FOVRE LEARNED AND GODLY TREATISES VIZ. The Carnall Hypocrite The Churches Deliverances The Deceitfulnesse of Sinne. The Benefit of Afflictions By T. H. Printed at London by Tho. Cotes for Andrew Crooke and are to be sold at the signe of the Beare in Pauls Churchyard 1638. Imprimatur Tho. Wykes 1638. Severall Treatises of this Authour 1. THE Carnall Hypocrite on 2 Tim. 3.5 The Churches Deliverances on Iudges 10.13 The Deceitfulnesse of sinne on Psalme 119.29 The Benefit of Prayer on Prover 1.28 29. 2 The Vnbeleevers preparing for Christ out of Revelations 22.17 1 Corinth 2.14 Ezekiel 11.19 Luke 19.42 Matthew 20.3 4 5 6. Iohn 6.44 3. The soules Preparing for Christ or a Treatise of Contrition on Acts 2.37 4 The soules Humiliation on Luke 15 Verses 15 16 17 18. 5. The soules Vocation or Effectuall Calling to Christ on Iohn 6.45 6. The Soules Vnion with Christ 1 Cor 6.17 7. The Soules benefit from union with Christ on 1 Cor. 1 30. 8. The Soules Iustification eleven Sermons on 2 Corinth 5.21 THE CARNALL HYPOCRITE 2 TIM 3.5 Having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof from such turne away IF you cast your eies into the first Words of the Chapter in the first verse you shall find the holy Apostle writing to Timothy his Sonne and Scholler doth by way of Prophecy and direction from God discover the manifold dangers that would come to passe in the last dayes and also annexeth the great danger in the 3 4 5. verses he makes up as it were a Catalogue of those corruptions that should harbour in their hearts and discover themselves in the lives of wicked men in the last age of the world which is the age wherein we now live In the 1. v. perilous dayes shall come the reason of the trouble and the ground of the misery that the Spirit hath foretold shall befall and be brought upon the world it shall not be in regard of the punishment inflicted but in regard of the sinne committed Among which sinnes he reckons up the cursed dissimulation that men should carry a faire shew outwardly when they had a great deale of wretchednes and vilenesse in their hearts inwardly that is one of the last though not one of the least sins here reckoned up thus farre the Apostle doth exhort Timothy to turne away from them Before we come to particulars Doct. 1 take up the point in generall from these words as they stand in reference to the former The multitude of sins bring the dangerest times When there are the greatest abominations committed there is the greatest danger to be expected For the danger of times lyeth not in regard of outward troubles but in regard of the manifold corruptions that are in us and the many evils committed by us when men are most wicked then the time is most dangerous for it is not the power of Satan nor his wicked instruments that can bring misery to the People of God but the roote of all ruine lyeth within our selves Iere. 2.19 Here is the evill here is the venome of all afflictions and the gall of all troubles that we have forsaken the Lord that his feare is not within our hearts 2 Chron. 15.5 They were without blessings because without God Instruction Vse to teach us how to procure comfort to our owne soules to recover our Country times out of those dangers that are threatned against us it s not meanes nor men nor policy nor strength that can doe it til our evils be reformed Let every man looke to his owne wayes and reforme his owne corruptions and turne from his evill courses and then all dangers and inconveniences will turne away and God will be a God to us when they did eate and drinke and did righteously was it not well with them I say no more but remember it is Gods only wish that it shold be thus with us Isa 48.18 O that thou hadst harkened to my Commandements what then what should we have got by it marke then what followeth thy righteousnesse had beene as a river O why might it not be our wish too that we that enjoy peace and plenty under our Soveraigne may have the same still continued to us still harken to God and all things shall hearken to us Hos 2.21 If we would call and obey him hee would heare Mat. 11.23 This was the ground of the desolation of Sodome and Gomorrah so that to humble and to reforme our sinnes is the best meanes to maintaine the safety of a Kingdome or Nation In the Verse observe two things first what Carnall Hipocrites and cursed dissemblers will doe They have a forme but deny the power Secondly what the carriage of the Saints should be toward these they should turne away because they turne away from God and the power of godlinesse First the Hipocrite what he doth he is onely the picture of godlinesse as Machivel that cursed polititian speakes hee would have a man to take up the name of vertue because there is no trouble in it no disquiet which comes by it but hee would not have him take up the practise of it So it is with an Hypocrite it is easie to have a shew and appearance but when it comes to the vertue power and strength of it he cannot indure it Here is two things to be discovered before wee come to the doctrine first what is meant by godlinesse secondly what is meant by a forme First this word Godlinesse implyeth two things first the doctrine of Religion which by the Apostles is called the doctrine according to godlinesse secondly that implyeth that gracious frame of spirit whereby the heart is disposed and the soule of a Christian is fitted to expresse some gratious worke outwardly For what the oyle is to the wheeles of a clocke it makes them runne glibber so godlinesse to the soule when the soule is oyled and annointed therewith it is fitted to performe any good duty Secondly what is meant by the forme of godlinesse I answer the word forme or fashion it is taken by way of resemblance and similitude from outward things it is nothing else but that outward appearance that any thing hath discovering the nature and being of it We use to say that he hath the guise of his behaviour and the proportion of such a ones carriage though he hath not the like disposition of minde so in this case a carnall Hipocrite may have the guise and portraiture or the outward profession of a childe of God that what a holy heart doth expresse outwardly hee may expresse outwardly Looke as it is among stage players the stage-player puts on brave apparell and comes on to the stage and resembles the person of a King and acts the part of a Monarch but if you pull him off the stage and plucke his roabes from his backe hee appeares in his owne likenesse so it is here a carnall Hipocrite a cursed dissembler is like a stage player he takes upon him the
fire will heat and burne make way kindle and turne all into a flame at conclusion Secondly it will not onely breake through all corruptions but through all outward occasions that comes against it Psa 39.3 The good man was among a company of mocke-gods that were flowting and gibing and now saith he I burned and spake with my tongue as who should say the grace of God was so powerfull that he could hold no longer he could beare no more but spake with his tongue Looke as it is with the Husband man he casts his seede into the ground and covers it over with earth yet that little seed will breake the earth and rend the ground and come out so it is with a godly and holy heart where in the immortall seede of Gods word is sowne though there be clogs and occasions of oppositions this way and that way and another way yet a gratious heart will breake through and the good worke of the Lord that is implanted in the soule will appeare in the life and conversation Consider Reason 2 the end why God gives grace which cannot be attained unto unlesse wee expresse the power of this grace outwardly as well as to have it inwardly in our hearts For marke the ends why God gives grace are principally these two First to glorifie the Lord Ephe. 1.6 There was such a proud heart humbled such a carnall wretch purified 1 Pet 2.12 I would have Gods children carry themselves so holily that the wicked may admire at them and glorifie God the second end why God gives grace that we may be a meanes to draw others on in the same way wherein God hath inabled us to walke 2 King 7.9 There they say Wee doe not well this day is a day of glad tidings come therefore let us tell it to the Kings houshold so it is with a mercifull gracious loving heart if God ever opens his eyes and shewes mercy to his soule and pardon his sins then he thinkes sure I doe not well that I doe not tell it to my fellow servants that they may love grace and embrace it and be blessed by it this thou must doe and ought to doe and this you cannot do if you keepe your grace secret within your hearts therfore tell your fellow servants of a truth I had as stony as carelesse a heart as you but it hath pleased the Lord to breake it it hath cost me many a sob and salt teare but now the Lord hath pardoned me did you but know the peace of a conscience you would never live as you doe this is the frame of a gratious heart Instruction Vse 1 that it is not a fault for any man to shew himselfe forward in a holy course and holy conversation know it is no fault to expresse that grace which God hath bestowed upon thee I speake this the rather by reason of the cavils of a company of carnall persons that cast reproaches upon this course ah say they they can make a shew but they are all hypocrites if a man knew their hearts they are as bad as the worst I answer how dost thou know their hearts to be bad we judge the tree by the fruite and we may judge the heart by the life and conversation But be his heart naught yet there is not a fault in that hee makes a shew to make a shew and to expresse holinesse is good but that is a fault that the heart is naught let that therfore which is good be commended and that which is naught be avoyded It is not the fault of gold that it glisters but that it glisters and is not gold But what heart is thine in the meane time that cannot indure so much as the shew of godlinesse it shewes a heart marveilous violent against God a heart marveilous Satanicall he that loves his father will love the picture of his father so if thou lovest holinesse thou wilt love the picture of holinesse But you will say we doe not discommend holinesse Object but it is this Hypocrisie that we disallow God forbid that we should speake against holinesse Give me leave to reply two things First Answ that which thou seest them want labor thou for and that which is good in them labour thâ—u to take up Thou that sayest those are Sermon hunters yet they will couzen and lye and the like dost thou speake against hearing the word and praying in families no oh but this couzening dissembling why then take thou that which is good sanctifie thou the Lords day and pray thou in thy family shew thy holinesse outwardly and bee thou also inwardly sincere but thou that hatest the forme of godlinesse it is a signe thou hatest the power of godlinesse Secondly if thou hatest them for hypocrisie then thou hatest them because they are sinnefull and if thou dost thou wilt hate those more that are greater sinners as a man that hates a tode the greater the tode is the more he loathes it so if thou hatest hypocrisie because it is sinneful then thou wilt hate that man which hath more sinne but thy conscience testifieth that thou canst love drunkards and harlots adulterers and speake wel of blasphemers those thou art content with and wilt not reproach them this is a great signe thou hatest holinesse and sincerity because thou hatest the shew thereof For reproofe it condems the opinions of a great company of carnall professours that bragge Vse 2 of their good heart when in the meane time they have base lives Take any carnall wretch that hath neither the forme nor shew he will though he make not such a shew as many doe but he hath as good a heart to God ward be not deceived God is not mocked this is an idle conceit of thine owne carving and coyning a thing that the Saints of God never found a thing that the Scriptures never revealed no no if grace be inwardly it will shew it outwardly You would thinke a man were beside himselfe that should tell you of a Sunne that did never shine or of a fire that did never heate this would be a strange sun a strange fire so it is a strange kind of imaginatioÌ„ thou hast thou thinkest thou hast a good heart and yet never expresse it outwardly in thy conversation it is well sometimes there may be a shew without a substance but this is impossible that there should be a substance without some appearance Should thou see a body lye on the bed and neither sence in it nor action proceeding from it you would say it is dead it lives not so in this case if faith worke not it is a fancy it is an idle foolish carnall presumption why faith purifies the heart and workes by love faith is mighty and powerfull and faith is operative and effectuall therefore thou that thinkest thou hast a holy heart and never shewest it in thy course it is a foolish delusion of thy heart therefore know this for an everlasting rule that
of all the Ordinances of God that they can never worke upon the heart wonder not then though they cause a man to breake all the commandements of God since the Word of God works not nor cannot for these three causes First either it keepes a man from comming under the meanes and therefore shall never receive good thereby loose company loade all holy courses with such scandalous reproaches that they scare poore sinfull creatures from undergoing of them 2 Nay further it is the policie of all loose persons they will appoint their meetings when they may hinder men most from the meanes that may doe them good and this is the reason that of all the dayes in the weeke they chuse the Lords day and of all the houres in the day the Sermon or Prayer time is theÌ„ houre wherein they meete And if he be resolved to attend upon the meanes they then fore-stall the market and make him have a slight account of preaching what neede wee all this preaching let him preach till his heart ake who is the better for his preaching so then if the poore soule doth come the soule heare and cares not if he cares he attends not if he attends hee regards not if any thing touch him he casts it off as if it did not concerne him Thirdly loose persons if it be so that any thing doe remaine upon the heart if the Lord comes home and affrights his soule and discover his sinne and writes bitter things against him and the soule promiseth resolves to turne unto the Lord and to leave all never to returne O then what a doe is there with this cursed rabble to pecke out the good seed of the Word which is sowne in the heart they will never leave plucking haling of the poore soule til they have made him cast away the blessed truth it is with cursed ones in this case as it is with the ravenous bird Math. 13. Hence it is that it they see one hang the wing a little and goe aside they thinke the Minister hath wounded him and they imagine hee will withdraw himselfe from their company therefore they make after the soule overcome and thus they set upon him why is it how comes it what is the reason what is the cause that thou art thus disquieted what art a mad man to be troubled thus at the words of a Minister I would never doe it while I lived what would I care what all the Ministers in the world should say they must say something now let not this trouble thee and thus they plucke the soule from under the power of the meanes and haply the seede of the Word that the Lord then sowed will never sow it againe may be it was the last time of asking had he then withdrawne himselfe from the societie that seede might have taken roote and he might have beene blessed for ever but the ravenous companions stole it away thus then we see wicked companions keepes a man from comming to the Word if he doth come they forestall the power of the Word if the Word doth prevaile they plucke the seede of the Word out of the soule that it can doe their soules no good that keepe company with the wicked 3 Parti Your cursed companions will never leave a poore sinner till they mould him even according to their owne mind untill they bring him to their owne bent and frame therefore note thou that keepest company with wicked ungodly persons they will leaven thee according to their owne frame and they will leave thee the very same lusts and corruptions this is the cause of a finall and totall destruction of a world of people There is this kind of priviledge in ungodly company keepers that there is a kinde of army of corruptions they are the devills army and they fight the devills battels therefore the soule is beset round with them Were a man to fight against another man there were some hope of resistance or if there were two against one there were some hope of esâ—ape if hee could not oppose them yet hee might slie from them but if hee be among an army there is no way to escape so it is with those that keepe wicked company thou art beset with an army perhaps profanenesse hit thee not their hypocrisie haply hypocrisie doth not their loosenesse haply loosnesse doth not then envy or some other distemper Imagine you see a man in the midst of an army of Archers happly though one hit him not yet one of twentie if one of twentie hit him not one of a hundred may if one of a hundred may not one of a thousand may one or other will hit him he cannot avoide it all ungodly courses all wicked speeches councells perswasions are but like so many arrowes and thou that art in the midst of wicked persons thou art in the midst of an army one or other will hit thee thy conscience will be wounded thy soule ruinated by this meanes This I observe by my experience wicked men will never leave till others be worse than themselves they are like the foggy aire in the Fenns if a man live in the place it will be sure to arrest him it is called the Fenne Bailiffe and will never leave till it hath turned the humour of his body into the same nature with it selfe and then hee may live there and have his health well enough so it is with a company of filthy foggy drunkards and adulterers company-keepers they will never leave thee till they arrest thee with base courses til they have moulded thee with their frame then thou maist enjoy their society here wiâ—h them and goe downe to hell hereafter Mat. 23 15. So it is generally in this case he that before company-keeping was somewhat tender and shamefast he would blush to be seene in an Alehouse in base courses but after he hath bin a while with them they make him twofold the child of the devill now hee hath a whores forehead and his brow is of brasse and his necke of iron sinewes and dares be drunke at noone daye c. the reason is hee is perfectly new moulded Instruction Vse 1 to the wicked themselves you must not be displeased with the Saints of God in that they judge meanely of you and estrange themselves from you But Object you will say what care I what the Saints of God say and doe doe you thinke I care for their company let them keep what company they will I can keepe as good as they O take heede of this if the Saints of God say depart from me yee wicked what will then the God of all Saints if the gracious Saints will not abide thee here will the God of all Grace abide thee in heaven hereafter no no the fearefull sentence will passe upon you at the great day of account Depart from me ye cursed therefore labour to be senceable of this and so be humbled and abased for this and labour
