct. 3 and not the least part neither of blessednesse That they worke none iniquity A prerogatiue to be freed from sinne which walke in his waies the doctrine to be learned hence is this that it is a maruellous great prerogatiue to be freed from the bondage of sinne If there were no other reward but this yet it were a happy thing to be religious euen in this respect that we shall be set at liberty frō such a seruice Rom. 6.17 This point is euident from the Apostles words where he speaketh thus God be thanked that ye haue bene the seruants of sinne but ye haue obeyed from the heart vnto the forme of doctrine whereunto ye were deliuered Where we see that this was not the least priuiledge that they had by being Gods seruants but indeed a matter for which he was greatly to be magnified that whereas they had bene the slaues of sinne and as base drudges at the commaund of euery vile and wretched lust by the vertue of the word powerfully preached vnto them and faithfully receiued by them they had bene deliuered from that bondage and made the seruants of God in righteousnesse and holinesse of life and conuersation And therefore in that same Chapter verse 14. it is promised vnto Gods children as a speciall fauour That sinne shall not haue dominion ouer them It may sometimes tirannously vsurpe authority in them but the strength of grace and the operation of the holy spirit of God will still diminish and at last abolish the force and violence thereof so that it shall neuer beare such sway ouer them as in the time of their vnregeneracy it did The truth of this doctrine Reasons will yet more clearly shine forth if wee consider what the maister the seruice the reward of sinful persons are As for their maister it is Sathan For he is the God of this world Ephes 2.2 Sathan is the maister of all sinners and the Prince that ruleth in the children of disobedience of whom all vnbeleeuers are held in captiuity and still imployed according to his will and pleasure Now he is a more cruell and sauage tyrant then euer Pharoh was though he were very fierce against the Israelites and exercised great tiranny ouer thē yet Sathā putteth his vassals to carry heauier burdens Their seruices and to toile out themselues in baser workes then euer the taskmasters of Aegipt imposed on the poore Israelites For all impenitent sinners are in thraldome to euery brutish lust Note they must defile their bodies and corrupt their soules and consciences and pollute all their workes and waies when and in what maner soeuer the Diuell will haue them they must conuerse with euery lewd and sinfull companion they must runne vp and downe like drudges to follow euery vaine and base delight to pursue euery meane and trifling commodity and to hunt after euery promotion and dignity that offers it selfe vnto their view They cannot liue peaceably in the day nor rest quietly in the night as we may see in gamesters who breake their sleepe mispend their time and strength depriue themselues of a comfortable estate and bring many miseries vpon themselues and their families by the ouer eager pursuite of their vngodly and vnthrifty courses It is a wofull and lamentable case that franticke persons are in that must haue euery one in the family to attend vpon them and to
haue an eye vnto them least they should hang themselues or drowne themselues or get a kfe to cut their throates or some way or other worke themselues mischiefe but farre worse is their case that are possest with a spirituall frenzie and led by the suggestions of Sathan who are euermore labouring to worke out their owne ouerthrow to bring vpon thēselues destruction of body soule which is the reward that Sathan giueth them The reward for all their paines that they haue taken in seruing him and in fulfilling the lust of their owne wicked flesh according to the saying of the Apostle Rom. 6. The wages of sin is death that is euerlasting death Which is an vtter separation from Gods blessed presence and from all maner of comforts whatsoeuer to endure vnspeakeable and endles torments in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Reuelation which is the second death Another reason why it is a great priuiledge to be exempted from the dominion of sinne is Reason 1 Iohn 3.8.9 because it is a testimony that we are the sonnes of God as it is said by the Apostle Iohn He that committeth sinne is of the Diuell and Whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not And why because the efficacie of the word and spirit doe restraine him therefrom A third reason is because that is it whereby we are made conformable vnto Christ Iesus when we are freed from the slauerie of sinne we are still translated from glory to glory and haue the Image of God renued in vs daily more and more purging our selues euen as Christ is pure 1 Iohn 3.3 Vse 1. This serueth for our instruction that seeing it is such a preheminence not to be a worker of iniquity therefore we should hereby fence arme our selues against al enticements whereby we might be allured to sinne either in heart or in behauiour when pleasure smileth vpon vs or filthy lucre setteth on our hearts or preferment calleth for vs c. Let this be as a buckler whereby to repell all the firy darts of the Diuell It is a blessed thing to worke none iniquity and Luk. 9.25 Heb. 11.25.26 What should it profit a man to winne the whole world and to lose his owne soule Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enioy the pleasures of sinne and the preferments of Egypt for ascason It was a foolish mad part of the Israelites to desire to returne into Egypt the house of their bondage that they might eate of their flesh pots and of the leekes and onions that in time past they had there enioyed but much more void of sence reason are they that whē they haue been once deliuered frō that spirituall seruitude will cast themselues into thraldome againe and when they haue bene puld out of the snares of the Diuell wherein they were held at his pleasure will returne againe to folly intangle themselues the second time Wherefore let this put strength into vs in all conflicts that we may stand resolutely as against other assaults so against that of the examples of great and mighty men who vsually take their liberty in all voluptuous and licentious kindes of liuing This consideration I say should arme vs against it The Lord hath pronounced them blessed that worke none iniquity and if I be of the number of them I shall be more happy in renouncing sinne then the greatest Potentate in the earth is or can be in committing of sinne And therefore let vs deale as Eliphaz did in the booke of Iob Iob 5.2 I haue seene the foolish well rooted saith he and suddenly I cursed his habitation not by way of imprecation but of denuntiation of Gods iudgements due vnto them for their euill workes shewing that they tooke such courses as did make them and theirs accursed and bring the vengeance of God vpon them the meditation whereof was a strong bulwarke to