not thinke now that the false heart hath chosen her selfe good Schoole-masters For who euer heard that chastitie was learned in the Stewes or honestie at Playes He is a mad man that can no other way trie the heat of fire then by leaping into it Fourthly consider the greatnesse of deceit within the snares without and the effects of being taken by them and the hardnesse to recouer the heart once let loose All this will inforce the doctrine strongly First the deceit within is wonderfull seeing the whole frame is euill the vnderstanding conscience memorie will and affections our Temples by the fall are become a stable yea all euill dwells in the soule a vast Chaos and confusion inclinable to most odious and lothsome sinnes whensoeuer Satan shall mooue vs who by his interest in our flesh and our acquaintance with sinne from the beginning is seldome disappointed Secondly the suares without are euery where All places are full the Street the House the Boord the Bed the Closet the Church and Pulpit All duties are full as Prayer Almes Feasting Fasting All actions Eating Drinking Trading and Sporting so as no watch can be sufficient Thirdly the effects of being taken as shame griefe wounds of conscience broken bones sharpe corrections which are to follow torment of Soule and without serious repentance of Soule and Body in Hell this is the sowre sauce appointed for such sweet meate Fourthly once let the bridle of watchfulnesse goe the heart will runne away like a wilde Horse and a long time ere thou canst catch it againe and bring it into temper and tune for so good seruice againe Fifthly the heart must bee still kept that the whole course may giue comfort for the heart of the wicked may be vpright in some particular action as Abimelech in taking Sarah Gen. 20. 6. but it is not the ayme of our liues but the godly howsoeuer in some particular actions they may shew deceit yet their comfort is that the mayne course and carriage of their liues is vpright as Dauid was vpright in all things saue only in the matter of Vriah generall guile possessed him not but in one particular action But by what meanes shall I thus keepe my heart First often heare and reade the Word the sincere Milke in it selfe and in the effect Heb. 4. 12. The Word is liuely a discerner of the thoughts it makes a man better acquainted with himselfe and grow vp in sincerity it is the hearts glasse by it as by the Lords Heifer wee shal know the riddles and deeps of our hearts 1. Cor. 14 Pauls idiot seeing the thoughts of his heart reuealed falls downe and saith God is in you The Word of God first yeelds thee light it is as a light in a candle-sticke nothing is hid which before it is not reuealed Secondly it humbles the heart no gold can bee rid of drosse till it be molten and dissolued crooked things are made right by wresting and wringing so the Word brings the heart to vprightnesse by bowing and terrifying it Thirdly it purifies the heart by working confirming and increasing Faith Secondly set thy selfe often before God and him at thy right hand whose eyes see the hearts and secrets of men to shew himselfe strong with the vpright 2. Chron. 16. 9. Abraham if he would be vpright must first walke with God Moses saw him that was inuisible And indeed hypocrisie riseth from secret Atheisme Ananias and Sapphira tempted God in their hypocrisie and impossible it is for a man to speake and doe in Gods presence and not sincerely Thirdly set before thee often the last Iudgement in which all things and persons shall appeare naked and be not as they seeme but seeme as they are thou mayest collude with men but Gods pure eyes cannot bee deceiued see Pauls example 2. Cor. 5. So thinke of after-recknings and how narrowly things shall be look't too and what a hard man the Master is Fourthly call thy selfe often to examination trie thy heart and reines to see thy guile cleerer to bewaile and striue against it Trie thy workes of obedience obserue thy comfort and peace in them obserue how thou art affected when thou takest thy selfe tardy in them Say to thy selfe Oh my worke must be cleane though it be not fine it may not be blurr'd with hypocrisie Take account of thy selfe Morning and Euening bee seuere in examining it keep an audit in thy conscience summon thy senses looke to the windowes let not in any deceit by them or if thou hast thrust it out and looke better and the rather because of the vntrustinesse of thy heart he that is trustie needes seldomer to bee reckoned with and therefore Iosiah 2. King 22. 7. gaue charge that no reckoning should be taken of them that had the money for they dealt faithfully but an vntrustie Pilferer or a slippery Gehazi such as our heart is had need be reckoned with euery day Fifthly marke the wayes and frequent the company of the Godly and vpright these will neither flatter thee in thy corruptions nor suffer them vpon thee if thou wilt take vp either their Precepts or Example This Dauid knew was a good helpe to keepe himselfe vpright Psal. 119. 79 80. Let such as feare thee turne vnto me and such as know thy testimonies Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes c. Psal. 101. 6 7. Mine eyes shall be on the faithfull he that walkes in the perfect way shall cleaue to me Sixthly deale with thy heart as with a slippery man whom thou darest not to trust take bonds on him so here binde it by vowes and promises cause it to enter couenant with God Psal. 119. 106. I haue sworne and will performe to keepe thy statutes Register these bonds reuiew them At such a time on such an occasion of sicknesse I promised thus and thus Oh false heart how hast thou forgotten thy vow Seuenthly being to deale with so vnconstant a thing as the heart is doe as with an vnconstant man we take him when we find him in a good veine and lay hold on the opportunitie for let him goe an houre he will be of another minde so with thy variable heart when it is warme with any good motion let it not slip when thy heart is prepared to prayer sorrow reading let not the opportunitie die but as Dauid Psal. 57. 7. O Lord my heart is prepared I will arise and giue thankes if the Spirit be quenched he will be grieued Eighthly pray often that God would open thine eyes to see thy hidden corruptions and anoint them with eye-salue that thou mayest discerne thy sinnes euen when thy deceitfull heart hath apparelled them with the cloke of vertues Pray with DAVID Lord renew a right Spirit within me In one word to perswade to these practices Consider how we are troubled to be called hypocrites but what else doth the Lord but call the best of vs so when hee saith the heart is deceitfull
else wofull is the state of that man who being sicke both in soule and body is brought neere to the gates both of death and hell And in our recouerie let vs take vp that lesson of our Sauiour Goe and sinne no more Fourthly if this touch of conscience be so great then must that conclusion be true He must needs be a blessed man whose sinnes are forgiuen whose wounds of soule Christ hath taken vpon himselfe by bearing properly the wrath of God for them vpon the Crosse. But alas who thankefully acknowledgeth and walketh worthy of the loue of his Lord whose spirit was heauy to the death that our spirits might bee lightened whose conscience was submitted to this heauy trouble that wee might find peace of conscience in him and whose-selfe was made an offering for sinne that we might be wholly discharged from it In my roaring AN argument of extreme paine that made the Prophet vtter a feareful noise like the roaring of a Lyon And by roaring is meant bitter crying and lamentations through sense of paine without further apprehension for as yet no further was this holy man come Men vse to vent much sorrow by weeping and crying and so Dauid made triall if by this meanes hee could helpe himselfe to ease but all in vaine sorrow for sinne is not alway cast out with teares the conscience of sin vnpardoned bites whether thou criest or art silent and therefore thou must come to another remedie First note Dauid while he lay slumbring in his sin made a great noyse but hee calls it roring rather then godly sorrowing more like and fit for beasts then for men Euery godly mans sorrow for sinne is not alwayes godly sorrow and indeede when men cry and lament only in sense of paine without further motion of Gods loue in the heart or bending the Spirit to sue after God or when the Spirit grieued with-draweth himselfe as it is often in the godly and here in Dauid it is rather a brutish noyse common to men and beasts then any voyce acceptable to God Secondly when sorrow is a fruit of impatience or distrust or ioyned with murmuring or excesse or any other sinfull quality as some godly mens sorrow hath beene it is no godly sorrow let the obiect bee what it will Thirdly when sorrow euen for sinne brings neither glory to God nor comfort to the heart it is not godly sorrow for that doth both but here was a sorrow in Dauid which did neither for still he hid his sinne and it was not yet accompanied with so much as confession of sinne and much lesse with forsaking it the matter of accusation was no whit abated Fourthly that sorrow which proceeds from the sight of sinne in generall but not in the particular cannot be godly sorrow for thus the wickedst on earth will confesse sinne and semble sorrow for it But this was Dauids sorrow he was not so destitute of minde or so past himselfe as that he could not or did not generally acknowledge himselfe a sinner in this time but seeking to hide his particular sinne his sorrow was but roring This may first incite vs to examine our sorrow whether it be godly sorrow or no acceptable to God and comfortable to our selues How shall I know whether my sorrow be godly sorrow or no Know it by these rules First godly sorrow hath a right obiect which is God himselfe offended and here is a difference betweene the sorrow and sense of the godly and wicked as in their sicknesse The Lyon roares and the beasts feare it is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of God therefore the wicked feare and sorrow because God is become their enemie Plainly it is Gods power or Gods iustice which makes them feare and sorrow before whom the Hills melt and the Rocks breake asunder and the Earth burneth before his eyes and who can stand before his wrath And their sorrow is for themselues that they cannot make their part good against him in holding of their sinnes selfe-loue is the moouer of their sorrow But the Church is sicke of loue that is there is in the godly heart a sense of Gods loue and a motion towards God offended In this heart louing friendship with God the griefe is because by sinne it hath changed his loue into displeasure Zach. 12. 10. The Spirit being powred on them they shall mourne for him that is when the godly shall come to see what euills and miseries their sinnes brought vpon Christ and how odious their offences haue beene towards him for it was not so much the Scribes Priests Romanes and Iudas that brought Christ to his death as the sinnes of the Elect then shall they weepe for him The Spirit of God euer directs men to God 1. Sam. 7. 6. The people of God are said in the day of their fast to draw water namely out of their hearts and to powre it before the Lord whereby is meant that they wept bitterly for their offences against the Lord. Psal. 51. 4. Dauid saith Against thee against thee haue I sinned hee needed not haue beene so much troubled for his sinne either for shame for it was not knowne but to God alone or for punishment for none could call him to account but this wounded him he had offended his mercifull God Gen. 39. 9. Ioseph being tempted to folly said How shall I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God the wrong that he should haue done his Master was nothing in his eye to Gods offence But Iudas sorrowed not for his Master but for himselfe Secondly as God is the obiect of godly sorrow euen God loued for himselfe so God is the Author of it working it in nature whereas worldly sorrow is naturall riseth from nature and tendeth to the preseruation of nature very little looking beyond It lookes with Cain more at punishment then at sinne present distresse more affects it then Gods indignation but this is supernaturall a plant of God and an impression of his finger How may I know that my sorrow is from God When it is wrought in Gods meanes and they be ordinarily three First his Word Act. 2. 37. When they heard PETER say that they were pricked in heart Secondly his Rod. Lam. 3. 1. I am the man that haue seene affliction in the rod of thy visitation this is the hammer that beates the Word home to the head Marke I say his Rod and to know it to bee his besides the former we may take another note that it makes all other rods easie and light and swallowes vp carnall vexation as Moses his Serpent did the Sorcerers when men lay on with their rods of indignities and iniuries it will not suffer impatience reuenge moodinesse that men refuse their meat and drinke and part from their sleepe here is worldly sorrow now a dramme of godly sorrow bewayling sinne would weight downe a talent of this Thirdly Gods
vse vnlawfull meanes but depends vpon God Dauid comforts not himselfe in corne wine or oile but in Gods countenance Psal. 4. It is instant with God in prayer as the Canaanite Luk. 7. Finde these notes in thy selfe and thou mayest support thy selfe in the deepest distresse that is for if thy soule thus truly mourne for sinne thou art in the high-way to blessednesse Thirdly this rebukes the common error of men who account conuersion and the attaining of happinesse a matter of nothing men thinke that heauen stands by their beds-sides it is but a light Lord haue mercie whereas neuer hee went to heauen that sailed not by hell it is a burdened soule that seekes and gets ease a weary soule which Christ refresheth a soule pressed with an heauie hand that sues for mercy No man can taste of the sweete fruite of mercy that hath not tasted the bitter fruite of sinne and of a wounded and distressed conscience And whosoeuer hath not felt the griefe and smart of his sinnes may iustly feare hee neuer truly repented and thou that saiest thy sinnes neuer troubled thee thou thankest God shalt find that there is more trouble behind Fourthly labour to feele thy spirituall miserie and wants that with Lazarus thou maiest get thee to Diues his gate and examine thy selfe if thou hast felt it How loth are men to feele the smart of sinne to heare the law come vpon their conscience for feare they bee set into dumpes and melancholy to feele the crosse whereby God breakes the stubbornnesse of nature and subdues it Alas poore soules that nip true repentance in the blossome and blast it in the beginning that thinke they are very neere heauen when they are loth to point their foot into the first step which is to mourne and to be cast downe to hell in their owne sense and in the feeling of their owne sinnes till which time thou hast not mooued one foote or finger toward eternall life therefore know First that thy case is dangerous and thou art still in thy sinnes who wilt not let the word come home to thy heart and wilt not suffer Gods Spirit to meete thee in the Ministerie and canst not indure the power of the Word to wound either thy soule or thy sinne but it hath been in vaine to thee a certaine signe of a man as yet out of the state of grace as it is Rom. 1. 28. Such as regarded not to know God he gaue them vp to the lusts of their hearts Secondly know that an accusing conscience for sinne is better then a dead conscience a sleepie benummed or seared conscience is the most grieuous plague that God can strike a man withall in this life his wrath followes drowsie consciences to giue them vp to a spirit of slumber and at length to a reprobate sense Psal. 81. 11. My people would not heare my voice Israel would none of me so I gaue them vp to the hardnesse of their hearts and they walked in their owne counsels Thirdly let vs bee mooued to make search into our miserie considering first that if we shead not teares on earth God can neuer wipe them away in heauen and if we do here shead teares for sinne God carries an handkerchiefe to wipe them all away such Aprill showres bring the May-flowres of grace and comfort Secondly that our soules in their swaruing from God are like bones out of ioynt the longer they goe vnrespected the more painefull they prooue Thirdly for the health of the body men will purge and sweat and make shift to swallow and get downe bitter pills and potions so the vomit of the soule is the griefe of repentance take it betime and the danger is lesse Were the medicine of repentance grieuous to take yet in regard of the euerlasting health to which it restoreth vs wee should like wise men take the sweete with the sowre and chuse this rather then to feede on such sweete meates as please the palate while they bee tasted but cause at length vomits more bitter then death Fourthly how highly doth God esteeme of a man or woman of a broken heart 2. King 22. 19. Good Iosiahs heart melted and God had a care to take him to himselfe from the euill to come Isa. 57. 15. I walke with him that is of a contrite spirit to reuiue the spirit of the humble and giue life to the contrite heart Now followes the ground of Dauids confession which is first in order I said or thought THat is I purposed I resolued Dauid had been in a long conflict in himselfe what to doe he could neither part with his sin nor yet hold it in a woe case hee found himselfe and as a man whose bones were broken yet loth hee was to goe to the Surgeon faine hee would haue hid his sore but the paine would not suffer him Long hee reasoned with himselfe how hee might carry away his sinne most quietly but found no peace in hiding it but still his terrors were increased and then he grew at last to the best resolution that neither feares nor terrors nor sorrowes should any longer as an hedge shut vp his way to confession he will no longer be tossed betweene feare and hope doubts and desires deliberations and resolutions but now I said that is I thought in my heart I spake with my mouth and presently I resolued and acted that I would present my self before God in humble confession of my sinne The same phrase we haue Luke 15. 17. when the lost sonne had lost himselfe in straying and wandring from home and had spent his money and strength on harlots and was now a fitter cōpanion for swine then any thing else when he who had wallowed in the mire of his sin and fed himself with the swil of iniquity was now rightly sorted for his bed and boord with swine cast out of mens company and none pitying him to giue him so much as huskes to eate Now he begins to consider what a wofull estate he was in he thinkes of his fathers house but with what face can he behold the face of his father he considers of the seruants in his fathers house but he is not worthy of a place among them these and such thoughts would haue kept him from his father but necessitie so vrging and famine sore pinching him vpon consideration he came to the like resolution I said I will goe to my father that is I resolued to goe and so he went so Dauid said he would confesse and confessed Hence we may see in the first place that Sound consideration brings forth sound resolutions Deut. 32. 29. Oh that men were wise that they vnderstood this that they would consider their latter ende Psal. 119. 59. I considered my waies and turned my feete vnto thy testimonies and Psal. 4. 4. to still Gods enemies he bids them examine themselues and be still And the reason hereof is good for First consideration is an applying of
this admire any teaching but this whereas onely this can make them wise to saluation and only this knowledge hath life eternall accompanying it that is a learned tongue that studieth out cases of conscience and speaketh a word in due season This is the learning and instruction of this Psalme and therefore is worthy all our attention and diligence to carry away the seuerall instructions of it So much of the Inscription VERSE 1. 2. Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth no sinne and in whose spirit is no guile This Psalme hath two parts 1. A generall doctrine 1. Propounded in the two first Verses 2. Expoūded in the three next 2. The general vse which is four-fold 1. Concerning prayer vers 6. 2. Affiance in God vers 7. 3. Obediēce to God v. 8 9 10 4. Praise of God which is the end of all verse last The generall doctrine is first set downe in the precept in the two first Verses and secondly proued by example in the 3 4 and 5. The doctrine in the Precept is this That eternall happinesse called in the Text Blessednesse standeth in the forgiuenesse of sinnes Which forgiuenesse of sinnes is set forth by three phrases tending al to expresse the same thing namely the perfect iustification of a sinner in the sight of God whose sinne is here said first to be forgiuen Secondly couered And thirdly not imputed and then amplified by the inseparable fruit or companion of it which is the sanctification of the soule in these wordes And in whose Spirit is no guile First therefore we are to speake of the person and secondly of his blessednesse The person is he whose wickednesse is first forgiuen secondly whose sinne is couered thirdly whose sinne is not imputed and fourthly In whose spirit is no guile VERSE 1. Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen THe word translated Wickednesse signifieth sinne in an high degree and is in Scripture vsed for disloyaltie or treason to a King disobedience to Parents or Masters perfidiousnes or treachery to such friends as to whom we owe the greatest testimonies of thankefulnesse The second word translated Forgiuen signifieth to bee loosed eased or lightned Wherein is implyed this point of doctrine that Sinne is an intolerable burden which oppresseth the sinner with an infinite weight The Prophet Isay calleth the people of his time a people laden with iniquitie and our Sauiour calling sinners doth it in this forme Come vnto me all yee that are heauy laden Heb. 12. 1. Sinne is said to prosse downe In which sense also the day of sinnes finall destruction is called the day of refreshing and of finding rest to our soules And that sinne is such a burthen it further appeareth by these reasons following First because it presseth downe impenitent sinners into Hell and there for euer holdeth them vnder condemnation nay the weight of it pressed the Angels themselues from heauen who are now held vnder chaines of blacke darkenesse for euer Secondly it bringeth such a burden with it as all creatures cānot stand vnder namely the wrath of God which makes sinne so heauie the which being laid vpon Christ himselfe hee felt such a loade as made him sweat water and bloud Thirdly it is attended with the burden of conscience which it burdeneth with terrors feares accusation and guiltinesse the weight of which is so heauie as Salomon saith A wounded conscience or spirit who can beare all other infirmities the spirit of man can sustaine but this is impossible Fourthly it burdeneth the sinner first with the burden of Gods word which are the curses and threats of the Law and secondly with the burden of Gods hand which are the load of affliction and executions vpon sinners Verse 9. by which he breaketh the wicked and bendeth his children towards their dutie Fifthly as a burden it keepes vnder the sinner that he cannot bestir himselfe in good duties nor walke in Gods wayes But with this difference the wicked moue not at all the godly but weakely they feele it not nor complaine these grone and sigh and cry out Oh who shall deliuer me the good I would doe I cannot the euill I hate I doe And if the sinnes of the godly repented of be so heauie what are the sinnes of impenitent sinners There is no libertie in sinne but bondage it bindeth to the curse to guiltinesse horrors shame and sorrow none are such slaues as sinners and yet they thinke there can be no freedome but when they may doe what they list and are indeed the sonnes of Belial that is men lawlesse or without yoke but by such Libertine courses they lay the most heauy yokes vpon themselues all the Mountaines in the world wil be nothing to their burden Labour to feele this burden which is heauier then all the grauell on the Earth and sand in the Sea Neuer a one here present but we are laid vnder the burden of Adams transgression vnder the weight of our owne corruption originall and actuall sinne vnder the burden of the wrath of God of accusing consciences of Gods curses threatned and executed bound hand and foote as men ready to be pressed to death are wee senselesse and feele none of this weight If a man lay vnder an hundred or six hundred weight and neuer felt it nor groned nor struggled to get from vnder it he is a dead man so hee that carries the burden of his sinnes and feeles no danger no bondage grones not vnder the Law of his members is senselesse of his imperfections and corruptions this man is dead while he liueth as Paul speakes of widdowes laden with lusts and liuing in pleasure so this man abides vnder death till this houre What is the reason then that the most men neuer feele this burden neuer felt doubting nor trouble of conscience nor torment of heart they loued God euer they haue grace at will they serue God as well as the best they beleeue strongly they want no oyle in their lamps they would be sorry to be tempted as some are to bee so mopish and pensiue they haue peace in their consciences The reasons are First because they are dead without the life of God and grace without sense and feeling of this heauy burden which is felt onely by grace not by corruption and according to the measure of grace is the measure of this sense the lesse sinne is felt the lesse grace and so mayest thou accordingly iudge of thy selfe What is the reason that men can cry out of the stone in the reines but neuer or seldome of the stone of the heart but because they haue naturall life which affects them with the sense of the one but want supernaturall life which should strike them with the sense and paine of the other A spirituall burden no maruaile if it bee not felt of them that are all flesh destitute of the spirit Secondly
so it calls in company gaming merriments and other exercises like water to a dropsie Little is the ease of forgetting that paine the cause of which remaineth it will certainly returne againe Secondly by contenting a man with some short humiliation and as vnsound as short to flatter God withall onely forced by feare and selfe-loue The Iewes confessed their sinnes and promised to doe so no more but they dissembled with their double hearts and their goodnesse was like the morning dew How many such flashes made Pharaoh how many sickemen on their beds haue in their affliction sought God but it was onely for ease and to get out of his hands or for feare because they saw no way to get out affecting deliuerance not repentance nor seeking sound reconciliation and peace but a truce for no sooner recouered but they are out in the field with God againe al the time of their straitenesse being quite forgotten And let soft-hearted Protestants that at some Sermons can melt with great motion to teares and yet afterward make little or no conscience of their waies but yeeld libertie to their lustes thinke vpon this point and consider how the deceit of spirit ouer-reacheth them Thirdly by satisfying with some outward ceremonie and formall seruice which when they haue done they shall find that God is not friends with them Some after sinne committed and accusing them by saying or framing a prayer though without heart-breaking faith or the spirit draw a skinne ouer their heart and there is peace for a time others whose whole life was spent in oppression and euery penny worse got then other if about the time of their death or after they giue a little money to the poore or bee liberall for a guilding Sermon they haue peace without any satisfaction or restitution according to the law of repentance What they haue wickedly got they leaue to their heires who are made happy by their fathers going to the deuill as the prouerbe saith They neuer loosed their bonds of wickednesse and now are chained in the bonds of blacke darknesse for euer The third guile of the heart is in respect of vertue and grace whereby the vnsound heart doth rest it selfe vpon counterfeit vertues for the wickednesse of euerie mans heart by nature is such that let it be neuer so vicious yet it will counterfeit any vertue First it will make a man outwardly seeme a true worshipper of God it will bring the body and frame it to reuerence when there is none within it will make the lips draw neere when the heart is farre remooued it makes Congregations and people sit before God when their hearts are gone after their couetousnesse Idols in Churches are put downe but idols in mens hearts are set vp and this is the reason why the Word and Prayer are so forcelesse wee haue mens bodies now and then when they list but seldome or neuer their hearts Secondly it will make a man outwardly seeme a good Christian when inwardly he is a Iudas or Demas an vnsound heart will make a man professe religion but vtterly neglect the work of it the forme of godlinesse contents him without the power so he haue a lampe of profession he cares not for oyle in it it suffereth him to get knowledge and rests in that without conscience it suffereth him to pray but publikely more then priuately and to neither ioyneth watching to his prayer yea he can shew the shell of any duty but neuer cares for the kernell Secondly inwardly it can counterfeit the most excellent graces as first faith when it hath neuer a iot it wil presume of Gods mercy and thinks this presumption faith What man saith not hee beleeues that hee shal be saued but all men haue not faith saith the Apostle therefore it is a shaddow without substance Secondly repentance a man in sicknesse will cry out of himselfe and his sinnes he will promise if he liue to become a new man and practise godlinesse but when God hath restored him his wicked heart carries him as farre backe as euer hee was here was a shew of repentance but it was counterfeit Thirdly loue where is nothing but deuillish malice two neighbours are fallen out and are at deadly hatred at the time of the Sacrament both of them dissemble loue and charitie but after it they are as malicious and mischieuous as euer they were before Fourthly strength in temptation where is none Peter while he was with Christ would die with him before he would deny him but when the maide daunted him he saw that that was but a flourish and that he was not so well acquainted with the wiles of his heart as he should haue been And so of the rest of the graces A fourth guile of the heart is in respect of the worke of the Word and Spirit when the deceitfull heart forceth the sinner to rest in the restraining of some corruption in stead of renewing grace for example the Word by a common worke of the Spirit planteth some kinde of vertues as temporary faith ioy in the word reuerence to Preachers loue to Professors releeuing them speaking for them and helping them euery way and yet such are not cleansed from their filthinesse all their hearts are corrupt all is ioyned with deepe hypocrisie Herod heard Iohn gladly reuerenced him tooke him for a good man and did many things but his heart was right in nothing for it claue to that speciall sinne of keeping his brothers wife And as the heart is so is euery action so is the ioy loue and labour some sinister respect it hath and doth not good purely and for it selfe Thus our Sauiour witnesseth that the good and bad hearers are both in appearance fruitfull and for a time but the one is purely affected in bringing fruit so is not the other But doe not the best finde such deceit in doing good as that they haue great cause to bewaile it Yea but although reliques of natural hypocrisie mixe themselues into their actions yet they sway not the hart but are striuen against and the maine motion of the heart is sincere and chooseth good for goodnesse sake as in the other it is not Now when a wicked heart findeth in it selfe knowledge consent confession and defence of the word al which were in Iulian the Apostate hee rests in this as sauing knowledge whereas it is a common gift whereby the Lord will haue his truth witnessed by the enemies of it Againe when a guileful heart comes to a sight of sin to feare it to terror of conscience griefe and vexation for sinne it rests in that as a sound feare of God whereas it is a seruile feare like that of the deuils and the vexation is not for sinne but for the punishment of it it is a common worke of the Word and Spirit to prepare the wicked to iust damnation Further when a guilefull heart sees many corruptions cast out