amended the Lord will knocke them to peeces and consume them And when we shall see the streets runne with the bloud of drunkards and loose persons then you will say had the hand of the Lord wrought upon us it would not now have beene thus with us Isai 9.13 the Lord smote the people and they returned not therefore what saith the Lord he will plague and make an utter ruine of them because they would not humble themselves before the Lord nor seeke to him nor make their peace with him the Lord hath seven plagues more and he will welter you in your bloud and plucke your cursed abhominations from your bosomes then you will say God is just and terrible and had wee beene reformed by former punishments wee had not hence under this fierce rodde which we now feele The second signe of the strength of sinne is this when the Lord sends peace and plentie and prosperitie and these blessings of God doe not perswade men to love him so much the more and use them so much the better but they fall in love with the gift and forâ—ake the giver you make your honour and ease and pleasure you make them gods and depart from the Lord which is the giver of all then it is just with the Lord to plucke away that ease and honour and preferment that you dote upon and are addicted to that in the want of these you may learne to prize the Gospel and learne to esteeme of the Lord Christ and his grace above all these contents the world can afford now unlesse the Lord should be accessary to the dishonour of his owne name what would you have the Lord to doe would you have him give you peace and prosperitie to neglect the peace of a good conscience by this meanes God should be as it were the author of his owne dishonour no no thinke of it I feare it will be true if the Lord should take away our ease and liberty that we have made Idols off then you shall say if you had prized God and Gospel more than ease and liberty you might have had these and God and Gospel too Deut. 28.48 this is that which will one day sticke heavie upon your hearts for your soules sake thinke of it and remember it if the Lord should send the enemy upon us and lay hardnesse over us and wee should be made vassals unto the tyranny of wicked men this will sticke to your hearts had I served the Lord in plenty and such a time when I enjoyed the meanes of salvation then it had beene well with me but I was loose and profared the Lords day and therefore it is just now I serve the enemie upon the Lords day I am made a drudge and a vassall and a slave to the malice of the wicked It is just with God and righteous with the Lord you would not serve God when time was you would not heare the Word when time was God will provide a course for you you shall have service enough and God will hold you to it you shall serve cruell and bloud-thirsty enemies to the shame of your faces here and to the ruine of you and yours hereafter for ever 2 Chron. 36.21 then shall the land rest one Sabbath saith the Text marke this among the Iewes the Lord appointed every seventh yeare to be a Sabbath that the Saints should rest there should be no plowing nor sowing and all creatures should rest now they were so covetous that they would plucke commonly out of the earth the seventh yeare well saith the Lord you will not let the land rest you shall be led captive and then the land shall rest on her Sabboth it is just that God should plucke away these benefits to the confusion of our face for ever when we abuse them Looke as it is with a wife if she should have a servant in the house which shee loves more than her husband what course must be taken hee must fling him out of the house and away with him so when wee should love God and prize his glory and truth I yet we will love the world and profit and ease and quiet and peace and liberty and we wil do nothing that may hazard these it is righteous with the Lord to cashere those commodities and plucke away the adulterous lover of wealth and honour and ease that he may make a way himselfe in your soules that he may rule in you and take possession of you The third meanes is this when corrections reforme not and the blessings of God perswade not men then the Lord vouchsafeth to send his Word among his people and that should supply the want of all other meanes and should be more powerfull than any other in the world besides so that howsoever the covetous Carle dotes upon his wealth the Word should loosen his mind from it and reveale the vanitie of it however corrections humble not yet the Word is able to breake the soule and worke the soule to an humble subjection the Word is the power of God to salvation which is able to crush all corruptions and subdue all sinnes but sinne is come to this height that the Word is unfruitfull and unprofitable then sinne is desperately strong and wee are then come to the last and worst estate that can be it is more than wee are aware of and more than commonly wee consider of we know not what we doe when our hearts continue in resisting the Word of the Lord 2 Chron. 36.16 It is a deadly signe of desolation of any people When the liberty of Ierusalem was at the last gaspe giving up the Ghost and there was but an inch between them and desolation marke what the Text saith they mocked his Prophets and despised his Messengers till the wrath of the Lord arose and there was no remedy here was the ground this was the maine thing that the sinne eates the estate in sunder and pulled downe the pillars of the common wealth of Iudea you would thinke was it so much to despise the Word of a Minister Ah saith the Text the wrath of the Lord arose and there was no remedy as if hee had said the Lord is able to beare much at the hands of ungodly men and me thinkes the Lord saith I could have endured your drunkennesse and endured your profanesse had you but submitted to my Word those corruptions might have beene subdued but not onely to practise ungodlinesse but to refuse the word that should subdue those corruptions when the Lord saw this his wrath arose and there was no remedy God can endure much though a man have many corruptions in him though many sinnes have beene committed by him if the soule be yet content to heare and tremble at Gods Ordinances but when a man is not content to commit sinne onely but he will oppose Gods Word then the Lord like the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah can hold no longer then the wrath of the Lord arose and there
willing to be informed he will not cast off counsell and reproofe with matter of scorne and say I know as well as you let every tubbe stand upon his owne bottome meddle you with your owne matters and doe not you come in another mans Diocesse no a gracious heart will not doe this but what I know not teach thou me if I have done iniquitie I will doe it no more a gracious heart when he cannot see himselfe will be suspicious what courses are unlawfull and will seeke direction from God that he may clearely perceive it and reforme it and avoid it the heart of man is deceitfull above all things therefore a good man when he hath searched what he can if hee heare of any tricke and device that a carnall hypocrite may have he searcheth and seekes am I such a one and hee lookes up to heaven and saith Lord thou knowest the heart let mee know it thou knowest the windings of this soule of mine let me understand it that I may not be couzened The second is this when the sound heart is informed of the sinne with evidence of reason it yeelds quietly and sits downe convinced and submit it selfe to the authority of the power of the truth this is another thing a gracious heart as it will not when there is no reason to gainsay a truth so it will not invent trickes to defeate the power of the truth when it is evident and plainely brought home to the judgement this is certaine though a man out of a carnall minde because flesh will have his bouts although a gracious heart sometimes when it is informed and Reasons are sound and Scriptures undeniable it will a little quarrell and wrangle for the while yet when it seeth it cannot answer the argument it will be content to embrace the reason and be framed thereby and submit to the rule thereof Iob 40.4 when the Lord came to schoole Iob and had informed him of his owne exellencie and his basenesse he yeelds up the bucklers presently once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further as who should say I have spoken foolishly and said unadvisedly but I will say it no more and famous is that of the Cananitish woman when Christ was hot upon her and called her dogge truth Lord saith shee yet the dogges may eate of the crummes that fall from their masters table as who should say I confesse I am as bad as thou speakest I deny not what I am I am a dog I yeeld it yet the dogges lye under the table that is all I crave and aske that I may lye under the table and waile for crummes of mercy you know how it was with Peter when he had denied our Saviour he doth not wrangle it out colour it over but the very looke of our Saviour was enough to make him got out and weepe bitterly if the arguments be plaine and reason good it will not cast them behinde his backe and winke with his eyes and will not see the truth but a gratious heart yeelds easily and comes on comfortably to receive the truth I confesse this and experience hath taught as much in this nature in point of conscience it is possible for the soule partly out of weakenesse of judgement not being able to perceive the truth or else out of a selfe wild distemper which blinds the judgement it will wrangle against the truth but in my experience I have observed this is the issue it will never leave inquiring and disputing about the businesse till it fall that way the bias of the soule will runne directly towards the truth it is with a good heart though a weake one as with a sound stomack though distempered take hot water into a windy stomacke the winde will stirre on one side and the water on another side and distemper the stomacke but let the party take a little Methridate the Methridate closing with the stomacke will ease a man and refresh a man in this kinde so a good man hath a weake judgement in this kinde and sometimes a distempered heart but when the good word of the Lord the Cordiall water the Methridate when that comes into his minde and is taken into his soule a man will quarrell with profit and ease and carnall reason but yet the soule will bee the better and will close with it for its everlasting good Thirdly when a sound heart hath taken notice and is informed and upon that information sits downe convinced then in the third place it will set it selfe immediatly to the duty whereof it is informed and convinced when the judgement stands cleare and the heart yeelds the floodgate is set open and the water will flow if there were any evill before committed the soule sets upon the reformation of it if any duty not before performed it now sets upon the performance thereof consider of it it is true I doe not say that when a man is informed and convinced what is the course God requires and what is the duty God commands a man can then doe the duty as hee ought but hee will doe what he can and labour for ability to doe that which for the present he cannot Gen. 22 3 it was a hard taske that God enjoyned Abraham to sacrifice his beloved and darling sonne Isaack now when the thing was plaine though it was never so hard Abraham set about it he got up betimes in the morning and he and the child went and the servants and all and he addresseth himselfe to the performance of the duty and hee prevents all occasions that might hinder him his wife was not acquainted with it his servants knew nothing of the matter so if a man be the sonne of faithfull Abraham if thē Lord commands it though it bee the killing of a darling secure tender beloved lust if the Lord say it must bee done this sinne must bee abandoned this corruption must bee reformed though it bee never so profitable and bring never so much contentment hee will rise betimes in the morning that is hee will use all meanes and imploy all helpes for the accomplishing of it A gracious heart if his minde be informed and his conscience convinced of a duty he will set upon the duty it is a thing I would have you remember it is a marvelous distemper of Spirit when people speake thus I confesse it is a thing that ought to bee avoyded the word forbids it the Lord condemnes it and my conscience goes against it but what would you have me doe I cannot set into the worke I cannot goe on in the worke why then lay all aside lay sincerity aside for it cannot stand with sinceritie that I should be informed and convinced of a duty which the Lord requires at my hands and I not set upon it I doe not say a found heart will not doe it as he ought but he will strive to get abilitie to performe that God requires Alas
saith the Gallant I confesse these fashions are fooleries but what shall I doe out of fashion with the world the Text saith fashion not your selves after the world but the truth is I know not how to get out and how to get in it is a strict passage art thou informed of a duty and convinced of it and is thy heart perswaded of it and wilt thou not set about it where is grace then Civlitie will reforme Hypocrisie will reforme Nature will reforme Reason will reforme a man in outward things but if a man will not part with an apish fashion a foolery how will he part with all sinne that will not part with the shadow the appearance of sinne I conclude thus he that is informed and convinced what is sin and ought to be avoided and will not addresse himselfe to reforme it that man is not under the power of the Word and therefore hath no power of grace but hee that knowes the Word of God requires this and that God exacts this and is convinced of it and will not submit to that word hee is not under the power of the Word therefore hath no power of grace Lastly as hee is willing to know what he should doe and is easily convinced of what he is informed and doth endeavour to doe that whereof he is convinced so in the last place his heart is content to take up the hardest meanes the sharpest medicines that God hath appointed for the killing and slaying of his corruptions if there bee any medicine in the world more keene then other any meanes more sharpe then other that may cut off his base distempers a gracious heart will be content to take up that that it may serve his turne that there might bee reformation made I expresse it thus take an arme or a legge that hath a Gangrene the nature of the sore is that it will infect and spread and kill the whole man now the Chirurgion comes and tells the patient either you must lose your legge or your life either you must have your arme cut off or you will cut off your dayes there is no other remedy why then if the patient say hee will abide the worst every man will say he doth not purpose to live if he did purpose to maintaine life hee would take away that which will take away life So it is here with some kinde of baser sinnes I meane grosser opener notoriouser crimes that I may so say are scandalously vile there is no way in the world but there must be some sharpe corrasive applied or else the soule will never bee separated from these there must be some strong corrasive and sharpe medicine applied now if the soule will not take that corrasive and medicine he doth not purpose to part with sinne because hee will not use the meanes that may take away sinne as for instance a man hath gotten an estate by theeverie and couzenage and the like now when the Word of God comes home to his conscience and informes him and tells him he must satisfie every man that is the thing he must make satisfaction for hee should humble himselfe and bemoane his estate with teares that will not serve the turne nothing will cure him but satisfaction that is the Gangrene that must be cut off but then hee will say most of his estate was gotten by this meanes and if hee make satisfaction hee shall beggar himselfe but if hee bee content in good earnest to part with his sinnes he will take this course because nothing else will doe the deed a Broker in London that had gotten much by couzning when the Word came home unto him and discovered his sinnes hee was content to make satisfaction till it came to five and ten pound but when it came to an hundred pound he flew off I will passe no judgement upon him but his course was base before and so it was afterwards a man that deales falsely this is the medicine this is the corrasive that must cure him thus Zacheus did If I have wronged any man saith he by forged cavelation let him come I will restore him fourefold A gracious heart that is truly wrought upon will apply this medicine the other instance is this imagine a man that lives in the bosome of the Church a great professour hath beene either openly drunk or hath beene a knowne adulterer there is no cure for this man let him fast and pray and humble his soule and cry and howle I know not how this mans conscience can be quieted unlesse he make publicke confession in the Congregation hee must not onely satisfie his owne conscience but hee must satisfie the Congregation the Church of God hath beene wronged and the Church of Christ dishonoured and discredited hee must therefore undergoe publick pennance as his offence was publicke this is a sharpe medicine and corrasive but a good heart will take it up as an antient spake hee lay at the Church doore and said spit upon me cast me out of your Congregation so God cast not my soule out of heaven I care not Thus much a good heart will doe and then he is content in good earnest to part with his corruptions hee is willing to know what is sinne he yeelds when hee is informed and readily embraceth what hee yeelds to nay he will take the sharpest medicine to doe him good but if yet the sinner findes that hee cannot be rid of his corruptions and distempers then he goeth to God and intreats him to doe that for him which he cannot doe himselfe and that appeares in three things The first passage is this it lookes unto the truth of God and it wisheth and welcomes those truths that are in reason most powerfull to prevaile with his soule and most likely to worke most effectually for the subduing of his sinnes that when he cannot doe what hee would and master his sinnes as he desires he wisheth that the Lord would direct some man by some powerfull truth to plucke these rebellions out of his soule hee wisheth and hee wellcomes and he takes those truths that may be powerfull and effectuall this way so that the soule makes his moane to God and complaines as David did ye are too hard for mee yee sonnes of Zerviah Oh Lord these corruptions sticke too fast they are too strong they are too mighty for me I am not able to remove them but Lord take them thou away from my soule take away the way of iniquitie from me nay teare them from me nay doe what thou wilt with my soule onely remove them from my my soule this is a gracious heart now nay the Lord takes this as his proper worke and speciall prerogative I take away the heart of stone and I give the heart of flesh this is his perogative royall none meddles with it but he therefore the soule argues thus Lord thou hast said that thou takest away the heart of flint thou hast promised to subdue a stubbourne spirit
