toūg is silent So be it smothered Many times a thing passeth through all to the hart where the matter is debated betwéene natural reason the hart there for want of Gods spirite to countermaund naturall reason it stayeth vnderstāding can no skil of it But what saith the toung In stead of So be it he brings this answere Sir y e hart hauing cōsulted with worldly pollicie naturall reason doth finde this to be against his profit or against his pleasure or against his gaine or against his custome or against his credite in the world therefore this bill cannot passe my master the hart with reason and pollicie do therefore desire you to be contented speake no more of this matter but of something els that may stand better with their liking as for the rest of the house vnderstāding will affectiō although they know the matter to be true iust equal which you demaund yet they can do no good in the matter because the other two haue nipped it in the head Sometime the toung saith Amen to that which the hart condemneth because reason confirmeth it this is cōmonly when the eye séeth some body whom he feareth or the eare heareth something that he cānot answere therfore though y e toung be a cōmon speaker yet is he not alwayes a true speaker Sometime againe the eare admitteth the hart affecteth desireth that which reasō subscribeth vnto but for wāt of faith reason reuoketh y e hart fainteth y e toūg foltreth and either for feare or for shame dareth not vtter what is agréed vpō within A miserable Parliamēt y t hath such a speaker but this is y e matter indéed This house hath two doores at one doore y e billes are brought in that is by the eare and the eye at another doore they passe out againe with their answeres that is the lips within at which the cōmō speaker stādeth Now if y e Lord do set a watch there kéepe the doore of our lippes then they are opē the toung doth boldly confesse y e truth but if the fearefull deuill or the bashfull deuill kéepe the doore the toūg durst not for his life speake the truth God in mercy remoue such porters y t we may boldly confesse with our toūgs that which we beléeue in our hart to saluatiō So likewise in prayer thākesgiuing if our toung doth speake any thing which the vnderstanding is ignorant of and therfore the hart cannot affect our sacrifices are but a mockerie against God because the Parliament house is deuided there is but a mutinie betwéene the hart the toung and the rest but if all agrée vpon the point thē the toung sheweth the consent of the hart and boldly without feare of any whatsoeuer stādeth forth and saith So be it But why doth he double his speech say So be it euen So be it it should séeme that the speaker of the Parliamēt house is but a simple man wanted matter he meant well it may be but for want of matter he is faine to harpe vpō one string much Surely beloued y e Prophet spake as he was moued by y e holy Ghost this is Gods wisedome therfore let vs not finde fault withall this is y e plaine simple dealing of a faithful soule indéede It is vsuall in the Scripture to haue one thing oftentimes vrged in teaching no oftener then is néedefull because first it is long before we can learne Gods will secondly it is lōger before we can remēber Gods wil but principally because it is lōgest of all before we can make a cōscience to obey Gods wil therfore let no man in hearing one thing often be wearie because euery mā may learne the same thing better do not say the preacher wants matter but say rather that we want grace or vnderstanding or memorie or zeale or loue or something Againe let no man in teaching stand so much vpon his reputation as to compte it a disgrace vnto him if he doth often repeate one thing being necessarie for we sée it is Gods wisedome to teach so if any man wilbe wiser thē Gods spirite he will proue him selfe a foole In prayer also the same spirit hath taught Gods childrē to speake one thing oftētimes partly because there is in euery one great dulnes want of féeling partly to note how earnest they are desirous to obtaine y t which they pray for So doth Dauid here in this place say So be it euen so be it as though his hart had bene scarce awake at the first A mā that would faine haue a thing which he néedeth indeede will say being asked if he will haue it oh yea yea yea if it be a thing that he cannot away withall he will say oh no no no often together as if he could not deny it too often as the first could not desire it too much This may the Church do if their harts be touched with their owne wants weakenesses But this doth not serue to maintaine any idle vnnecessarie repetitions such as were vsed in Popery condēned by our Sauiour Christ in the Scribes Pharisies In Popery they bable one thing oftētimes Iesus Iesus Iesus you must say ouer the Lordes prayer so many and so many times together and then you shall be heard say they And so they play in their chaunting curious singing which is more like the hunting of y e fore thē any spiritual holy seruice of God they are sometime a quarter of an houre almost in singing some one word Alas poore soules they thinke y t God is delighted as man is