many sinnes broken off many things reformed it rests it selfe as in a worke of regeneration whereas this is a common worke of the Spirit incident to the wicked whom if God should not represse there were no liuing for the godly on earth Haman did refraine himselfe from Mordecai most sinnes seemed to be mortified in Iudas but yet he was possessed by the deuill Infidels liue honestly and ciuilly abstaine from wrongs violent lusts c. But here is no renuing grace which mortifieth all corruptions and reformeth euery thing and thus was it not in Herod Iudas and the wicked Besides as in regeneration the whole childe is borne compleate in all parts so doth the Spirit begin his worke at the roote of the heart and within and not without as in Infidels and workes not onely in suppressing and restraining sinne but also in oppressing it and renewing the heart and life And here it shall not be amisse to adde some further notes of restraining grace not renewing And first in respect of sinne it selfe A conceit that grosse sinnes be but infirmities though they liue and lye in them bearing themselues vpon this that the iust man falleth seuentimes a day and riseth againe Prou. 24. 16. falsely vnderstood Thus many approue not the excesse of sinne as vainely to sweare the greatest oaths insatiable griping and gaping after the world but why hate they not all oaths all couetousnesse which is idolatry but because there is not a spirit renewing the heart which mortifieth all deedes of the flesh all oaths all lyes Secondly in respect of their affection toward sinne namely a pretence of hatred of sinne when it is but a rash anger For example Of all sinnes which the ministerie is taxed for of the common people there is none so noted and exclamed against as their hardnesse worldlinesse gathering of goods together and the sinne is so seuerely obserued aboue all other as that an honest contented man can scarce be free from this imputation But now though the fault bee hainous and too common what is the reason the multitude so exclames vpon it is it because they hate the sinne surely no for their owne feete are as deepely sunke in the same mire and they care not for plucking them out Angry they are that another out-gathers them but if they hated the sinne themselues would not gather so fast Further many seeme to hate some of their sinnes and sometimes trouble their sinnes and grosse corruptions and wish it otherwise and accuse themselues Many are offended at some errors of Popery some vaine inuentions idle and hurtfull traditions but others are iustified Here is a shew of hatred of sinne of error but it is onely a rash anger for First he that hates one sinne or error because it is so will hate all which he knowes so to be hatred is against kinds we hate all serpents all poysons all enemies so said Dauid I hate all vaine inuentions Secondly one or two euils may be disliked of him that hates no sinne and the sinne hated but not as sinne as Absolom hated Amnon for his incest but himselfe more incestuous Thirdly if thou diddest hate these sinnes and errors as enemies why doest thou not raise thy power against them crie for Christs crucifying power against them a perfit hatred will neuer be satisfied without death or diuorcement If thou hatest her in thine heart why doest not thou put her away If thou hatedst thy sinnes thou wouldest forsake them Thirdly note in respect of the word when men taste the good word and the powers of the life to come they take this to be the Spirit of adoption and a sound affection But obserue the difference and falsehood whereas in Gods children all their affections be affected with it and they feede on it vnto eternall life in these it affecteth their ioy onely and that for a time Gods children loue it beleeue it reioyce to meditate of it rest on it by the confidence of their hearts long for the accomplishment of the promise grieue when they doe any thing to hinder that accomplishment and hate all doctrine against it whereas the bad ground onely is said to ioy in it as in a nouelty Fourthly note in respect of Gods children namely when men loue them onely so farre as may serue their owne turne for some by-respect or other Rules to know our loue to be restraining grace not renewing First euery reuerence of a good man or child of God is not loue Herod neuer loued Iohn but reuerenced him for he saw that in him which strucke him that to haue spoken against him had been to barke against the Sunne God will haue the innocency and grace of his children to be iustified by his enemies and theirs Secondly one or more good men may be fauoured of those that loue no good man Why did Nebuzaradan fauour Ieremie because he loued good men No but because he had foretold the victorie Thirdly euery good speech in defence of good men is not a fruit of loue in the speaker Pilat loued not Christ but yet seeing his innocency asked what euill hee had done washed his hands and was willing to deliuer him Some good words are drawne out of the desert of good men not out of the speakers affection Some out of policie not out of loue when men force a friendship and will speake well when inwardly they enuie the meate they eate and the clothes they weare Fourthly that is no loue of good men which is not a loue of their goodnesse Oh such a man were a good man but he is too strict I could loue him if he were not so plaine with me if hee would let mine eyes alone and not meddle with my lusts he were a sufficient man if he were a little wiser what need he lose his friends thus subtle are men to disclaime goodnesse vnder pretence of louing good men Fifthly thou canst not loue goodnesse in one vnlesse thou doest loue it in euery one hee that scorneth and disgraceth by wicked termes the persons of most Professors loues not indeed the goodnesse of any one let his pretence bee what it will The loue of the Spirit is from Christ in God and for God First to let many poore ignorant soules see their estate they say they are not book-learned and know not so much nor can speak much as other men can but they meane well and haue good hearts to God but is not this to iustifie a heart full of deceite Oh but I see no such thing in my selfe No matter that is thy deceit who art so bewitched with an enemy who while hee laughes in thy face priuily stabs thee and wounds thee to death No no thou art neuer right till thou beest at warre with thy owne heart and till thou canst say and see that thou carriest the greatest enemy thou hast in thy bosome a deceitfull heart is at bed and boord with thee lyeth downe and riseth vp walkes
aboue all things Againe what an indigne thing is it for a man to bee beguiled of himselfe Men cannot abide to be deceiued of others yet most are deceiuers of themselues and that in a thing which should bee so familiar vnto them Is it not a shame to bee deceiued in the knowledge of himselfe and his owne estate In a matter of such moment as the saluation of his owne foule What maruel if Satan and all other deceiue those who are so willing to deceiue themselues VERSE 3. 4. When I held my tongue my bones consumed in my roring all the day For thine hand is heauy vpon me day and night and my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer SELAH OVr Prophet confirmeth his former Proposition by his owne experience First of the misery hee was in in respect of Gods wrath for his sinne in these two Verses Secondly of blessednesse in respect of remission Vers. 5. It is as if he had said I know what a miserable burden sinne is by wofull experience the guile of my heart ouer-reached me and made me know to my cost what it is to hide and keepe close sinne I was night and day in a little ease my body fayling me my spirit not sustayning me but so tormenting me as that I rored out for paine my miserie while I carryed my sinne was intolerable Whence in generall note First that a Christian must not only heare and learne the Word but also haue experience of it in his owne person as Dauid here teacheth not by Precept only but by his owne example so Psal. 119 75. I know Lord that all thy iudgements are good and Psal. 34. 8. Taste and see how good the Lord is make tryall in your soules and finde it in experience And this is when men will be informed and reformed by it then they taste the sweetnesse of the Gospell But many of great experience in the world haue no insight in the businesse of saluation as being a thing which they thinke concerneth them not Secondly note that euery Christian must make himselfe an example of the Word hee heareth and professeth he must bee a burning and shining light to giue light to others that there may be no Christian duety of Faith Loue Obedience Humility Patience c. but he may shew his measure and degree of it in his owne life and conuersation Thou being conuerted strengthen thy brethren Thus euery priuate Christian shall be a Teacher in his place and able to strengthen others and say I haue preuailed with God by humility and silence and so shall you I haue preuailed against my sinnes by humble prayer and confession so shall you I haue obtayned comfort in distresse by these and these meanes and so shall you I preserue my peace with God by such and such courses as himselfe hath appointed and so in time shall you Thus must euery Christian by wise obseruation and application of Gods Word and Workes to himselfe shew himselfe an example and copie of the rules of Christian life Masters of Families to them that are about them and Parents to their children Christ came from heauen to be an example of meekenesse and lowlinesse Learne of me for I am meeke and lowly and yee shall finde peace to your soules God himselfe teacheth men by his owne example to rest on the Sabbath as he did to be holy as himselfe is holy c. Farre are they from this that make themselues examples of scoffing the Word and Professors examples in lying swearing drinking oppressing examples in Sabbath-breaking gaming whoring and the like whom we leaue as hopelesse to the Lords rebuke who will take them at the rebound and make them examples of his plagues to as many as they haue beene examples in sinne euen to Men and Angels Are these the fruits of so long hearing of praying and cōming to Church Are these the lessons thou learnest Is this the returne of thy prayer Take vp betime with thy selfe lest God be inforced not to take vp with his displeasure against thee In the two Verses are two points First the touch of conscience for sinne Secondly the reason for thy hand c. The touch of conscience is described First by the cause While I kept close my sinne Secondly by the grieuousnesse of it as it is set forth 1. By the effects which were two 2. By the continuance of this touch day and night 1. The change of the body seene in 2. The roring of the voice 1. His bones consumed 2. His moysture dryed vp First for the cause While I kept close my sinne that is while I dissembled it and confessed it not Whence note First the disposition of a godly mans heart hee cares not to shame himselfe to all the World so God may be glorified Dauid publisheth to all the world his sinne and shame his hiding of sinne and his guile of heart Why doth he thus forget himselfe and his fame He was a King had glory wealth and honor Oh but he was a Christian hee had piety and holinesse in his heart where he can glorifie God he will abase himselfe if he can edifie others he will cast downe himselfe The like we see he did in the 51. Psalme and many other places The like did Moses Daniel and other holy Pen-men of Scripture set downe their owne sinnes and shame so Paul I was a Persecutor an Oppressor a Blasphemer who could say more against him then himselfe did But meaner men then Kings are ashamed to be known of any sinne and flatter themselues Because they are great therefore scarce men but Dauid though a King who had carryed his sinne so secretly as none knew it none could compell him yet is willing for God and his Church and a good conscience to shame himselfe And teacheth vs thereby that euen the greatest though they might without being detected conceale their sinnes yet in some cases must confesse them and that they should more tender the quiet of their consciences then all the honor of the world more respect Gods glory then their owne Cases of open confession are these First in case of publike offence so Achan confessed and gaue glory to God Secondly when knowing our owne sinnes and Gods mercy we confesse them to comfort others so Paul relates of his persecution blasphemy Thirdly to witnesse our sound and thorow turning to God we must not be in some case loth to acknowledge our faults in the face of all the World Many are franke often-times in complayning of themselues and acknowledging of their corruptions but farre short of this holy man for it proceedeth not of hatred of sinne but often from boasting or It proceedeth not from iust ground or settled iudgement but from too light an opinion that our selues are sinners or It often goeth with lesning or excusing the sin or ones selfe and not with exaggerating of his sinne as here to the sound breaking of his heart or It hath
not Gods glory and good of the Church for its end but a mans owne glory for many vpon slight occasion will confesse their faults that themselues may bee better thought of for it and to conciliate a good opinion of themselues Therefore in thy confession to others take these rules with thee See the ground affection the manner and ends be good and iust else thy heart is not eased but burdened the more Secondly we may hence note that a guilefull security may hold the conscience of a conuerted person in a slumber of soule so as hee shall be hindred from repentance till God by some forcible affliction waken him This wee may see in Dauid here So Iosephs brethren held a long time the sinne of selling their brother till the affliction wakened them before which time they could tell their Father and their Brother Wee are twelue brethren and one is not and One is dead as if they had not sold him Ionah sleepes vnder the hatches though the stormes rise the waues beate and the ship be troubled and the goods lost till God by the Mariners bid him Vp sleeper and the lot finde him out So Professors often leaue their first works and slack their first loue till God come against them c. A reason hereof is First ignorance and blindnesse in the best which suffers them not to see sinne in the nature and degree of it onely light discouers darkenesse and therefore being light but in part euen the best cannot but faile in finding out their owne sinnes Secondly a kinde of hypocrisie and guile in the heart of the best which Dauid here acknowledgeth for the best would often seeme better then they are and would rather bee sinners then so reputed Thirdly an affection to sinne through an old acquaintance with it for euery mans nature so farre as it is vnregenerate is in loue with sinne Iob calls it 20 12. a sweet morsell which the wicked hold vnder their tongue and will not let goe And the regenerate themselues part with sinne indeede but as our Sauiour implieth as from their eies and right hands Fourthly because of the effect of it for sinne discouered brings shame What fruit had yee of those things whereof ye are now ashamed And to auoid this shame men would hide their sinne which is a filthinesse and a nakednesse Fifthly a security and negligence in the heart men are loth to dig so deepe to search narrowly their hearts to finde out sinne a tedious worke it is of mortification and so are loth to trouble their sinne or themselues Sixtly and lastly because the nature of sinne to which the best giue way is to dead the heart to quench the Spirit and to extinguish his graces And therefore first beleeuers must not flatter themselues but bee still awaking themselues to seeke after God we must enter into our hearts and consider our waies we will keepe reckoning what we runne on the score with men but rare are they which thinke how deepe they are in Gods bookes such bad husbands are we for our soules Secondly wee should vse meanes against this guile which preuailes against the best first the counsels of the Word must not be neglected Secondly the motions of the Spirit must be entertained and cherished for that is a monitor in the eare and sets before vs the way and our aberrations Thirdly the checkes and prickes of conscience which attended vnto would often awake vs and saith Thou art the man This and that sinne lies at the doore Thirdly we must not bid adieu to the remembrance of sinnes past and pardoned but euer beare them in minde so farre as to work out godly sorrow holy bashfulnesse and lowlinesse of minde and so farre as may be a spurre to more fruitfull obedience for time to come Thus Dauid though his sinne was forgiuen him as Nathan told him at first yet euer remembred and set before him his murther and adulterie Thus Israel acknowledged the desire of a King to be their sinne Thus Paul often remembred his blasphemy and persecuting For this let vs be often opening and looking on our wounds seeing the neglect of them and hiding of them is lewd carelesnesse and mortally dangerous It is no newes that a souldier is shot or wounded but to see him goe with it neuer regard nor dresse it is a forelorne negligence and condemned as a desperate folly so for vs fighting in this world to come by knockes and maimes is no maruell but to hide them and let them goe and ranckle and fester not complaining of them not vncouering them to the Surgeon Phisicion of soules is spirituall frensie and madnesse See we not that our soules in their swaruing from God are like bones beside the ioynt the longer they go they prooue more painefull therefore take them betimes they are set more easily Thirdly note in that Dauid is said to bee silent and not confesse his sinnes of murther and adultery almost of an whole yeere that a man euen Gods child may hold some outward parts of godlinesse and yet for a time by a slumber of conscience lie silent and not indeed come to see and confesse sinnes All this yeere Dauid came to the Temple there prayed and praised God and confessed sinnes he laid not aside all his family-duties but out of doubt performed some or the most of them yet he confesseth he was silent for while a man lies in sinne his prayer is as no prayer his confession is no confession first his prayer is not accepted before God Psalme 66. 18. If I regard wickednesse in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayer Secondly the Sacraments doe him no more good then they did Iudas Thirdly Gods word because it is not mingled with faith is vnprofitable it is as pure liquor put into a fustie vessell and lastly sinne separateth betweene God and him Isai. 59. 2. Thou commest to heare the Word to pray to keepe the Sabbath in the publike seruice of it and thou thinkest thou hast done a great matter but if thou commest with an impenitent heart a sleepie and slumbring conscience thy prayer and confession is all silence God heares nothing if thou speakest to God speake with thy heart else he heareth thee not Thinke we not that Iosephs brethren held on a forme of Religion while their sinne troubled them not for so many yeeres and what was all their prayers and confessions all that while but silence and so many Christians who fall from many goodly beginnings will take such order that they will keepe so much religion as they may bee thought to haue some feare of God in them but either couetousnesse or some other sinne holds them which they repent not of as hindreth for the timely seeking of reconciliation with God Many also goe on in a forme of Religion confesse their sinnes in the Church and ioyne in other good exercises in priuate yet
smiting them he will haue his blowes felt the strong purgation at last worketh out most health and soundnesse Thirdly the greater the affliction is the more odious doth sinne appeare to bee vnto God a strong poyson must haue a strong antidote the more the godly are striken downe for sinne the more are they stirred vp to godly sorrow to hatred of it to zeale against it the better and more watchfully do they preuent sinne to come and looke better to themselues as a good Physician oftentimes letteth blood not to make a man sicke but to preuent sicknesse Fourthly the greater the tryall is the better experience haue they of themselues for first God afflicts the body heauily but it is for the soule the soule would neuer perceiue the owne euill but for the euil of the body nor feele the miserie but by the body Secondly in great trials there is experience of a great combat betweene the flesh and the Spirit where any faith is it will lift vp the heart in inuocation silence and an expectation of the good hand of God but the flesh will be complaining of Gods absence desertion and deferring his hand and helpe here is sense of the spirits willingnesse and the weakenesse of the flesh Thirdly there is great experience of their graces in great trials that both themselues and others may take knowledge of their constancie and patience Thus Iob was made a mirror of patience and a patterne of constancy which he could not haue been if the trial had not been so sharpe as it was Then the Mariners skill is best tried when the tempest is vehement and the valour of a Captaine is best seene in the hottest skirmish Fourthly in great trials there is great obseruation of Gods dealing of the comforts of God and of the strength of God and therefore the Lord brings many of his as it were vpon the stage and theater of the world that they may be instruments of his praise and may by their experience be able to teach others how they shall finde God in affliction for as one piece of yron cannot be soldred and fastned to another vnlesse both be made red hot and beaten together so one Christian cannot be so soundly affected to another vnlesse both haue had experience of the like miserie Fifthly Gods children haue great afflictions and are pressed with an heauie hand that God himselfe may be cleerely seene to bee their deliuerer when in the eyes of all flesh they are lost therefore they see themselues in the red Sea of affliction and in a wildernesse of temptation and sometimes with Ionas in their owne and other mens sense drowned in the bottome of the sea in the belly of the Whale that as Lazarus lay foure dayes in the graue that Christs power might bee manifested in raising him so also may the goodnesse of God who after two daies will reuiue vs and in the third will raise vs vp Sixthly as great afflictions make way for abundant mercy from God to vs so also for abundant thankes from vs to God If one cure a trifeling matter it neither so bindes the patient nor yet commends the Physician but if any be cured of some deadly and almost-vncurable desease then we professe we could neuer haue met with such a Phisician in all the world againe and we are accordingly thankefull Seuenthly were it not for great afflictions we could neuer know the power of Gods Word in quickning vs chearing and comforting vs in them that it is the Word of life is most euidently seene in death it selfe First then let vs hence take a view of the wickednesse of our nature and of the working of it euen after our calling and conuersion and cease to wonder that the Lord often brings violent afflictions vpon his owne children which he sees most necessarie to awake them out of their slumbers and quicken them to their seeking of sound peace and reconciliation Dauid himselfe before hee was afflicted went astray like a lost sheepe Secondly we may learne hence that vehement afflictions and Gods heauie hand is no signe of his hatred to his children good Dauid had Gods heauie hand lying sore vpon him For First all outward things fall alike to all and no man knoweth loue or hatred by the things that are before him Eccles. 9. 2. Secondly in iudgement hee remembreth mercy Hab. 3. 2. and afflicteth in measure though our sinnes haue beene beyond all measure and deserue that our crosses should be so too Isa. 64. 9 12. Thirdly his wisedome knoweth the due quantitie and proportion that will doe vs good and though there wants no will in Satan and wicked men to passe it yet the miserie shall not exceed Gods limit who hath said to the proud waues Hither shall ye come and no further Fourthly he hath a seuerall measure for the godly and the wicked for his children hee measureth iudgement according to their strength to the wicked according to the measure of their sinnes but as the best garden and flowers lye open to stormes and haile to fall on them as well as the wildernesse so the dearest of Gods Saints to afflictions Thirdly if the Lord chastize and punish his children so heauily the whole burthen of whose sinnes Christ hath borne in his body on the crosse where shall the wicked and vngodly appeare 1. Pet. 4. 17 How heauie shall his hand lye on those who with high hand sinne against him the weight of the mountaines shall be nothing to it to which they shall say Fall vpon vs and couer vs. If the way to heauen be so strawed with crosses and heauinesse what is the way to hell and of wickednesse strawed with but woes and curses Shall not many prayers and teares much sorrow and strife against sin nay nor the request of the Spirit and the intercession of Christ keepe off such bitter things from them who seldome and not without some resistance breake out What then shall become of those who neuer pray neuer sorrow for sinne but sell themselues to commit wickednesse if infirmities be so lashed what shall rebellions If weakenesses in his children what shall wickednesse in his enemies Fourthly this admonisheth the godly not to bee too much discouraged if they lye vnder an heauy hand but consider of these foure things First that to expect continuance of outward prosperitie is earthlinesse or selfe-loue yea a meere folly seeing it is a priuiledge of the Church triumphant Secondly that through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdome of God Acts 14 22. and therefore that there is more cause of discouragement in the want of them then in their presence Thirdly that no new thing befalls them Dearely beloued saith Saint PETER thinke it not strange concerning the fierie triall which is among you to proue you as though some strange thing were come vnto you But reioyce inasmuch as yee are partakers of Christs sufferings c. 1. Pet.