fence him against all temptations vnto the like sinful and vile practises Vse 2 2 This maketh for the terror of all such as do drinke in sin with greedinesse and giue allowance to themselues in blaspheming in Sabaoth breaking in wantonnesse in lying and slandering and scoffing and such other fowle vices If they be blessed that do not work iniquity then cursed are they that make a common practise thereof But I hope will some say a mans heart may be good Obiect though he ouershoot himselfe by rapping out an oath now then and by speaking foolishly and lightly c. you must not iudge say they God knoweth our hearts He doth so indeed Answer and he hath made knowne vnto vs by his word Luk. 6 45. Mat 7.17.18 that an ill tongue and an ill life do alwaies argue an ill heart for out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and a good tree cannot bring forth such rotten fruit nor a pure fountain send forth such muddy filthy streames as do euermore issue forth at their profane mouthes are deriued from their impure consciences vnto all or to the most part of their actions Thou hast commanded to keepe thy precepts diligently The doctrine that these words affoorde is this that nothing is superfluous that is done in obedience to Gods holy will The word translated Diligently Doct. 4 Strict obediēce to be laboured for 2 Cor. 7.1 doth signifie in the originall tongue wonderfull much so that the words go thus Thou hast cōmanded to keepe thy precepts wonderfull much And this the Apostle vrgeth the Corinthians vnto Hauing such promises beloued let vs purge our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and of the spirit that is from all maner of corruption as well inward as outward And that was the drift of Christ Iesus in giuing the the true interpretation of the law which the Pharisees had corrupted by their false expositions I say this was the drift to draw men from resting on the outward obseruation thereof to bring them to haue regard vnto their thoughts to the affections of their hearts more ouer in their practise to do those things which heathē men hypocrits could not attaine vnto therfore he often vrgeth this sentēce to shew the slendernesse and insufficiency of their obedience What singular thing do yee Implying that Christians must in many things be singular and differ from and go beyond the common sort of men If one could doe as much good as an hundred yet he could not doe the hundreth parte of that which a Christian ought to performe Luke 17.10 Let him say still for it is a truth I am an vnprofitable seruant I haue done no more then my dutie nor so much as my duty As Christ came to fulfil all that his Fathers law required so it behoueth vs to obserue euery thing that wee are commaunded though not in perfection which we cannot attaine vnto yet in vprightnesse and with our best endeuours When the Israelits
told Moses that if he would goe neare and heare what the Lord said and declare it vnto them they would heare and doe all that the Lord should say the Lord himselfe testified the equitie of their words Deut. 5.28.29 that They had well spoken all that they spake and wished that there were such an heart in them to feare him and to keepe all his commaundements alway that it might go well with theÌ„ and with their children after them Whereby we are informed what is acceptable vnto God and profitable for our selues namely entire obedience for our comfortable welfare and constant obedience for our continuall happinesse and to the same purpose tendeth that serious instigation 1 Cor. 15.58 of S. Paul to the Corinthians Therefore my beloued brethren be ye stedfast vnmoueable aboundant alwaies in the worke of the Lord for as much as â—e know that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. First Reasons no vaine thing is commaunded but euery precept that he giueth is holy euery duty prescribed to vs is needful to be performed he requireth nothing but that which is good and iust and who can charge vs to do more than enough whiles we deale onely in that which is iust and good Secondly the Lord desireth to be serued with all due care and faithfulnesse can any man say I am before hand with him and I haue done more for his sake than he hath for mine doe we not receiue from him breath and being and life and liuing and preseruation and saluation it selfe and all things els 3 Thirdly our labour is not lost nor trauell mis-spent in yeelding obedience to him for he will reward it at the full and aboue all desert No man worketh for him without wages not a godly action not a godly word not a godly purpose not a godly motion of heart shall passe without pay and compensation Fourthly euery default and omission of well doing at euery time deserueth damnation and either shal be recompenced with the death of the sinner or hath bene already requited with the torments of Christ For confutation of the Papists Vse 1 Against Popish obseruations that little regarding the commaundements of God expect great matters for their deuotion and their outward inuentions and obseruations but who hath required those things at their hands the Lord commaundeth them to keepe his precepts otherwise they can expect no recompence from him but that may be said of all their inuented worship which was spoken of them that were so full of externall ceremonies as touch not tast not handle not in the Apostles time concerning all which he saith That they perish with the vsing Colos 2.22 seeing they are after the commandements and doctrines of man So soone as the worke is done the reward is gone Besides here may be confuted all their works of supererogation Against works of lupâ—râ—â—â—gaton If God God command vs to obserue his law in perfection then what can there be left for them to performe beyond that which he commandeth Doth Christ bid vs say that when we haue done all that we can we are vnprofitable seruants and haue performed no more then our duties and will they be so audacious as to bragge of an ouerplus of well doing Is it possible for obedience to exceed the commandement or for ought to be any thing worth that is not done in obedience but to let them passe This is for our instruction Vse 2 hath God enioyned vs to obserue his precepts so exceeding carefully and diligently then let nothing draw vs therfrom no not in the least circumstance let vs esteeme nothing needlesse friuolous or superfluous that we haue a warrant for out of his word nor count those too wise that will stand resolutely vpon the same if the Lord require any thing though the world should gainesay it we be derided and abused for the doing of it yet let vs proceede still in the course of our obedience Sithence our maister doth require it as a due and it becommeth vs to yeeld it as a duty our hire is so great for the performance of the same which will also be inlarged as our integrity shal be increased the greater our faithfulnesse shal be found the more praise we shall obtaine accompanied proportionably withal other good