they thinke that the Lord is a sléepe as Baals Priests thought therfore they call often but Gods children féele their owne harts a sléepe therfore it is that they cry often in the same wordes So be it euen so be it saith the holy Prophet as if he should say did I speake it I will say it againe I doe not repent me of it I am not afrayde I am not ashamed if I said it not with such féeling the first time as I ought I will say it againe To shewe how carefull how constant how bold and how holy we should be in praysing of God For many times in our prayers our mindes are crossed with one thing or other so that God hath not the hart thē to it againe Hart what sayest thou then So be it euen so be it Some thinke a cold word vnreuerently blustred out to be good inough for God and are ashamed to amend any thing if it be amisse and afrayde to stand to a thing if it be well Some will vtter in table talke whatsoeuer commeth in their mindes of God against him too sometime when they should either defēd it or deny it or reforme it they turne it away with a iest Nay sir it is not my profession I will not
hotter then it was before yea they would haue sent vs Rehoboams message and his measure vz. that their litle finger should haue bene greater vpon vs then their loines were vpon them And whereas they did burthen them with a grieuous yoke they would haue made our yoke heauier and whereas they chastised them with rods they would haue corrected vs with scorpions if they had triumphed ouer vs as they made full accompt By this then we may know that the Lord loueth vs alas a nation not worthie to be loued because our enemies did not triumph against vs. Blessed be his name for euer But doth God loue none but those whom he deliuereth out of their enemies handes Yes surely that he doth for it is no matter how we be ouercome of our bodily enimies so that our spirituall enemies do not ouercome vs. For euerie Christian hath two sorts of enemies as Dauid had bodily and spirituall our spirituall enemies be our sinnes and the temptations of the world the flesh and the deuill which fight against the soule as S. Peter saith Now these do often trouble the children of God rebelling against them and many times leading theÌ„ captiues to the law of sinne yet finally they do not triumph against them because they do not willingly yéeld them selues to sinne with delight in sinne as the wicked do but they do coÌ„tinually striue against them by earnest prayer vnto God by hearing the word of God and by faith in Iesus Christ they are made more then conquerours in the end as S. Paule teacheth in his doctrine to the Rom. By this I knowe that thou fauourest me c. Without doubt the Prophet Dauid had néede of many blessings moe which the Lord did not bestow vpoÌ„ him but kept them back from him and all to humble him and yet he did not murmure against God for the want of them but gaue him thanks for those which he had alreadie receiued Although the Lord did not suffer him to take any rest because of his enemies yet he praiseth God because they did not triumph against him a good lesson for vs to learne WheÌ„ y e Lord shal afflict vs with any maner of affliction as losse of goods losse of friends losse of health or whatsoeuer else we should remeÌ„ber then what benefites we haue still which we are vnworthie of Then thus may Gods childreÌ„ say to God Though the Papists do molest vs and speake all euill of vs though our enemies séeke and sift vs yet they misse of their purpose and thou doest raise vp friends vnto vs. Though Athiests scoffers worldly beasts do â—out at thy preachers yet thou doest not let them discourage them whereby we know that thou louest vs. And hath the Lord taken away thy goods c. yet remember that he hath gâ—uen thée leaue to enioy thy sight thy spéech thâ— hearing thy vnderstanding thy wits his spirite c. all wich are more then thou deserâ—est and more then he doth for euerie one So we may say for matters of reformation although euery thing be not in all respectes as it should be and as if were to be wished yet let vs thaÌ„ke the Lord for these good things we haue Though the growth of the Church be yet hindred by many ignoraunt Ministers and idle nonresidents yet hath the Church many good Pastours and teachers to whom the porter Iesus Christ hath opened the doore and furnished with singular graces for the good of his Church Let vs thanke his Maiestie for them and not as some do which for the want of some things condemne all the things which we haue because the Church forsooth is not so purely purged as it ought to be therefore we haue no Church no Ministers no Sacraments c. as it please our schismatiques to affirme and therefore in a maâ— rage being carried with pride and tempestuous spirites whose glorie is altogether iâ— condemning their brethren they cry separate your selues come out from amongest theÌ„ as though we had nothing left amoÌ„gâ—t vs which might be a token of Gods fauoâ—r loue towardes vs. Ah my good brethreâ— is this to shew our selues thaÌ„kefull for that we haue receaued shall we acknowledge nothing good because all is not perfect we ought to