the threatning and life kills death that now he saith resolueth and professeth hee will come and confesse his sinne This truth also we see in the Church Cant. 5. 3. c. Christ calls her to open vnto him and tells her of the drops of the night and labour hee had taken to come vnto her Oh but shee had put off her coats washed her feete and was loth to stirre and disease her selfe till Christ went away in displeasure yet putting in his hand by the hole of the doore and secretly affecting her heart her heart was affectioned to him then she arose and sought and found him So in Peter how was he ouermastered by his flesh a man would haue thought him vtterly lost when he denied and forswore his Master and cursed himselfe but Christ looked backe vpon him and the Spirit began to shew himselfe as before and got the masterie And all this stands vpon very good reasons for First the Spirit in Christians by regeneration is more excellent then by creation both in respect of the beginning and of the ende and continuance the former wee haue from the first Adam meere man the latter from the second Adam God and man by the former Adam had power to continue if he would but had not the act of continuance but by the latter Adam had and we also haue both the will and deede of continuance So 1. Ioh. 3. 9. They that are borne of God sinne not that is finally or to death because the seede of God is in them Secondly the Spirit of grace may by corruption bee hid a long while as the Sunne vnder a cloud but it shall breake out againe because of those many promises which God hath made to the godly as first Mat. 17. 20 Faith if it be but as a graine of Mustard-seede shall rise to a great tree to shelter the soule vnder Secondly that if there be any fruite of grace though it be neuer so weake yet he wil not quench the smoking flaxe nor breake a bruised reede Isa. 42. 3. but cherish it as he did the young man Mark 10. 21. and dresse it to be more fruitfull Iohn 15. 2. Thirdly that the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against it Matth. 16. Fourthly that the godly in their declinings to the right hand or to the left shall at length heare an inward voice of the Spirit saying This is the way walke in it Isai. 30. 21. Thirdly the Spirit of grace I meane not of restraint but of renouation is a seede of all vertue because it is in stead of originall sinne which is a spawne or seede of all sinne now as life is in the seede which seemes to be a dead thing so is the Spirit aliue and quickening when it seemes farre otherwise hence it is called the spirit of life which as it raised Christ from a naturall death so it doth raise his members at first from the death of sinne to the life of grace and much more from the sicknesse of sinne to the soundnesse of grace Fourthly the many titles which the Spirit hath pleased to make himselfe knowne by clearely confirme the truth propounded especially these foure The holy Ghost in the Scriptures is called First the Spirit of strength to strengthen and confirme the elect be they neuer so weake and to foile their corruptions be they neuer so strong 1. Iohn 4. 4. Stronger is he that is in you then he that is in the world Secondly the Spirit of libertie to loose the captiues that if a man be neuer so miserable a slaue and in bonds where this Spirit comes he will loose the fetters of corruption that grace shall haue the vpper hand and the Spirit shall master the flesh 2. Cor. 3. 17. Where the Spirit of Christ is there is libertie Thirdly he is the Spirit of comfort When the Comforter shall come c. to shew that when life is ready to be gone for want of comfort then hee comes with new life and comfort Fourthly he is called the Spirit of supplication which makes vs able to pray euen when we are at the worst and weakest nay himselfe makes requests for vs Rom. 8. 26. So that if our prayers bee so weake as they can yeeld little comfort or helpe yet his requests are preuailing enough First then this serues to confute such as hold that grace can be quite shaken out of the heart as though the lust of the Spirit did not continue as long as the lust of the flesh Gal. 5. 17. as though the grace of regeneration had no priuiledge aboue the grace of Creation as though God had made no promise vnto it for perseuerance as though the Spirit of God were a dead or dying spirit a spirit of weakenesse a spirit of bondage a comfortlesse spirit without all motion and desire in the heart Secondly this comforts Gods elect who haue euer had the gift of the Spirit though thou art toyled with corruption and feelest the Spirit gone yet be of good comfort he wil come againe and not absent himself for euer Many are the heart-sorrowes which many that are deare to God are broken withall both in respect of euil and of good For the former the euill they would not that doe they they are vexed with wicked thoughts desires motions and actions and vow to leaue sinne to serue God better then they haue done to forsake euill company and to follow the meanes of grace and amendment men say they will obey euen in comming to the word and in hearing it they say they will learne and practise but their sayings vowes and promises come to nothing If good meanings and purposes would serue the turne they were well but you see nothing done the motion is no sooner kindled then quenched they are monstrous persons all mouths and tongues and voyces without hands and feete The Conuert sonne said hee would goe to his father and went the dutifull sonne is he who saith he will goe into the vineyard and goeth but the sluggard feareth many Lions Oh there is a beare in the way and so many strawes are so many hedges of thornes to hinder him in any good resolution Let the sound Christian learne better things of Dauid and feed his godly motions first by the Word secondly by prayer thirdly by heauenly meditation Now followes the third point in the confession namely the matter of it and that is set downe in three seuerall words My sinnes mine iniquities and wickednesse or rebellion for the Holy Ghost vseth a most forceable word to set out the vilenesse of this sinne the iniquitie of my sinne Dauid would confesse all kindes of sinne all manner of sinne whence wee may learne that Serious confession of sinne reacheth vnto all sinne knowne vnknowne and sets it before it selfe in a most odious manner So the Prophet here in three phrases all tending to one thing ioyned together noteth the seriousnesse of his confession and that
I knew what meanes to vse what are they If thou wouldst haue the preuailing of the Spirit take these courses First bee humble in thine owne eyes empty thy selfe of pride and vaine conceits the promise is that God giueth grace to the humble nay he dwels with the humble and broken heart Isay 57. 15. that is abides and continues with it Secondly be diligent in the ministerie of the Word of reconciliation which the Apostle cals the ministerie of the Spirit for it is as fuell to feede and strengthen the Spirit yea as bellowes to blow vp the graces which else lye idle 2. Tim. 1. 6. Stirre vp the gift of God that is in thee 1. Thes. 5. 18. Quench not the Spirit Despise not Prophesying marke the neerenesse of Spirit and Prophesie Thirdly obserue the motions of Gods Spirit feede them and from motions proceede to resolutions and practices not the worst man but hath some good motitions as Balaam and Saul acknowledged that Dauid was more righteous then he but imitate thou good Dauid here hee followes the motion that hee had hee said he would confesse and confessed So the Prodigall Son had a good motion he remembred his estate he had been in and his Fathers house but said he I starue here then hee resolues to goe to his Father and went Goe and do thou likewise this is to adde thy strength to the Spirit and thus a conuert is not meerely passiue in working out his saluation but actiue once being acted Fourthly pray earnestly for the Spirit for he is powred on thirstie grounds as Isay 44. 3. I will powre water vpon him that is thirsty and floods vpon the dry ground and Luk. 11. 13. If yee being euill know how to giue good gifts vnto your children how much more shall your heauenly Father giue the Holy Spirit to them that aske him I acknowledged my sinne neither hid I mine iniquitie HEre is Dauids confession it selfe he did not resolue suffer his resolution to dye but he said he would confesse and confessed but many are of another spirit they resolue professe promise 1. Tim. 1. 13. Paul saith of himselfe I was a Blasphemer a Persecuter an Oppresser but I was receiued to Mercie Here were three heinous degrees of sinne the sight of which made him confesse himselfe the chiefe of all sinners verse 15. and made him admire and magnifie the Mercie of God who vouchsafed so aboundant grace to such a desperate wretch as hee vvas and of this kinde are the confessions of all the godly The Reasons of this point are very good First a Reason hereof is drawne from the nature of grace which First worketh alike against all sinne and he that hath grace to confesse one sinne aright by the same grace confesseth all he that truely hateth one sinne truely hateth all If a man truely feele the weight of one it makes him grone vnder the burthen of all much more For all sinnes are of the same nature so as repentance cannot be sound if any one sinne be laid hold on which made our Prophet being humbled for one to repent of all Thus also doe the Israelites in their conuersion 1. Sam. 12. 19. Pray for thy Seruants said they to Samuel that we dye not for wee haue sinned in asking vs a King besides all our other sinnes Secondly the grace of sound conuersion suffereth not starting holes and hollownesse in the soule but worketh it to sinceritie Now the sincere heart deales truely betweene God and it selfe it knowes that God loues trueth in the inward parts therefore it will confesse fully and frankely vvithout hiding or lessening any sinne Againe it knowes that God loues a free-will offering and therefore it will offer a free and heartie confession and there can bee no better signe of sinceritie then this Thirdly sound grace is an open enemie and at warre with all sinne especially the sinne which is next it and will not spare to disgrace it by all meanes it vvill shew true hatred against it that if confession will discouer the loathsomenesse of sinne it will not bee nice in it but bring it into discredit with it selfe And where grace is more abundant there is more abundant sense of sin and this sense brings abundance of words like so many swords and weapons against it euery one expressing greater hatred of it then other as Dauids words here Secondly another Reason hereof is drawne from the nature of sinne which first is a debt as we haue heard a debt which is impossible that euer we should bee able to pay this debt stands vpon our heads in Gods debt-booke Now it vvill not stand with an honest disposition to deny or seeke to out-face or lessen a due debt to any man and much lesse will it stand with a godly disposition to deny or conceale our debts to God with whom wee cannot play false if we would And therefore it is as little as a man of a broken heart can doe to goe to the Creditor and in humilitie confesse the debt and craue pardon and forgiuenes So Christ our Lord hath taught vs to pray Forgiue vs our debts which implyes confession And Dauid prayes the Lord to blot out all his sins wherein hee secretly confesseth that hee hath a large score in Gods booke which he is vtterly vnable euer to satisfie Secondly sinne is a loathsome filthinesse and vn cleannesse and a good heart is ashamed of euery nakednesse of the Soule which it sees Gods eye to bee vpon and because it knowes that the next way to couer this nakednesse is to vncouer it as the whole experience of Dauid in this Psalme teacheth it labours by confession to couer all whereof it is or may be ashamed and indeede all true confession must proceede from the shame and confusion of face for sinne Thirdly sinne is a gash or wound in the soule and a man hauing many wounds or diseases seekes the cure of them all howsoeuer of the greatest first and soonest yet he neglecteth none because the least of them is dangerous and painefull so it is in sinne the confession of which is as the laying open of a sore that the plaister may bee fitly laid on a man that would haue all cured will not hide any but vncouer euen the least Thirdly God will haue his children in some measure like himselfe herein and resemble his owne image that as hee esteemes of sinne not as a light or small thing but the most vile and odious thing in all the world and so hee euer speakes of it and carries himselfe to it so shall his children in their measure and for this purpose First he vsually putteth forth his worke of iustice and layeth an heauy hand on the soule as on Dauid here when the eye of the soule beholdeth the Lord frowning vpon it without and the conscience within accusing then shall nothing be small little sinnes shal be counted great enough that which Satan did
and neuer open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done c. Secondly if thou settest thy selfe before God in confession it will breed anguish and sorrow of spirit for that sinne which is confessed as the conuerts Act. 2. 37. were pricked in their hearts in conscience of their sinnes there will be inward griefe for offending a good God and grieuing his good Spirit Thirdly it will bring in a purpose to leaue and forsake that sinne which is confessed and all other Can a man setting himselfe before God confesse that sinne which he purposeth to liue in and hold and not forsake this is but to aske leaue to sinne Nay the setting of a mans selfe before God wil bring in a resolution to renounce all sinne as Hos. 14. 9. Ephraim shall say What haue I more to doe with Idols Fourthly it will bring in a secret but most earnest desire of forgiuenesse for it cannot but consider in God First the Maiestie offended Secondly the danger of his wrath which is a consuming fire and an execution of all the plagues written in the booke of the Law and thirdly the riches of his mercie in prouiding so precious a meanes of redemption which neither man nor Angell could once thinke of 1. Pet. 1. 18. Fiftly it breeds a reforming of that which is amisse and an healing of the error as Zacheus did Luke 19. 8. Lord halfe my goods I giue to the poore according to the counsell of Samuel 1. 7. 3. If ye be come againe to the Lord with all your heart put away the strange gods frō among you Sixtly it breeds an holy feare for time to come because it beholds Gods eye vpon euery sinne his anger on euery one till by the bloud of Christ he be appeased his mercie in forgiuing that he may be feared and this feare abates the rage of sinne nay it will feare the occasion and hate the appearance of euill 1. Thes. 5. 22. and the garment spotted with the flesh Iude 23. Seuenthly there is a mourning and complaining vnder the burden and bondage of sinne Oh who shall deliuer me from the body of this death saith Paul and Isa. 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardned our heart from thy feare Eighthly there is great desire 2. Cor. 7. 11. namely a longing to satisfie Paul and the rest of the members of the Church with desire to be restored to their fauours and fellowship Ninthly Confession to men For duties of Pietie and Charitie must goe together or else all is abominable as appeares Ier. 7. 9. 10. Will ye steale murder and commit adultery and sweare falsely and burne incense vnto Baal and walke after other gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say We are deliuered though we haue done all these abominations So Isay 1. 11. What haue I to do with your sacrifices c. for your hands are full of blood verse 15. Against my selfe This is the second branch of the manner of Dauids confession hee will confesse against himselfe Hence note that He that will truely and soundly confesse his sinne must become his owne vtter enemie he must set himselfe against himselfe as much as possibly he can So did DAVID here hee shamed himselfe to all posteritie and spared not his owne name though a King so GOD might haue the praise of his mercie and the Church the benefit of his example Iob 42. 6. When Iob was reproued for his inconsiderate words he brake out at last into this speech I abhor my selfe and repent my selfe in dust and ashes He is a great enemie that hates man but farre greater that abhors him yet so was Iob to himselfe Daniel in his prayer saith I am confounded and ashamed to looke vp to heauen shame and confusion of face belongs vnto vs this day Dan. 9. 5. c. So close doth he follow the matter against himselfe 1. Tim. 6. 13 15. Saint Paul rippeth vp his owne grieuous sinnes in such sort as his greatest enemy could not haue spoken more against him then he spake against himselfe Hee was not contented to call himselfe a vile person but as though he had said too little he adds that he is the chiefest of all sinners Who could more accuse the poore Publican then he did himselfe Oh I am not worthy to lift vp mine eyes to heauen Luc. 18. 13. and the Prodigall Son I am not worthy to be called thy Son Luc. 15. 18 19. And good reason it should be so for First sound confession is called a iudging of our selues 1. Cor. 11. 31. Now in the course of iudgement there are foure things all against the partie to be iudged First arraignement and this in confession is when wee present and summon our selues before the barre of Gods iustice Secondly examination and this is when wee narrowly inquire of our selues what wee haue done wherein as the Kings Atturney sifteth out and exaggerateth euery circumstance of the crime against a Traytor to make it seeme as odious as may be so should we sift out euery circumstance of our sinne to make it as vile to our owne eyes as may be so as our hearts may be conuinced Thirdly conuiction or pleading guiltie and confession that is when with the penitent Thiefe our soules can say We are righteously here and iustly laid vnder Gods indignation worthy to be cast into Hell And neuer was he truely humbled that is more ashamed to confesse sinne then to commit it Fourthly there is an execution and holy reuenge 2. Cor. 7. 11. and this is when we beate downe our bodies and mortifie our members and vndertake good duties that the like occasions may be preuented for afterward These parts of an enemy doth euery humbled soule take vp against it selfe when it iudgeth it selfe before God and who can be a greater enemie to himselfe then he that doth so Secondly it is an essentiall difference betweene the sound confessions of the godly and the slubberd confessions of the wicked the godly renounce themselues and their sinnes but hypocrites doe not they neuer learned the first lesson of Christianitie which is selfe-denial their mindes are set vpon euill workes and therefore how can they be against them They repent not but with a repentance to be repented of Thirdly all the accusers and enemies that the child of God hath if they be put together cannot obiect halfe so much against him as hee can against himselfe men may speake much but not so much as himselfe And therefore if he deale truely betweene God and himselfe he will so shame himselfe as all his enemies cannot And for this end God hath seated the conscience in the middle of the soule as a Iudge of the actions and hath giuen it an eye to pry into the secrets of the heart and cleared
c. but hee will not because it is against his decree Againe God hath not eternally decreed to saue all but out of all a few a little flocke now if hee should remit the sinnes of the impenitent and of vnbeleeuers then he should saue all and so the way to heauen should bee the broad way and not many but all should goe in it which was Origens errour directly against Gods decree and word Secondly it will not stand with the iustice of God to forgiue their sinnes who repent not of them but rather loue them who obey their lusts and follow the leading of them most willingly 2. Thes. 1. 6. It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you If God haue any iustice he must exercise it against such as hate him and reiect all his commandements but to saue all would prooue him to bee a God all made of mercy Thirdly God could haue no mercy if hee should forgiue the sinnes of all good and bad for there could be no difference betweene his mercie and his iustice this is mercy to some to pull them out of the common corruption and curse of sinne and mercy only reioyceth against iudgement if there were no iudgement neither could there bee any mercy Besides will it stand with Gods wisedome to bestow and giue mercy to him that refuseth and despiseth it or to fill with mercy the vessels of wrath Fourthly where were Gods truth if he should forgiue the sinnes of impenitent and vnbeleeuing ones what strength were in the curses of the Law that the soule that sinnes shall die to what vse could the promises of the Gospell serue what vse of the prayer of Christ for beleeuers that his Father would keepe them in the truth why did he put such difference betweene men that hee would not so much as pray for the World What neede of the death of Christ of whom the Apostle saith The Iust died for the vniust but so as they should be righteous in him or what neede of any part of his righteousnes and obedience who fulfilled the Law for righteousnesse to euerie one that beleeueth Fifthly God hath made it a priuiledge of the Church and the members of it onely to haue their sinnes forgiuen So we say in the Creed I beleeue the Communion of Saints and remission of sinnes Isa. 33. 24. The people that dwell there shall haue their iniquitie forgiuen and 62. 12. They shall call them The holy people the redeemed of the Lord. Forgiuenesse of sinnes then is a part of the promise of God made to those that are in couenant with him Ier. 31. 31 34. The dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new couenant for I will forgiue their iniquitie and remember their sinnes no more Yea this Psalme in the first verse makes it a note of a blessed man and a prerogatiue of the Saints Sixthly if God should bestow remission of sinnes in generall to all what neede is there of any grace what vse of the feare of God of faith c then we might set open all the doores of licenciousnesse and sinne and euery man might doe what hee list without all restraint or bridle So that to tye remission of sinne to repentance makes not onely for our saluation hereafter but also to correct and bridle sinne here and set vs into the beginnings of eternall life euen in this present World But how is this remission of sinne free if wee cannot haue it without these conditions of faith repentance confession c Yet is it still free first because though it bee not giuen without these yet it is not giuen for these as our iustification is free though it cannot be had without faith because it is not giuen for the dignitie of our faith Secondly euen these conditions are not of our selues but the gifts of God and so can merit nothing Thirdly faith and repentance are required not to shew for what but to whom remission of sinnes is bestowed namely to such only as haue obtained mercy and for whom Christ hath freely merited the same This serues to confute a grosse and ignorant conceit of many who say That God who made all will saue all and so lay all the care of saluation on God and neuer trouble themselues in vsing the meanes Alas poore soules No no neuer thinke that thou canst diuorce what God hath coupled namely the ende from the meanes it is true which Saint Augustine saith Hee that made thee without thee doth not saue thee without thee Why say some did not Christ dye for all and euerie man and shall not they bee saued for whom Christ dyed To this the Schoolemen say that Christ dyed for all sufficienter but not efficaciter Christs merits were sufficient to redeeme 10000. Worlds if they had faith to apprehend them saith Leo. But we speake of the effectuall shedding of Christs bloud which was shed for many not all to the remission of sinnes Matth. 26. 28. Secondly Christ died for all that is for all those many saith Augustine namely all the Elect for the sinnes of the World of the Elect for there is a World of the Elect standing of Iewes and Gentiles who are brought to faith and repentance Thirdly all and euery singular man cannot receiue remission of sinnes but onely beleeuers by the hand of faith some of all sortes of men now the Apostle saith that faith is not of all men and therefore it is called the faith of the Elect Tit. 1. 1. Therefore let no man deceiue you with vaine words for for such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience Ephes. 5. 6. Secondly by this doctrine wee may see that no man can be assured of remission of sinnes but the true beleeuer who truly repenteth of his sinnes Euery man indeed will professe in his Creed that he beleeueth the remission of sinnes but this is but a vaine blast in the most whose sinnes binde them ouer to eternall death Onely the true beleeuer hath the right markes of remission of sinne which are these First he onely is weary and heauy laden and sees his neede of Christ whereas the wicked are whole in part or wholly and neede not the Physician Secondly onely hee hath a spirit free from guile which is made a note of remission vers 2. Of all other we may say as Peter did of Simon Magus Thy heart is not right with God one mans heart is a temple of Gods Spirit another hath not the Spirit of Christ and therefore is not his Thirdly onely a true beleeuer hath the consequents and fruites of remission of sinnes from which as from fruites we may goe to the tree as First the first of them is regeneration he is borne of God and sinneth not that is he hath not raigning sinne with him nor sinne vnto death because the seed of God is in him