blessings And let this be a motiue further to incite vs to such diligeÌ„ce that the Lord is much displeased with remisnes and negligence sloathful persons are euery where reprehended in the Scriptures euen for being idle in humaine affaires and matters that concerne mens present estate much more then doe they deserue to be sharply reproued and also corrected for their carelessnesse in those holy works whereabout God setteth them he that doth not as much as he may in the seruices of God may looke to haue more stroakes from his hand and rebukes from his mouth than will be for his comfort THE EIGHT SERMON IOHN 6.26.27 Iesus answered them and said Verily verily I say vnto you ye seeke me not because ye saw the miracles but because ye ate of the loaues and were filled Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for the meate that endureth vnto euerlasting life which the Sonne of man shall giue vnto you for him hath God the Father sealed THe fleshly followers of our Lord Iesus Christ hauing bene miraculously relieued at his hand with corporall food once expect as much againe and not finding him in one place where it was likely he would haue bene they seeke him in another where without a miracle he could not be for the Sea was betweene them and ship they knew there was none left to transport him whereby they tooke occasion to demand of him when he came thither insinuating that they coniectured how he came thither euen by walking vpon the waters To these our Sauiour directeth the words of this text and others that follow not answering to their question how he came because it sauoured of adulation and was somewhat friuolous but discouering their purpose why they came and that was hypocriticall and carnall Now for the sence of the words where he layeth to their charge that they sought him not because they saw the miracle it is to be vnderstood that they apprehend not his diuine nature nor sought to know him as God and their redeemer by vertue of the miracle but onely hoped that he would worke another to feede their bodies againe and make them to fare well often And hauing reproued them he proceedeth to instruct them prescribing a more wise and profitable course for themselues and their soules and that is to preferre things that are euerlasting before those that are perishable momeÌ„tany Not that he precisely forbiddeth to labour for foode and other maintenance but to labour couetously with too greedy a desire to labour immoderately with too great trauell to labour principally for that which is earthly and more remisly for that which is heauenly this is
wretched men in the world But as for those that wil not feed their couetous humor though they were the best men that liued vpon the earth they shall tast of their doggish behauiour they shall be snarled at if not bitten if they put not into their mouthes saith the Prophet they prepare warre against them they furnish themselues with a number of bitter and biting reproofes with a multitude of heauy and grieuous threatnings to powre out against them in full measure But these are farre from our Sauiours spirit who would frame his speeches to the good of all without exception not sparing those that were kinde vnto him nor laying loade on men for witholding kindnesse from him speaking not pleasing but profitable things vnto all sorts Thus true and feruent loue vnto God and men made him to deale and selfe loue and selfe respect maketh false hearted hypocrites to take a quite contrary course Here is matter of instruction for vs to imitate our Sauiour in this point Vse 2 and of a great comfort vnto such as in a zeale of Gods glory and compassion ouer the foules of men and in conscience of discharging their owne duty seeke to recompence naturall kindnesse with spirituall kindnesse and when men shew their loue vnto them in a ciuill maner do endeuour to requite it in a Christian maner as well as in the like kinde and do not suffer the faire speeches or good turnes of any so farre to dazell their eies that they cannot see or to tye their tongues that they cannot speake against those things that are amisse in them but deale faithfully with their soules in that behalfe howsoeuer they may sometimes beare the imputation of inhumanity indiscretion yet if they deale wisely and mercifully as our Sauiour did though not in the like perfection they may take comfort therein For howsoeuer ignorant and carnall mens consciences be against them yet the testimony of God and of their consciences will be for them and beare them out of all calumniations reuiling speeches that are inuented to defame and disgrace them and this shall be found true whē all men shal be proued lyars that he that reproueth when he hath iust cause and calling thereunto shall finde more fauour at length then he that flattereth And thus much for the generall doctrine Now let vs consider the words more particularly Verily verily I say vnto you yee seeke me not c. In that Christ Iesus taketh notice of the disposition and inclination of their hearts that do now follow him and intended the filling of their bellies though they pretended to seeke after the satisfying of their soules the doctrine hence to be collected is this that our Lord Iesus Christ is acquainted with the purposes of such as come to his seruices and to the meanes of their saluation He obserueth what is the principall end that they aime at Doct. 2 as we may see in this place Christ is the searcher of the heart they affoord Christ very good words and are ready to acknowledge the miracle that he had wrought and yet he doth not onely see but narrowly looke into that fleshly respect that they had in coming vnto him and tels them plainly of their hypocrisie and that with a protestation Verily verily c. q. d. I say it for a truth disproue me if you can and I auouch it againe because it is a matter of weight that you come to feed your bodies vnder pretence of feeding your soules And as he did descend into their hearts and find out their fraud and guile so doth he continually behold all the windings and turnings that are in the hearts of the sonnes of men This may appeare in the Gospell of Iohn where it is said that many beleeued in his name when they saw the miracles that he did they were moued in a sudden passion vppon the sight of such great wonders to thinke that he was the Christ but it is added Iesus did not commit himselfe vnto them he would not trust them notwithstanding the faire shew they made because he knew thē all Iohn 2.23.24.25 had no need that any shoud testifie of man for he knew what was in man he proued that they were not sound whatsoeuer others thought of them neither did he stand in need of the testimony of any that should tell him this man is vpright this man is not for he knoweth a mans heart better then himselfe doth and it may be made yet more cleare by reason that God is priuy to mens thoughts because he 1. publisheth them 2. reproueth them 3. punisheth them First Reason that he