and to master a malicious vaine spirit Lord doe this for the soule of thy servant take away these distempers and in thy faithfullnesse answer the desires of the soule of thy servant helpe me Lord against the rage of these sinnefull distempers and when the truth of Christ layes battery against a mans heart and that it brings and sets up another frame and disposition of heart the soule lies under the blow and closeth with that truth more of that Lord oh there againe Lord. A man that is troubled with the toothach if the Tooth-drawer apply his instrument and hee find hee hath hold of it hee saith that is it pull it out leave nothing behind So when the soule is under the stroake of strong distemper if hee make conscience of these things when the word comes home to his soule and meetes with that distemper he saith Lord plucke out all of it that I may never see that pride more that I may never see that malice more leave not a stumpe behinde Lord that I may be freed from that cursed distemper of spirit this is the difference betweene a varnished hypocrite and a sound heart a wretched unsound heart it feares least the Word should come home to it it feares the blow when hee seeth it comming hee wisheth he were ridde of the place or the Minister ridde of that point but a sound heart feares least the Word should not come close enough it is conscious to it selfe and knowes and sees I have heard such Sermons and such terrors and such mercies revealed and I am still to this day stubborne to this day rebellious so that I feare nothing will prevaile with mee nothing will get ground against this rebellious spirit of mine I feare the Word will not touch me nor master this rebellious spirit this is somewhat you meane in good earnest that you and your sinne will part it is a fine passage Zach. 13.6 One meetes him and askes him where hadst thou this wound I was wounded in the house of my friend a gracious heart counts the Minister a friendly Minister and a friendly Word that cuts his heart to the quicke and goeth to the coare of his corruptions oh the wound was the wound of a friend it was a friendly reproofe the Minister spake friendly to mee that wounded my corruptions I saw the coare comming why this is somewhat when the soule can wellcome such truths as are for the a wakening of it Secondly as the soule wisheth and wellcomes those particular truths that may awaken and overpower a distemper and leave a contrary grace so it is restlesse before God be pleased for to worke this before it see every corruption mastered and the frame of sinne tottered at a restlesly looking to God and restlesly waiting upon God why when will it once be such a mans heart is broken and such a mans conscience awakened and such a mans spirit brought low and Lord shall nothing prevaile with me He is restlesse in seeking unto the Lord till he see every sinne mastered and every corruption overpowred so that though it be inherent yet it is not regnant The Irish man being malitious and fearefull he never thinkes his enemy killed till he hath cut off his head hee will be sure to make him past recovery so a gracious heart never thinkes his sinnes are slaine till hee see the strength and power thereof subdued in every particular more or lesse till hee see the very bloud and life of his corruptions removed this is that a gracious heart is restlesse and intreats at Gods hand from day to day therefore it is a fine passage Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death marke the weight of his complaint hee doth not say deliver mee from the stroake of sinne or the action of sinne but from the body of sinne there is a body of pride there is a body of malice a body of anger a body of the cursed distempers of a mans soule now a gracious heart is not content to be freed onely from the tongue of pride that hee may not speake proudly but Lord deliver mee from the body of pride from the body of malice from the inward frame of my distempers in a word looke what Haman said concerning Mordecay when hee had all the cappes in the country and all knees bowing to him What availeth this saith he so long as I see Mordecay sit in the Kings gate So saith a gracious heart what availes it me that I am not a theefe or a drunkard or an adulterer if yet this proud heart prevailes this proud heart and carnall confidence of mine will bring my soule into everlasting destruction the soule is restlesse till the Lord looke upon him and deliver him from his corruptions The third thing is this that the soule is content that God shall doe what hee will with his corruptions take them away after what manner hee please though it bee upon the hardest tearmes in the world as it welcomes those truths that may worke as it is restlesse till they doe worke so it is contented that the Lord should worke upon sinne and subdue it upon the hardest tearmes in the world A covetous man if nothing but beggery will loosen his heart from the world then hee will pray the Lord to make him give away all and leave himselfe a beggar so hee may have a liberall heart So if a man bee notable to subdue the pride of his heart a man hath great parts and abilities and hee prankes up himselfe therein if there bee nothing will cure this timpany if nothing will doe the deede unlesse God knock off the wheels and leave him in the dust and make him the off-scouring of the world yet a gratious heart though this be hard saith Lord let mee have an humble heart whatever it costs me this man now is in good earnest content to part with his corruptions For the use of the point wee have first here a matter of lamentation and I know not whether wee are to condemne the evill of the world or mourne for the evill that appeares in the hearts and lives of men but this is sure that if this be the behaviour of a sound heart then there is little soundnesse and uprightnesse in the world not to hover in generall but to pitch upon particulars which is the life of application let me make it appeare in these three particulars this is a bill of inditement and falls heavy and foule upon these three sorts the first is the prophane person the second is the indulgent hypocrite he is very loath to part with his corruptions if this be true if this bee the frame of heart which David expresseth and is in the soule of every good man then judge you I will say nothing but judge you set downe the sentence what doe you thinke of those that are content rather to part with their blood and with their hearts then with their
away no therefore strive you to enter seeke after another manner then they doe that so thou mayst obtaine that which they shall never obtaine many deale in this case as Gentlewomen at a Sermon if they may have a seat at their ease they will sit downe and heare but if they must crowd for it then they returne and get no good so many seeke but they strive not with their seeking they are not able to crowd thorough all occasions and take up armes against the distempers of their soules that so they may obtaine that mercy they stand in neede of But you will say if earnestnesse and vehemency will not doe the deede what then will doe the deede the rules therefore for our direction in seeking are three first labour to seeke seasonably while the day of grace lasts and the Sunne shines take the season and goe on cheerefully and arrive at the end of your hopes call upon the Lord while hee may bee found it was the direction God gave to Ierusalem and the mone he makes for her neglect therefore Luk 19.41 O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day c. hee ceaseth praying and falls to weeping he had preached often and prayed often but nothing would prevaile hee falls a weeping over it O that thou hadst knowne at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace as who should say now this is thy day now the word is brought home unto thee now my Disciples are preaching and the Sonne of man himselfe is come to wooe you Oh that thou hadst knowne in this thy day the things that c. but they are hidden from thine eyes take notice every man hath a day and a season which is the harvest of salvation doe you not take notice of this that at some Sermon God opens the eye and prickes the conscience and sometimes lovingly perswades a man and the soule is yeelding and walking after the Lord the soule melts lovingly under the hand of God this is thy day take heede how thou neglectest it and as thou goest home intreat the Lord to make profitable that which thou hast heard and say this is my day I am now in the fire Lord melt me I am now under the power of thy ordinance make it effectuall to my soule and take notice of it if the spirit of God call and you regard it not and let all goe and all commodities are plucked up and gone you may come and call and cry but it is too late that Spirit which thou hast resisted shall never worke more thanke thy selfe the day is gone now they are hidden from thine eyes the day is over and therefore thou maiest crie Oh for a Minister oh for a Sabboth no no if all the Angells in heaven should speake and all the Ministers on earth should preach themselves hoarse thou wouldest not be affected therewith therefore take the season and the golden opportunitie of grace and when Christ comes to your soules entertaine him if Christ knocks open the doore if hee awaken thy conscience doe not snubbe it labour now to see thy sinne that thou mayest finde mercy at the hand of the Lord. Secondly as wee must seeke seasonably so wee must seeke with our whole heart now the whole heart makes knowne it selfe in two particulars the first is this when all the good things of this world be they what they will be cannot withdraw us from Christ this is one part of the whole heart when profits and pleasures of this world stand in competition and opposition betweene God and our duty to cast off all and say whether I have honour and libertie or no I care not so I have God my God I will have this is a happy seeking away therefore with that lazie heart I thinke it should be so and ought to be so and it is good sanctifying the Sabbath and praying it is mervellous reasonable I ought to doe it but if I doe it ease and honour will be gone and disgrace will be cast upon mee thou now seekest thy ease and honour and the Lord of heaven will curse thee and thy seeking but if thou diddest seeke with thy whole heart thou wouldest goe thorough the worke and say what regard friends and honours let ease and friends looke to themselves let friends bee displeased I had rather friends should be displeased then God it is not necessary to be rich or honorable but it is necessary to finde mercy and to have sinnes pardoned Secondly as no good thing must withdraw us from God so no misery must be a stoppe to let us from comming to the Lord but we must breake through all miseries that lie betweene God and us this is that Saint Paul resolved Acts 20.24 as who should say come what can come though heaven and earth meete together I am resolved to doe what God requires hee that seekes God with his whole heart if hee were to runne thorough hell he would runne thorough it to goe to God now away with that dawbing and hagling with the Lord O saith the poore soule I confesse the course is honorable God requires it and I should doe it but if I doe it trouble and persecution will befall me what shall become of me and mine will you have my wife and children undone if thou thus seeke the Lord thy seeking is accursed thou dost not seeke with thy whole heart they that seeke with their whole heart are like a mayd that sets her affections strong upon a man happily her friends will be reasoning about the portion and there is a cavill on the one side and an objection on the other povertie on one side and maintenance on the other side but if the woman love the man for the mans sake shee will say let me have him though I beg and die with him so it is with the soule of a poore Christian that seeke Christ with his whole heart when Christ and grace and duty bee propounded and the match offered and Christ tendered to the soule and the Lord saith I will bee thy Saviour and Redeemer but thou must looke for disgrace and misery and persecution but there is a better life a comming now if you stand for a portion with Christ that you must have ease and quiet and will not have misery and prison with Christ then you are never like to make a match but he that loves Christ for Christs sake the soule saith let the Lord Iesus be a Saviour to mee though I beg and die and never enjoy good day it is enough my soule shall bee saved if I should rot in prison and bee banished into the utmost coasts of the earth yet let mee have my Saviour let him take possession of me let his Spirit rule me whatsoever come of it this is to seeke God with our whole heart and now you are like to finde him Thirdly you must seeke the Lord constantly you must persevere in the use of all meanes looke as it is with a man that is resolved to finde another and not to leave seeking till hee hath found him he goeth first to his house he is not there he was gone to such a place an houre before well hee pursues him thither hee is not there but is gone to the Market hee followes him thither when hee comes thither hee is gone home againe well then backe againe hee goes to his house and never leaves hunting and pursuing of him till he findes him so it is with a soule that truly and constantly seekes after the Lord hee is to be found in his ordinances haply thou commest to the Word and findest him not here the Word saith hee went from hence to fasting and prayer then thou findest him not there neither then thou goest from fasting and prayer to holy conference then hee is not to be found there but is gone to the publike ordinance in the Congregation then thither thou goest and wilt not be content till thou findest him but goest backward and forward from the Word to prayer and fasting from them to conference from thence to the Word againe this to seeke the Lord constantly and hee that thus seekes is like to obtaine Psalme 122.1 The Prophet David saith Hee will waite untill the Lord sheweth mercy let this be thy resolution seeke unto God till he doe worke effectually upon thy heart thou hast fasted and prayed yet God hath not heard why fast and pray still untill hee supply what is wanting and pardon what is amisse thus never leave endeavouring and doing untill the Lord sheweth mercie unto thy soule and give the assurance of the pardon of thy sinnes thus seeke the Lord seasonably thus seeke thee Lord with all thy heart thus seeke him constantly thus seeke him with your whole heart and hee will be found of you in mercie and compassion FINIS