as for others who professe remission of sinne they are slaues to their sinnes and these haue dominion ouer them Secondly another is a daily purging and clensing of the reliques and remainders of sinne as 1. Iohn 1. 9. God is faithfull to forgiue vs and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse he that hath his sinnes couered hath them also cured Of Christ it is said that he came by water and bloud c. Hee that is made whole goes and sinnes no more that is he feares sinne for time to come Professe then remission of sinnes as long as thou wilt If Christ wash thee not thou hast no part in him if thou beest as foule as formerly thou wast euery man but thy selfe may see what thou art Thirdly a third fruite is faith working by loue and this loue worketh first towards God who is much loued because he hath loued and forgiuen much Luk. 7. 47 and much praised for so happie a change But the wicked are haters of God and neuer care for his prefence for his word or children or Sabbaths and yet they hope vainely for forgiuenesse of sinne Secondly it works towards man and manifests it selfe in forgiuing our brethren and enemies The godly looke vpon the commandement Ephes. 4. 32. Forgiue one another euen as God for Christs sake forgaue vs. But alas many pray Forgiue vs as we forgiue our debters and therein plainely curse themselues for their minds lust after enuy and wrath and hence are those common speeches I may forgiue him but I will not forget him and He may come in my Pater noster but not in my Creede A manifest signe that God hath not forgiuen thee at all and that his forgiuenesse of thee is not to forget thee nor thy sinne Thirdly here is refuge for a wearie soule and a burdened conscience doest thou want the voice of ioy and gladnesse in thy soule and lyest groning vnder the burden of sinne be not dismaied for in that thou canst approch Gods presence in the full and free accusing of thy selfe in complaining of thy self and iudging thine owne soule here is a sound ground of comfort thou art hee who hath right into the tree of life thou art hee on whom the Lord will looke in mercy thy repentance and faith intaile pardon of sinne vnto thy soule Fourthly is it so that God remits onely the sinnes of repentants then aboue all things labour to attaine this grace of repentance and testifie it in sound confession before God In the Courts of men confession brings shame and punishment but in Gods a couer and reward In great Princes Courts no mourner might come and therefore Ioseph must put off his prison-garments before he come to Pharaoh but none but mourners are accepted in Gods Court mourne therefore and bewaile thy sinnes this alone can assure the heart of remission of sinne Oh I haue repented long of my sinnes but feele no such assurance Yet feare not but ioyne to these endeuours these helpes First vse conscionably the Word and Sacraments which make knowne and seale vp to the beleeuer the pardon of sinne by Christ meditate and feede on the promises which are made to the penitent Secondly grow vp in humility euery day bee more low in thine owne eies then others and beware of pride because it becomes thee to bee humble for the more contrite the spirit is the fitter it is for Gods Spirit to dwell in Thirdly vse earnest and daily prayer for the earnest of the Spirit to witnesse vnto thy spirit that thou art the childe of God for he being the Comforter must bring these comfortable tidings to thy heart he must apply the promises of life and saluation Fourthly take heede of actuall sinnes which grieue the Spirit and are as water to quench the comforts of the same especially beware of presumptuous sinnes which wound the Spirit most and most preuaile ouer thee Psal. 19. 13. Fifthly exercise thy selfe to godlinesse and to the duties of sanctification in thy generall and speciall calling and this will assure thee of the presence of the good Spirit leading thee These things if thou failest in blame thy selfe if thou walkest heauily and vncomfortably God will be found in his owne waies and no other VERS 6. Therefore shall euery one that is godly make his Prayer vnto thee in a time when thou mayest bee found surely in the flood of great waters they shall not come neere him HAuing spoken of the maine Doctrine of this Psalme concerning the iustification of a sinner before God wherein Dauid placeth true blessednesse wee come now to the sundry vses of that Doctrine in the rest of the Psalme being the second part of it The first of them concerneth Prayer in this verse where of there are Two parts First the practice of a godly man Therefore shall euery c. Secondly a promise made vnto it Surely in the flood c. In the former are these foure points First the inference of it Therefore or for for this cause Secondly the Person praying Euery godly man Thirdly the person to whom hee must pray To thee Fourthly the time When thou mayest bee found Therefore that is because I haue had experience of thy loue and thou hast answered mee graciously in my request euery one that is in the like misery and touch of conscience as I was shall vse the same meanes as I did to obtaine the same mercy This dealing of thine with me shall be an instruction and encouragement to euery humbled soule to take the same course for comfort as I did Dauids experience shall teach all the godly to seeke God in their distresse Hence note that Those are the best teachers that can speake from experience of the Lords working in themselues Psal. 91. The Prophet teacheth confidence and securitie in God to those that are vnder the secret of the most High but the best ground he thought was to lay it on his owne experience verse 2. I said to the Lord O my hope and fortresse that is I had a good cause so to say and then followes Surely hee will deliuer thee from the snare of the hunter c. So likewise the Apostle Paul being to perswade that the remnants of corruption cannot condemn the regenerate man Rom. 8. 1. hee inforceth it from his owne experience thus For the Law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the Law of sinne and of death as if he had said Of like things and persons there is the like consequence My infirmities are not imputed vnto me to death no more shall yours The reasons of this point are these First he that hath a flame in his owne heart may easily kindle another and hee that doth not first edifie his owne heart shall not be so meete to edifie and speake to the heart of another a godly mans zeale will warme such as are by when another shall speake but
great difference betweene the prayers of the godly and the wishes of the wicked First the one is an earnest desire of the heart prizing greatly that which he desires the other is but a snatch or a sudden flash out of an illumination of the vnderstanding but not out of any affection of the heart because he vnderprizeth the thing prayed for and will not sell all for it That which others get with much labour and strong cryes a wicked man thinks he may only call for it and haue it hee will enioy his lusts all his dayes and then the last day promise reformation No no God is not so prodigall of mercy as to take thy leauings and be beholding to thee for a little lip-seruice in all the Scripture there is but one example of one receiued to mercy the last houre thinke not that thou shalt bee the second Secondly the one is a true desire with endeuour in the right meanes and care to referre it to the right end he will obtayne heauen by Faith Repentance Mortification c. but the vngodlies proceeding is but a iump to the end without the meanes Cursed Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous but he would leape ouer the life of the righteous so many leape ouer the meanes and thinke to come to the end immediately but twentie to one if they leape not too short Simon Magus desired the gifts of the holy Ghost but to a bad end to make gaine of them and that he might be beleeued to be some great man whereas a godly man aymes onely at Gods glory in his owne saluation And thirdly if euery true desire hath assurance to obtayne because it must be directed by the Word lifted vp by the Spirit and encouraged by the Promise then can no such vnsettled and vncertaine wishes bring any comfort to the heart when a man hath all his life long resisted the Word despised the meanes of Faith contemned the Promises and grieued nay despighted the Spirit how can hee haue any comfort by his prayer and how can he haue any elsewhere if not from that Thirdly this shewes vs that the way to bee heard of God in prayer is to be godly to bring Godlinesse and Religion an heart mortified to sinne and quickned to grace adorned with faith and settled in good conscience Dauids example of finding deliuerance in trouble and comfort in affliction of Spirit belongs only to godly and humble men that shall confesse and pray as hee did If thou wilt be heard of God in prayer First get the notes of Gods child vpon thee and thou shalt obtayne mercy for it is the priuiledge of a child to be heard in whatsoeuer his father sees good for him What saith Christ If you being euill can giue good things to your children how much more will your heauenly Father Secondly become Gods seruant for it was the vsuall ground of Dauids prayer to say Lord I am thy seruant heare and deliuer thy seruant Thirdly get humilitie vnto thee for the sacrifice of God is a contrite spirit Psal. 51. 17. such sacrifices hee is well pleased with Fourthly the poore blinde man sheweth the qualitie of that man whom God heareth Ioh. 9. 31. God heareth not sinners but if any be a worshipper of him and doth his will him he heareth The same condition is required of him that would speed in his suites 1. Ioh. 3. 22. Whatsoeuer wee aske wee receiue of him because wee keepe his Commandements and doe things pleasing in his sight Yee aske and haue not saith IAMES because yee aske amisse and when doe wee aske amisse when wee doe not keepe Gods Commandements but how shall we know that we keepe them Vers. 23. if we loue one another for charitie is an vndiuided companion of true pietie To conclude this point let vs take Iobs friends counsell vnto him Acquaint thy selfe with God and he shall prosper thy way before thee thou shalt cry vnto him and he shall heare thee Iob. 22. 21. Now in the second place in that the word translated Godly signifies a mercifull man note that No seruice of God or exercise of Religion can be acceptable to God which is not performed by mercifull men All Gods worship must be ioyned with mercy for here it is said The mercifull man shall pray Isa. 1. 11. to 16. God reiected all the Iewes seruices because they did not fast from strife as wel as from meat and because their hands were full of bloud Zeph. 2. 3. Seeke yee the Lord all the meeke of the earth whence is noted both that this is a denomination of a righteous man to be meeke and that none but such meeke persons can seeke God to find him Mat. 15. 5. The doctrine of the Pharises was that if men brought oblations to the Temple though they relieued not their poore Parents yet God was well pleased with them but the words following shew that this was but an hypocriticall tradition reuersing the Commandement of God Matth. 5. 7. Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtayne mercy what is it that we aske for when wee come to doe God his due homage but to obtayne blessednes and happinesse but this we cannot doe to be accepted without mercifulnesse So Vers. 24. If thy brother haue any thing against thee goe first and bee reconciled and then come and offer thy gift Reasons of this point are these First those things which God hath ioyned together no man must separate but God hath ioyned together the workes of the first and second table the loue of himselfe and of our brethren of himselfe and of his image of our forgiuing our neighbours and his forgiuing of vs these are inseparably ioyned and therefore we must not dissolue them Hence Isa. 58. 10. hypocrites pretending Religion are called to breake their bread to the hungry that is the true fasting Secondly vnmercifulnesse hindreth both the preferring of our prayers and likewise the preuailing of them First it cuts off prayer 1. Pet. 3. 7. Husbands must dwell with their wiues like men of knowledge and take heed of strife lest their prayers be interrupted The very husband and wife the neerest couple cannot pray priuately if they doe not put away strife and how can the same but hinder publique prayer also The Spirit of God cannot light on a Christian but in the shape of a Doue as it did on Christ the Temple that is fit for the holy Ghost to dwell in must be mercifull see Isa. 11. 6 7. Secondly it hinders our prayer from preuailing because of the promise and the threatning the promise of being heard is made only to the mercifull that the meeke shall inherite the earth Psal. 37. 11. and that the Lord will hide them in the day of wrath Zeph. 2. 3. So threatning is gone out against the mercilesse euen iudgement mercilesse belongs to him that shewes no mercy and as a man iudgeth so he shall be iudged
euen by our best naturall graces much lesse can wee imbrace it or by the power and strength of nature or will follow it against the Papists who teach that we can Secondly learne to pitie naturall men as Dauid here doth who as blind men first see not the way to Heauen secondly and are in danger of harmes though they thinke themselues safe enough thirdly and are soone mis-led for who but ignorant persons are a prey to Iesuites and such like fourthly and lastly they haue no comfort of the Sunne no light of grace or of glorie And a wofull condition are such in as liue without the meanes of knowledge and grace who would liue in a soyle where the Sunne neuer shines or if hee were sure to bee made blinde in it yet many men leaue good meanes for a little pelfe who according to the Prouerbe runne out of the blessing of GOD into the warme Sunne Thirdly wee see hereby how little need there is either to remooue the Word and Sacraments from the people as the Papists doe the light of the Sunne being not so necessarie to the World as the vse of these Fourthly let vs doe as the blinde man in the Gospell did Luc. 18. 35. c. First let vs acknowledge that Christ must open our eyes that he must giue vs eye-salue nay both eyes to see and light to enlighten vs. Secondly let vs pray as he did saying Lord our desire is that our eyes may bee opened that wee may haue insight into heauenly things Thirdly let vs with him stand in the way where Christ comes by in the Temple and the Assemblies of the Saints in the Tents of Shepheards or among the seuen Golden Candlestickes Fourthly being healed he praysed Christ and leapt for ioy so if we see the things of God better then wee did before wee should reioyce exceedingly with hearty thankesgiuing Fiftly hauing his eyes opened he followed Christ and would not bee beaten from him so if wee can get the eyes of our minde opened wee must prayse our good God in word and in deed walke answerable to this mercie become his Disciples sinne no more lest a worse thing befall vs and walke worthy of the light So much of the first point the second followes namely that The word must not onely bee taught but also specially applyed to euery particular person Dauid saith not I will teach the Church or all men in generall but euerie one in particular thee After Adam had sinned how plainely and personally doth the Lord deale with him both in amplifying his sinne that hee might be strucke downe with it and in publishing the promise of saluation to rayse him againe herein teaching euerie Minister and Preacher how to carry the Word home to euery sonne of Adam seeing they are to speake the same wordes which hee whose Messengers they are would speake 2. Sam. 12. Nathan the Prophet of the Lord sent to Dauid while yet hee lay in his sinne was directed by God what to say and he must not onely in a Parable make Dauid condemne the sinne to the death He shall dye that hath done this thing but by plaine dealing with him saying Thou art the man condemne himselfe and confesse I haue sinned Our Sauiour Christ thus carryed his Doctrine applying it home to the seuerall persons it concerned to the Iewes Mat. 3. 7. O geration of vipers who hath forewarned you to flye from the wrath to come to the Pharises Woe bee to you Scribes and Pharises Hypocrites And his Apostles being to deale with wicked people vsed the same course Act. 2. 23. Whom yee slew with wicked hands and hanged on a Tree and Chap. 8. 22. Thy monie perish with thee repent of this thy malice thou art in the gall of bitternesse It may bee thy sinne may bee done away Hence their Sermons were called exhortation which is application of Doctrine and inforcing of it Act. 13. 15. And their Writings are of the same manner euer after Doctrine they vsed exhortations as Rom. 12. hauing deliuered the Doctrine of Faith Iustification Sanctification and Predestination in the former Chapters begins there his exhortations and so continues in them to the end The like may be seene in other Epistles First the vse of the Scripture is to exhort reproue correct and instruct to make the man of God absolute the vse of it is not onely to teach and enlighten the vnderstanding but also to worke vpon conuince quiet and direct the conscience and whole course Doctrine is but the laying of a ground application is the building vp of a Christian. Secondly the life of Ministerie is in application without which the Word is a Sword but without an edge not in it selfe but to vs but being specially applyed it is a two-edged Sword cutting deepe diuiding betweene the marrow and bone and piercing betweene the soule and spirit Heb. 4. 12. Application of the Word is that which leads it to the thoughts and intents of the heart to discerne them to high thoughts to deiect them to the affections if sinfull to captiuate them if set right to enflame them to seuerall temptations and lusts to sub due them and to the whole life and wayes to reforme them Thirdly our owne constitution and weaknesse stands in need of speciall application First because our hearts are naturally asleepe and we are couered ouer with the spirit of slumber spoken of Isa. 29. 10. and need to bee wakened by a voyce lift vp like a Trumpet from some sonne of Thunder Dauid by his grosse sinne had cast himselfe into a fast and dead sleepe therefore Nathan must goe to waken him and say aloud in his eares Thou art the man Secondly our hearts by the neglect of good meanes or securitie are easily hardned and lose their softnesse or tendernesse now the word in speciall application must bee as an hard wedge to our hard knots this makes the Word an Hammer to knocke and breake our flintie hearts Ier. 23. 29. Thirdly as wee cannot apply the Word our selues so wee will not apply it commonly men skip ouer the Law and catch at the Gospell and so being neuer soundly humbled their whole life is led carelesly Fourthly this bad disposition of ours can neuer bee reformed without this speciall application for the Word neuer becomes ours neyther can wee taste any sweetnesse of it without this no fruit of the Law in our humiliation no comfort of the promises in our restitution no vnderstanding of the true meaning of eyther without our owne faith mingling and truely applying both no worke of the Spirits sanctification in our hearts but in applying the Law and Gospell no action of our liues warrantable but by faith which is a speciall application of the Word vnto them First then we that are Ministers must labour herein A good Steward giues euery one his part and then it is the wholesome Word of life when euery one hath that portion
There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Luc. 13. 28. Thirdly in the punishment of sense when they shal be wrapped in that cursed sentence Depart from mee I know you not when they shall be bound hand and foot and cast into torments prepared for the deuill and his Angels which torment is amplified first by the place a prison a lake of fire and brimstone a dungeon for the darkenesse blacker then that of Egypt where shall bee a perpetuall night in a word an hell Secondly by the company the deuill and his Angels with all the rout of reprobates Gods deadly enemies and whom God is a deadly enemie vnto such as they chose for their companions in this world and would not bee separated from now they shall not Thirdly by the exquisitenesse of torment set out by fire and brimstone and that which is most terrible to sense yea not onely outward but inward also described by the worme of conscience which as a gnawing griefe shall eate and fret the heart of the sinner in memorie of ancient and hatefull sinnes Fourthly in sinfull concurrences as hatred of God blasphemie despaire cursings for all the parts of soule and body shal curse the day of their wretchednesse and confusion when the fire of Gods iealousie and his hot wrath shall seaze vpon them Fifthly in seeing all mercie and pittie excluded nay God and his Saints whose affection shall be conformable to his shall reioyce and laugh at their destruction this shall breake the caule of their hearts with sorrow Sixthly in the eternity of their sorrowes the worme within dyes not their fire neuer goes out but the wrath of God abideth vpon the sinner without all remission or abatement without any intermission or release without end or mitigation not one drop of water shal coole their tongue and so long as God is God the smoke of their torment shall ascend vp night and day continually This is Tophet prepared for the wicked in which one word how many sorrowes be there Now the reasons to cleare Gods iustice in all these sorrowes of the wicked are these First where many sinnes are vnrepented of there must needes be many sorrowes euery sinne hauing sorrow enough belonging to it Secondly where an infinite God is offended an infinite law transgressed and an infinite iustice prouoked there must needes an infinite reuenge be returned vpon the sinners head and sorrowes in infinite measure bee conceiued Thirdly Infinite mercie hath been reiected the blessed meanes of saluation neglected and despised good meanes without in the ministerie counsell and example of the godly inward motions of the spirit quenched yea some checks of conscience contemned and some resolutions deaded and vnfollowed All these yet bring on more stripes and sorrows especially in remembrance of hatefull sinnes against knowledge meanes and conscience Fourthly it is now too late to repent when these sorrowes haue beset the sinner on euery side hope of mercie is cut off the Sunne is set vpon him the doore of grace is shut against him now hee can heare no other voice then that Reu. 18. 6 7. Giue him torments according to his sinnes Here is an Ilias an vpheaped measure of infinite sorrow a mercilesse sorrow without sparke of hope or ioy Fifthly now hee sees with horror and despaire that which he would not heare of first that he hath in his whole course piled vp wrath against himselfe Secondly that God whom he thought to be made all of mercy is a God of infinite iustice and a consuming fire and how dreadfull it is to fall into his hands Thirdly that the sentence of death is passed irrecouerably and the heauie doome of damnation for such sinnes as he thought to be lighter then a feather Fourthly that himselfe is a vessell of wrath filled with Gods indignation that shall seaze on him so long as God is God seeing Christs bloud can be shed no more and teares of repentance come now too late a Sea of them is not able to quench one sparke of this fire First then let this be a motiue to restraine all men from sinne seeing it brings such after-claps If there be any that like the Horse or Mule wil not vnderstand nor be perswaded to seeke the Lord but will obstinately persist hardning his heart against the Word for such a man are all these sorrowes prepared Thou that delightest in any sinne open or secret that wilt drinke with the Drunkard sweare with the Swearer and breake the Sabbath after so many admonitions thou that liuest in pride wantonnesse idlenesse vncleannesse contempt of God and his Word and Seruants thou that euery way multipliest thy sinnes remember what Dauid saith Psal. 16. 4. Thou multiplyest and heapest vp thy sorrowes euen wrath and fuell for thy selfe against the day of wrath Thou that canst with a bold face braue out thy sinnes and glorie in that thy hand is strong to practise vngodlinesse and canst triumph when thou canst bring others to thy bent thou shalt one day crie for sorrow of heart and howle for vexation of spirit Isa. 65. 14. and curse the day that euer thou knewest thy Companions and with bitter lamentation shalt waile and gnash thy teeth at thy vnhappy condition and all this in all eternitie Oh consider these terrors of the Lord and be perswaded to turne to the Lord seeke in time thy blessednesse in the pardon of sinne that thou mayest escape all these things Consider the end of all sinne in that one Pro. 5. 3 4. Though it be as an hony-combe in thy mouth the end will be bitter as wormewood And if now thou seest thy danger but wilt runne on headlong vpon all these sorrowes excluded from all pity and mercy say thou wast warned the time commeth wherein thou mayest be pitied but not helped or rather neither pitied nor helped the Iudge hath said it Behold I come shortly and my reward is with me to render to euery man according to his workes Secondly if so many sorrowes and they of this nature belong to euery wicked man then it followes that no sinne is small in it selfe to euery of which all these sorrowes belong Our Text plainely teacheth that they belong not only to Murtherers Theeues Adulterers Lyers Swearers but also to ciuill honest men in the worlds account if they be ignorant of the Word or wayes of God To him that liues obstinately in any knowne sinne that holds on for his profit or pleasure any practice condemned in the Word and in his owne conscience let him be neuer so ciuill sober sociable peaceable and harmelesse all his ciuilitie cannot keepe off these sorrowes if there be not knowledge of God softnesse of heart a teachable disposition and an hungring after Gods mercy in Christ alone aboue all things in the world Where be the Papists that teach some sinnes to be veniall in their owne nature when as all these sorrowes are the wages of the least Rom. 6. vlt.