publisheth them to others is apparant in Ezek. 14 1.3 Ezekiel where the Lord telleth the Prophet that howsoeuer the Elders of Israel came vnto him He publ sheth mens thoughts and sate before him yet they had set vp Idols in their hearts howsoeuer they would haue men to beleeue that they were the holy seruants of God that they loued the word of God came to heare what he would teach them yet the Lord declareth vnto Ezekiel that their hearts were not withdrawne from Idolatry and superstition therefore that he should thinke neuer the better of them for their outward semblance of religion Secondly as he publisheth their thoughts to others so he reproueth them for the same himselfe Reproueth them Mat. 9.4 as the Euangelist testifieth When Iesus saw their thoughts he said wherefore thinke ye euill thoughts in your hearts Where it is plaine that therefore he rebuked them because he discerned the corruptnesse of their thoughts in iudging hardly of him because he had said to the man sicke of the palsie Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And indeede what equity were it that Christ should blame men for their cogitations vnlesse he were the searcher of the heart It is indiscretion and an iniurious part for a man to find fault vnlesse he can directly proue that which he layeth to another mans charge and how much vnbeseeming the infinite wisedome and righteousnesse of Christ must we needs thinke it then to deale with any in that sort Nay he forbiddeth vs to iudge rashly and commandeth vs to iudge righteous iudgement and therefore he will much more obserue that rule himselfe Thirdly he doth correct and punish men for their peruerse and naughty imaginations and affections He panisheth them and therefore he must needes be a discerner of the same for otherwise how should he proceed according to euery mans desert And that he doth inflict punishment on men for thoughts Isay 29.15 the Prophet Isaiah sheweth when God chargeth the people that though their bodies were neare him yet their hearts were remoued farre frō him and therefore he threatneth that he will do a maruellous worke with them to wit that the wisedome of the wise should perish In their soules c. that he would infatuate them and giue them vp to blindnesse of mind and to
the meat that c. q. d. You cannot doe both together you cannot seeke the things of this life and the things that pertaine to a better life both at once whence this doctrine ariseth that A man cannot bee both a wordling and a Christian Doct. these two are opposed and set one against the other as things that cannot stand together A men cannot be a worldling and a Christian one can not labour for these transitory things that is set his whole desire vpon them and bend his whole indeuour for the obtaining of them and withal labour for better matters and religiously and vnfainedly seeke after them He that persueth after earthly things cannot follow after heauenly things and he that followeth after heauenly things will not persue after earthly things Not but that one may be truly religious and yet enioy the commodities of this life but he cannot set his heart vpon them and vpon matters of godlines also no mā can be earthly minded and spiritually affected at one the same time nor seek that happines which is aboue that which is beneath at once in which regard the holy Ghost maketh an opposition betwixt them 1. Iohn 2.15.16 saying Loue not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him Whence it is euident that a mans affections cannot be fastened both on the world and on God He may vse the world and yet loue God but he cannot loue the world but it will exclude the loue of God he that maketh it his felicity to enioy the things of this life the loue of the father is not in him neither doth he loue the father nor apprehend the Fathers loue vnto him But what are those things of the world which we must not loue he telleth vs in the verse following The lust of the flesh the lust of the eies and the pride of life Where by the lust of the flesh are all kindes of concupiscence meant as in eating and drinking 2. By the lust of the eyes are meant al such things as content the eyes as faire houses goodly pastures great store of cattell gorgious furniture c. 3. By the pride of life is meant aduancement and dignity c. or great men in the world any way either in place or in estimatiō for any speciall parts or endowments All the things of the world may be drawne vnto one of these three heads of pleasure profit or credit And concerning all these he saith that they are not of the Father honest delights wealth and preferment are frō the Father but the loue of these is not frō the Father but from the world therefore whosoeuer inordinatly affecteth them is a worldling not a Christian Therefore the Apostle exhorteth the Colossians If ye be risen with Christ Col. 3.1.2 seeke those things which are aboue and set your affections on things which are aboue and not on the things which are beneath implying that they could not do both It is as possible for a man to rise and fall to climbe vpward and to descend downeward at the same instant as to be godly and worldly to ascend to heauenwards and to grouell to the earthwards they cannot bee verified of the same person at one and the same time And the reason is taken from that of our Sauiour Reason Mat. 6. No man can serue two maisters for being of contrary dispositions and affections as God and the world or rather the Prince of the world are either of them would be whole maister and requireth the whole man Doth voluptuousnesse take place in the heart it will not endure any matters of religion to bee thought of or spoken of but that must haue the ordering of the cogitations of the mind and of the speeches of the mouth and of the actions of the body Doth worldlinesse or hautinesse beare sway then will they extinguish all the sparkes of goodnesse that are in a man and quite put out the light of religion carying all the meditations and practises of the party towards the obtaining of that which is aymed at On the contrary if religion once get the better and begin to rule in the heart it will root out sinne and make those that were Sathans bondslaues before to become Gods free men it will by degrees kill lust and couetousnesse and pride grace will be stil increasing and corruption decreasing so that they can neuer agree together no more then can fire and water Which is for the confutation and ouerthrow of that dangerous errour that is in the most part of men Vse 1 that take it to be a notable point of wisedome to ioyne these together to be reoters in the earth and yet prosessors of the Gospell so ordering the matter that they will neither be so apparantly prophane as others that notoriously practise impiety and wickednesse neither be so strict as others that exercise sound mortification and holinesse And herein they glory that they can carry the credit both of husbands for the world and of wise dealers for their soules