know lived and dyed in their sinnes The Adulterer saith he must have his queanes the power of godlinesse saith he shall not the drunkard his companions the power of godlinesse saith hee must not have them unlesse hell with them now here is the quarrell therefore they take up the show and deny the power thereof The power Reason 2 of godlinesse is accompanied with a great deale of straightnesse and painefulnesse in a Christian course now a carnall man would faine have some elbow roome and goe a broad way but the way of godlinesse is thus and the hypocrite is not able to be pinched hence hee is not able to beare the power of godlinesse Take notice of this the power of godlinesse requires a conformity of the whole man in speech practise course and behaviour the power of godlinesse hath an universall jurisdiction and will rule in your tongue in your course in your apparrell in your company nay it requires besides the heart and sinceritie thereof and this is straight and difficult therefore they deny it The power of godlinesse is Reason 3 severe and sharpe and keene and cuts to the quicke it ransackes mens consciences troubles mens soules and will not let them alone therefore it cannot be endured when the power of godlinesse comes it will make a man see upon what ground hee goeth and with what evidence of life and salvation Gal 6.4 as who should say many men thinke themselves some body in the world but they are nothing when they come to the triall Rom 7.9.21 before God opened his eyes he thought he was in a good course but afterwards it was otherwise c. Outward hypocrites can lie cheate sweare and be drunke for company and goe away and never bee troubled they say they will repent and hope God will pardon them c. but the power saith oh those cursed distempers of heart are enough to sinke your soules into hell for ever this now vexeth them and then away goes godlinesse These deniers and opposers of godlinesse may bee referred to three sorts or rankes Such as openly and caustomarily continue in the commission of any sinne in any kind after their conscience hath beene convicted and after their judgement hath beene informed and also the nature of the sinne and the condemnation due unto it out of the Word hath beene discovered these doe undoubtedly discover unto the world that as yet they have no worke of true grace wrought in their soules I doe not say they that commit onely hainous sinnes and continue in them as drunkards c. but those that lye in and ordinarily take up the practise of any evill which is knowne these have not the worke of grace in their hearts I know Gods Saints oftentimes trip and are taken aside but ordinarily to take up the practise of any evill cannot have true grace As for example a common and ordinary swearer a common prophaner of the Lords day a man may passe this conclusion upon such persons to be gracelesse this is seene 1 Ioh. 3.7 as if hee had said many will beare you in hand that they are honest and holy but let no man deceive you t is not saying but he that doth righteously is righteous And he that committeth sin is of the divell but you will say doth not every one commit sinne no he that is said to fall into sinne is not said to commit sinne but hee that takes up a trade in sinne it is his occupation they are workers of iniquitie Psal 14 9. The Lawyer goes up to London in Tearme time but he hath his Vacation time too so sinners have their Vacation time the Drunkard Vsurer Adulterer have their Vacation times but so soone as the terme time comes so soone as the occasion is offorded and the opportunity offered they fall to their old trade Now if you see these men you may know him hee is one of the limbes of Sathan hee is one of impes of the Divell and in truth a child of the Divell so long as hee remaines in that estate hee doth not say hee falls now and then into an evill way he is now and then taken aside but the rode wherein all travells is a naughty way the gamester sets himselfe to gaming c. that same setting of the Bias of the soule in an evill way and the expressing of the same in a mans practise certaine yet hee is in the gall of bitternesse these persons are called the children of Belial 1 King â—1 this word signifies such as will beare no yoak it is their ordinary course to shake off the Commandements of God as Drunkards c. are children of Belial their hearts are base and their lives as bad as their hearts but you will say their hearts may bee good for all this nay I say they cannot how prove you this I answer thou toldest me so that is thy life and conversation doth testifie it the drunkard saith I am a notorious drunkard beare witnesse men and Angells and friends and neighbours they proclaime it to madde men and children Iam. 2.18 Shew me thy faith by thy workes hence I conclude faith inwardly may be seene by workes outwardly then I conclude also that hee may his infidelity too by his workes if grace be expressed by precious workes then a mans base heart may bee descried by base practises No Phisitian sees the heart when he tryeth whether his disease be in the heart but hee feeleth his pulse but if that bee vehement and violent hee saith his heart is very much distempered Happily I doe not see the wheeles of a Clocke but when it strikes I know it mooves So it is herein doe not thinke that you may have good hearts and yet wicked lives No no I can feele your hearts by your pulse if your conversation be naught your hearts are worser Eccles 10.3 The foole proclaimes himselfe a foole so doth the drunkard Aye Object but you will say is it not possible for mans heart to bee good all this while such a man will be tipsey now and then and such a one will lye cozen and dissemble now and then but cannot a man have a good heart for all this I will not tell you so Answ but the word tells it Matth. 7.18 A good tree cannot bring forth evill fruite he doth not say a good tree may now and then bring forth evill fruite but commonly it brings forth good no further it is impossible why judge you can Grapes grow upon Thornes or doe men gather Figges on Thistles can this be you will presently say this is impossible it is against nature and reason He whose judgement is informed and his conscience convinced what duty it is hee should take up which godlinesse requires and also enables him to take up and yet will not set upon it this man denyeth also the power of godlinesse in his practise I doe not say thus that he that cannot performe good duties after such a manner or in such a
for to be better and then the Saints of God will love and delight in your societie THE CHVRCHES Deliverances IVDGES 10.13 Wherefore I will deliver you no more THese words are the speech of the Lord to the people of Israel From the sixt Verse of the Chapter to the end of the seventh we have the condition of the people of Israel in great distresse discovered together with the dealing of God towards them and their behaviour towards him In the Chapter three things are especially considerable First wee have the children of Israel Apostatizing and declining from the Lord and the sinceritie of his worship In the first part of the Verse Yee have forsaken me and served other Gods Here was the declining of the people of Israel they forsooke the true God and served false gods and as their sinnes were so were their plagues the Lord pursued them with heavie judgements and fierce indignation hainous sinnes are commonly accompanied with great plagues and punishments and that appeareth in the ninth Verse Israel was sore distressed Secondly we have the people of Israel crying and complaining to the Lord in the time of their trouble they that forsake the Lord in the time of prosperity were faine to flie to him in time of adversitie for succour And therefore wee shall see how earnestly they cry unto the Lord in the tenth Verse heavie afflictions breed hearty prayers and earnest supplications their punishment was not so grievous but their prayers were as hot and vehement They cried to the Lord saith the Text. Then lastly wee have the Answer of God in the 12 13 and 14. Verses where the Lord doth relate his good dealings with them and their unkinde dealing towards him I have delivered you saith the Lord out of the hand of such and such enemies he reckons up his former mercies but now he doth deny to shew any more favour toward them because they had abused his former mercies and that is in the words of the Text Wherefore I will deliver you no more as who should say goe now to the gods of Zidon let those Idols save you now let those Images deliver you now but my kindnes was not regarded my mercy was not respected and for my part I will deliver you no more expect no succour from me at all In the generall before wee come to the maine see here the deniall of the Lord to the people of Israel though they sought him and cried unto him The Point is this Those that come unto God in prayer in their sins Doct. they shal be sure to have a deniall of their prayers Psal 66.8 If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not heare my prayer so it was here though they sought God marvellous earnestly and cried in the vehemencie of their spirits yet the Lord stopped his eares and listned not unto them he gives no answer unto their cry hee professeth plainely he will not deliver them he will not succour them The Vse of this Point in generall is this First Vse of Instruction wee may here see the reason why we call and God answers not why wee seeke the Lord and he is not found of us in mercy and compassion why we pray unto him and yet he rejects our persons and stings out our Petitions and is angry with the prayers of his servants The cause is wee bring our sâ—…es with us before God and therefore we cannot receive mercy from God The abomination of our hearts spoile the petitions we powre forth before the Lord that he neither accept them nor sheweth any favour unto 〈…〉 when welcome before the Lord and bring out sin herewith as our pride and our malice and our covetousnesse it is not praying but lying and dissembling and mocking and abusing the great God of heaven as though wee should come before the Lord to aske him leave to sinne and intreate favour of him that wee might commit our sinnes without any disquiet that he would give us a privie seale to sinne these drunken prayers these idle proud prophane prayers and lying prayers the God of heaven will not heare them when they come from a lying dissembling filthy drunken heart thou that bringest such prayers the Lord will not heare the Lord will not accept the Lord will not regard such prayers This is the thing I would have wicked men take notice of that thinke to heale all in the time of distresse with a few large desires and idle wishes they will be proud and loose and opposers of God and his Gospell and yet you thinke God cannot but grant you what you desire if you have but halfe an houres warning to aske pardon no you that live in your sinnes and pray to God in your sinnes you bring judgement upon your selves and plague upon your soules but mercy you shall have none answer you shall not receive in this kinde Prov. 28.9 The prayer of the wicked c. The second Vse is a ground Vse 2 of Exhortation Would you so come to God that you may finde acceptance with him Would you so call that the Lord may heare you when you call then wash your hands in innocencie and so compasse his Altar this is the counsell God gave Esay 1.17 Cease to doe evill learne to doe well and then whatsoever your abhominations be they shall be pardoned whatsoever your miseries be I will ease you Psalm 10.17 18. The Lord prepares the hearts of his people to call upon him a heart mourning for sinne and a heart loosned from sinne when you leave sinne behinde you and send up a prayer from an humble heart and a broken soule then God will heare you and you shall receive an answer from the God of heaven as he seeth you have most neede to carrie you on in a Christian course In the Verse there are three things observeable He saith I will not deliver you goe to your gods let them comfort you for my part I have no comfort no mercy for such as you are those gods you served in prosperity goe to them now for succour in the time of trouble In the Verse it selfe take notice of three things first that God doth deliver his Church for that is presumed I will deliver you no more as who should say I have preserved you and protected you and the like God takes this for granted and they found this by experience Secondly God sometimes denieth succour to his people I have done so but now I will deliver you no more I have no more mercy for you to succour you in the day of trouble Thirdly we have the cause of this Wherefore that is because you have served other gods and departed away from my worship because you will not reforme your wicked wayes I will deliver you no more First for the former God doth deliver his Church The Doctrine is this Doct. The Lord is the deliverer of his Church and people in the time of trouble the Church is in great misery it is confessed
their degree This is that matchlesse villany and that unconceiveable trechery which the Papists had contrived and had not God delivered us blessed be his name he did so but had he not delivered us we may easily conceive what the successe would have beene Oh the lamentable confusion that would have beene in every corner of the land when a mans goods should have beene taken from him and no law to helpe him nay his liberty should have beene deprived of and his bloud should have beene shed and no man to relieve him therefore since this might have beene and since the Lord hath preserved us that it is not so score up this goodnesse and thinke of this kindenesse of the Lord. This is the fruit of Popery and the practise of the Papists Oh that you would loath such savage crueltie worse than hell it selfe Adde hereunto the third thing we must take notice of if any thing more may be conceived to manifest the hainousnesse of the fact the actors of the worke tooke the Sacrament upon it that they might not goe backe from the performance hereof what cursed wretches were these not onely to commit sinne but to make the Lord the Author of it nay to make the Sacrament the scale of the desolation of the Church Could the devill doe more I thinke he could scarce endevour to doe worse this was their policie and it should have beene our misery if the Lord had not delivered us Thus we see the policy their malice and resolution that we are defended from this malice of theirs and succoured from this policie of theirs there is no other reason can be rendered but the Lord is the defender of his people it was by his power that wee were delivered and that we are a Nation this day it was the Lords worke and to him we ought to returne all the praise so much for the first Vse of the Point The second use is this If God Vse 2 be the deliverer of his people Then it is a great ground of confidence to beare up the hearts of poore soules in affliction if God will deliver who can destroy if God will keepe who can hurt thinke of this in the day of triall and in the time of extremitie thinke of this that God never leaves nor forsakes his servants he will say to the South give up and to the North bring backe my servants from farre and my daughters from the end of the earth We that are assembled here if it had taken place many of us had beene scattered and the children that have beene borne since had not now beene here Therefore if the Lord shall shall send desolation upon the Land and wee be scattered one from another yet uphold your hearts and sustaine your soules the Lord will say to the South give up and to the North keepe not backe but bring my servants from farre and my daughters from the end of the earth he will restore those little ones againe and they shall live to praise his Name and magnifie the greatnesse of his power he can deliver against all meanes against all hopes and expectations thinke this against the time of trouble the enemy is very strong and we are weake if you expect any strange extremity intended against us thinke of this against that time though the policie malice and power of the enemy be great and we are weake and feeble yet the Lord is still the deliverer of his servants and behold the salvation of the Lord the Lord hath power enough still and can over-power the power of the enemy the Lord hath wisedome still and can defeate the policy of thy enemy thinke of this and heare for after times The last Vse is an Vse of exhortation Vse 3 Hath the Lord done all for you then you will save me a labour what will you then doe for God againe me thinkes you that are here this day should all come and resolve to consecrate your selves your soules and bodies to give up all unto the Lord it is hee that hath delivered you let him have obedience from you it is he that hath maintained you therefore give up liberally all that he hath bestowed upon you Luke 1 74 75. see the Collection there made He hath delivered us from the feare of our enemies that we should serve him in righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of our lives God hath redeemed us from the jawes of hell and the bond of the devill to what purpose that being redeemed from the devill and from our temporall enemies we should live in basenesse and loosenesse and dishonour him as he hath delivered us No but to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse not in Holinesse onely in regard of the first Table but in Righteousnesse also in regard of the second Table and before him that is in Sinceritie and all the dayes of our life that is in the dayes of grace and prosperitie as also in the dayes of affliction therefore say the Lord hath delivered us in Eightie eight and in the Gunpowder treason to what purpose therefore call upon one another and say our lives our substance and all we have is the Lords therefore let us serve him and glorifie him 1 Sam. 27.28 when Hannah asked a child and the Lord heard her when she had the child shee returnes and marke how she pleads I prayed for the child and the Lord heard me therefore I will give him againe unto the Lord. You Fathers of Israel and Daughters of Sarah men and brethren thinke of it Nay I goe further you little ones that are preserved this day that you live you may thanke the Lord if Eightie eight or the Gunpowder treason had taken place where had you and your fathers been but if children will not or can not yet you mothers teach them and fathers instruct them thinke of it and joyne all in the same resolution doe as Hanna did present all you have about you before the Lord and say these children are thine we begg'd them in Eightie eight and in the Gunpowder treason they are thine by creation they are thine by preservation it is the Lord that hath delivered us from the jawes of the Lyon from the power of malicious enemies therefore now joyne hands and hearts together and say Lord blesse goods and children all we have is thine we consecrate all to thy Majestie had the Papists prevailed had the Powder plot taken ground we had beene defeated but thy power resisted them and thy wisedome defeated them therefore all is thine and wee render all unto thee Thus I charge you give up all unto the Lord he gave all at first he hath preserved all hitherto therefore give up all to the Lord as you have received all from him The second part of the Exhortation is this as we must consecrate all to God that hath given all so secondly here is a point of wisedome Labour to be in league with this God Oh that I could perswade you to tender