flowe all other mercies that we enioy as streames of it first temporall concerning this present life as health life liberty wealth peace prosperity good name c. Oh but the wicked haue all these True but first not in a right tenure they are vsurpers they haue no right in themselues no part in Christ to recouer it Secondly not by vertue of any promise or couenant Thirdly not in any holy or sanctifyed vse for To the impure all things are impure Fourthly none of their prosperity is ioyned with Gods loue but his hatred which is a secret poyson in them whereas Psal. 35. 27. the Lord loueth the prosperitie of his seruant he ioynes them both together Secondly spirituall things euen in these also how hath God compassed vs with mercies euen for the present First What a world of mercy was and is in that one gift of his Sonne to bee our reconciliation when we were firebrands of hell that the blessed Sonne of God would descend from the glory of heauen and giue himselfe to the death of the Crosse and the paines of hell to redeeme vs from all iniquitie The Apostle conceiues of this as of a rich mercy Ephes. 1. 7. by whom saith he we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to his rich grace This is the com passing mercy meant in our text euen redemption from sinne by Christ both from the guilt and punishment of it a free mercy a full mercy an Ocean of mercy drawing vs out of a gulfe and bottomlesse sea of sorrowes euerlasting Dauid amplifyeth this mercy Psa. 86. 13. Great is thy mercy towards mee for thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest hell Secondly What an infinite mercy peculiar to the godly is that of his spirit to take vp our hearts for his temples when wee were spiritually possessed of the deuill by the same spirit hee doeth daily cleanse vs and wash vs and beautifyeth our soules with heauenly graces teacheth vs leadeth vs into all trueth comforteth vs with heauenly consolations in all distresses What a great mercy was it when Christ opened the eyes of the blinde or healed the deafe and lame yea or when hee raised Lazarus being dead but God regenerating vs by his Spirit doeth all these for vs he giues sight to vs being blinde sayth to our deafe eares Be open yea restores vs to life being dead in trespasses and sinnes and makes vs able to mooue and stirre in good wayes Those great workes of the Sonne of God were all miraculous but heere is a miracle aboue them all yea one mercy consisting of many miracles Thirdly What a mercy is it not onely to giue them his word as hee doth also to the wicked but also to make it the immortall seede of their new birth and the syncere milke to feede them to make it a preseruatiue from many great sinnes which the wicked daily commit open and secret to put it into their handes as a sword to cut off Satans temptations to make it vnto them a rule of faith and a rule of life able to make the man of God perfect to euery good worke to make it a sound stay and comfort to support them in all their troubles wherein else they must needs sinke In this respect the child of God is compassed with a multitude of mercies all which the wicked are strangers vnto Fourthly What an inexhaust treasure of mercy is it that the godly enioy that whereas God heareth not sinners that is wicked ones he not onely giueth them leaue to come freely to the throne of Grace to aske any good thing for them but also much assurance in their soules of obtaining any thing they aske because of his promise Aske and yee shall haue If earthly fathers can giue good things to their children much more will our heauenly Father giue not onely what we aske but euen abundantly aboue that we are able to aske or to thinke Ephes. 3. 20. Can that man bee other then beset with mercy who hath a meanes to get within Gods store-house and treasury when hee will Can hee that is able by the prayer of faith with Israel to preuaile with God want abundance of blessings Great is the power of feruent prayer for mercy It can obtaine and force the sunne to stand still It can commaund the cloudes to raine or not to raine It can get children for the barren and life to the dead and if our prayer be weake Christs intercession hath power enough for vs Iohn 11. 22 42. Oh that wicked men knew the power of prayer how quickely then would they come to Gods mercy-gate Fiftly What a mercy is it peculiar to the Saints to haue peace of conscience and ioy of their estate that whereas wicked men are often vexed euer lyable to infinite horrors feares and inward torments which are the beginnings of hell they beeing iustified by faith haue peace with God the spirit of bondage and feare and tumult is gone and the spirit of adoption dwells in their hearts which makes them cry Abba Father Rom. 8. 15. And whereas the wicked haue no peace but a senslesse vnfeelingnesse of their estate the godly haue peace in them which as the Apostle saith passeth vnderstanding because first neither can the vnderstanding of man sufficiently conceiue it Secondly neither can the vnderstanding of man sufficiently esteeme or prize it according to the worth and value of it plainly implying it to bee such a mercy as for the greatnesse ouerwhelmes him that hath it an infinite and vnbounded mercy called the peace of God which hee beginneth and maintaineth heere and perfecteth and preserueth for all eternity But how standeth this with all those euills and miseries with which the godly are beset in this life Can they be beset both with misery and mercy too This is a sixt and last mercie therfore special to them that they are neuer more compassed with mercie then when they seeme most miserable Habak 3. 2. The Lord in iudgement remembreth mercie For first nothing is properly euill but that which comes from diuine reuenge but nothing comes so vpon the godly Christ hath carried away all the reuenge of their sinnes so that their crosses come from mercie Secondly they are attended with mercy for God hath first fitted his seruants for afflictions before he brings them Religion hath patience which if the house be not filled with plenty makes a sallet of green herbs more daintie thē the sweetest dishes of wicked men it hath strength aboue which the triall shall not be it hath subiection and silence to God and can blesse him both in giuing and in taking away Thirdly Gods mercy reioyceth in iudgement against iudgement three waies first magnifying himselfe secondly training his chosen thirdly teaching others and all by the troubles of his children The first in two respects first when iudgement begins at Gods house he declares his hatred against sinne and mercifully by
Delays of God to bee distinguished from denials 233 Directions and comforts in Gods delays six 235 Sundry wayes of Gods Deliuering his his seruants Difference betweene the deliuerances of the godly and of the wicked in three things 249 Difference betweene trouble of conscience and melancholy in foure things 80 Difference betweene Gods heauie hand on the godly and on the wicked in foure things 103 Difference betweene Christian confession and Popish Auricular in foure things 145 Difference betweene the prayers of the godly and wishes of the wicked in 3. things 197 Difference betweene the godly and wicked in their seeking of God in fiue things 219 Difference betweene the hiding place of the godly of other creatures in two things 258 Difference betweene Gods smiting his children and his enemies in 3. things 1. measure 284  2. intention   3. issue  Difference betweene the godly and wicked mans misery in 4. things 368. Directions to help vs in the considering of our selues three 123 Directions how to goe in the wayes of God six 333 E ENemies to thankefulnes 4. 298 Examples of Gods iudgements no Sabbath-breakers 227 Experience is the best teacher foure reasons 265 Experience of Gods word necessary in euery mans owne person 67 Three things concurre to make vp Experience 268 Exhortations in Scripture to things aboue our present power for foure reasons 346 The Godlies extremitie is Gods opportunity 242 F FAce of God what 220 Many Failings in our best performance of duties of thankefulnes 301 To become fearelesse in troubles three rules 270 Finding of God what when and how 229 God will not be alwayes found of godly seekers two cautions 230 Why the godly alwayes Find not God when they seeke him sixe reasons 231 Godly fayle in Finding when they faile in the conditions of seeking 234 Gods glory findeth out many wayes when he is found of his children 237 Foure especiall seasons when God wil be found 241 Folly of many who in danger runne from their hiding-place 264 Forgiuenesse of sins two wayes 158 Fruits of remission of sinnes three 172 G CHrist our Garment vse of it meanes to put it on 17 Gods Child may hold some parts of Godlinesse for a time and yet not see nor confesse his sinnes 73 A Godly man must become his owne greatest aduersary 150 God is sought in his presence not in his essence 220 Godly finde a want of God in seeking him fiue wayes 225 Godly sometimes left to wickeds crueltie for sundry reasons 248 Godly not exempted from trouble but preserued in trouble foure reasons 274 Godly course called a Way for foure reasons and Gods Way three reasons 326 Godlinesse is a going in Gods way three reasons 326 God bridleth intractable sinners three reasons 361 God must bee yeelded to gently calling foure reasons 362 God bestowes outward gifts on wicked men foure reasons 377 Godly neuer more compassed with mercy then when compassed most with misery three reasons 385 Godly alwayes finde some mercy aboue the present iudgement foure reasons 386 God teacheth foure things by his seruants sufferings 386 Godly man is an vpright man foure reasons 402 Godly onely can soundly reioyce two reason 406 Godly often out of loue with their owne conditions 411 Godly in sorrow want no cause of ioy foure reasons 412 Godly haue often lesse ioy in their estate then they neede two reasons 413 God onely can forgiue sinne foure reasons 29 Godly must see the vilenesse of sinne three reasons 136 Euery Godly man prayeth to the true God onely fine reasons 212 Godly why sometimes seeke God and finde not sixe reasons 238 Grace restraining distinguished from renewing grace by sundry notes brought to foure heads 52 Grace if sound is neuer quite shaken out of the heart 127 Grace is giuen often before the feeling of it 161 Grace onely prayeth for grace sixe reasons 192 Grace if true is communicable three reasons 311 Grace compared to Fire Water a sweet smell Leauen Light and why 313 Greatnesse of the deceit of heart in sundrie things 63 Grounds to bee knowne to raise vp experience 269 Guile of heart in respect of God three instances 44 Guile of spirit in respect of sinne before it be committed in foure instances 46 Guile of spirit after sinne committed in three particulars 47 Guile of spirit in respect of grace sixe instances 49 Guile of spirit in respect of the worke of the word and spirit 51 H HAnd of God how many wayes taken 91 Hand of God must release from trouble 97 God layes an heauie Hand often on his owne deare children seuen reasons 98 Gods heauie Hand no certaine signe of hatred foure reasons 101 Heauy Hand of God lyeth long on many of his deare ones six reasons 104 Happinesse must bee placed in Gods mercy pardoning sinne for sundrie reasons 36 Deceitfull Heart can counterfeit any grace 50 A wicked Heart will deceiue it selfe what way soeuer God deale with it 45 How a deceitfull Heart carrieth it selfe to sinne both before the committing of it and after 46 Godly Heart vtterly shames it selfe that God may be glorified 69 Hatred of sinne distinguished from rash anger against it by sundrie notes 53 Health a speciall blessing of God why 81 The way to bee heard in prayer is to be godly 198 Heart must bee plowed before Gods seed can thriue in it 112 Hiding place of godly is God himselfe two wayes 258 Beasts hide themselues in earth but the Christian in Heauen 260 To make God our hiding-place three practices 261 Not hinderers of grace in others onely but not helpers of the grace of others condemned 315 House of God manifold 222 I IDolatry of the Romish Church as base as heathenish 218 Iesuitisme the Rebels Catechisme 208 Imitation of the Saints how farre 185 Incredible instances of Romish crueltie 207 Inuocate the true God onely in trouble three reasons 211 Sound Ioy hath eight causes all proper to the godly 406 Ioy of godly men shall breake out at length as the Sunne from vnder a cloud three reasons 412 Our chiefe Ioy must bee in the chiefe good 421 Christian Ioy and sorrow may and must stand together foure reasons 87 Iudging ones selfe the manner and parts 149 The greatest Iudgement can not doe the godly the leastharme foure reasons 246 L NO learning to DAVIDS learning 3 Light of God by which himselfe will be found twofold 223 Loue to Gods children knowne to bee sincere by fiue markes 54 M MArkes to know whether euer a man had the Spirit of God or no. 131 Markes of Gods way fiue 332 Markes of spirituall Ioy fiue 422 Markes of that sence of misery that shall finde mercy sixe 114 Meanes to be disburdened of sinne 01 Of Sanctification 15 To get sinne couered foure 19 To keepe the heart in good order eight 64 Of the spirits preuailing against flesh foure 133 Of sound hatred of our owne sinnes foure 155 To be heard in prayer 199 To helpe forward thankefulnesse three 289 Meanes
came in by nature in singulos but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christi comes not but by speciall grace But now in respect of the number redeemed the benefit of Christ is lesse and so the gift is not so large as Adams fall for then all should be vessels of mercy which is most false Against which if that in Rom. 5. 18. be obiected As the offence of one came vpon all to condemnation so the benefit abounded to all to the iustification of life The answere is easie for the Apostle in the very next verse shewes who hee meanes by all namely many So by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous 2. That word all is not absolutely to be taken neither is by the Apostle but with reference vnto the limitation of the 17. verse immediately going before namely to all them which receiue the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousnes which words are an elegant Periphrasis of beleeuers who alone raigne in life through One who is Iesus Christ. 3. Whereas all is opposed to all as by the first all is meant all Adams seede by nature so by the second all must be meant all Christs seede by grace that is onely the Elect and thus the opposition is truely and aptly reconciled And thus farre haue I waded for your sakes in this deepe and graue question whom as in all other truths I wish firmely stablished against the foolish whisperings of vaine conceited and vnsettled persons who when they haue run thorow all their schismaticall Lutherane and Libertine opinions shall goe neere with many of their Leaders to end in plaine Atheisme To these I onely wish at this time humilitie and conscience The former would not permit them then onely to thinke themselues somewhat when they can cut out to their Teachers their taske as their worke to their Apprentises and define to them what doctrines are fit for them to teach and which because themselues cannot taste them are vnfit for them to meddle in The latter would fashion them to the practice of pietie according to wholsome doctrine and not suffer them to lose themselues in fond conceits farre aboue their owne apprehensions As for you who haue giuen your selues to God and vs your Ministers bee encouraged in your godly course as such who haue your hopes in your eye feare not the reproch of men or rather of Christ himselfe but stand fast and vnmoueable in the worke of the Lord as knowing your labour shall not be in vaine Walke wisely redeeming the time you haue many eyes watching for your falls especially the eye of God and your owne conscience obseruing you Account it your true honour to honour God and your honourable Profession by keeping the Doctrine receiued euen the Truth of Christ as it is in Christ and shewing your selues copies and patternes yea the very models of it by your good conuersation in Christ. Practise that great and new Commaundement the badge of Disciples by louing one another retaining those strong synewes of Christian societie Meekenesse and Mercy Consider the confusion comming vpon an house diuided against it selfe and how strong the consent of brethren is in things both of God and of men Be much and often in thankfulnesse to God for the libertie and peace of the Gospell and that you liue in the daies of such meanes and protection of them Reiect not wheat for some tares Pray to God which is all you haue to doe in things which might be better and praise him that they bee no worse Thinke the Churches peace next precious to the peace of your owne consciences And onely magnifie Truth aboue Peace because God hath magnified it aboue all things Frequent the Ministerie as Gods arme stretched out for your saluation Affect the Word not for persons but for truth not for knowledge but for conscience not for speech but for practice so as your holy obedience comming abroad you may set a Crowne vpon the heads of your Teachers who watch ouer you as they that must giue account Beware of this euill world let the holy couetousnesse after the best things eate out the hungry desires of it Account godlinesse the onely gaine the best wealth to be rich in God and the best reuenue to be abundant in good works As for the euils of the times O complaine of them to God as yee be sure the world be not the worse for you but the better as they that are going to a better world In which journey I wish you all good speed cheerefulnesse and constancie and in the end of it the hoped and happy rest of Gods people purchased by the bloud of the Lambe in whom I euer rest Yours in all Christian bands T. T. The method of the 32. Psalme followed in this Commentarie The parts of the Psalme are two 1. A generall doctrine 1. Propounded in vers 1. 2. 1. The matter of it Blessednesse 1. Cause 1. Whose wickednesse is forgiuen 2. Whose sinne is couered 3. Whose sinne the Lord imputeth not 2. Effect or fruit And in whose spirit is no guile 2. The man to whom it belongs described by the 2. Proued by the Prophets experience of two things 1. Of Gods wrath for his sinne in it vers 3. 4. 1. The touch of his conscience for sinne described by the 1. Cause While I kept close my sinne 2. Grieuousnesse by 1. Effects 1. Change in his body 1. Bones consumed 2. Moysture turned into drought of Summer 2. Roring of his voice 2. Continuance All the day long 2. The reason For night and day was thy hand on me 2. Of Gods mercy in pardoning it vers 5. where 1. The meanes Confession in which 1. The time Then 2. The ground of it I said I will confesse acknowledge not hide 3. The matter My sinne my iniquitie my wickednesse 4. The manner in respect of 1. God To thee 2. Himselfe Against my selfe 2. The end Remission And thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sinne 2. The generall vse fourefold concerning 1. Prayer in it 1. The practice where the 1. Inference Therefore by my example 2. Person praying Euery godly man shall make his prayer 3. Person to whom To thee 4. Time when In a time when thou mayest be found 2. The promise Surely in the flouds of great waters they shall not come neere him 2. Affiance in God 1. For the present Thou art my secret place 2. For time to come 1. Thou wilt preserue me in trouble 2. Thou wilt compasse me with songs of deliuerance 3. Obedience to God where three 1. A Preface to the instruction In it the 1. Person teaching I Dauid 2. Person instructed Thee euery Christian. 3. Matter in three particulars 1. I will instruct thee that is by precept 2. Teach thee the way to goe in namely by my example 3. I will guide thee with mine eye that is keepe thee in that way 2. A dehortation 1. From brutishnesse Be not like the Horse or Mule 2. Wherein 1. Vnteachablenesse Which
vnderstand not 2. Vntractablenesse Whose mouthes thou rulest with bit and bridle lest they come neere thee 3. The reasons 1. From Gods iudgements vpon impenitent sinners Many sorrowes shall be to the wicked 2. From Gods infinite loue to repentant sinners described 1. By their qualitie They trust in the Lord. 2. Measure of mercy Mercy shall compasse them 4. Praise of God the end of all where 1. The persons 1. Righteous men 2. Vpright of heart 2. The dutie threefold expressed in three seuerall wordes Be glad Reioyce Be ioyfull 3. The limitation In the Lord. THE HIGH-WAY TO HAPPINES Contayning THE EXPOSITION OF THE 32. PSALME THE ARGVMENT A Psalme of DAVID to giue instruction INscriptions are as keyes to open a doore into the Psalmes This Title agreeth with the Argument of this Psalme For it is the chiefe wisdome and learning of the Church to know how to come to be happy as this Psalme teacheth which in the inscription is commended First From the matter Secondly The Author First The matter that it was Dauids learning and penned to teach the vnlearned for it is not the will of God that the vnlearned should want knowledge Yea such a learning as is not euery-where to be had but onely is to be drawne out of the Word of God For nature and humane reason teacheth it not nor can vnderstand it no nor can endure to heare that God should not respect any worthinesse or merit of man but freely forgiue sinne to make a soule truely happy Secondly The Author was Dauid here named that we might know that this chiefe doctrine of all other was not framed or deliuered to the Church from an obscure and vnknowne Author but proceeded from the holy Ghost who guided the Pen-men of Scripture and by this Pen-man commended also to the vse of the Church that so our faith might be more certaine for neuer can the heart bee stable in any doctrine which it is not perswaded to bee an Oracle of God Whence obserue First That as all the Scripture is profitable for doctrine instruction and comfort so more especially the booke of Psalmes being inspired by God to this purpose and therefore must all of them in publike or priuate vse tend to our edification First In the publike vse of the Congregation 1. Cor. 14. 15. I will sing with the Spirit but with vnderstanding also and 26. When yee come together as any hath a Psalme let all bee done to edifying Secondly In priuate either in the family Ephes. 5. 19. Col. 3. 16. speaking and admonishing your selues with Psalmes c. or apart alone I am 5. 13. Is any merry let him sing prosperitie must not force vs to forget God but remember his louing kindnesse Hence haue we the examples of the Disciples of our Lord singing a Psalme after the receiuing of the Sacrament together with himselfe Mar. 14. 26. And Paul and Silas in prison sung to God Acts. 16. 25. To confute such as set out filthy amorous and lewd Ballads and Songs Fictions Loue-bookes c. which tend to the corrupting of men and youth especially Dauids songs tended to instruction in the highest point of heauenly wisedome and the vse of these would bring the other out of request and it should teach Parents that would not haue their Childrens bodies poysoned to be much more carefull their mindes bee not herewith infected Secondly Their sinne is iustly condemned who either in publike or more priuate meetings sit like cyphers or mutes when Psalmes are sung who neither sing themselues nor attend to those that doe nor haue any care to helpe their vnderstanding or their affections but are as senselesse as the seats they sit vpon these highly take the name of God in vaine or else they runne out at the Psalme as not concerning them hath the Lord fitted the Psalmes forthy instruction and darest thou despise that high learning offred in them Thirdly Those who in singing onely respect the storie of the Psalme as they doe other Scriptures not instructing comforting or admonishing themselues by applying the matter to their hearts but sing without all grace in their hearts and lastly those that respect in these songs musick more then matter that are led away by sound not by sense by the eare not by the heart that are filled with vanitie not with the Spirit and sing to man not to God Secondly note that Dauid though furnished with varietie of learning accounteth none learning but this being indeed a speciall knowledge to be instructed and instruct others in He calleth all conditions of men to learne this doctrine which so neerely concerneth all and is of such speciall vse as without it euery thing increaseth a mans miserie and hauing it he is onely happy Hence is this knowledge called wisdomes or knowledges Prou. 9. 1. as though it contayned all comfortable knowledge in it And indeed if we measure knowledge by the vse that must needs be the best that makes vs best and brings in best profit but that doth this learning for how vaine are the deepest Philosophers in all their knowledge What are they but lyars while without this they dispute of truth Vicious persons while they entreat of vertue Ignorant while they dispute of knowledge and miserable Creatures while without it they grope at true blessednesse What were a man better if he were able to comprehend the frame of the World measure the parts of the Earth to discourse of the course and motions of the Starres if the sense of vnpardoned sinne proclaime himselfe a damned wretch and a guiltie conscience tell him to his face that Heauen is ashamed of him the Earth is weary of him and his owne sinnefull burthen beares him downe to Hell What profit were it to be able to discerne all diseases and all remedies and attayne all the skill of physicke to cure the body when a man 's owne soule is wounded to death without remedie What helpeth it to bee wise in worldly matters and skilfull in cases of Law to auoid vniust sentences and wrongs when a man is condemned in himselfe by the comfortlesse accusing of his owne conscience See the vanitie of rich and worldly men that spend their dayes in gathering perishing riches and drop into the graue before euer they thinke of this Learning and the folly and madnesse of the most that count nothing worthy to be knowne but these earthly learnings spend all their time and studies in them as the Heathens did till they become almost as heathenish Secondly The shame it is of many profound Scholers who in their ministrie seeke to be approued for other learning in Tongues Fathers Arts c. which in their places are excellent gifts but this onely skill this Danids learning how to direct a troubled conscience to his peace and a miserable soule to his happinesse is not their aime they haue no skill nor will this way Thirdly And hearers who would bee taught in any learning but