that they can enioy a present happinesse in this life beyond the best and yet liue in hope of blessednesse in the life to come as well as the best and therein they applaud their owne wisedome and haue themselues in admiration and for want of this they censure their betters of folly and haue them in derision But of all silly men these are the silliest that thinke they can serue both GOD and Mammon the Lord and the world Christ had not found out the depth of that wisedome he professeth that his kingdome was not of this world and biddeth vs labour for the foode that endureth to eternall life and not for that which perisheth And therefore howsoeuer these vaine men blesse themselues in the high estimation of their great policy yet they do very palpably bewray their grosse ignorance and simplicity as all shall do that will try conclusions contrary to Christs conclusions whatsoeuer they dreame of in seeking for both they lose both they haue neither found comfort in God nor true contentment in the world Yet how generall is this errour amongst the sonnes of men they make some reckoning that there is a God and therefore they will now and then heare a Sermon sit at it and speake of it but neuer make vse of any thing that crosseth them in their pleasures or profites they will make a shew of keeping the Sabboth by frequenting the publike exercises of religion but when they are ouer they betake them to their sports and recreations But what will be the issue of these things Our Sauiour telleth vs in the Gospell for when men shall say vnto him Lord Lord and bragge of the workes they haue done in his name he will professe vnto them I neuer knew you or acknowledged you for mine depart from me ye that worke iniquity Matth. 7.22.23 Therefore it standeth
it but by this Sacrament concerning the application of it It is called the new Testament or couenant in respect of that which was vnder the law from which it differeth and goeth beyond it in diuers circumstances as afterwards shal be shewed Ver. 18. And as they sate at table and did eate Iesus said Verily I say vnto you c. Doct. Doct 1 Christ knew before what he should Inffer The Lord Iesus Christ was well acquainted before hand with all that should befall him as may plainely be seene in this place else where in that he foretelleth his disciples by whose meanes he should die after what maner he should die with all other circumstances Mar. 16.21 which at large to relate were not altogether so pertinent and this must needs be so First Reasons because he was God from euerlasting and so knew all his hand disposing of euery particular thing that in the fulnesse of time came to passe Acts 4 28. being preordained by his owne wisedome and counsell Secondly he as mediator must of necessity vnderstand of all things before because he compounded with his Father for our redemption not rashly without foreknowledge of that which he should performe but aduisedly agreeing how much he should endure what he should pay euen so much as should satisfie his Fathers iustice and appease his wrath Thirdly the Scripture foretold what he was to vndergo that one that was neare him should betray him who was prefigured in the person of Achitophel that he should suffer a very grieuous kind of death such as was long before described with the particular circumstances that accompanied it both in Psalme 22. and Isay 53. besides sundry other places Now he was perfectly acquainted with all the Scriptures and the meaning thereof they being written by his owne Spirit and therefore it must necessarily follow that none of his sufferings therein prefigured and foretold could be hidden from him and as he foresaw what should befal his naturall body so hath he a continuall foresight of that which shall befall his mystical body that is his people and euery one of them The doctrine thus proued Vse 1 serueth first for consolation against all tribulations that may light vpon vs and all persecutions that may be raised against vs either by bloudy Papists or other enemies of the Gospel When we see them exceeding malitious in their plots threatnings practises intending endeuoring to ouerthrow al the seruants seruices of God and to raze them by the very foundations and not to suffer one of them to liue but if it were possible to roote out their names frō vnder heauē though I say their rage be maruellous great euen as the rage of the Sea yet neeed we not at all to be afraid of them for the Lord Christ knoweth all that shall befall vs as he did all that should betide himselfe for the case of his people is as much respected of him as was the state of his owne body since he tooke vpon him an humane nature and suffered both in soule and body for their redemption and happinesse Therefore is it that our aduersaries attempt many things against vs which neuer come to passe as it fared with Ieremy in the times of old because God foreseeth them Ier. 11.18 and disappointeth them But suppose some things do come to passe according to their hearts desire the Lord knew of them before and therefore did not preuent them because he saw they could not be hurtfull vnto vs. He is as a wise Father that wil haue his children to seele somewhat that may be for their smart and paine as knowing it will turne to their good at length but he will stay any thing that might procure their vndoing and ouerthrow and therefore Christ pronounceth them happy and blessed that suffer for his name sake either disgraces or losse of goods Mat 5. or banishment or imprisonmēt or death it selfe As farre then as any of these may hinder our happinesse we shal be sure to be freed from them Reu. 2. so that we need not feare any of the things which we shall suffer for if we be faithfull vnto the death we shall receiue the crowne of life Secondly this serues for terror vnto wicked men Vse 2 in that Gods remembrance is equall to his foreknowledge and therefore if he can vnderstand long before what they shall doe he can as well call to remembrance what they haue done and sithence he hath an eternal foresight of what shal come to passe he hath also an euerlasting memory to keepe a memorial of the things that are practised against him and his to set them in order before the offenders at the last day and to inflict proportionable punishment vpon euery one of them according to the same Vers 19. Then they began to be sorrowfull and to say to him one by one Is it I c. Here we see that euery one of the Disciples except IVDAS was mistrustfull of himselfe and yet none of them proued to be the traitor Whence ariseth this doctrine that They are likely to fall into least euill Doct. 2 who are most fearefull of falling into the same Feare of sinne prevents falling into sin They who are most iealous of their owne corruptions are best fortified against dangerous falles Therefore is it said by the wise man Prou. 28.14 Blessed is he that feareth alwaies but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe That was Hasaels case he suspected