the second is the great good hee needs and begs and craves to be bestowed upon him grant mee thy Law gratiously In the former againe take notice of two things the first is the nature of the sinne described and it is tearmed the way of lying The second is the affection David had to this sinne he was weary of it and burthened with it was desirous to have it removed from him take it from me and not onely take it but cause it to goe away as the Hebrew phrase carries it it implyes an action upon an action as the Hebrew expresseth it if the way of lying will not goe Lord take it away from the soule of thy servant wee will first come to the first part and passe breefely because it is not the maine thing wee intend but what is meant here by the word way Wee must understand that the passages of a mans Spirit and the practices of a mans life and conversation are said in Scripture to bee a path or way it is compared to a path way when all the power and abilitie of a sinner is spent in travelling and passing from one duty to another from one action and service to another as the body passeth from place to place so the soule of a man goeth from one service to another so that the worke of a man whether touching the soule or his outward actions they are sayd to be a mans way the minde is plotting and the affections stirring and the will choosing and all the parts of the body are acting forth their severall workes this is a way this the Prophet David intimates Psal 119.9 Wherewith shall a young man clense his wayes that is the frame of his heart inwardly and his conversation outwardly and the motions of the heart and thoughts of the minde they are the galleries within doores and all a mans courses and carriages and speeches are the rodes and out-roomes so that by the way is meant nothing but the cursed distemper of a mans heart and the disorder of his life the corruption of a man in regard of his disposition inwardly and his actions outwardly that is the way the Prophet here meaneth Now the point wee are to treate on is this the nature of all sinne is to be deceitfull the course of corruption is deceitfull it is faire in the outside but in the bottome it will couzen and delude all the wayes of sinne are crooked and all the wayes of wickednesse are perverse it is the nature of all sinne in generall and of every sinne in particular to bee counterfeit and deceitfull this the Apostle intimates Ephes 4.22 Put off the old man saith the Text that is corrupt after his deceitfull lusts the lusts of a mans heart will tell him hee lies to his face Now the deceit of sinne is double first it makes a man deceive others corruption in the heart is like rottennesse in the roote of a tree or in the coare of an Apple it withers all the branches if the roote be rotten and if the coare of an Apple be rotten though it bee never so beautifull it will deceive him that buyeth it it will not bee fit for foode to him that hath it so rottennesse in the heart and distempers in the soule it will wither all the shewes of equity and honesty and uprightnesse that formerly were observed Zâ—ba had a deceitfull heart and of a servant hee becomes a false accuser Achitophel had a proud heart and of a Counsellour hee becomes a traytour and David was wonderfully cozoned in him it was thou my familiar that didst eate bread at my table So the covetousnesse of Demas his heart made him fly off from the truth and forsake the fellowship and faith of Saint Paul and leave him in the lurch Paul had some confidence in him but he deceived Paul hee had a covetous heart Secondly it is deceitfull not onely because it deceives others but it deceives the Author himselfe as it makes the sinner deceive others so it deceives the sinner it promises faire and performes nothing in conclusion it hath a faire outside but the issue is nothing at all it promiseth mountaines of riches and ease but when a man lies on his death bed it plagues the soule and rends the heart Obad. 3. Wee shall observe the maine cause of the couzenage of Edom The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee thou that dwellest in the clifts of the rockes that saith who shall bring me downe Because shee was ferced strongly and had men and meanes she lifted up her selfe and said I shall never see desolation the pride of thy heart shall deceive thee no body couzened her but her selfe none deluded her but her owne soule and it is pretty to observe concerning Ionah hee was sent to Niniveh but because hee thought disgrace should befall him hee should proclaime destruction to the city and God would pardon it and so he should be counted a false Prophet this made him take another course now hee goes to Tarsis and enters into a shippe and is gore farre but this pride and policie of his deceived him hee thought hee should have had all quiet and content and ease no the Lord sent a troublesome messenger after Ionah the Winds began to bluster and the Waves beate at last they awake Ionah and Gods anger awoke his conscience and God with great trouble sends him to Niniveh God made him goe downe into the belly of hell and yet made him goe to Niniveh too and does his message too Little did Acâ—n thinke when he tooke the Babilonish garment and the wedge of gold to inrich him all Israel should stone him in the Valley of Achor So Gehezai out of covetousnesse got two suits of raiment but he little thought he had got a suite of leprosie that should cleave to him and his posteritie for ever nay Exod. 1. I will name onely this when Pharaoh was to trade with the children of Israel hee calls his Councell Let us deale wisely he thought all the world was his now but when hee thought to deale wisely his wisedome couzened him for take notice of it which is a thing remarkeable the way he tooke to suppresse them did multiply them for hard labour is the onely way for generation and multiplication and his putting of them to great paines turned to deceit to himselfe so then if sinne promise faire to others and never doth what it pretends if it promise faire to the workers thereof and never performes it then sinne is deceitfull sinne is a lyer you might save mee a labour then me thinkes every man that understands himselfe and hath common sence will make the sence and conclusion faire never beleeve a lyer reason and experience teacheth us this no man will place his confidence in a dissembler that will couzen him this will be the issue of all ungodly courses you that looke after and attend to any sinfull course how ever some promise faire and pretend much glorious
base corruptions I meane the prophane carnall wicked of the world they are so farre from being content to have their sinnes taken away that they are not willing to heare of it they are not willing that the Minister should meddle with them or that any man should touch them or come neare them nay there is no power outwardly that can prevaile no abilitie in any meanes that is able to teare these distempers away from their soules and plucke the cup from the drunkard or the dalliance from the adulterer or a fashion from the fashion-monger they are up in armes presently nay observe it men must beware it they meddle with these things they will take away mens credit and liberty and life many times rather then they will suffer their corruptions to bee remooved and their soules humbled by the power of the Word Iohn must rather lose his head then Herod his incestuous adultery Nay the league of these men with their lusts it is everlasting Ier. 18.12 when the Prophet came early and late speaking to the people this is the good and ancient way walk in it mark how they answer we will walke in our owne wayes and as they resolved so they did Ier. 8.5 the Text saith when the Prophet came to speake to them and informe them of their wicked wayes and plucke away their corruptions they tooke hold upon their deceits the phrase is strange this is all the quarrell in the world betweene the Minister and the hearts of the people we come to plucke away your sinnes wee would pull downe your proud heart and subdue your cursed distempers and you take hold of your lusts you take hold of pride and will continue proud still you take hold of malice and you will be malicious still in despight of God and Ministers and counsels and directions and what ever comes to the contrary looke as the Philistims dealt with the Arke so these prophane carnall hearts deale with the Word of the Lord when it comes to take away their distempers 1 Sam 4.9 when the people of Israel brought the Arke into the Campe they began to be amazed and said there was never such a thing before therefore say they strengthen your hand O yee Philistims and quit your selves that yee be not servants to the Hebrewes The Arke was a type of Christ now if they would have beene ruled by Christ and have received him they might have beene blessed by Christ but all is gone when the arke comes to take away their sinnes therefore they joyne hand in hand and strengthen themselves against him so it is with a naughty and carnall heart when they see the word of God close that the ministery of the Gospel is keene and pierceth when a man shall not hover in the generall that a man may bee a Christian and prophane a swearing lying prophane Christian but the word will pluck away every corruption and master every lust when they finde the ministery thus strong and the Word thus keene and the worke of Gods Spirit thus mighty they arme themselves and say Play the men O yee Philâ—stines they bend head and hand and heart together looke either to master the power of the Word or to lay downe the power of your corruptions therefore take heede of the nice precise curious course that the word reveales and the ministers would presse upon you The resolution of these men is that of Ruth and Naomi they say to their sinnes as they did nothing but death shall part us the contentious man will part with his estate before hee will part with his brangling so the ambitious man will be content that God shall take away his Word and Spirit but shall not take away his vaine glory you will not part with your sinnes untill death why you shall live in your sinnes here and you shall bee damned for ever for your sinne wee have now done with the carnall Gospeller and prophane person Wee will now trade in the second place with the indulgent hypocrite I use this terme because it fits the passage of the point in hand and he is cashered and cast out as not sharing in as not partaking of the least dramme of uprightnesse of heart this indulgent hypocrite I compare to a fond cockering father that never loves to have his child out of his sight but if hee die hee will die with him almost So this hypocrite hee is not willing to see an everlasting divorce betweene sinne and his soule he hath some secret haunt of heart and distemper of spirit and hee will leave them now and then a little but hee will not part wholly with them the soule of the hypocrite is hankering after those secret distempers of spirit and though sometimes the Word doth overpower him and the worke of conscience doth make him not dare to live with his sinnes yea hee will meete with his sinnes as occasion serves and they will mainetaine their old league and friendship in this case as it is with a cockering father when sometimes the friends perswade him and necessitie forceth him and hee seeth hee must put out his child to schoole or else hee will be spoiled loath he is to have him goe out of sight but goe hee must therefore goe he shall but his conclusion is this hee will see him once a quarter or every good time or looke as it is with servants in a family that intend marriage before the master be acquainted with it though the master turne one of them out of the house that they doe not dwell together yet they will meete one another and conferre with one another as occasion serves So it is with this indulgent hypocrite he is very tender over his old ancient darling distempers privie pride and secret selfe-love and carnall confidence and earthly mindednesse he is not able to part wholy with these but if reason force him and conscience presse him and he must part with his profit if he be covetous then with a sad heart hee parts with his base profit away you must I must couzen no more and ease away you must I must suffer for the cause of Christ but though he puts them from under his wings thus for the present yet he will not have them goe farre but he must heare of them and see them at some seasons so the Tradesman he hath his fingers knockt off from base dealings and false weights and measures but when the faire comes and advantage comes hee will send for couzening againe so hee that prizeth his liberty more than the Gospell and truth and he that prizeth his honour more than Gods honor yet saith he must abandon all and forsake al if dangers approach and miseries are at hand then he can send for securirie and shift for himselfe and by base dealing maintaine his owne quiet this I take to be the indulgent hypocrite and mee thinkes it is like Pharaohs dealing when Pharaoh was battered with the hand of God and the
not adultery a man may pot it a little though he be not drunke oh deale kindly with drunkennesse and deale kindly with wantonnes these are the guises of wretched hypocrites whereas I beseech you observe it a gracious heart is like that spoken of Deut. 13.8 the Lord gave this charge If thy brother the sonne of thy mother or thy sonne or the sonne of thy daughter or the wife of thy bosome or thy friend which is as thine owne soule shall entice thee secretly let us goe serve other gods thou shalt not spare him this is the frame of a gracious heart indeede and of a sound heart indeede that is content to have his corruptions though never so deare removed from him that will not pitty his sinne that will shew no mercie to pride no mercie to earthlimindednesse but will slay them this is sound dealing indeede Wee see then all this while that this man hides his sinne and will not be knowne of it and when he knowes it he will not kill it but put in bayle and when hee doth proceede against it hee will not slay it but onely snibbe it a little this is a rotten naughtie heart it is not content to part with his sinnes which is the frame of every good heart Now in the second place it is a word of exhortation you see the way walke in it you see what God requires doe what you know you see what a sincere heart will doe therefore call and knocke at one anothers doore is my heart good you beare in hand so this will trie it a good heart is content to part with any corruption art thou so say it is so aske thy heart am I content to part with the world and idlenesse and pride are you content to pray in your family and reforme your servants then you have sincere hearts goe your wayes and goe comfortably goe cheerefully and the God of heaven goe with you if there be a Saint in heaven thou art one heare upon earth if there be a sound heart in heaven thou hast a sound heart here though thou art weake and feeble but doe it to purpose now doe not pretend faire and fall short halfe in Egypt and halfe out of Egypt body out of Egypt and heart in Egypt but take away all and then the worke is sincere profit might perswade you to this doe not trouble your selves to thinke if I leave all my sinfull courses what will become of my comfort and honour and contentment Why you shall not lose these but onely alter these and change them for better what profit is it to be proud and dogged and waward and snarling at Gods truth What profit is got by covetousnesse and cheating all these profits and pleasures and contentments are but shadowes and lying vanitie there is woe in all thy wealth and poyson in all thy prosperity and the best are but temporary and mutable insufficient but part with these and have eternall joy and everlasting comfort and durable riches doe but change therefore it is not the leaving of these but the laying out of these a man will doe much for a good purchase he that hath a faire bargaine and a great penny worth though hee hath so me old gold hee is loath to part withall yet if for so many hundreds as hee layes downe shall have so many hundreds a yeare he will art with his old gold for such a purchase so you shall not lose your profit and pleasure and contentment but lay them out for a greater fold He that leaves father or mother or friends for my sake shall have a hundred fold heres and everlasting happinesse here after the purchase is propounded therefore bring out your old gold those old pleasures those old contentments and delights in the world bring all out and lay all downe before Christ and part with all for Christ and you shall receive comfort here and everlasting happinesse hereafter but if profit cannot prevaile with you yet let danger force you hereunto know therefore there is danger in the neglect thereof if you would not have God take away your sinnes the truth is God will take away his mercy from you and God will take away his grace and spirit from you you shall never have it upon these termes is there any man such a babe in nature that hee will not part with the wound that will kill him is there any man so foolish that hee will not take that physicke which should purge him when he knowes it will recover him Take notice of it one of these two things you must take either part with thy sinne or part with happinesse either suffer God to take away thy sinnes or else he will take away his mercy Psal 53. Thou art a God that lovest not wickednesse if you will have sinne dwell in your soules God will never dwell with you nor you shall never dwell with him if you will harbour and hold your sinnes you must hold your shame too you will not part with your sinnes you must part with heaven for there is no comming there for you with your sinnes Heavie afflictions breeds earnest prayers from the wicked PROV 1. 28 29. Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me FOr the coherence of these words know thus much from the 20. verse to the end wee shall take notice of two things mainely intended by the Spirit of God First the kind loving and passionate invitation of wisedome to simple sinfull scornefull wretches this we shall observe from the 20. verse to the 23. there wisedome cryeth earnestly and uttereth her voyce in the streets that is shee presseth in with a kind of violence to win and woe the soules of sinners that at last they may know the things belonging to their peace The second is the issue and successe that the voyce of wisedome found in the hearts of those to whom shee spake and the successe is double the first is the contempt of scorners against the call of wisedome they stop their eares and harden their hearts and will not submit to Christ and bee ruled by him and that in the 24. and 25. verses the second issue is in the words of the Text they rejected God God rejected thē they cast his call behind their backes and therefore hee casteth off them Then shall they call saith the Text but I will not heare they that rejected mercie offered shall not obtaine mercie sought and desired this is the scope of the words Then shall they call that is in the time of trouble and in the day of distresse then they will call for mercy and comfort No saith the Lord time was I offered mercie but then mercie was not worth the receiving I called and you would not obey therefore call you shall and seeke you shall but I will never answer you you shall never finde me In the words observe two passages First wee have