they see not their sinnes in a right glasse but in a false glasse which lets them see them onely in the profit or pleasure or as in one of those trunke optick glasses which make great things very small and things at hand as if they were farre off whereas if they did behold sinne in the true glasse of the Law and of the curse of God of the eternall damnation of sinners and of Christs death for sinners they would not account any sinne small nor the iudgement of them farre off This sight and view of sin makes the godly cry out and continually bewaile the captiuity they are in as Paul himselfe did who was aliue without the Law but the Law strucke him downe and made him cry out of himselfe as a miserable man Thirdly most men neuer meditate of their owne estate nor consider of their owne condition to apply the Law to their liues to see their crookednesse and faylings as they doe who are in the way to happinesse they want will or skill time or conscience if it hap well so it is The godly meditate of their owne estate and apply the Law to their owne sinnes which made Dauid Psal. 38. 5. cry out that his sinnes were too heauy a burden for him to beare so could men try their owne strength with the burden of their owne sinnes they would come to a little more quicke sense of their estate and with holy Dauid here pronounce him a happy man that is eased Fourthly the strong man is gone away with all and hence comes in this vnfeelingnesse and peace and he luls men asleepe in false perswasions wherein they goe on vnto death What say many miscreants Hell is not so hot nor sinne so heauy nor the Deuill so blacke nor God so vnmercifull as the Preachers say or if all this were so they are not alone others haue as heauy burdens as they they shall haue company whatsoeuer become of them and though they heare the burden of the Word of the Lord daily and see the burden of his hand lie heauy vpon others yea and often vpon themselues yet are they as senselesse as dead men vpon whom if you lay all the weight of the earth they feele nothing O beware of this fearefull iudgement which is a great part of this burden the which the lesse it is felt the greater it is and know that there is no man that shall not feele the burden of his sinne one time or other though the wicked doe neuer till it be too late Shall the Lord himselfe be pressed vnder the burden of thy sinnes as a Cart laden with sheaues and art not thou Amos 2. 13. shall all other dumbe and senselesse creatures grone vnder the burden of thy sinne as Rom. 8. 20. and art thou thy selfe more senselesse then they Feeling this burden seeke meanes to be deliuered and disburdened and this will he doe that findes this burden pressing and oppressing him The meanes is to come to Christ as he calleth Matth. 11. 28. Come vnto mee all yee that are weary and laden c. Come not with the body and feet but with first Repentance secondly Faith First come in confession of sinne and godly sorrow come groning and bewayling thy sinne and estate come creeping to God with thy burden on thy backe confesse thy sinne and forsake it this is the way to finde mercy thus Dauid found ease vers 5. Secondly come in Faith hungring and thirsting after righteousnesse lay hold on Gods mercy and Christs merit which are as two shoulders to beare it quite away Feare not but as the people said to Bartimeus Be of good comfort he calleth thee He calleth thee in the Word he giueth a gracious promise Come to me I will ease you he sealeth vp his promise by the Sacrament in which thou shalt finde him ready to giue thee ease that longest and gronest after him Doth any sinne oppresse thy conscience thou hearest and seest in the Word and Sacrament how he was made sinne that is a Sacrifice for sinne for thee Doth any burden of misery or crosse inward or outward presse thee hee offereth himselfe to ease the laden to pacifie the perplexed conscience to strengthen the heart and to remoue or mitigate all our burdens for vs according to the prophesie Isay 53. 4. 11. He hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrowes the word is sebalon of sabal to carry as a Porter doth a burden vsed in both places But alas euery man must carry his owne burden how then can Christ Legally euery man must carry his owne the Law requireth personall obedience and satisfaction but Euangelically Christ our suretie beares them and therefore come to him in the Word and Sacrament with Faith and Repentance Once finding ease of this burden lode thy selfe no more Christ hauing cured the blinde man and eased him of that burden bids him Goe thy wayes and sinne no more lest a worse thing befall thee Heb. 12. 1. The Apostle aduiseth if sinne presse downe and so incumber vs to cut off this compassing sinne If a man be to deale with a great burden he will once or twice try his strength with it if it bee too heauy for him he will let it alone Hast thou euer felt the ouer-burden of sinne euen the least with which haddest thou the strength of all Men and Angels thou couldest not encounter nor stand vnder it and wilt thou againe meddle with it Besides hast thou not when thou art at the lightest sufficient burden of that originall sinne of which Paul said Rom. 7. 21. Euill is present with me it lies euery-where vpon thee and of actuall sinnes without number that still in stead of disburdening thy selfe and lightning thy lode daily thou addest to the heape and it is neuer big enough as though all thy sinnes had no weight at all O but this is nothing a small sinne an oath an idle word rash and hasty anger to play the good fellow to drinke with my friend lose my time credit c. If thou couldest bring me an instance of any one sinne that had no weight thou shouldest haue good leaue to wed thy selfe to it neuer to depart but no sinne is so small but hath such a weight as will presse to the bottomelesse pit bring me any sinne the wage of which is not death an idle word for which thou must not giue account any tricke of youth for which thou shalt not be brought to iudgement Sand euen euery little sand hath his weight and though small in quantity yet if great in number will drowne the ship of the greatest burden but what if all the sands of the Sea-shore were in one ship must it not sinke and are not thy sinnes for weight and number like the sands of the Sea-shore If sinne be such a burden then helpe thy brother from vnder this burden the Law of God enioynes thee to helpe and pitty the
namely in the iustification of a sinner he doth accept and make a sinner iust and this is onely by Christs righteousnesse in the latter hee declares him iust and this may bee by workes so Saint Iames Let me see thy faith by thy workes thus they iustifie before men not before God A man is condemned for euill workes and therefore saued for good workes If a good worke were as perfectly good as an euill is perfectly euill he should but not being so we are saued by Christs good workes which were perfect Let vs detest therefore that doctrine that misleadeth vs out of the plaine path to saluation and cast downe our selues at Gods feet confesse our sinne pray for pardon and plead not merit but mercy Let vs flie forth of our selues to Christ our head life and saluation hee is the carcasse whereunto we must resort let vs with Paul account our best workes but dung and much more all Popish deuices He hath nothing in Christ who hath any thing in himselfe and he that will not rest in that righteousnesse restored by Christ hath no part of blessednesse Secondly if it be a blessed estate to haue sinnes forgiuen then must a man certainely beleeue the pardon of his sinnes for this blessednesse is to bee enioyed in this life as we noted and no man can hold and enioy that he hath not The Church of Rome teacheth that to doubt is a vertue and so with-holdeth a man from the sense of this happinesse Their reasons are these We must worke out our saluation with feare and trembling This feare is not in regard of Gods mercy and our saluation but feare of sinne and his displeasure and this is not contrary but stands with assurance of forgiuenesse of sinnes Psal. 130. Mercy is with thee that thou mayest be feared It is presumption to beleeue so It is obedience to Gods Commandement 1. Ioh. 3. 23. This is his commandement that we beleeue in the name of his Sonne now to beleeue in his name is more then that he dyed for sinners else doe the Deuills beleeue as much as we but they cannot beleeue that Christ dyed for themselues None knowes Gods minde concerning him and so can haue no assurance but may only hope well No man knowes the secret will of God but his reuealed will he may know namely that whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued the application of which draweth necessarily this conclusion Therefore I shall bee saued being a beleeuer which is infallible Experience sheweth that the most faithfull and best are full of doubtings therefore there is no certayne beliefe Doubting and Faith may stand and will dwell together else would not Christ haue said O thou of little faith why doubtedst thou euery Christian consists of Flesh and Spirit therefore Faith will bee assayled with doubtings and yet in the end triumph Hence we see as vve are to labour for pardon of sinne so also for assurance of pardon else can wee haue little peace in our selues and a comfortlesse happinesse Am I the richer because I know many other be or fuller because many eate I must take comfort in my own wealth strength by my owne foode and ioy in my owne pardon Thirdly vvee must euery one herein place our happinesse euen in Gods mercy pardoning sinne and accordingly set our hearts and affections vpon it longing after this assurance aboue all things in the world If a malefactor were condemned and at the place of execution what is it that would make him happy What wisheth hee aboue the vvorld onely a pardon from his Prince gold and siluer lands and honors can doe him no good only a pardon is the most welcome thing in the World This is euery mans case we are Traytors and Rebells to God our sins haue proclaymed vs Rebells through heauen and earth the Law hath condemned vs we are going on to execution and euery day neerer then other wherein then ought wee to place our happinesse if wee well weighed our estate but in a gracious and free pardon We would striue for pardon as for life and death Miserable men they be that place their felicitie in any thing else For consider that notwithstanding first the greatest part of men place their happinesse in wealth pleasure honor and these carry all their hearts yet this is an earthly and sensuall and farre from Christian happinesse which cannot leaue a man vnhappy in the end as all these doe Secondly the most wicked ones that the world hath had haue enioyed the greatest outward prosperitie Thirdly the most deare seruants of God haue beene strangers in the world and met with the strangest entertaynement Fourthly those whose portion hath beene outwardly most prosperous yet neuer thought themselues happy out of Gods mercy pardoning sinne an example in Dauid he had riches honor pleasu re a crowne kingdome subiects treasures but did he place his fclicitie in these things No but in the forgiuenesse and couering of sinnes in whose steps wee must tread Fifthly he that would build a firme house must lay a sure foundation and wilt thou lay the foundation of thy happinesse in the dust Lay it in wealth they haue wings and when they fly away so doth thy happinesse why doest thou trust a fugitiue seruant Lay it in pleasures it will end in sorrow and the Apostle saith It makes a man as a corps liuing dead while he liueth Lay it in honor what a vanishing thing is that like the footsteps of a ship in the Sea carried with a strong gale Yea lay it any where but in God and his assured mercies it will proue a tottering happinesse and the fall of such an happy man shall be great Secondly others thinke themselues most happy in the committing of sinne and practice of their iniquity and these are most miserable captiues to the Deuill so farre from thinking their happinesse to stand in the pardon of sinne as that they place it in the practice of it Hence is it that Monsters of men Deuills incarnate professe to sweare quarrell drinke riot whore and take them the greatest enemies to their happinesse that would helpe to pull them out of the snares of the Deuill I would know what other happinesse the Deuill hath then incessantly to sinne against God and draw so many as he can into his owne damnation which expresse image hee hath stamped on numbers marked to destruction Fourthly let vs checke our hearts that can find so much ioy in these earthly things and so little in these heauenly gifts of Gods loue such as are election vocation iustification adoption sanctification which are called the pleasures of Gods house and they blessed that enioy them and surely well may they suspect themselues to be as yet vnpurged that finde not a ioyfull sense of it Alas will the beleeuer say I finde little comfort of this doctrine I finde my heart much more affected to earthly things I finde
heart onely giueth a rellish to this of our Prophet Blessed is the man whose sinne is forgiuen And in whose Spirit there is no guile HEere is an inseparable fruite of a iustified person and a note of a blessed man First by spirit referred to man is sometime meant the mindes or vnderstanding part of the soule with the most inward cogitations of it so 1. Thes. 5. 23. that your whole spirit soule and body c. and in all places where spirit and soule are mentioned together Secondly sometimes for the heart and inward affections Rom. 1. 9. whom I serue in my spirit Thirdly sometimes for the soule it selfe God inspired into Adam a liuing spirt Genes 2. Luk. 23. Father into thy hands I commend my spirit 1. Pet. 3. 19. He preached to the spirits in prison that is soules So here it is to be taken with the vnderstanding heart will conscience affections and the rest of the faculties and the soule is called by this name to shew the nature of it that it is a spirit as the Angels nay God himselfe is farre more excellent then the body and yet much more neglected Secondly by guile is meant three things in the Scripture First in words and promises deceit and false-hood when one thing is spoken another meant 1. Pet. 2. 22. in whose mouth was found no guile Secondly in actions and practice when one thing is done another pretended 1. Pet. 2. 1. Lay aside all guile and dissimulation Thirdly in thoughts and purposes when the reasonings and inward frame of the heart is vnfound and deceitfull This last is here meant for the better vnderstanding of which we must enquire First what it is secondly some seuerall practice of it thirdly the vses First the guile of the spirit is an inward corruption in the soule of man whereby he dealeth deceitfully vvith himselfe before God in the matter of saluation I say it is an inward corruption in the soule which sheweth both the kinde and seate of it First for the kinde it is a spirituall deceit and opposite to inward sinceritie and vprightnesse Secondly the seate of it is the soule and heart which since the fall is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things Iere. 17. 9. hence Iames calleth sinners double-minded chap. 4. 8. and hypocrites are described by two hearts And this may sufficiently cast downe proud flesh seeing this guile hath taken the chiefe holds euery mans soule hath in it the seeds of all sinne against the first and second Table none excepted Whosoeuer comes of Adam hath all Adams corruptions whereof this guile is compact so that if a man looke onely at himselfe hee that is to day a Protestant may to morrow be a Papist to day a Christian to morrow a Diuell were it not for the promise and power of God that preferues his to saluation And in that this deceit lyeth at the roote of the heart it is more fearefull both in that it hath chosen a secret hold and scarcely can be discerned as also is in place secretly to infect and poyson whatsoeuer can proceede from that roote as indeede it doth Yet few or none complaine of this deadly disease or will bee knowne to bee annoyed with it the nature of which is that the more raging and killing it is the lesse it is felt Further I say by this guile a man dealeth deceitfully with himfelfe in the matter of saluation For there is a guile betweene man and man but this is more sinfull and dangerous both because it is a deceiuing of himselfe by the lying and slattering of his owne heart as also that it is before God as if hee would deceiue him too as also in regard of the subiects in the matter of saluation To deceiue one selfe of his goods lands or outward profit is an ouer-sight but nothing to the losse of his soule heauen and happinesse and this is that our Text aimeth at if these words looke to the former hee is a blessed man that hath pardon of sinne and is not deceiued by the guile of his heart in this point plainely implying that there is such guile in a mans heart about this perswasion of the pardon of sinne that not onely others but himselfe also may bee deceiued in his owne estate and so kept from feeling or seeking his blessednesse in Gods fauour Many are pittifully beguiled and thinke surely to be saued and cry Lord Lord but are sent away with workers of iniquitie GOD knowes them not The Church of Laodicea beguiles her selfe with conceit and confidence in her owne sufficiencie being but poore naked and miserable and such is the power of this corruption in the heart of a naturall man that when his sin is found hatefull hee flattereth himselfe in his owne eyes and hath pretences and colours to turne off vprightnesse Psal. 36. 2. The particular practices hereof wee will referre to foure heads the first in respect of a mans estate before God secondly in respect of sinne thirdly of vertue and grace and fourthly in respect of the worke of the word and Spirit That wee may better know the nature hereof we will cast eye vpon some notable parts of this deceit which in all this regard it sendeth out in the most from the which in some degree the best are not exempted First when a man is a vile and wicked person in Gods eyes this guile makes him thinke himselfe highly in fauour with God Iohn 8. The Iewes bragged they vvere the sonnes of Abraham when Christ told them they were of their father the Diuell The Pharise could say Lord I am not as this Publicane when hee was a limbe of the Diuell And this guile is fed by sundry other delusions As first by a conceit of righteousnesse while men measure themselues with themselues or with some great sinners so did the Pharise or by the crooked rule of ciuill righteousnesse he looked at extortioners vniust adulterers and the Publicane the common speech is now I am no swearer no theefe no drunkard no I would not for all the world bee so bad as some of these professors so couetous contentious such a dissembler So for outward righteousnesse as the Pharise looked at the Law hee paid tithe of all and dealt iustly these pay tithes and dues truely giue euery man his owne keep their words are good to their neighbors and good to the poore keepe good hospitalitie but all this while are aliue as Paul saith without the Law not considering what righteousnesse God there requires and not seeing the corruptions of their hearts neglect inward lusts rising vp against God and his Law Whence onely it is that poore men who liue in the breach of all Gods Lawes despise the Word neglect Prayer prophane the Sabboth sweare without sense or touch and serue their lusts yet can carry all with this conceit they meane no harme whereas if God euer open their eyes to see their faces in a true glasse they shall see how sinne
is quite deiected Thirdly we haue the experience of many who haue sought the pangs of death to auoid these pangs of conscience Iudas could find no ease but in a desperate death in hanging himselfe Reuel 9. 6. Such as wish to die seeke death and cannot finde it they follow it but it flies from them and all this in the paine of a despairing conscience But here come three questions to be resolued First How can it bee that the wicked binde vpon themselues such heauy bundles of sinnes and carry all so easily whereas the godly finde such bitternesse in sinnes forgiuen how comes it to passe that the godly feele such sorrow in sinne pardoned and the wicked feele nothing in sinne vnpardoned For these reasons first because now is the time of Gods patience and forbearance of his bountifulnesse and long-suffering towards the vessels of wrath Secondly now is the time of their reioycing but when the daies of their banquetting are gone about then shall come many heauy messengers to tell them of fearefull newes there comes a day of wrath when they shall reape as they sowed and drinke the dreggs of Gods wrath to the bottome of the viall They treasure vp sorrow with their sinne and their griefe shall be full That sinne that now sets no sorrow to their heart shall hereafter be a worme euer gnawing a fire neuer going out a Riuer of brimstone kindled by the wrath of the Lord of hosts and a perpetuall weeping and gnashing of teeth Secondly how comes the body to be troubled by the minde First by the strait vnion and sympathie betweene the soule and the body vnited into one person for while the soule is possessed with feare sorrow languishing wearinesse and heauinesse it is impossible that the body can take any delight in the comforts of nature but that sleep shall depart from it or bee not so short as troublesome the meate and drinke shall be tastelesse or lothsome or mingled with teares I forgot to eate my bread saith Dauid Psalm 102. No comfort shall bee comfortable to him for when the spirit which should sustaine all a mans infirmities failes him what can sustaine him Secondly by the righteous iudgement of God who correcteth together those who haue sinned together and as they haue been vndiuided in sinne so are they not diuided in the smart of it The body hath been a seruant to the lusts of the soule and so receiueth the wages of sin with it Dauid abused the vigor strength and health of his body in the sinnes of adultery and murther and now the Lord chasteneth him in both Thirdly how comes it to passe that all the godly haue not this torment for sinne that they are not thus struck with terror nor so affected for sinne as to haue their strength impaired and their body dried First their persons are not alike and therefore Gods dealing with them is not alike some are more obscure in the world then other and haue onely more secret exercises some are more fitted by God to be speciall vessels for his glory in whom he will shine to his whole Church as Dauid Hezekiah c. and these he will specially worke vpon to make them patterns of his mercie both in leading them in and out of trouble for first hereby he lets the world see that great grace is ioyned with great corruption Secondly that the best haue matter of correction in them Thirdly that hee will not spare to rebuke sinne in those that are neerest and dearest vnto him Fourthly he will haue others to looke vpon them and Gods dealing with them in their casting downe and raising vp Secondly according to the difference of sinnes may be the difference of sorrow many men of greater grace then others haue fallen into greater sinnes then others and their knowledge being more then others is their apprehension of the sentence of the Law hath been deeper and so of wrath due to their sinne Besides in some others some speciall corruption which hath often preuailed or the constitution of body may adde a sting to the sorrow of mind some are naturally more fearefull as melancholy constitutions and so their impressions are deeper and of longer continuance Thirdly although in ordinarie Christians before sense of remission there is a sufficient measure of labour and wearinesse vnder the burthen of sinne yet some of all kindes God will exempt from such depth of griefe that he may shew himselfe free in all his working O that men would hence come to feare the paines prepared for sinners for if first a drop of Gods displeasure let fall secondly in loue thirdly on his owne children fourthly for a moment doe so amaze them and drinke vp their spirits their soules and bodies how much more shall the Ocean and deepe sea of Gods wrath against his enemies for all eternitie consume and torture them in hell Blind people of the world wil not know what hell meaneth till they be in it Secondly let vs learn to haue compassion on such as are troubled in spirit seeing such is their heauines as presseth downe both soule and body let vs apply our selues to comfort them as Dauid did here in his owne person and example Many thinke this sicknesse to be but passion conceit or melancholy and because it changeth the body often they thinke it to arise from the body but there is no disease like to this for symptomes and torment First they all are naturall this supernaturall SeSecondly they from the constitution of the body this from the constitution of the soule Thirdly in them the humours first or imagination as in Melancholy are distempered in this the conscience first and the humours after Fourthly they all may be cured by naturall remedies and bringing the body to a temperature all naturall medicines vnder heauen cannot cure this sicknesse Blessed is hee that iudgeth wisely of the poore to relieue the sicke conscience is mercy indeed Christ had the tongue of the learned giuen him to speake a word of comfort to such weary soules and was sent to bind vp the broken in heart and not onely ministers but euery Christian hath receiued of his anointing Thirdly in that Dauids sicknesse of body was from the sinne of his soule learne that health is a special blessing of God seeing wee euer carry that about with vs which might change it the first and most noysome humour which breeds bodily diseases is sinne the disease of the soule and therefore if God change his hand and bring weakenesse vpon our bodies we must not fixe our eyes vpon second causes not on abundance of peccant humours but looke backe to our sinnes and life past consider how silent and impenitent we haue been turne to God bewaile and forsake sinne resolue to vse our health better and our strength for God and not against him and thus the sicknesse of our body shall turne to the soundnesse and health of the soule