not himselfe and therefore when the Prophet told him that he should be a cruell man that he should slay the yong men of Israel with the sword and dash their infants against the stones and rend in peeces their women with child he said vnto the Prophet What Is thy seruant a dogge that I should do this great thing 2 King 8.12.23 As if he had said I were worse then a dogge if I should euer shew such immanity and fiercenesse and such beastly violence but the Prophets words fell out to be true he would not mistrust his owne heart and therefore he became sauage as a Wolfe fierce as a Lyon The example of Dauid will adde further light vnto this point for as long as he was awed by Gods correcting hand and fearing himselfe kept a narrow watch ouer all his waies he stood firme and vnmoueable against all assaults but when he grew fearelesse and carelesse we know what a grieuous and dangerous fall he had So Peter and the rest of the Apostles as long as they were afraid of themselues as concerning this matter of treason they were none of them fell but when he the rest grew confident of their owne strength then they all plaid the cowards especially Peter that was most resolute in an opinion of himselfe For whereas he professed that whatsoeuer his Maister thought of him he would neuer forsake him Christ must be content for once to be mistaken and
of any commandement but driuen vnto it by a secret prouidence of God Secondly they do it not in loue vnto God but in malice against God or men or both as Iudas in a splene conspired against his Maister because he found fault with his hypocriticall dealing Mark 14.6 c. and 10. c. Thirdly they aime not at Gods honour though they accomplish that which tendeth to his honour but they seeke themselues some way or other in that which they doe Which serueth for the iust reproofe terror of those Vse 1 that when they are conuicted of any haynous crime cast off all the fault with this I was predestinated vnto it and vnlesse God had appointed it I could neuer haue done it What of that therfore they hope there is no danger hanging ouer their head for such facts But what then will they say of Iudas did not he do that which God had decreed yet our Sauiour saith woe to him and we may as well say woe vnto thee for whatsoeuer they imagine the necessity of their sinning in respect of Gods decree doth nothing diminish the grieuousnesse of their offence neither shall it at all mitigate the extremity of their punishment This is for our instruction Vse 2 that we should frame our obedience in another manner and for that purpose reason thus with our selues haue I a cōmādement for this which I do is it a duty warranted by the Word which I now performe Some do that which God hath appointed but it is onely by a prouidence not in any conscience how doth my obedience differ from theirs Do I practise good duties because God calleth for them then shall my seruice be acceptable vnto God do I forbeare euill because he forbideth it then do I that which is pleasing vnto him otherwise not In this maner let vs sift our hearts performing euery thing in that manner and to that end which God hath ordained that we may not onely doe that which the Scripture saith for so did Iudas but that which the Scripture warranteth and in that sort as it approueth for so Gods seruants are bound to do It had bene good for that man if he had neuer bene borne It is good for vs that he was borne because we haue benefite thereby but not for him because whatsoeuer matter of contentment he had in his life time turned at length to the increase of his misery and to his perpetuall damnation Whence this point may be gathered Doct. 5 that All the delights and contentments of wicked men in this world No earthly contentment can coūteruaile the punishments in hell cannot counteruaile the miseries that they shall feele in the world to come Iudas had life it selfe which is a thing very delightfull and of which it is truly said though by a lying spirit Skin for skin and all that euer a man hath Iob. 2.4 will he giue for his life He had also great preferment being one of the Apostles and the chiefe office amongst them namely to be their pursebearer which liked him exceeding well because he was a thiefe and stole from them much of that which was giuen yet notwithstanding all this and whatsoeuer else can be named our Sauiour saith it had bene good for him that he had neuer bene borne The like may be said of Saul Ieroboam Ahab and many other kings Who would accoūt it a good bargain to haue their kingdomes with all the honours and delights which they could afford and their victories with all the glory that accompanieth the same vpon this condition that he shall endure the same miseries and torments in hell that they do Certainely no wise man would willingly make such a match for what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and to lose his owne soule First Reason 1 the best delights and contentments of this life are mixed with many troubles sorrowes and feares but their miseries in the life to come are pure miseries without any mitigation or comfort in their paine and torment Secondly their pleasures heere are few and short and of small continuance but their paines hereafter shall be innumerable and endlesse Thirdly all their delights in this life are but snares and all their good cheere and dainties but poysons and the more men take of them Reuel 18.7 the more grieuous shall their punishment in hell be For instruction Vse 1 that we should not endanger our soules for the enioyment of the pleasures of sinne for a season yet many are so foolish that so they might satisfy their fleshly desires they care not though they doe it with the price of their soules so they may haue their pleasures and commodities and fulfill their beastly lusts they will euen sell themselues vnto destruction as Ahab did not caring what miseries they cast themselues into nor what snares they intangle thēselues in so they may accomplish their brutish and diuellish purposes being therein more silly then the poore bird or fish that once perceiuing the snare or the hooke will not easilie meddle nor aduenture the danger the second time Secondly if it be so Vse 2 that all the cōmodities and delights of this life cannot counteruaile the miseries of damnation then on the other side why should it not hold as true for our comfort that all the losses and sorrowes of this life cannot counteruaile the happinesse of saluation for the Apostle saith Rom 8.18 that the afflictions of this present time are not worthy of the glory that shal be shewed vnto vs the one being light momentany the other weighty and eternal Let vs suffer neuer so many disgraces and losses go through neuer so many hard brunts our blessed estate in heauen will answer for all so that as it was said of Iudas it had bene good for him he had neuer bene borne notwithstanding all the delights that he enioyed so may it as truly be said happy we that euer we were borne notwithstanding all the miseries that we haue endured yea though they haue bene as great as theirs of whom mention is made Hebrewes 11. that they were racked and stoned and hewen in sunder c. for they endured all in hope of a beter resurection Verse 35. and so should we if God bring vs vnto the like extremities And thus much of the conference now followeth the institution of the Lords Supper The end of the ninth Sermon THE TENTH SERMON MARKE 14.22.23.24 22 And as they did eate Iesus tooke the bread and when he had giuen thankes he brake it and gaue it to them and said Take eate this is my body 23 Also he tooke the cup and when he had giuen thankes gaue it to them and they all dranke of it 24 And he said vnto them This is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many ANd as they did eate Iesus tooke the bread and when he had giuen thankes c. or as the word fignifieth blessed that is prayed