and what needs this praying and this Bible carrying and sanctification of Sabboths and seeking of God this is in a drunken moode but when they come to their wits againe in the day of death and time of trouble they admire then 〈◊〉 such holy courses and they will seeke such godly courses when trouble comes then nothing but prayer and good duties then hee sets a high price and commendation upon these courses see them therefore and love them because they will bee in account when the day of distresse comes Secondly doe afflictions many times force a scorner to seeke unto God then take notice of the fearefull stubbornenesse of such kinds of spirits that all afflictions and plagues doe not provoke their soules to be humbled and to seeke for that favour of God which they stand in neede of goe thou therefore that art such a one and reason thus with thy selfe good Lord what a wretched knotty sturdy heart have I how many judgements hath God sent upon the nation how many upon my particular how many upon my family and yet this soule is not humbled and inlarged to seeke unto the Lord and call upon his name as the divels almost would doe what a vile unreasonable distemper is this one judgement after another and one plague after another did cause Pharaoh to confesse his sinnes the Lord did wrest it out of him nay the divels beleeve and tremble Iam. 2.19 Good Lord I beseech you thinke of it what a hard hearted Pharaoh confesse his sinnes and what doe the devills beleeve and tremble at the wrath of God why then what a hard heart hast thou that the Lord flasheth hell fire in thy face and sendeth plague after plague and yet never touched and humbled all wrests not one prayer from thee In the third place it is a ground to teach us thus much never place much confidence in those prayers that are wrung out of a man by force of affliction the Lord plucks it out of thee whether thou wilt or no he will make the stoutest hearts to come in scorners reprobates they pray the Lord makes them cry and howle and call daily upon him and yet all this while nature forceth them therefore trust not thou to forced prayer in the day of distresse that which is commonly most forced is commonly most false and therefore shall finde little acceptance it was a speech of a good man that the repentance of a dying man it is commonly a great feare of a dying repentance so I say when a man lives wickedly all his life time and then thinkes that a few lazie wishes in the time of trouble will serve the turne take heed hypocrites doe thus and scorners doe thus and yet are never heard but rejected the Lord hee loves prayer and holy duties in the dayes of peace and when a prayer comes out of love to God and love to the duty there is some comfort in this but little comfort can I or any Minister give you in the time of sickenesse if you never used to seeke to God in the time of health for you seeke onely when you are forced thereunto The next point is this that the seeking of scorners is somewhat earnest and vehement but we will come to the third which is this scornefull men wicked men they may seeke God earnestly they may call upon him vehemently and yet never bee heard never receive any mercy or acceptance from him Luk. 13 24. Strive to enter in at the straight gate for many shall strive to enter but shall not be able it is not any mans power to be able to enter no no many shall seeke this but shall not be able Adde to this John 8.21 It is the heavie doome of Christ upon the Scribes and Pharisees yee shall seeke me saith he but shall die in your sinnes as who should say I offered you grace you refused it I come home to you you entertaine me not the time will come when I will lay anguish on your hearts and horrour on your soules and then you shall seeke me but shall not find me but shall die in your sinnes you will have your sinnes I cannot remove them you will not suffer me to take place with you the truth is you shall die in your sinnes take your proud hearts and goe downe to hell with them take them and perish with them I goe to my father to heaven but you shall never come there Our Saviour saith the time shall come that you shall seeke me and shall not finde me but die in your sinnes but you will say if they may seeke call and yet not finde how comes this to passe is not seeking the way to finding is not calling the way to receiving hath not God said if you aske any thing in my sonnes name you shall receive it I say as the Apostle Iames in another case You aske and have not saith he because you aske amisse so I say to you yee seeke and finde not because you seeke amisse Though they call with violence and seeke with vehemencie yet it is not suiteable to Gods rule and that is the reason they doe not prosper now the reasons why their seeking doe not speede are three first they seeke unseasonably when the Lord happily hath taken away the meanes of salvation when the time is past and the opportunitie is over when God hath taken away the meanes as also the blessings upon the meanes in the 25. of Matthew the five foolish Virgins went for oyle and when the time was past and the doore was shut then they knocke at heaven gates open to us but the doore was shut they that stood upon the watch and attended the Lords comming they entered into the bride Chamber Esay 55.6 Seeke the Lord while he may be found that is while the meanes of grace are continued while Wisedome is crying and the Lord Iesus is holding out his golden Scepter of mercie and salvation Now is the day of salvation now is the time accepted who knoweth whether the Lord will cover the heavens and take away the light of the Gospell and make us wander in darkenesse Rockes and Wildernesses if desolation should come wee must be driven from our houses and habitations here one man alone there one woman alone and there a child crying and the third dying then we shall observe what opportunities wee have had and neglected the Lord was neare to us in the use of the meanes but now the time is past the Gospell and opportunities are gone he that seekes unseasonably may sinke downe and never enjoy meanes and helpes and the blessing of God upon them Revel 2.21 God gave Iesabel a day of repentance but shee repented not therefore hee would cast her into a bed of sorrow she loved bedding and ease and pleasure and delight and shee had a time of repentance but shee would not take it therefore because shee loved bedding shee shall have enough shee shall have a bed of sorrow and
anguish that is the first ground that seeke unseasonably secondly they seek upon a false ground it is not out of hatred of sin that they seeke for mercy but out of horror of conscience it is not out of loathsomnesse of corruption but by reason of the burthensomnesse that lieth upon their hearts it is not for holinesse they labour but for quiet ease and contentednesse that they might not be troubled and vexed Psal 78.36 The Text saith those that did seeke the Lord when hee plagued them dissembled in their hearts they pretended to seeke the Lord and worship the Lord but they did not seeke the Lord but their owne ease and dissembled fearefully and abused the Lords mercy and patience that he had vouchsafed unto them looke as it is with the dogge hee doth not cast up his vomit because he loathes it but hee is weary of it hee loves it still therefore lickes it up again presently he did not cast it up out of loathsomnesse of it but because it did trouble his stomacke so it is with a carnall hypocrite in the horrour of heart and anguish of spirit it is not for love of holinesse but of quiet that he renteth himselfe and saith I have hated Gods people profaned the Sabboth and committed adultery secretly he would vomit and confesse his sinnes and crave mercie not because hee loaths his sinne but he loathes anguish and horrour of heart and when that is taken away he falls to his vomit and base practice Thirdly they seeke to a false end hee doth not seeke grace for a Christs sake and Christ for the love of a Christ to have union with him but hee seekes grace not to have have sinne removed but to have a kind of safenesse in his sinne a wretch in the desperate anguish of spirit seekes unto a Saviour as to a Surgeon not that hee may remove sinne but that he may be the more quiet in sinne hee would have Christ pardon sinne that hee may commit sinne with quietnesse not to have him take away his corruptions and convert his soule but to heale the wound and to take away the bitternesse of sorrow Esay 58 34. A company of wicked wretches seemed to seeke the Lord by fasting but they did not seeke the Lord but their owne lusts they fasted that they might continue in their base courses with more quietnesse without destraction or suspition as a malefactor after hee is attached and condemned hee will seeke a pardon and sue for it not that hee might become better afterwards but for quiet and libertie that hee may not be hanged so a cunning chapman is content to attend and pray that he may couzen and cheate by fasting and praying so much the more so then gather up the Point if they seeke out of season out of false grounds and to a wrong end no marvell then though they call earnestly and seeke vehemently and yet God answers not nor is found of them according to their desires The first Vse is for terrour Is it so that a man may seeke earnestly and yet never obtaine mercy then this is able to shake and sinke a company of soules of carnall wretches Oh the lamentable condition of a company of poore creatures that live in the bosome of the Church and therefore it falls sore upon those creatures that make a scoffe at praying and hearing all ignorant and deluded persons that know not how to pray and seeke to the Lord for grace and mercie me thinkes the former truth were sufficient to dash all the carnall hope that can creepe into the minde of such creatures therefore take notice of the desperate condition wherein they lie Reason thus Is it so that those that seeke the Lord shall never finde him then what shall become of me that never cried at all nay that loath prayer and reject the use of Gods ordinances and dispise the meanes of grace and salvation whereby I must seeke and obtaine mercy if ever I have it if they that doe seeke attaine not then I that never seeke my condition is desperately lamentable fearefully irrecoverable why Why my heart riseth at such persons I have tanted this praying and mocked this fasting good Lord what shall become of my soule desperate is my condition and fearefull is my estate the Lord be mercifull unto me I am gone for ever I grace will the Lord vouchsafe grace to me doe I count of mercy and pardon for my sinnes no let me set my heart at ease those dayes are gone I mercie no I have loathed and scorned mercie the day will come when the Lord will say you have hated mercy therefore you shall be condemned and never partake thereof nay what will become of a companie of carnall wretches that set themselves with desperate indignation to hinder and crush and oppose the improvement of all holy meanes if there be any servant in their family that riseth early to pray to the Lord if there be any child that is godly and a wife that lookes towards Sion there is an uproare in the family the master he flieth about and saith I cannot maintaine my family by poaring on a booke how then dost thou get thy living if not by praying and reading thou gottest thy living but a curse with it if thou get without these meanes thou mayst get wealth but God will curse thee with it and thou shalt goe downe to hell and thy wealth with thee why reason thus with your selves I cannot so much as buy cattle but I must seeke in the Fayres I cannot provide foode for my family but I must goe to the market and what a wretched heart have I that thinke to get mercy and grace and salvation and yet he in my base lusts and never stirre a foote to seeke the Lord and call upon his name how is my judgement blinded and my soule couzened â—hinke of it if those that offered faire for mercy and grace by many prayers and desires and endeavours if they in the meane time fell short and never came to heaven what will become of mee that never looke after the things of grace and salvation surely if the Lord be in heaven I shall never come there The last use is this you will say what shall we doe if seeking will not get it at the hands of the Lord then wee had as good cast away all and doe nothing as get nothing by what wee doe therefore the last use is a word of exhortation wee are to be intreated in the name of the Lord Iesus to doe not onely what these seekers doe but goe further and doe more This is no argument because they obtaine not mercy by seeking therefore wee should not seeke therefore seeke after another manner so seeke and pray that you may finde benefit thereby and comfort therein unto your soules in the 13. of Luke 24. this is the use Christ makes many shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able what shall wee therefore cast care
person and profession of a godly humble lowly man and he acts the part marveilous curiously and hee speakes bigge words against his corruptions and he humbles himselfe before God and he heares and prayes and reades but when God pluckes him off the stage of the world and his body drops into the grave and his soule goes to hell then it appeares that he had not the power of gâ—dlines he was onely a stage-player a stage professour When Saul went to the witch to raise him up Samuel the devill tooke upon him the guise of Samuel but he was the devill so many hipocrites though they have the guise of holinesse and the forme of godlinesse yet there is no soundnesse there is nothing but dissimulation within Hence note this That godlinesse hath a forme Doctr. 