foorth sound worshipping of God Fourthly sound consideration preuents much sinne and much punishment and drawes a man out of sinne and iudgement First it preuents sinne for if a man did seriously consider of sinne what paine and losse and shame and sorrow comes by it he would not meddle with it being so heauie so dangerous There is a Historie of a vertuous woman that being sollicited to folly by a younker called for a pan of hot coales and desired him to put his hand vpon them but one houre he refusing that she replied How much lesse will you bee able to indure hell-fire for euermore and so he desisted Secondly it preuents punishment or the iudgements of God the Niniuites considered of the threatning of Ionah and so preuented the threatned destruction Thirdly it drawes out of sinne as Hos. 2 6 7. the Church of the Iewes seeing her selfe so crossed and hedged in with afflictions that shee could not follow her idols then shee considers her present miserie and the small hope and helpe from them then she saith that is resolueth to goe and returne to her first husband for it was then better with her then now Fourthly it drawes out of iudgement Ier. 12. 11. They haue laid it waste and being waste it mourneth vnto me the whole land lieth waste because no man setteth his minde on it that is considereth deeply of the cause of its desolation in his heart Fifthly we haue so much the more neede to be stirred vp to consider of our waies because there is no vice that doth appeare or dares to appeare in his proper colour but apparelled and masked in the likenesse of some vertue as no counterfeit coine is offered to a man in the copper-colour of it but washed ouer with siluer or gold Now if we consider not of things offered vs we shal easily be deceiued yea surprized of enemies vnder the colour of friendship Thus seeing the necessitie of sound consideration to set vs yet more forward in so needefull and so neglected a dutie obserue these directions First let vs labour to see the dulnesse of our nature to crosse it and stirre it vp and thinke the dutie so much the more necessarie and excellent as our natures oppose or are heauie vnto it What shall a man consider of his houses rents fields or garments and take no time to repaire himselfe and hurts sustained by inconsideratenesse Secondly set some time apart to consider of thy estate more seriously Ioshua and Dauid had as many distractions and more weightie affaires to intend then we haue and yet they meditated in the Law of the Lord night and day a shame for many Christians that take care how to passe their time neuer passing any in consideration of their estate this were a good pastime indeede Thirdly make choise of good matter for sound consideration as first consider of God first of his presence this kept Ioseph from sinne Secondly of his mercy to feare him Thirdly of his loue to loue him againe Fourthly of his workes first of Creation delight more in a spirituall then in a naturall vse of them Secondly of gouernment for there is no day or time that passeth but we may make speciall vse of Gods works either on our selues or others Secondly consider of thy estate with God whether a change be wrought in thee being the child of wrath by nature what markes thou hast vpon thee to distinguish thee from them who are not the Lords whether thou beest in the state of grace how thou growest in it or whether and how farre thou art gone backward what assurance of remission of sinne and what strength against sinne thou hast whether thou liest foiled of any corruption whether thou resoluest of amendment of life how thou hast kept or broken thy vowes with God what vse of Gods mercies or corrections thou hast made whether it haue not been better with thee then now and whether thou mayest not be in farre better estate were it not for thy owne default Thirdly consider of thine actions for the matter whether allowed by the Word for the manner whether done in faith and obedience for the end whether thou aimest at wealth pleasure or preferment in the world rather then at Gods glory and to be rich in God for God aimes at his glorie in all things and so must wee Fourthly consider of thy calling first generall as thou art a Christian whether before thy profession thou cast the costs as a wise builder and captaine Luk. 14. whether thou hast the power of godlinesse and art not content with the meere forme of it whether thou adornest thy profession or disgracest it by inconsideratenes Secondly speciall in which thou spendest most of thy time whether thou seruest God in seruing man whether thou art faith and iust or vniust and vnfaithfull in these lesse things whether thou sanctifiest it by prayer whether thou dependest vpon God for daily successe and blessing or leanest to thine owne labour whether thy ende be to enrich thy selfe or to make it as a meanes to please God and passe thee through the world Fifthly consider thy latter end and therein First the recompense of reward so did the Patriarkes Heb. 11. 16 26 and so moderated their hearts in doing their duties and in suffering afflictions Secondly consider of the account that is to be made of euery idle word and thought much more of euerie wicked swearing reuenging word and thought Thirdly consider of the day of death the vncertainty of life the leauing of that wealth for which thou strainest thy conscience and the neede of much comfort in such an vncomfortable houre how that peace of conscience at that time will prooue the best wealth Fourthly consider of the day of Iudgement when all things shall bee naked and euery man shall receiue according to that which he hath done in the flesh bee it good or euill These and the like considerations will bring foorth sound resolutions of bettering a mans estate if any thing in the world will A second point of doctrine arising out of Dauids resolution is this Where Gods Spirit hath taken place it preuailes at length against all the corruptions of the flesh Dauid was a long time hindred from going to God first by the greatnesse of his sinne Secondly by the strength of corruption against which hee was not fully resolued Thirdly by the vnworthinesse of his person Fourthly by the greatnesse of Gods anger and reuenging hand And fifthly by the sentence and curse of the Law Yet on the other side by the secret worke of the Spirit in his heart vnto all these was opposed first the greatnesse of Gods mercy Secondly the merit of Christs sacrifice Thirdly the promise of the Gospell Fourthly the nature of faith which beleeueth aboue and against sense These being committed together after a doubtfull combat faith foiles infidelitie hope despaire the Gospell the Law the promise
hee confessed in earnest besides by the nature of the words in Hebrew he riseth in the degrees of sinne till hee come to peshagin which are the highest sinnes that Gods child in incident vnto rebellions treasons or disloyaltie And further from one sinne hee goes to all hee would faine haue hid one sweet sinne but hee saw such mischiefe in that that hee resolues now to discouer all for the sake of that one and if the way to get out of one bee to confesse it the next way hee thinkes to get out of all is to confesse all The same course hee takes in the 51. Psalme wherein being touched in conscience for his Adultery and Murder hee goes further and beginnes at his originall sinne saying I was warmed in sinne and borne in iniquitie And in the same Psalme hee sets his sinne before him in the scarlet colour of it Deliuer mee from bloods Why hee shed but the blood of Vriah yea but hee cals to minde the blood of many that attended that worthy Captaine who all by his occasion fell with him at least the plurall number sheweth the bloudinesse heinousnesse of that sinne as Gen. 4. 10. The Lord said to Cain The voice of thy brothers bloods is come vp before mee that is for Cain to kill his Brother was as odious as to haue slain a number of other men and the Lord would put him in minde of the many streames of blood that ran this way that way from his godly Brother Abel and as the Lord there speakes in the plural number to aggrauate the odiousnesse of his sinne so doth the holy Prophet in the same forme of speech vtter his sinne to make it as odious to himselfe as might be The like example we haue Daniel 9. 5. where the holy Man maketh a sound confession in the name of the whole Church then in captiuitie in it amplifieth the sinnes of the people and riseth by sundry stayes and degrees to make them out of measure sinnefull thus First wee haue sinned there is errour and departing from the right way Secondly wee haue done iniquitie there is a crooked course and peruerse walking vndertaken Thirdly and done wickedly here malice is ioyned to weakenesse an indeuour in the birth of sinne and an artificiall working of it out Fourthly we haue rebelled here is obstinacy and warre against God as Rebels take vp Armes to shake off the yoke of lawfull gouernement Fiftly by departing from thy Precepts here is obstinate malice against the Law written and cleere light here is a willing sin they wilfully cast themselues headlong though they see the danger Sixtly wee heard not thy seruants the Prophets a grieuous sinne against the Law explained and applyed by Gods seruants who came in his name that is First by the authoritie and Word of God Secondly they were most faithfull and applyed themselues not to the common people onely but also to Kings Princes Fathers and People that is to all sorts and orders of men without respect of persons And all this in the Plurall number All we are guiltie none excepted thus in so many words hee heapes vp the number and greatnesse of their sinnes So in Ezra 9. 6. Oh my God I am confounded and ashamed to lift vp mine eyes to thee For our iniquitie is growne vp ouer our heads and our trespasse is gone vp to heauen from the dayes of our Fathers we haue beene in a great trespasse vnto this day Oh but know to thy comfort First that it was so with Paul after he was regenerate Secondly consider of these three things First whether thou hate detest these euils in thy selfe Secondly whether thou resist them suffer them not to be in quiet Thirdly whether being ouertaken with them thou renuest thy repentance Finde these things in thee and thou mayest iustly say with PAVL It is not I but the euill that is in mee For the latter the good which they would doe they cannot doe their hands are as fast bound as if the spirit of libertie were quite gone but be not dismaied First canst thou also not doe the euill that thou wouldest Secondly doest thou finde the will present with thee If this be so here is a motion not of the flesh but of the Spirit let not frailety of the flesh discourage thee Yea but if I may know that euer I had the Spirit then I hope hee will come againe therefore how shall I know that euer I had the Spirit preuailing in mee Know it by these workes of the Spirit First one work of the Spirit is to cast down high things that are exalted against God and to bring into captiuitie euery thought to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor. 10. 5. Hast thou then subiected thy reason affections and delights vnto grace hast thou denyed thy selfe that whatsoeuer the Spirit in the Word suggesteth it is thy whole heart to vndertake it then assure thy selfe the Spirit hath beene in thy heart and will come againe Secondly this is the new Couenant and another Condition that where the Spirit is giuen he writeth the Law in our hearts Ier. 31. 35. he brings in a new light new inclinations new affections the man is a new man and his life a new life Diddest thou then euer finde a change in thy selfe that thou wouldest not for a world bee the same man thou vvast and hold the same courses Findest thou that thy ignorance pleaseth thee not and thy will conformeth it selfe to Gods will then feare not for the Spirit hath beene with thee Thirdly the Spirit is a Spirit of supplication Zach. 12. 10. Hast thou then had a care and true desire of reconciliation a true sorrow that euer thou offendedst so good a God a purpose of heart to cleaue vnto him and to keepe his fauour which thou iudgest better then life it selfe Oh cheere vp thy selfe in this this fruit growes not out of thy Flesh but from the Spirit Fourthly Walke in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the Flesh Gal. 5. 16. Examine thy selfe by this hath the flesh and the corruptions of it any dominion ouer thee as a voluntarie vassal Art thou a willing slaue to it Doest thou accomplish and fulfill the lusts of it If these things bee so thou neuer as yet hast had the Spirit Alas I haue some strife but I am too too often foyled Well thy case is good enough only hold on to striue and to striue faithfully this struggling is a signe of some life Secondly know that the whole brood of corruptions cannot be subdued on the sudden but as the Israelites wasted the Canaanites by little and little so the Holy Ghost destroyes by little and little rootes out and foyles these cursed enemies of our soules but not all at once lest wee should want exercise and so grow idle and secure Thirdly vse the meanes to get not onely the presence but also the preuailing of the Spirit Oh that
this eye in the regenerate to discerne more euidently the owne estate giuen it a voice to follow the sinner with hue and cry to make him pronounce the sentence of guiltinesse and death against himselfe and all this is to iustifie God in any iudgement he brings vpon vs and to glorifie him when he brings vs out by any deliuerance But as for the wicked the eye of conscience in them is dazeled or quite put out and lets them goe on to their condemnation Fourthly a godly man must become his owne greatest enemie in confession of sinne because grace must carry a man further then nature can doe nature can make a man hate sinne but other mens rather then his owne Gen. 38. 24. Iudah thought whoredome worthy of burning as it was the custome in those dayes in his daughter in law Thamar but not in himselfe when the tokens he had left with her were brought forth then hee could confesse she was more righteous then he then away with burning whereas if shee were worthy to be burnt then much more he But grace looketh rather vpon a mans owne sinnes then anothers accounting them more venemous poysonfull odious and hate-worthy then anothers We hate all Serpents deadly yet not so much those in another countrey as these in our owne nor one that is ten foot off as that that is hard by the neerer he is the greater is our antipathie and hatred against him Now seeing euery sinne is a Serpent therefore we must hate euery one but that more especially which is neerest and vpon our hands as the Viper vpon Pauls to shake it off as he did To come now to the Vses First this lets vs see what is the nature of sinne whatsoeuer men conceiue of it they thinke not of it as of sinne if it haue either profit or pleasure with it but hold and hugge it as a sweet morsell vnder their tongue they conceiue a great sweetnesse in it whereas indeede it makes a man his owne greatest enemy If hee neuer repent it is an intolerable euill but if hee doe repent he sees that the sweetnesse of it is bitter inough such as makes him say that the pleasure of sinne is very deare and bought at too high a rate A man can bewayle any outward commoditie being lost and say as Iaacob did I haue lost this and this child all these things make against me So I haue lost such and such commoditie all these make against me but where is the man that can say Loe my sinnes these are they that make against mee But let the wise bee perswaded neuer to thinke of sinne as of a friend to fall into too familiar acquaintance with it but know that it is such an enemy as thy selfe must bee thine owne greatest enemy for it or else God will Secondly must a man set himselfe against himselfe in his confessions then this taxeth the practice of many men First of sundry who will neither deny their sinnes nor yet confesse them They wil not deny them for shame because it is against their knowledge conscience they should seeme to pull the Sunne out of heauen and deny the light of Nature if they should say they do not sinne and as for confession they will confesse none though neuer so sinfully done they deale gently with them and are loth to fall out with their friends faults they will confesse them and ouersights and infirmities which euery man hath sinnes of weaknesse though indeede of wickednesse such as are done by the strength of corruption neuer resisted Thus through ancient acquaintance they cannot leaue them they looke so amiable and louely thus they flatter themselues in sinne but if euer such come to be reconciled to God againe they must put on another person and deale in earnest against them before they can see God friendly in the pardon of them they must call a spade a spade that is confesse sinne to be such as indeed it is If the question be what is the vilest thing in the world The answere must be These sins and Who is the vilest person liuing the answere may must be Themselues Secondly others haue set colours on their sinnes that they might neuer see the hatefull and ougly face of them as First anger and hastinesse when a man is all on a sudden flame and burnes all about him for no iust cause What will he say Why it is but spirit or at worst heat of nature and he cannot do withall it is soone past ouer Well an enemy to his sinne would conclude it to be spirit indeede but an euill one and an heate which is kindled from the fire of Hell Secondly excessiue pride though men out-runne their degrees and out-weare all fashions in attiring themselues most immodestly so that a man may read in broad letters and great characters the lightnes of a light mind yet they say it is but ornament or complement or at worst the fashion An enemy now to sin would esteeme it as indeed it is a fashion vnbeseeming such as professe mortification a fashion whereof the Apostle saith Fashion not your selues according to this world and not maintaine them with Principles drawne out of the Diuels Catechisme Thirdly prodigality is but kindnes of nature couetousnes but frugalitie drinkings after the maner of the Gentiles but societie humanitie Impudency and complement but good education Luke-warmnes in religiō but good discretion policy and though Christ gaue himselfe to purchase a people zealous of good works yet it is thought a mans praise to be no meddler and to be zealous is counted nothing but to outrunne the bounds of godlinesse Thus Satan had taught the world a tricke to harden mens hearts and hinder them from sound peace and repentance Thirdly others so tender their names in their publike sins which are as manifest as a nose on a mans face as we say as they shrinke from shewing themselues in open confession against themselues and that when Gods glorie and the good of the Church yea the peace of their owne consciences calls for confession But farre are they from the affection of a zealous heart which would make them turne against themselues and their sinnes in returning to GOD. This would haue thought that Dauid should haue had more care of his credit then thus to rip vp his sinnes but Dauid was of another minde then they Fourthly those truely so called Puritanes and Catharists that need not repentance being whole men in full conformitie with the image of GOD so deifyed that they cannot sinne These are to bee branded with that odious name of Puritanes and not they that confesse their sinnes and labour to preuent them for time to come And Papists rather are true Puritans who say they fulfill the Law and need not say Forgiue vs our debts because GOD is rather indebted vnto them by their workes of supererogation let men lay the vile reproch of Puritanisme which is an
they say if there were no sauour of life in their worke and if that of the Prophet were not true Isai. 55. 10 11. The Word of God who euer brings it returnes not in vaine but accomplisheth the worke whereunto hee sent it and if the ministerie of vnregenerate men were alwaies without efficacie We deny not but hee may prepare to conuersion and build the conuerted and condemne the wicked but to winne men to saluation wee are not perswaded of his abilitie What is the Word in his mouth strong meate and cannot it be milke too and why should God vse him in the one chiefe ende of his calling and not in the other no reason can be giuen Fourthly the Apostle Paul seeing many false Apostles preach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not purely but of enuy and pride Phil. 1. 15 18. disdained not but said I reioyce that Christ is preached any manner of way Gaudet in re non in modo saith one He knew that if Christ were preached some would lay hold on him and be called out of their estate of Heathenisme and Gentilisme and that though the preaching of these euill men did not themselues good yet it was good for the Church They were like the builders of Noahs Arke who built an Arke for others and perished themselues And why was Paul so carefull lest while he preached saluation to others himselfe should be reprobate 1. Cor. 9. 27. if a man might not himselfe miscarrie preaching saluation to others Oh but God hath promised no blessing to his labor but a curse Psal. 1. 3 4. the vngodly shall not prosper as the godly doe First the worke of an vnregenerate Minister that is called by GOD is Gods worke and not onely his Secondly his worke shall not prosper to himselfe nor he in it but I know nothing that can stop Gods mercy why it may not be prospered to another Thirdly those promises and threats in the first Psalme concerning the prosperitie of the godly and vnhappinesse of the wicked are not directly meant of outward things or earthly but of inward and spiritual thus the wicked neuer prospers in any thing he takes in hand and thus the godly neuer miscarry but all things are turned to their best Luke 22. 32. Christ said to PETER Thou being conuerted strengthen thy brethren therefore a Minister had neede be conuerted to doe good Not so but Christ onely promiseth Peter that when Satan hath sifted him he shal be raised againe and being restored out of his fearefull sinne he must by his example and experience confirme sinners against distrust and despaire as hauing knowne Gods speciall goodnesse in drawing him out of so great a gulfe as his deniall was But the reward of sauing soules and conuerting men belongs not vnto an vnconuerted Minister namely to shine as the Starres for euer and euer Dan. 12. 3. therefore he conuerts none The place is meant of faithfull Ministers who with desire faithfullnesse and in Gods manner and meanes conuert men as the former words of the verse intimate They that are wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament according to that of SALOMON Hee that winneth soules is wise Prou. 11. 30. that is he is wise first for himselfe and prouident for his owne good and the blessed reward and then for the Church discharging faithfull seruice vnto it Such a wise man the Apostle Paul would haue Timothie to be Take heede vnto thy selfe and vnto learning and continue therein for in so doing thou shalt saue both thy selfe and them that heare thee 1. Tim. 4. 16. But the vnregenerate man takes not heede to himselfe and therefore is not wise for himselfe neither shall shine as the starres besides hee that doth a good thing but not well doth vtterly lose his reward And thus I haue fully cleared this question Let none be so fond as to refuse the almes of the King because he giues it by an Amner or a pretious gift of his father for the lewdnesse of the carrier Elias refused not his meat because a Rauen brought it but looked vnto God who sent him with it so doe thou heare the Word as Gods word 1. Thes. 2. 13. not as mans that it may worke effectually in thee looke not so much to the messenger as the message To come now to the vses of the point First it shewes that it is great neede that a Minister be a good man both for himselfe and others and haue experience of God in his owne soule For if the Word be onely in his mouth it may doe others some good but himselfe none if in his booke alone then when his booke failes him the Word failes him but if with Marie he ponder things in his heart the word which hee keepes will keepe him For this purpose he must labour to finde the Word which he deliuers to be first effectuall to beget faith in himselfe and adde prayer for the Spirit who workes freely where he will else his Word which God makes powerfull in many of his hearers shall be a dead letter vnto himselfe And no maruell For many wicked men may and doe speake of great points of religion of the state of Gods children and of cases of conscience but without any taste or experience or comfort and certaintie in their owne hearts of the things they speake a forme of knowledge they haue attained which is meerely historicall and a booke-learning and speake as they that tell of strange Countries and wonders of which they haue read but neuer saw them Such men God often discouereth by letting them fal off euen from that they know their speech their practice bewraieth them to be Atheists as in heart they euer were as may be seene by experience of many great Lights that haue done much good Secondly let priuate Christians learne hence to obserue their owne hearts and Gods dealing with them that they may bee able to speake feelingly in teaching and comforting others Let them learne to obey from their heart the forme of doctrine deliuered let them bee transformed into the truth taught and professed he that doth this wil prooue an excellent Light and patterne of godlinesse in the Church bee his course of life neuer so priuate Thirdly we must all benefit the Church by our experience as Dauid did communicate this his experience of Gods goodnesse to all For first we receiue no gift but the whole Church hath a right in it Secondly by communication thereof we shew our loue which is liberall and communicatiue Loue edifieth saith the Apostle 1. Cor. 8. 1. Thirdly euery member being graced graceth the whole body as an ornament suppose a ring on the finger deckes not the finger onely but also the person Fourthly the ende of Gods giuing of his gifts is to traffique for him and his people did men thinke of this they durst not hide their talents and bee vnfruitfull as many are