these imperfectioÌ„s of ours for Christ was appointed to be an vniuersall Minister for all his elect in the perfection of his petitions thankesgiuing all the blemishes that are in ours shall be hidden and couered Thirdly this is for the reproofe of such prophane persons Vse 3 as come vnchearefully and heauily vnto this Sacrament and if the respect of their gouernour of the lawes and of their owne credite did not moue them they would altogether absent themselues from it these are wretched persons that make no more account of this singular pledge of Gods fauour Hath Christ prayed vnto his Father for a matter of no worth and giuen thanks vnto him for that which is of no estimation But let such vnbeleeuing and sinfull wretches go and as for vs let vs be assured for our comfort that when Christ became asuitor to his Father he was in such fauour with him that he obtained that which was worth the hauing and deserued praise thankesgiuing both from him and from all his people as that which should be a meanes of their euerlasting happinesse Verse 22. Take eate this is my body c. This is the commandement that our Sauiour giueth vnto the communicants to wit that they should take the bread and take his body eate corporally and eate spiritually receiue the signe and the thing signified the one as well as the other for so much doth the promise which is annexed This is my body imply As if he should haue said This bread broken before your eies doth plainly represent vnto you my body that is the whole manhood a part being put for the whole which is giuen for you and shall be broken for you that so you may haue a spiritual communion with me as there is a naturall vnion betwixt you and this bread which I giue vnto you and the like is to be vnderstood of the wine The words thus expounded according to the simple meaning thereof affoord vs this doctrine that Christ Iesus in the Lords Supper Doct. 7 by corporall foode doth giue vs a most sure possession of himselfe Our vnion with Christ by the Sacrament and neare vnion with himselfe The bread and wine are not onely pledges of what shall be bestowed on vs but effectual means to exhibite the things promised vnto vs and therefore Christ vseth these words Luke 22.19 1 Cor. 11.24 Luke 22.20 Take eate this is my body which is giuen for you which is broken for you and so of the wine Drinke ye all of it this is my bloud which is shed for you Now what can be nearer vnto vs then our meate and drinke We haue greater interest in nothing then in our foode for that is made a part of our selues If we eate meate in another mans house after we haue receiued it it is more ours then his that prepared it no one ioint is so neare another nor the soule so neare to the body as our foode is neare vs when once it is digested and turned into nourishment vnto vs which doth plainly represent vnto vs the neare coniunction that is betwixt Christ euery worthy receiuer Hence proceedeth that speech of the Apostle The cup of blessing which we blesse 1 Cor. 10.16 is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ the bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ that is do not these cause vs to haue an effectuall coÌ„munion with him in all his gracious merits Now if question should be made why Christ should make choise of bread to be a signe in this Sacrament rather then of any other more excellent and glorious creature The answer is Answer that he did it for diuerse reasons 1. Why GOD made choise of bread Because it was his will as it is said concerning the Gospel that it pleased him by the foolishnesse of preaching to sone them that beleeue There is besides his pleasure great wisedome in it because it is very fit to represeÌ„t that vnto vs for which it was ordianed it being substantiall foode and therefore called the staffe of mans life on which it doth as it were leane and whereby it is vpholden and besides this is for euery mans stomach and for euery ones state and may euery where be gotten And yet withall we must know that bread cannot fully expresse the efficacy of the spiritualll food Christ Iesus which we are to feed vpon for bread is earthly that food is heauenly bread preserueth the corporall life and that but for a time Christ not onely preserueth but giueth not a naturall but a supernaturall not a temporall but an eternall life Thirdly God made choyce of bread in respect of his owne glory that the weaker the meanes are the stronger his hand might appeare to be If we had bene to receiue gold or gemmes or precious stones our senses would haue bene more wrought on then our hearts and we should haue more regarded the signe then the thing signified the which inconueniences with other of the like kind the Lord by giuing vs bread hath preuented Seeing then that the bread as also the wine in the Lords Supper is of such excellent force and vse as to put vs in mind of Christs death and bloudshedding to testifie his vndoubted true and reall presence to euery faithfull communicant and to refresh and feede the soules of the worthy receiuers vnto eternall life in which regard they doe as farre surmount common bread and wine as the waxe wherewith a pardon or charter or any other euidence is sealed is of more worth then that which is to be sold in the trade mans shop Seeing I say that the bread is of such singular vse this maketh first Vse 1 for the confutation of the Papists which hold that after the words of consecration there remaineth no bread at all but that it is transubstantiated into the very body of Christ Iâ—ndeed we graunt that as the bread so Christ his body is there offered and receiued by euery faithfull communicant but how nor corporally but spiritually not from the Ministres hand but from God hand not by sense but by faith And for the further clearning and confirming of this truth many reasons might be brought but I wil produce but onely some few The first is taken from the expresse words of the holy Ghost in the Scriptures who mentioneth bread after the words of consecration Reasons against transubstantiation saying the bread which we breake 1 Cor. 10.16 and againe He that eateth this bread c. I Corinthians 11.27.28 A second reason is this We receiue the same in substance which the Fathers did in the wildernesse I. Cor 10.1 for the Manna is there called spirituall meate and the rocke is said to be Christ now it is certaine that they did not corporally eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ because he had not then assumed our nature and our Sauiour denieth the Manna to bee the true bread