2 or more clearely thus Sound godlinesse alwayes shewes and discovers it selfe where it is in the life and conversation of him that hath it For it is not a meere fancy as some thinke And they thinke when wee talke of godlinesse and inward moving c. what say they will you have us Saints and Angels as if godlinesse were some secret thing that never saw the Sunne the Apostle doth professely oppose these and sayes they are reall thing and it is really in your hearts that have it and it doth not keepe close but appeares and discovers it selfe in a holy conversation outwardly Psal 45.13 The Text saith The Kings daughter and that is not all but her cloathing is of gold The Kings Daughter is the Church of God the Saints that God hath soundly humbled and powerfully converted they are the Daughters of God they are sanctified and purged and the Image of God is stamped upon them and what is their rayment outwardly it is of gold they have golden speeches golden conversations not durty filthy conversation as the wicked hâ—ve Act. 4.20 See how prevalent grace is where it is it was also the resolution of the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.13 it is also said of David he beleeved inwardly and therfore spake outwardly so must we or if wee rest upon God we will expresse the power of his grace in the course of our lives Looke as it is with a clock if the wheeles run right the clocke cannot but strike so it is with the trees of the field if there be sap in the roote it will discover it selfe in the branches by the fruit and greenenesse of them though it be hidden in the Winter yet it will appeare in the Spring and in the Summer so it is in the Soules of Gods Servants the frame of a mans heart that is like the wheeles of a clocke if a man have an humble heart he will have a holy life it will make the hand worke the eye see the foote walke and the actions be proportionable unto the disposition of the heart So if there be the sap of godlinesse and holinesse and meekenesse and patience in a mans spirit it will appeare in the blossome and fruites in good speeches actions and an holy conversation If there be sound grace in the heart and godlinesse within wee must not thinke godlinesse wil make a monster but it will make a comely decent proportionable Christian that is foure square in all good duties at all good duties at all times in all places upon every occasion I conclude with Iohn the Baptist Luk. 3.8 Worthy the word in the Original is fine Let your fruite be worthy that is answerable let them hold weight for weight with amendment of life if there be obedience in the heart it will answere such obediences outwardly lay obedience in one ballance and then repentance will poyse that obedience in the other scale But you will say how comes this to passe Object may not a man have a gracious good heart may not a man have a soule truely humbled and converted and yet be a retyred Christian and not expresse it Answ outwardly I answer no if there be holinesse in the heart it will shew it selfe without From the power of grace Reason 1 where ever it is imprinted upon any soule it will breake through and make way for it selfe what ever maketh opposition against it Mat. 6.22 The meaning is the eye is the Conscience the sincere eye is the sincere conscience now if a man have a good conscience inwardly his whole conversation will bee proportionable to the same Mat. 13.33 The grace of God is compared to leaven it will never leave leavening till it hath leavened all the whole lumpe if the heart be leavened with grace and godlinesse never thinke to keepe godlinesse in a corner and contrive it into a narrow compasse no no it will never leave leavening till the eye lookes holily and the hand workes mercifully Nay observe this in particular first let corruptions be never so strong in a gratious heart the power of godlinesse will over power all and worke out it selfe and get ground in conclusion Look as it is with the Moule put her into the ground and stop her up she will worke her selfe out one way or other so it is with a gracious frame of spirit though there be a great deale of earthly corruption yet a gracious heart will worke under ground and worke it selfe out of all these It is observed by naturall Philosophy when a Shippe is cast away the Sea vomits on the shore the dead persons and the Sea will not fetch them in againe so there is a Sea of grace in the soules of Gods servants there is but a beginning of grace indeede but there is abundance of life and vertue and power in the graces of Gods children so that though there be many corruptions much deadnesse and untowardnesse yet if this gratious worke be there it will vomit out all it will fling out those dead bodies but never take them in againe Ier. 20 4. observe when Ieremy out of a kind of discouragement and pride of spirit because he could not find that successe and some despised it and some scoffed I will preach no more saith he but even then the word of the Lord was as burning fire this was the power of this gratious frame of heart we speake of Matt. 12.35 Bring forth good things the word in the Originall is All cast out good things and it implies a kind of copulsion so that a holy man out of the treasure of holines casts out holy things that is how ever many corruptions hang about him and would hinder him from doing what hee should yet a good heart will cast out all and break through all Looke as it is with sire let it be raked up never so close yet there will be fire it will heate and burne and consume all into it selfe so it is with the sire of grace in a mans heart though there be many clogging corruptions yet if this grace be there though a man have a great deale of filthy noysome humors of vanity and coller and anger and carelessenesse yet this
them privately then much lesse publikely may wee communicate with them It Answ is no good reason because I have more authority to refuse the company of a man in my owne house then I have to refuse him in the open Congregation I can keepe a man out of my house but I cannot fling him out of the open congregation that belongs onely to those that are in place and authority Constant communion is that when there lyeth such a bond upon a bondman that hee cannot breake this communion such is the communion betweene the husband and the wife so having hired a servant nor the servant from the master when he please untill the covenants be fulfilled this is constant communion The question now is how farre a man may turne unto the wicked such as are openly wicked The rules of the question are three First for a faithfull man when he hath his liberty then to enter into communion with the wicked is unlawfull as for a free servant to make choise of an ungratious master and so for a holy master to make choise of a wicked servant so for a good woman being single to make choise of a wicked man or for a holy man to chuse a wicked wife If Rule 2 a servant bee entred into covenant with an unrighteous master or a wife to a wicked husband they are bound as long as those bonds last submissively and humbly to subject themselves to all services that are required of persons in their place and condition As Rule 3 God affords libertie and opportunity in a good way and a good conscience every man is bound to sever himselfe from such as are wicked and scandalously naught now for a servant thy yeare being out fly the house thou that art a prentise when thy yeares are expired lose thy selfe and deliver thy heart from this communion Now we come to mutable or voluntary private communion Voluntary communion is a closure with such in common company and inward familiarity so as when occasion serves they may all alter and change againe In the mutable communion observe these three things 1. It is a closing and fastning together a meeting and concurring of men together so farre as occasion drives them one to another or else as affection drawes them one to another and therefore Psal 119 63 the word translated a friend signifieth a companion that is the first passage 2. We have the propriety or quality of this communion in the next words it is a closure in common company and familiarity when they close one with another in common conversation Prov. 28.7 so wicked company one with another in drinking swearing c. They are joyned together in inward familiarity when there is a closure and combining one with another when the soules of sundry men are Cabbins to keepe the counsailes and secrets one of another Iob. 19.14 the word there translated a familiar is a man of secrets so we may see it in the example of Ionathan and David the Text saith that the soule of Ionathan was knit to the soule of David Lastly they so close in common company and inward familiarity that yet notwithstanding it is in a mans power as occasion serves to change eyther this company or familiarity therefore wee call it mutable communion because there is no bond nor tie lyeth upon a man to ingage himselfe to his company but as occasion is offered a man may turne the backe to a base fellow that hath cozoned him this I take to be the communion mainely here intended though the other are included but this voluntary society I thinke is that the Apostle here specially aimes at Hence It is the duty of all the Saints of God not to close in communion and unnecessary company and inward familiarity with those that are the deniers of the power of godlinesse I say meetely observe the Saints must not close in common and unnecessary communion with the wicked I call it unnecessary because a man may bee forced sometimes to keepe company with profane men as for example these three bonds force him 1 Bond. Sometimes the bond of a mans calling will force him to keepe company with the wicked as the Magistrate must bee ordinarily in the company of the wicked to reforme them the Phisitian among his patients the Minister among his people the Lawyer among his clients so Inkeepers the Law will force them to entertaine a stranger and to give him that which is reasonable 2 Bond. The bond of humanity and civilitie that binds a man sometimes to keepe company with the wicked as the bond of neighbourhood for example people that live in the same place or towne they are forced to consult about the affaires of the towne and other occasions one with another The bonds of Religion and naturall mercy binds sometimes to keepe company with such 3 Bond. for the soules of all men should labour to doe good unto all so farre as necessity requires and opportunity is offered thereunto for wee are bound to preserve the honour life goods good name of any man what ever he be be the company never so wicked yet the duty is good and holy Therefore I say wee must not close with men in unnecessary communion so farre wee must turne away from them 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Thes 3.6 withdraw your selves from them it is a comparison taken from full Sailes when the Sailes of a shippe are drawne and it hath full saile it goeth very swiftly So saith the Apostle doe not strike saile doe not freely expresse your selves in familiarity with him but withdraw your selves Psal 56.8 shut the dore against them so you see the point is cleare For our better direction observe these three particulars first something by way of explication how far the limits of turning from the wicked doth goe secondly the reasons why wee must turne away thirdly the use and application Where may wee set the bounds and compasse of our familiarity with the wicked for this wee must remember these two passages some that deny godlinesse make it their trade and practise secondly others onely deny it upon occasion and though they have grace yet from both these wee must turne away But Object first touching the former that are knowne to be wicked men such as are openly naught how farre shall wee carry our selves familiar to wards these In these particulars first Answ partly in regard of the disposition of the heart secondly of the outward behaviour of our lives In both these particulars we must turne away First how farre must the heart of a good man bee restrained from the company and familiaritie of those that are scandalously wicked I answer the rules are two 1. The Saints Rule 1 of God are bound to have a vile esteeme and a base account of those that are such vile and base persons Let the Word of God rule us in this and let us bee commanded by it Psal 15 4. Observe two passages first every wicked
phrase I will doe what I can Lord and doe thou what I cannot but however it is take it away from my soule The Point is this A good heart is in good earnest content to part with any corruption What David did a good man must doe the ground is the same and the worke of grace is the same a good heart is in good earnest content to part with any corruption he doth not put off God with good words and thinke to satisfie God with faire speeches but it is seriously and sadly and in good earnest content to part with any corruption Hee doth not say Lord take away some stile out of the way or take away some logge or impediment in the way of sinning I would not be disparaged and disgraced and troubled in sinning no Lord take away the way of sinning that I may never walke in that way more this was the guise of the soule of the holy man and it is so with every holy man and Hos 14.2 and it was so with the converted Church when their hearts were humbled and they came to seeke the Lord they say take away from us all our iniquitie and receive us graciously they doe not halfe it with God and patch it and peece-meale it but oh take away all iniquitie even the greatest and the least and the dearest take away all Lord not onely the open and the knowne but the secret and the hidden Lord take away all iniquitie and receive us graciously In the old Law the burnt offering was all to be burnt so is it with a sound heart when it offers a whole burnt offering to the Lord of sinne leave not a haire or a hoofe behind but let all be consumed and all over-mastered and subdued so Psal 119.133 Let not any iniquitie have dominion over thy servant markē the generalitie there is none exempted none reserved there is no reservation not one Lord Let no sinne have dominion over me A good heart will not deale with sinne as the people of Israel dealt with the Cananites the Lord commanded them to drive out the Cananites and leave none there but they for their owne profit would not destroy them utterly but made them tributaries but a sound haart will not thus deale with sinne he would have it utterly removed it is a base thing that a man should retribute from his sinnes he will not banish all malice but he will take tribute of malice that hee may vexe those he hath some secret spleene against but this is the course every man should take up we should banish all sinne every Cananite every corruption and not onely not suffer it to dwell with us but not to be among us therefore looke what Haman did against Mordecay hee was not content to kill Mordecay alone but hee hated the whole Nation of the Iewes therefore hee would be at the charge to dispatch the whole nation let but the King send out his decree and hee would be at the charge for the destroying of the Iewes this shewes the malice of the man so it might be with our malice against sinne a man must not onely hate a base beggerly corruption a poore Mordecay that will not profit but the whole nation of corruption abandon that God hath given out his warrant against every corruption therefore be thou at the charge to execute it and set thy selfe against the whole nation of rebellion of heart and distemper of spirit this ought to be the guise and frame of the soule I have done with the proofe of the Point we come now to open the Point when I say the good heart is content to part with any corruption this parting of sinne and the soule appeare in two particulars First hee labours and strives and endeavours to doe what he can himselfe secondly he goes to God to doe that he is not able first for the former the endeavour and strife of a sinner for the parting of his sinne and his soule it appeares in foure particulars in all which we may fully perceive that in the soule of a gracious man there is this resolution to make a breach betweene his soule and his distempers first a sound heart is ready to take the least notice of any thing that is unlawfull it hearkens to any information that may discover any thing to be sinnefull in any measure after any manner this is one argument that the soule is resolved to part with any sinne because it is marvellous ready to heare any thing against sinne that it might part there from a man that doth seriously desire to remove another out of his possession the course whereby hee doth expresse his affection is this he is ready to heare any report and hearken to any relation by any man after any manner that will beare an action against the party and hee will not onely heare it but record it and make his advantage of it that he may remove the man if it be possible out of his possession so it is with a gracious heart when the soule of a faithfull Saint of God is weary of his inmate of the sinfull body of death that hangs about him and would dispossesse it and reforme it were it in his power not onely the dominion of it but the presence of it in his heart any longer hee is ready to hearken to the least information from any occasion from any speech from any action of the meanest Saint of God that appeares in his course and conversation whereby he make it questionable such a course is sinnefull and such a practice unlawful he is very carefull to attend lay his heart levill thereunto nay if his enemy out of malice and spleene and envie shall cast any thing upon him as a matter unlawfull it mill make his heart shake within him and he beginnes to consider I never thought such a course unlawfull and such a practise unwarrantable I see such a man dares not doe it if it be a sinne why should not I reforme it as well as another and if it be not a sinne why should he abridge himselfe of that liberty which is lawfull and the soule will never be quieted till it get sound information what is lawfull and may be performed and what is unlawfull and ought to be avoided this is an argument that hee is willing to part with his corruptions because hee is willing to know what is evill that hee may avoid it Iob 6.24 Teach thou me and I will hold my tongue cause mee to understand wherein I have erred He doth not quarrell with the man that counsells him or wrangle with the man that adviseth him but teach thou me and I will hold my tongue I know not I perceive not but cause me to know informe soundly reprove mee throughly wherein I have done amisse Nay Iob 34.32 it is a sine passage What I know not teach thou me if I have done amisse I will doe so no more he is willing to heare any thing