striue orderly and lawfully I confesse vnto perfection if it may be that Zion may shine in perfect beautie But in y e meane while let vs feare that the Lord for our vnthankefulnesse and scornefull contempt will take away those good things which we haue before he giue vs any more If we should want nothing we should waxe waÌ„toÌ„ forget the Lord as Dauid did who thought wheÌ„ God had made him strong he should neuer be moued and therefore to humble vs and kéepe vs vnder the Lord still kéepeth somewhat from vs. But now let vs sée what vse we may make of all y t hath bene said we haue heard that y e Lord doth not onely loue vs but also that he maketh his loue knowen vnto vs by sauing vs from the cruell hands of our enemies this is no small matter for the Lord to bestow such loue vpon his enemies which deserue nothing but his hatred and heauie displeasure should not this make vs loue the Lord againe That we do will euery one be ready to say but if you loue me saith our Sauiour Christ kéepe my commauÌ„dements how is it now that we say we loue God and yet for the loue that he beareth to vs and we to him many will not leaue one iote oâ— their pleasure nor any vnlawfull gaine no nor a haire of their head by this we may be sure that we hate the Lord. The vsurer whoremonger will say they loue God so will the swearer and the drunkard say wheÌ„ their whole life is nothing but a warre against God You prophane y e Lords Sabboth and refuse to heare his word wheÌ„ it is preached and yet you will say you loue God a spitefull loue The scoffer at Religion and euery hypocrite will tell vs that he loueâ—h God or els it were hard when yet they will do nothing that God commaundeth them If you loue me saith Christ to Peter feede my flocke to shew that if Ministers féede not y e flocke of Christ with the foode of their soules the liuely preaching of the word they loue not Christ and yet both ignoraunt Ministers negligent Pastors carelesse non-residents will beare men in hand they loue God O cruell loue that suffreth meÌ„s soules to sinke downe to hell with their owne for whoÌ„ the Lord Iesus hath shed his bloud You Magistrats will say you loue God if you do so indéede let it appeare in couÌ„tenauÌ„cing his word when it is preached and encouraging his Ministers in reforming his Sabboth in suppressing of lewdnesse in vpholding of goodnesse and iudging iustly which if you do not by this you may be sure you loue not God If you loue me saith Christ
and mercifull Father shall thinke good to lay vpon him Although Israell were hardly intreated of Egypt yet God sayd I will get this people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians so that when ye go ye shal not go emptie Now if the Israelites went not away emptie wheÌ„ they were in fauour with the Egyptians much lesse shall we go away emptie froÌ„ the Lord if we be in fauour with him for séeing he hath of his frée mercie without any desert of ours giuen vs his onely Sonne how shall he not with him saith S. Paule giue vs all things else Hereupon it came that the Martyrs were alwayes so â—ocund and merrie for they were neuer sent away empty from the barre from the prison from the stake nor froÌ„ the fire but still the Lord filled their hearts with ioy and gladnesse and euer sustained their soules with the comfortable assurance of his fauour and so fast as their persecutors condemned them God iustified them so fast as they stript them their God clothed them so fast as they tormented them their God did comfort them wheÌ„â—hey impoâ—erished God enriched when they frowned God smiled when they spoiled the outward man God renewed the inward man when they wounded God healed when they killed God quickened and finally when they reiected them their God receiued them wherby they were not onely assured that he loued them but also were encouraged to beare whatsoeuer came for the assurance of Gods fauour so deare and precious was it vnto them Therefore Salomon saith that louing fauour is aboue gold and siluer if the louing fauor of men be aboue gold siluer how shall we value the louing fauor of God which being lost the whole world and ten thousand worlds cannot redéeme which being obtained is better theÌ„ the whole world And ten thousand worlds with all the deuils in hel can neuer take it from Gods children when they haue once the assurance therof in their hearts sealed vp vnto them by the spirit of adoption I say once againe whereat or at what price shall we value this fauour of our God When Iob was assured of this louing fauour of God in the heate of his affliction he was so far from shrinking or sinking down vnder his burthen that he said like a valiant souldier though he kill me yet will I trust in him As if he should say I loue my life well but I loue Gods fauour better to teach vs y t if we be assured of his louing fauour once we care not what we suffer in this life for it no more then Iob did for he knew that Gods killing would proue a quickning So that all our care and cunning my beloued in the Lord must be to sée the louing fauour of God in all our temptations troubles and afflictions And then as Iehoram said