prouision for vs. Vers 23. Also he tooke the Cup c. In that wine is ioyned with the bread Doct. 8 this point may be noted Christ maketh vs a sull meale that Iesus Christ in the Sacrament doth make vs a full meale We haue here not onely bread but wine not onely the body of Christ but his bloud also euen the whole Christ with all his graces offered vnto vs. This is promised in the Prophesie of Isaiah where it is said Isaiah 25.6 In this mountaine shall the Lord of hoasts make vnto all people a feast of fat things euen a feast of mixed wines c. Meaning that he would make for his Church complete prouision whatsoeuer might be for health or strength or delight And the like is proposed in the ninth chapter of the Prouerbs And there is cause why we should thinke this to be so for First he is of sufficient ability so that he can doe it Reasons And Secondly his loue vnto vs his people is such that he is willing ready to doe it Some men whē they make feasts could prouide variety of good cheare but they are loath to go to the charges others are franke and liberall enough but they want ability to giue great intertainment so that they speake that truly which others doe vaine gloriously I am sorry that your cheare is no better But it is otherwise with the Lord as he is bountifull and will not spare cost so is he rich in all aboundance of heauēly treasures and needs not spare cost and therefore seeing Christ hath prayed that al his ghests might haue of the best they shal not faile of any thing that their heart can desire and long for Especially seeing it is for his owne glory A mortal sinfull man euen the king of Persia for the setting forth of his magnificence and greatnesse spared no cost in the feast that he made vnto his Princes Ester 1 much lesse wil the Lord of glory in this banquet which he prouideth for his people feeing that he is incomparably better able and more bountifull and withall seeth and considereth the seuerall needes and necessities of all his children Here then in the first place Vse 1 is confuted the error of Popish Priests that will haue but one kind of food at this table and so cause the people to haue a dry feast without any wine at al thus do they sacrilegiously rob Gods people of that allowance which he hath appointed for them and him of that glory which is due in respect of his large bounty in this behalfe For whereas the Lord instituted the cup as well as the bread and prayed and gaue thanks for the one as wel as for the other bidding thē drinke all of the wine as well as eate of the bread they teach and practise the cleane contrary And that their sacriledge may not seeme so vile as in truth it is Obiect they produce some shewes of reason for this their dealing It is needlesse say they to adde the wine vnto the bread for when we receiue that we feede on the whole Christ and partaking of his body we must needs withall partake of his blood which is contained in the veines See here how shamelesly they controll Christ himselfe Answer for if we receiue the bloud in receiuing his body why did he ordain the cuppe as well as the bread They answer Obiect that Christ gaue it onely to Ministers and so doe they So did he the bread also Answer and therefore by the same reason they may administer neither bread nor wine vnto the Laity and what reason can they alleadge why Ministers may not receiue the bloud in the veines as well as any other But the words of Christ may decide this controuersie when he saith Drinke yee all of this this is my bloud c. which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins And who are those many euen all that should afterwards beleeue in him To those for whom Christ his bloud was shed the cuppe must be administred but his bloud was shed for priuate men as wel as for Ministers and therefore the cuppe must be administred to them as well as vnto the Apostles themselues A second vse of this point is for instruction Vse 2 that seeing there is such plenty and variety of all good things offered vs at this banquet no other feasting or voluptuous liuing should either keepe vs from it or make vs come vnworthily vnto it yet how many are there that do so glut themselues with eating and drinking and surfetting on their carnall delights that they are altogether vnfit for the Lords table Thirdly here is matter of reioycing for Gods poore seruants Vse 3 that though they fare hard at home yet they may haue as good refreshing as any other in the Lords house for Christ Iesus doth there prouide a full meale for them This was Dauids comfort when he was banished from the assemblies of Saints and could not be present at the Sacraments and sacrifices when he could but remember that he had bene at them and also bene a profitable communicant as oft as he could it did much refresh his soule so that it was satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse with the very meditation therof he had receiued such store of grace from Gods ordinances and such a strong apprehension of his fauor that he counted it better then life it selfe And the cōsideration thereof did not onely comfort his soule but helped him also in his bodily necessities in so much that when he was in a barren and dry wildernesse pinched with hunger and pressed with thirst the very remembrance of those things that were past long before did cause him more chearefully to vndergoe all his penury and want If he then tooke such comfort therein in his absence how much more should we being present at the same Verse 24. This is my bloud of the new Testament That is this is a signe and seale of the new Testament which is so called because thereby Iesus Christ doth bequeath vnto his people as all the benefites of 〈◊〉 life so the speciall blessing of all euen eternall life and this is tearmed a new Testament in respect of that which was made the time of the law That was and this is when that was insufficient in some respects the Lord abolished it and established this in stead thereof as being much better then that for though both of them aime at saluation by Christ yet it is in a different manner for 1 Differences betwixt the old and new Couenant That was obscure consisting in rites and ceremonies where by Christ was darkly perfigured but this is more plaine and perpicuous so that Gods mercy and goodnesse towards vs in his Sonne may more clearly and euidently be discerned in this one Sacrament then it could by all their sacrifices Then the bloud of beastes was shed in stead of Christs but now hath he shed his owne bloud