judgements of God pursued him Exod 8.28 he could not beare it out and therefore was content to let the people goe and sacrifice to the Lord but goe not farre saith he so this indulgent hypocrite saith ease you and I must part and profit you and I must part but goe not farre in the meane time let me heare of you as occasion serves this is the guise of this hypocrite which is indeed professely opposite to soundnesse and uprightnesse and this wretched hypocriticall person discovers the falsenesse of his heart in three particulars first if there be search made or information given touching his sinnes hee will not be knowne of it hee will not be seene to owne any sinne in the world but hee puts a new suite and a new tyre upon his base courses and he invents away and shift to make that he doth lawfull and then no man shall condemne that he doth as unlawfull it is a prettie passage it is with the soule as it was with Abraham and Sarah Gen. 12.13 Abraham was very fearefull because his wife was beautifull least hee should be slaine for her sake now marke the covenant Therefore say I am thy brother say so though she lied So observe it corruptions make a covenant with a corrupt heart as covetousnesse makes a covenant with a miserable carnall base heart and saith if the case so require it and the necessitie of the Church expects it that I should give somewhat liberally if any such occasion comes saith the soule to covetousnesse I am resolved not to give but to be close-fisted but then some will say this man is a covetous man oh say not you so by any meanes but say I have a great family and a great charge and then I shall save my money and my credit too now covetousnesse is no more covetousnesse it hath put on a new suite it is frugality now So ease and liberty make an agreement with the soule if it be so that I must bee compelled to suffer the times are dangerous if misery and calamity should come upon us I am resolved to suffer nothing but say not so by no meanes but if any man say you will not performe your duty unlesse you bee forced to your duty say not so but say thus my conscience is fully informed upon good grounds though I am not informed yet say so and I shall save my ease and honour and all this is base cozonage the soule deales in this kind as Rahel with the Idolls or Rahab with the spies when Laban came to inquire of his Idolls shee tooke the Idolls and sate upon them and shee let him search all the stuffe but that and her excuse was the custome of women was upon her so the indulgent hypocrite he will be content to have his heart and life ransackt and searcht till it comes to his idoll priâ—e or vaine glory or time serving but if it come to this Idoll the soule will sit upon this Idoll and then it is not the Idoll but a kinde of excellencie he doth pretend so tell the fashion-monger of this and that it is not pride but it is comlinesse the fashion is under but comlinesse is ever this now is a cockering hypocrite Secondly if it be so that this wretched heart be both informed and his conscience be convinced that it is a sinne hee must amend it and ought to reforme it then the second passage is this he doth goe very slowly about the reformation of this he whyles off the proceedings against his sinne hee saith it must be so and ought to be so and hee will take a convenient time to reforme the sinne and in the meane time he commits the sinne looke as it is with a sleepie Magistrate or cockering father if a man pleade to one of the misorder of the towne that must bee reformed and to other that the child hath done things that cannot be excused they say it is true and I will take a time to requite it saith the father and observe a convenient season to reforme it but the one neglects the child and corrects it not and the other neglects the sinne and reformes it not this is false dealing with the Lord this is a lively picture of an indulgent hypocrite sometimes reason convinceth him and hee yeeldeth I confesse I should pray in my family and I confesse my heart is cowardly and base and I should suffer for Christ and let libertie and honour lye rather then let the cause of Christ goe but alas what should I doe I shall take a convenient time to reforme these things all things cannot be done at once threaten their sinnes and they will require it but in the meane time they pardon their sinnes I will pray in my family and reforme my servants but that time of reformation will never come they are loath to deale hardly loath to proceede to reformation of the evills that are deare and tender unto them you know what he sayd father I will goe into the Vineyard but went not and they in Deut. all that the Lord hath commanded we will doe but did it not they were all shell and no substance at all Thirdly if hee doe proceede or be forced to proceede and labour for the reformation of his sinnes the third passage is this hee will not deale thoroughly hee will not deale keenely with his corruptions but hee will dally with it he will not have a totall separation made and a thorough execution against sinne but onely a moderation and some connivance at sinne though he layes some kinde of punishment upon it and snubs his corruptions yet he will not kill it hee threatens his evill and reformes it in some measure but hee will not abandon it utterly that he may never have more societie with it take notice of the guise of this hypocrite you shall commonly have him complayning of too harsh preaching there is wisedome in all things these things are able to gaster a mans conscience and terririfie mens soules the English of it is this take heed that you doe not smite sinne too hard and torment the devill too much you shall hardly heare of a good heart that is sensible of his sinne and tired therewith but hee thinkes more of that Lord and yet more sharpely and keenely I am afraid that the Word will not come close enough and that the Minister will not meete with my sinnes and plucke away my corruptions from mee when Absalon rebelled against David and conspired against his kingdome hee gives this charge deale kindly with the young man for my sake hee hath dealt basely with mee but deale kindly with him for my sake as who should say hee must be suppressed I confesse it hee must bee subdued I acknowledge it but take him doe not kill him by no meanes so this hypocriticall heart saith deale kindly with pride I cannot part with it deale kindly with carnall confidence I cannot live without it a man may dally though he commit
here the practise of the wicked In the time of trouble A company of scorners and mockers in their distresse they will crie and call unto the Lord Secondly we have their successe God will not heare them In the former wee have severall particulars to be observed first they sought the Lord and called upon the Lord a company of scornefull wretches and wicked reprobates sought the Lord secondly observe the time when they sought him when their calamities did come like a whirlewinde In the day of trouble then they crie and call and cry unto the Lord the last thing is from the manner of it it was not slightly but they cried unto the Lord and withall the Text saith They sought him early that sheweth their earnestnes and their crying that sheweth their vehemency and yet the successe is this the Lord will not answer they shall not find him In the Verse wee have three points of great use the first is from the time Then shall call The Point is this That scornefull persons in the time of affliction are forced to seeke and to sue unto the Lord. Secondly that when they doe seeke they seeke somewhat vehemently and earnestly the third is this that howsoever they doe thus seeke yet the Lord will not answer The first point is this That scornefull wretches in the time of affliction are forced to seeke unto the Lord They that have neglected prayer formerly when trouble comes and desolation approacheth then they call and seeke for favour In the 78. Psalme Verse 4. This is plaine the children of Israel when the Lord slew them then they sought him so Isaiah 25. The Text saith that in the time of trouble they will visite the Lord In the time of prosperitie the Lord calls for holy duties but then he cannot heare of you you wil not visit him but in the time of trouble then the Lord shall be acquainted with you Experience teacheth this when a man is upon the wracke then hee confesseth his sinnes and then the Lord rends a yrayer from him and then hee confesseth like Pharaoh I have sinned and I and my people are wicked but God is just and righteous 1 Sam. 12.19 When the people of Israel were set a â—…adding after a King Samuel made a marvellous elegant gracious Sermon unto them exhorting them not to forsake the Lord but they say in the eight Chapter Nay but we will have a King as who shold say have you said what you will is your Sermon done why yet we will have a King but but when the Lord thundered from heaven then they cried wee have sinned he is a terrible God wee see now he is an angry God wee observe it now we have sinned pray for us and to the rest of our sinnes we have added this in asking us a King when the Lord sent his judgements upon them then they desired favour and pardon and desireth the Prophet to pray for them The reasons of the Point are two the first is this because nature it selfe is proffessely crosse unto trouble and vexation it is tired therewith and is desirous to be eased thereof and howsoeuer a man be never so unreasonable no counsell takes place in him yet the Word prevailes not with him and God cannot rule yet hee carrieth nature about with him hee is a man still he hath flesh and bloud still therefore when Gall comes to his heart and the Wormewood into his soule Nature it selfe will make him in regard of the horrour that lieth upon him to seeke unto God and endeavour after meanes to ease and refresh him yon know how it is with rebellious children a froward little one however he will heare no counsell not receive any direction from the Parents yet when the rod comes and falls heavily they will downe on their knees and aske forgivenesse and nature forceth this hee feeles the blow and so useth meanes to be eased even nature compells us to seeke for case and call for succour in the time of trouble Nay the beasts though never so sturdy yet the bit in their mouthes and the shackles on their heeles and the whippe on their backe will make them teachable and tractable nature teacheth us this therefore so long as nature is in a man afflictions force the soule being tired with misery for to seeke and call and use meanes to be succoured The second Reason is because all other meanes are helpes in the time of trouble and therefore they are forced to seeke to God because all other comforts faile in the 107 Psal ver 20. the Prophet speakes of those that travell by sea when they are tossed by the waves then they call upon God as who should say so long as any thing would doe it God shall never heare of them but when all helpes and meanes faile then God must helpe or no one can Take a man when outward afflictions ceaze upon him as in the time of death friends may talke to him and companions may mourne for him but all now leave him in the lurch unlesse the Lord helpe they cannot therefore they are forced to repaire to the Lord and to visit him with their prayers so then the argument is this if it be so that nature forceth a man in the time of trouble to seeke for ease and if it be so that all other meanes cannot helpe a man but onely the Lord then no marvell and that in the time of distresse the wicked seeke unto the Lord for comfort This is the first use of the point is it so that scoffers in the day of trouble are forced to seeke unto the Lord then this highly commends the price and worth of Gods ordinance heaing and praying and the like because in the heaviest times at a dead lift when all faile wicked men then selves are forced to take up these ordinances of God take a drunkard or an adulterer on his death-bed then let all the profits in the world bee offered him you see how unprofitable they are it is a vexation to the drunkard to see his campanion nay all the pleasures of the adulterer they are as so much gall to his conscience because he hath delighted in those dalliances Now when all the profits and pleasures in the world are not able to comfort them then send for a Minister that he may pray for me pray for you why I had thought you had not stood in neede of prayer is prayer come into any reckoning with you what is the reason of this why they that scorned prayer formerly now at the day of death and time of affliction then nothing but Ministers and Christians and prayer why the reason is nothing else will hold water and give a man comfort in the day of distresse therefore let us prize those meanes of salvation that will be so powerfull and comfortable when all other meanes faile it is true that wicked men in their mad moods and wicked fits scoffe and are despisers of the ordinances of God
the societie of the Saints I reason thus he that may be excommunicated publikely may be separated privately from the company and intimate societie of the Saints but he that is obstinately incorrigible may be excommunicated publikely therefore hee may be separated from the societie of the Saints 1 Rea. Because it is the practise of much love nay of the greatest mercy that a man can shew to a wicked profane wretch I presume you will hardly think it so you will say this is love indeede when a man cannot looke upon another but he must disdaine him doth a man shew mercy to another when he will not keepe his company if this be your love God blesse me from such love take heede what thou sayest God blesse thee from folly and not from this love and you shall plainely see it so because this course and behaviour is that which God hath appointed as a speciall meanes it is that which is marvellous helpefull and usefull and profitable to withdraw a wicked man from his wicked course and worke sound repentance in his soule therefore it must needs be an argument of great affection 2 Thess 3.14 Note him why that he may be ashamed now hee that is ashamed of his course is in some way and readinesse to forsake and abandon his course For shame implieth these three things First he that is ashamed of a thing seeth the vilenesse of a thing secondly he seeth himselfe vile and base and that discredit is like to befall him by reason of the vilenesse of the thing thirdly hee labours to keepe himselfe that dishonour and discredit may not fall upon him and he labours to keepe himselfe from such occasions and practises which may bring this discredit upon him so this is the next way for thee to make him ashamed c. How justly may such a one reason with himselfe when hee seeth the Saints of God are weary of his company and loath to converse with him how vile is my course how base is my sinne and ungodly practises what reason have I to loath my sinne therefore let me for ever abhorre these base courses that makes mee to be abominated of the Saints and servants of the Lord. This Reason concernes our selves Ground 2 that we may not be defiled that we may not be infected with their wicked courses and polluted with their societie It is in this case with sinne as it is with the plague of the body he that will be cleare of it the old rule is flye farre enough flye soone enough hee that is with those that are infected likely he shall be infected so it is with sinne which is the plague of the soule hee that hath a plague sore blossoming hee that hath a tongue belching forth his venome against the Lord of host he that hath a plague sore of drunkennesse a plague sore of adultery if ever you would be preserved then goe farre enough flie soone enough the Ale-house is the Pest-house where the plague is the drunkards are the persons infected if thou wouldest be cleare come not neare them Joseph learned to sweare when he was in Pharohs Court and Barnabas with dissembling when he saw Peter halt before him so it is said the Israelites mingled themselves among the Cananites and learned their workes as they say one rotten apple spoiles all the rest and one scabbed sheepe infects the whole flocke with the froward we shall learne frowardnesse c. It hath beene the bane and ruine of many a man and hee hath carried this company keeping to his grave nay happily to hell c. This is the cause why the Lord is constrained when all reasons prevaile not when all arguments perswade not the Lord is faine to bring him out by an almighty hand unlesse the Lord let in the fire of hell on the conscience of the drunkard and tire him out of his base coÌ„pany there is little hope that the meanes of grace will work upon him for his good therefore flie farre enough Prov. 22.24 1 Cor. 7.6 sinne is there compared to leaven now leaven doth not that which is only next it but the whole lumpe so marke the Apostles Argument A wicked man comparably doth not onely leaven himselfe but hee leavens all his company all that converse with him and all that maintaine familiarity with him with the swearer thou wilt sweare with the dissembler with the lier c. 3 Argu. Because it is a speciall meanes to fit us and so to furnish our hearts to be much more ready and chearefully enlarged in a constant and holy performance of all good duties that God requires of us and to discharge all those holy duties which ought to be performed by us Psal 119.115 as if hee had said untill you be gone there is no doing for me the presence of the wicked and Gods sincere service cannot stand together hee that will keepe the company of the wicked cannot keepe the commandements of God hee that wil not depart from them God will depart from him therefore away with these Observe the manner of the phrase David presumes this that ill company is not so much the breach of one commandement as the breach of all Gods Commandements as who should say I shall keepe the first Table not the second c. he saith not I cannot keepe the Sabbath or pray c. but I cannot keepe the Commandements The company and societie of the wicked doth hinder a man in keeping Gods CoÌ„mandements in three particulars First it takes off the fitnesse and disposition of the soule to the performance of any service 1 Parti that when the heart is sometime teachable and pliable comming to God when there are some good desires after God when wicked company meete it plucks all these up by the rootes and if his conscience will not suffer him â—o doe as they doe O then there is cause enough of gibing and tanting and scoffing extremely your conscience saith the dâ—unkard will not suffer you to be drunke your conscience saith the swearer will not suffer you to sweare O you are a tender conscioned man Thus if there be any desire or disposition of doing good wicked coÌ„pany blast it even in the â—…nd This is the cause that many young men curse their companions or else when they are going the way of all flesh this strikes him to the heart the time was I may say that God gave mee some inclinations after goodnesse and my heart was wandering after heaven and mine eyes were opened and my mind enlightened and I had a resolution to take up good courses and performe duties but oh this ill company spoiled all this was the man that cut mee off from my course and that tooke away my disposition of spirit from me and made me twice as bad as himselfe though hee be as bad as the devill 2 Parti Cursed loose company it deprives the soule of the benefit of all the meanes and hinders the successe