to Ieâ—u when he marched in his furie comest thou peaceably as if he should say if thou comest peaceably march as furiously as thou wilt So let vs say to our God O Lord comest thou fauorably and in loue against vs theÌ„ come as terribly as thou wilt Shoot thy arrowes and spend them all vpon me beate me to powder take all away and in this life do with me what thou wilt so thou doest assure me of thy fauour So we pray in that prayer which is called the Lordes prayer Thy will be done but Lord forgiue vs our sinnes and then doe what thou wilt deliuer vs from euil from the deuill and then tempt vs or bring vs into what battailes it pleaseth thée So reasoneth the Prophet Dauid likewise Happy are they whose oxen are strong to labour happy are they which are frée from forraine inuasion and ciuil dissention which a bound with many outward worldly and generall benefits c. but how if we misse of these outward things why then happy is the people whose God is the Lord. So again in another place he makes the very same reckening Many saith he wil say who wil shew vs any good that is wordly goods but Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenaunce vpon vs. c. to teach vs that we must not care what we want so that we may be sure of Gods louing countenaunce in the Gospell of his sonne Iesus Christ. The woman of Chanaan was content to take many repulses at the hands of our Sauiour so that she might be sure of one graunt so let vs be content to take many repulses so that we may be sure of Gods fauour in our repulses The birth of y e child into the world swalloweth vp all y e paines and panges of the mother in forgetfulnesse which went before the birth so saith our Sauiour Christ. So we if after our manifold afflictioÌ„s and sorrowes for Christes his sake we bring forth the assuraunce of Gods fauour here and of eternall life hereafter being dead let forgetfulnesse deuoure and coÌ„sume all the rest And séeing as the Lord in his louing fauour doth thus and thus crosse his children let patience beare it let forgetfulnesse weare it and by this let vs learne to trust in our God another time without fainting or shrinking when troubles come againe The wicked blind world takes another course they cast their eye altogether vpon the crosse and studie how to be eased of that with odd shiftings and many vnlawfull deuises and vngodly practises but because they sée not the louing fauour of God towards them in Christ Iesus they are ready to sinke downe in dispaire of mercy and horrour of conscience like a lumpe of lead in the sea The Lord in one hand hath fire to burne in his other hand water to quench but he holdeth it behind his backe many times that at the first it is not perceiued no not of his deare children but at the last they both sée it and féele the comfort of it and acknowledge the same saying with Dauid By this I know that thou fauorest me c. Therfore as the child is glad when his father smileth vpon him and speakes comfortably vnto him although he beates him so let vs be glad reioyce wheÌ„ our heaueÌ„ly father doth smile vpon vs in giuing vs the assuraunce of his loue although he doth afflict vs. By this I know that thou louest me because mine enemies do not c. Here further we are to coÌ„sider of the prouideÌ„ce and wisedome of God in that he turneth the rage and malice of our enemies tâ— our great good for by this he assureth vs oâ— his fauour which is the greatest good that is Thus you sée that the enemies of Gods childreÌ„ do them good against their will the Lord by his euer watching prouidence so disposing their enterprises and working in thâ— harts of his children for Gods prouidence doth first worke bring to passe good things secoÌ„dly it permitteth euill things to be done but then thirdly it directeth and ordereth aâ— things both good and bad to his
more glorie that is a note of a Puritane and he is too holy for our company Some would giue God thankes oftener then they do but they cannot remember him without a picture or a crucifixe or some Popish relicke like the Ioclatrous Iewes which could not remember God til they saw a calfe As though the Lords dayly benefits were not sufficient remembrances liuely pictures of the Lords goodnesse or as though when any doth bestow a benefite vpon vs by his sonne we should not thanke his father because we neuer saw him and we want his picture Some will for fashion sake giue God a good word or two and say perhaps God is a good God God be blessed I thanke God for my deliuerance c. but then they must run a long discourse of them selues but if I had not done this and that if I had not played y e man had a good forecast c. it had not gone so well with me as it did Thus many deale with God like him that when he hath tolde out his money to his creditor which he ought him and taken vp his bond snatcheth vp his money againe and for an hundred pound giueth him a penie and a boxe on the eare But to leaue all these to the Lord this is most certaine if we be afrayd or ashamed or forgetfull or indifferent to praise the Lord or if we be vnreuerent or idolatrous or superstitious in praising God how can we assure our selues to be the children of God But note further in this holy seruant of God how he was qualified and prepared before he would or before he could offer any sacrifice of praise acceptable to God First he examineth his heart and findeth his affectioÌ„s holy and vpright before the Lord his heart frée from reuenge his spirit humbled vnder the hand of God his soule assured of Gods fauour and his faith setled in his promises this being done he procéedeth and saith Blessed be the Lord God of Israell c. assuring him selfe that when his person is accepted with God his praises thankesgiuing shall not be reiected This is to teach vs that they which come vnsanctified and vnprepared by a liuely faith and true repeÌ„tance and haue nothing to coÌ„mend them vnto God but their pride their hatred their infidelitie their impietie and such like they cannot prayse the Lord and if they do it is returned vpoÌ„ their heads as sinne so they are sent away not onely emptie but in worse case then they came like the vnworthy guest that came to the Kings feast without his wedding garment And this doctrine runneth currant thorough the whole body of the Scriptures and no man doth aske from whence it commeth or whither it goeth but euery one of the Lords Seers and seruants giueth testimonie vnto it The Psalmist is of y t mind for he saith The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their crie but the face of the Lord is against them that do euill to cut off the remembrance of them from off the earth to shew how little the Lord regardeth their prayers or any thing that they can offer vnto his maiestie Salomon is likewise of the same mind for he saith The sacrifice of the wicked is abominatioÌ„ to the Lord but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable vnto him He sheweth a good reason why For saith he the way of the wicked is abomination to the Lord but he loueth them that followe righteousnesse In another place he saith High talke becoÌ„meth not a foole If high talke becometh not a â—oole much lesse doth diuine talke become a wicked man for what talke hiâ—her theÌ„ talke with the most high and who so foolish as the wicked and profane The Prophet Esay is also of the same mind for he speaking in the person of God saith thus When you shall stretch out your hands I will hide mine eyes from you though you make many praiers I will not heare you for your handes are full of bloud that is your déedes are full of oppression and therefore your prayers and praises are stained with your bloudy hands S. Luke saith That deuils came out of many crying and saying thou art Christ the sonne of the liuing God but Christ rebuked them and suffred them not to say that they knew him to be that Christ because they were deuils For our Sauiour Christ will not be praised out of a deuils mouth for their commendation tendeth rather to his discredite theÌ„ otherwise so deuilish men may perhaps come out of many houses to Church cry we prayse thée O God we know thée who y u art Iesus the sonne of the liuing God glory be to the father and to the sonne and to the holy Ghost and many good wordes and spéeches moe they vtter but surely the Lord is so farre from accepting any such thing at their hands that he is more prouoked to anger against them for it because they are deuilish and come without repentance into the presence of the most holy The like in all respectes shall we read of in the 16. of the Actes A certaine maid had a spirite of diuination she was such a one as some ignorantly call a cunning womaÌ„ no better then a witch or a coÌ„iurer one that wrought by the deuil could by helpe of the deuil tell where things were y t were lost such a one followed Paul and Silas crying These are the seruaunts of the most high God and this she did many dayes But Paul being greeued turned about and said to the spirite I commaunde thee in the name of Iesus Christ that thou come out of her Now as Gods seruaunts could not abide the confession of the deuill much lesse can God him selfe abide it being onely for feare and not of loue A straunge thing that deuils which are at defiaÌ„ce with God should confesse him And yet all things duely considered it is not so straunge as it may séeme to be for what if they do it of constrainte whether they wil or no or what if it be for feare onely and not for loue or what if they do it to bring credit vpon their own matters and to bring Gods matters into contempt then the strangenesse of the matter is diminished for indéede this is common not onely among the deuils but amongest all the reprobate SathaÌ„ shall alledge Scripture to credite his owne cause and Balam will not because â—e cannot passe the boundes of that which God hath put in his mouth wheÌ„ his hart hunteth for y e wages of iniquitie Sometime to make them inexcusable God will wring a confession from their own mouthes as he did from Pharao Sometime the wicked will doe that which their hart goeth against to bring Gods seruaunts in question amongest men like the cunning maide before mentioned Sometime to deceiue the more easily and strongly he will chaunge him selfe into the likenesse