owne light and meanes and this is two-fold First the Word of God in Precepts and Promises this is a lanthorne to our feete and a light to our pathes by which God may be discerned whom the darknesse of the world cannot comprehend Secondly such signes of his presence as he hath made choice of to reueale his grace in In the Old Testament beleeuers must seeke him in sacrifices and ceremonies and therein hee gaue them gracious answeres the sacrifices were partly hilasticall or expiatorie and partly Eucharisticall or gratulatory the ceremonies were all typicall and pointed at Christ and the good things to come in him So in the New Testament God hath appointed visible signes annexed to his Word as the publique seruice of him in Spirit trueth the offering vp of our sacrifices of prayer and praise and frequenting of the holy sacraments or ceremonies in all which he will be sought out of these wil not be found God cannot bee seene or found but by his owne light and therefore hee that must seeke him must haue the light of vnderstanding Psal. 14. 2. The Lord looked downe to see if any would vnderstand and seeke after God Thirdly we shall finde God if we seek him not by the eyes of sense and nature but of faith and obedience God being of a spirituall nature cannot bee seene with the eye of flesh which seeth nothing but that which is materiall visible finite and circumscriptible as GOD is not Nay if the soule of man a finite spirit cannot bee seene with the bodily eye much lesse the God of spirits who is infinite and of such puritie as the Angels are not able to behold Neither are wee able to see God or finde him by the eye of our minde as being corrupted with sinne nay neither can seeke him more then the Gentiles of whom it is said that the Lord was found of them that sought him not Isai. 65. 1. For till the sound of the Gospell was carried among the Gentiles and Christ was proclaimed the Sauiour and Messias inuiting them to saluation they neuer asked after Christ but had their mindes darkned alienated from the life of God by the ignorance that is in them Ephes. 2. 3. A dead man cannot seeke the things of this world the lost groat could not thinke of her that lost it no more can a man seeke God before his conuersion it must bee an eye of grace enlightned and cleared by God that can seeke him Seeke and ye shall finde Mat. 7. 7. and Whosoeuer seeke finde Christ speakes thus to his Disciples and the promise is not made to the seeking but to the seeker being a beleeuer in Christ So as the meaning is this Whosoeuer haue beene first sought of God and found of him shall seeke and finde him else Ioh. 6. 44. No man comes vnto me vnlesse the Father draw him Fourthly we shall seeke aright if wee seeke God in Gods manner and that is in foure things First if we seek him in sinceritie of Spirit as Ephes. 6. 18. praying in the Spirit as knowing that we are to deale with God who is a Spirit and in sinceritie because he is a God that loueth trueth in the inward parts This condemnes hypocriticall seeking which is but deceitfull Ier. 29. 13. Yee shall seeke me and finde me because yee shall seeke me with all your heart Secondly in feruency men are commanded to seek for wisedome as for gold treasures how eagerly instantly do men seek after gold and earthly things why no labour can beate them from their desires How much more carefully ought they to seek after spirituall graces and most of all after God himselfe Thirdly in season timely as Psal. 63. 2. Early in the morning will I seek thee that is euery morning the beginning of my worke shall be to looke towards thee I will begin my duties in faithfull inuocating thy help and aide Fourthly in his Sonne seeke him in Christ the onely Mediator For none can come to the Father but by the Sonne Fiftly we shall seeke aright and with comfort if we seeke him in the right ends namely for himselfe not as the Iewes who followed Christ for bread and the belly not to gaine the world by him but to gaine himselfe and his fauour which is better then life Yea to obtaine this be content to seeke him with the losse of all as the Disciples and Martyrs did And then wee seeke himselfe for himselfe when wee seeke his glory in euery thing although to our owne shame and confusion Is this so Doe the godly seeke God in prayer Then it followes that a godly heart findes a want of God For seeking is of a thing that we want fain would haue Ps. 143. 6. My soule desireth after thee as the thirstie lands and the reason is because he knoweth he hath lost God For what need he seek that he hath not lost First in the corruption of his nature he hath lost the cōfortable presence of God which in our innocencie wee enioyed by losing our selues we lost God Secondly in the dayly admissions and commissions of sinne after grace receiued we lose his sight presence For our sinnes separate betweene God vs as a cloud betweene the brightnesse of the Sun and vs. Thirdly a godly man sees the want of God because hee knowes in some sort the worth of GOD without whom the soule is dead grace lost the conscience in torment and heauen turned into hell both here and hereafter The world were not so miserable without a sunne nor the body without breath as the soule without God the Sun of his Church and the soule of the soule of euery beleeuer Fourthly the godly hauing receiued a taste of Gods sweetnesse in Christ and his graces still seeke him for more the more they drinke the more they thirst as Moses the more familiar he was with God the more hee desires to see of Gods glory and here is no sacietie in this life but the more a man hath the more he wanteth and seeth his wants But Fiftly if God depart in displeasure and leaue a sense of wrath in the soule for sinne then the soule findes such want as it cannot sustaine it selfe without him euen Pharaoh will seeke God in trouble and hypocrites in affliction will seeke him diligently in hypocrisie How much more will the godly heart aboue all desires seeke his fauour and one cheerefull countenance from him Of this want and this seeking our Text speaketh Numbers of men neuer finde any want of God they finde the want of health and wealth of friends and meanes many say Who will shew vs any good and a great sort seeke corne and wine and oyle but a few say Lord lift vp thy countenance vpon vs. God forbid we should feele no want of God The carnall man cannot feele the want of Gods familiar presence because hee contents himselfe with the comfort of his
they shall seeke him with their whole heart Isa. 65. 24. Before they call I will answere and while they speake I will heare Psal 9. 18. The poore shall not alway bee forgotten the hope of the afflicted shall not perish for euer First Gods nature is to tender the miserie of the afflicted and distressed wherein hee cannot denie himselfe Psal. 12. 5. Now for the oppression of the needy and for the sighes of the poore I will vp saith the Lord and set him at libertie Exod. 3. 7. I haue surely seene the affliction of my people and heard their cry because of their taske-masters for I know their sorrowes and now am come downe to deliuer them this is Gods philanthropie and louing affection to mankinde to put forth thoughts of peace towards them Secondly if God should not take one time or other to answere his children he should not bee as good as his promise Call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare thee Hee should reiect prayer preferred according to his will and in the name of Christ and the voyce of his owne Spirit yea the prayer of faith tending to his glory and the saluation of his people which hee cannot doe and continue faithfull Thirdly he sets out a time of finding in respect of his owne glory sundry wayes first by being found of his people he procures praise and abundant thankesgiuing as Psal. 22. 24 26. He hath not despised the poore nor hid his face from him my praise shall be of thee in the great Congregation The poore shall eate and bee satisfied they that seeke after the Lord shall praise him see Psal. 79. 13. and Isa. 38. 19. The Fathers to the Children shall declare thy praise Yea the Lord challengeth this as a chiefe part of his glorie Isa. 42. 7 8. Secondly by being found of his people hee magnifies his owne name in the midst of his enemies for they brag and exalt themselues when they can tread vpon the necks of the godly Now lest they should say We haue preuailed and Where is now their God He steps in and findes a time to heare their weake prayers Psal. 106. 8. He saued them the Israelites pursued by Pharaoh in the red Sea for his names sake according to the prayer of the Church Not vnto vs Lord not vnto vs but to thy name be the praise ' Psal. 115. 1. Fourthly God will in time bee found of euery godly man often because of the malice of the wicked when it is come to the height The Israelites had often prayed and groned vnder their afflictions in Egypt in the foure hundred yeeres but because the sinnes of the Amorites and Canaanites were not full and ripe they found not God in all that time but when they were full they were deliuered Fifthly God sets out a time of finding in respect of the godly themselues first to prouoke them to loue the Lord who giueth and forgiueth much as Psal. 116. 1. I loue the Lord because he hath heard my prayer Secondly to encourage them in prayer and in the course of inuocating him wherein they finde God so good yea to bee instant and presse in vpon him Psal. 116. 2. Because hee hath heard me in my dayes I will call vpon him This the Prophet expresseth Psal. 65. 2. All flesh shall resort to thee a God hearing prayer or Because thou hearest prayer all flesh shall resort vnto thee Yea but God hath denyed to heare the prayers of his children they haue sought and neuer found as Moses and Paul First we may pray for temporall things we must know that al the promises for them are made with a condition If God see it good for vs in such things a godly man may pray all his life time and not finde because GOD sees it better for him to be without them and to lye vnder the crosse Secondly we must distinguish betweene delayes and denials as we haue seene Thirdly the godly haue many speciall graces but it is Gods wisedome to leaue them in some want to know some pricke of the flesh as Paul did lest they should be puffed vp being taken vp into such an heauenly condition Fourthly God heares his children in a better kinde as we haue shewed Fiftly the godly are tyed to conditions which are often broken Sixtly it may be thy prayer is heard but the answere is not yet come to thy heart the sense of graunt is not yet brought to thee and there must goe some time betweene seeking finding so the Angell said to Daniel chap. 9. 22. 23. From the first day that thou didst set thy heart to seeke the Lord and humble thy selfe thy words are heard and now I am come to tell thee If the godly seeke sometimes in a time of finding then we must learne to iudge wisely of the poore and afflicted in spirit not to triumph ouer them as Dauids enemies did ouer him Oh God hath forsaken him or as Iobs friends did All that he was at best hee was but an hypocrite Oh saith the world this is not the child of God Why because the Diuell hath a little power ouer him and God is gone A false conceit For first though he be not heard presently yet hee shall be heard hereafter there is a time when he shall finde God Secondly God is delighted in an humble spirit and a broken heart Thirdly he is the God of the abiect his promise is that such as mourne in Sion shal be deliuered and haue beautie for ashes Fourthly after this rate we shall condemne the greatest lights of Gods Church Paul and the other Apostles were in a thousand dangers within and without assaulted on euery side yet as deare to God as euer they were and it was a Iewish scoffe against Christ Let God deliuer him now if he will haue him Let vs rather consider our owne case what it may bee and bee charitably affected to them in distresse as wee would haue others affected towards vs in the same case knowing that that which befals one man may befall any man Secondly if there be a time of finding let vs take heed of being Lyons in our owne houses tearing our soules with diffidence and despaire as if the Lord were cleane gone for euer and would neuer returne and as though there were no time of finding Alas I am then no godly man for I haue prayed long and God will not bee found must I not feare my estate Yes feare and doubt in the godly make their saluation more sure in the end because it sends them to the meanes of comfort and by this thou mayest trie thy feare and distinguish it from al vngodly feares doubts which vanish away without any such vse But I am vnworthy to finde God who haue incensed his wrath like an vnkinde and vnthankefull wretch and that euery day A false ground of a false enemie all
thy worthinesse is the sense of vnworthinesse and an apprehension of Christs worthinesse What worthinesse was in Israel when the Lord couered her with his skirt and shee became his Did shee not wallow in her blood and filthinesse And is not God the same promising and performing mercie to them that confesse their sinnes and forsake them Oh but my sinnes haue abounded and haue so separated betweene God and mee that I doubt I shall neuer finde him Not so For where sinne hath abounded grace hath abounded much more and in the forgiuenesse of many sinnes God shall haue honour of much mercy and loue from the sinner in greater measure And if hee delighted in the death of a sinner or tooke pleasure in the death of him that dyes any one sin would furnish him with matter of reuenge enough but he is much in pardoning and delights therein The Apostle Paul saith I was a persecutor an oppressor a blasphemer c. yet God had mercie on me to be an ensample in time to come to all that should beleeue in Christ Iesus Alas he sinned of ignorance but I of knowledge against the light of my minde the voice of God the motions of his Spirit the cryes of my owne conscience and haue so quenched and grieued the Spirit that hee will come no more I may not look to finde God as Paul did Tell mee when Iohn said The blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth vs from all sinne 1. Epist. 1. 7. doth he meane onely sinnes of ignorance No verily and if GOD haue made no distinction of small great sinnes sinnes of knowledge and of ignorance of weaknesse and of presumption you may iustly and must defie a distinguishing deuill Thirdly the godly must bee incouraged by this doctrine to seek the Lord in a time when he may be found Oh that I knew that time when is it First one time of finding is when a man hath beene truely humbled and-toucht for his sinne Of this time our Prophet speakes in the Text after humiliation Dauid found God and teacheth that euery godly man shall then find him It is the troubled spirit that God respects and at whom else doth the Lord looke Isai. 66. 2. CHRIST came not to the righteous in their owne conceit but to call laden and humble sinners Secondly another time of finding God is when all good meanes and care haue been vsed to finde him God will not be found at first because he will try the diligence of his seruants in which hee sees the price they set vpon him and the thing asked The Spouse in her bed cannot finde Christ but if she get out and vse all good meanes enquiring and seeking after him at last hee is found and a godly heart cannot but thinke that the comforts Christ brings with him are worth all his paines and labour And it will manifest our care if wee seeke him First early as Prou. 8. 17. I loue them that loue mee and those that seeke mee early shall finde mee Secondly if we seeke him with all our heart as Deut. 4. 29. Thou shalt find him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and all thy soule Thirdly in perseuerance not by starts and fits as the carelesse and temporizers but as the Church that neuer rests till she finde him Thirdly another time of finding God is the godly mans extremitie and vrgent necessitie for that is Gods opportunitie The Lord will be a refuge for the poore a refuge in due time euen in affliction when hee hath no refuge elsewhere Psal. 9. 9. and Psa. 10. 1. Why hidest thou thy selfe O Lord in due time euen in affliction Deut. 4. 29 30. When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come vpon thee at the length if thou returne to the Lord he wil not forsake thee When Ionas was wrapt with waues and weedes in the bottome of the Sea hee cryed and God spake to the fish to set him on land Dauid called out of the deepe and God heard him Moses cryed at the Red Sea and then God was found Christ in his agonie in the garden prayed and GOD sent the Angels to comfort him Abraham found God three dayes after the commandement on the mount And after three dayes when the case was hopelesse and the Disciples faith was a little preiudiced Christ rose againe Therefore wait thou art not yet in the deepes nor yet at the mount the third day is not yet come Fourthly another time of finding God is when God offers himselfe to be found in the preaching of the Gospell for by it God comes and knockes at our doore and seekes entrance Reu. 3. 20. and the opportunitie of the Gospell is called the day of saluation and the day of visitation Let vs walke while wee haue the light this is the acceptable time The Iewes knew it not till it was past and they were left in their sinnes let vs take heed it be not so with vs. How can wee want motiues to seeke the Lord with comfort and assurance of finding him for First God hath a fatherly care ouer vs and as a faithfull Shepheard seekes thee leauing ninetie nine to saue one and is not he willing to be found if thou seeke him oh goc and meet him Secondly Christ seekes and sues to thee Open vnto me my beloued and why should not wee set open the gates of our hearts that the King of glory may enter in Euen when wee runne away from him hee seekes vs and offers vs conditions of loue hee runnes after fugitiue ADAM that if hee will beleeue in the promised Messiah hee shall bee saued And haue not wee encouragement enough to knocke at the doore of his mercy Thirdly consider what a wofull threatning is sent out against such as will not seeke the Lord as Zeph. 1. 6. Hee will stretch out his hand against all them that turne from him that sought not the Lord nor inquired after him and Zech. 7. 13. It is come to passe that as I cryed and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord of Hosts Fourthly the Gospell is the hammer by which God still knockes now if thou wilt lay hold on mercy offered thou shalt haue a blessed answere but if thou wilt bolt vp thy heart with securitie and ignorance how can he come vnto thee Christ when hee was borne found no roome in the Inne but was content to lie in the Stable and surely the world is no changeling it is as vnthankfull still men are loth to make Christ a roome in the Inne of their hearts If now in his glory he would be content with Stables that is hearts filled with noysome lusts as so many filthy beasts this roome they could afford him But know that hee is past infancie and abasement and hath shewed himselfe a Lord of glory and will haue a roome and entertainement like himselfe and if thou
Doubtlesse I shall dwell a long time in the house of God How comes Dauid to this conclusion In the former verses he had said The Lord had bin his Shepheard had fed him spred his cloth filled his cup comforted him and so laies one experience to another till he come to this godly perswasion The same doth the Apostle Paul 2. Tim. 4. 17 18. He hath deliuered me out of the mouth of the Lion and he will deliuer me from euery euill way Rom. 5. 3. Experience brings hope and hope makes not ashamed For as a poore man hauing often borrowed money of a rich man and hauing found him free and cheerefull formerly hath good hope and much boldnesse that he will still affoord the same fauour in the like case euen so the poore Christian hauing found much supply many times of wisedome strength deliuerance perswades himselfe of the same for time to come First God is honoured when his Word is acknowledged true in it selfe but this the deuils themselues beleeue but by experience wee finde it true to vs and can set our seale to God and his Word which is not onely a great honour to God but also to our selues Secondly Faith in a bare word without experience doth much strengthen and comfort the heart possessing it as when Abraham did receiue the first promise of a son by Sarah hee relyed vpon it and doubted not of the accomplishment but when in temptation and particular troubles wee haue particular proofes of Gods truth in accomplishments it will bee a strong anchor to hold vs fast that we be not carried away with violent winds and waues of temptation as Abraham after experience of Gods power in quickning Sarahs dead wombe and remembring his promise 30. yeeres after he had vttered it when no man almost could haue expected it seeing the whole course of nature was set against him he could easily and readily ouercome himselfe in that difficult tryall of offering his sonne at Gods commandement and the reason was because former experiences perswaded him that hee should rather receiue him from the dead then Gods word should not be fulfilled Thirdly no maruell if experience be such a teacher of affiance in God seeing it findes more sweetnesse by much in the performance of promises then can be conceiued in holding the promises themselues as a man that hath possession of an inheritance which hee held long onely in reuersion by experience of those supplies and comforts he now hath tasteth much more sweetnesse then hee could possibly conceiue while it was his only by entaile and expectation Fourthly the worke of experience euen in ciuil things is of great vse and no lesse in diuine First to make vs bold with God as men are with an experienced friend Secondly to quell those distrustfull feares which distract vs a fresh-water souldier is afraid of euery cracke of a Gun and thinks sure it will cost him his life but a souldier experienced is fearelesse and more valorous Thirdly to quiet the heart in Gods absence and desertion waiting his approch againe Suppose a man put into the world as Adam was if he should see the Sunne set hee would thinke it quite lost but experience teacheth that it will rise the day following and therefore we are content when it is set and waite the rising of it so is it here betweene God and a Christian soule What makes vs content our selues in winter when we see all things dead and withered if such an vncomfortable time should continue euer it would breake the hearts of men but wee know that Summer will returne and then all things will spring againe and this cheeres vs vp so in the winter of temptation we may thinke wee shall neuer see God againe but for all that his grace and spirit shall come and shine againe to vs it shall neuer absent it selfe for euer Alas I haue had many experiences of God and yet I feele many grudgings of despaire I cannot waite I am too short-spirited I cannot come to this affiance by them Neuer had any man experience of Gods former loue but he also sometimes had assured hope and confidence in God but First neuer had any man faith at all times alike which sheweth that it is no naturall facultie which is ordinarily vniforme but supernaturall giuen in such degrees as it pleaseth God and so as place may be left for correction and tryall of his children Secondly sense of weakenesse in a sound Christian is a meanes of strength prouoking a man both to humble himselfe before God in prayer as also to depend vpon Gods strength Thirdly Gods fauour in this life is annexed with trouble as the Sunne is ouer-cast with clouds and the Moone with specks yet as the Sunne shall at length disperse those clouds and shew his light and strength so shall the light of Gods countenance shine vpon his people in such brightnesse at length as they shall out-grow all these cloudes and ouer-casts which hindred their comfort The way then to attayne affiance and sure confidence in God being to get experience of his goodnesse vnto vs wee must take paines in this dutie so fruitfull and comfortable But how shall I come to haue experience of God Know that to experience there goe three things first Knowledge Secondly Obseruation Thirdly Memorie First Knowledge you must know God as hee hath reuealed himselfe in his Word and Workes this is the ground of experience and the more a man knowes God the more hee will trust in him as Psal. 9. 10. They that know thy name will trust in thee The better knowledge the better affiance Now the speciall grounds of this experience to bee knowne are these first that God is the same without change or shaddow of change what he euer was he is still true iust mercifull Secondly that his couenant is the same being an euerlasting couenant and the records of that couenant are for euer the same and truth it selfe Heauen and earth may passe away but one iot of the Word cannot Thirdly that his children being euer as deare vnto him as euer they were hee doth alwayes maintayne their cause for hee were not righteous if hee did not euer loue and maintayne righteous persons and dealing Fourthly that sinne being euer hatefull vnto him he destroyeth it at length and because he neuer fauours wicked men hee confoundeth all their plots and attempts vnder-taken against him or his Secondly another meanes of experience of God is Obseruation of the wayes of God as first the workes of his power and these wee shall see as farre aboue Satans power as infinite is aboue finite and againe so farre from being hindred by our weakenesse as it is perfected thereby 2. Cor. 12. 9. Secondly the workes of his wisedome who knowes how to deliuer the iust out of temptation 2. Pet. 2. 9. Thirdly of his loue and mercy being as willing as able to helpe his children
not worthy sayth hee of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed vnto thy seruant for with my staffe I passed ouer this Iordan and now I am become two bands And to conclude how little are our hearts stirred to thankesgiuing vnder crosses and afflictions whereas our Commandement is In all things giue thankes euen in crosses and losses We can receiue good from God but no euill whereas our dutie is with Iob to blesse God as well in taking away as in giuing Thus seeing how farre wee are from our dutie let vs iudge our selues and take our selues tardie in the slips and amend what we haue failed in and for time to come so frame this dutie to this Doctrine as God may haue his prayse and we his mercies continued to vs and ours There is yet remaining a third point of Doctrine namely that the matter of the godly mans songs ioy must be spiritual and heauenly as here the ditty of Dauids songs are Gods deliuerances praises of God for deliuerances And this his practice elsewhere Psal. 22. 25. My prayse shall be of thee in the great Congregation Psal. 59. 16. 17. I will sing of thy power and prayse thy mercie see the place Psal. 57. 8. I will sing vnto thee among the Nations And in respect of this argument of all his Psalmes Dauid is called the sweet Singer of Israel 2. Sam. 23. 1. First the Commandement enioyneth vs this Ephes. 5. 19. Speaking vnto your selues in Psalmes and Hymnes and spirituall songs therefore our songs must be spirituall first for matter not prophane Secondly they must proceede from Gods spirit as the Author of them Thirdly they must be framed with honest and gracious wordes beseeming the Spirit Fourthly to a spirituall end which is first Gods glorie and secondly our owne and others edification And in the same place it followes Singing and making melodie in your heart to the Lord euer looking and referring your Psalmes to God as the right obiect of them and our ioy Col. 3. 16. 17. there is required first that our songs come from the Word dwelling plentifully in our hearts Secondly that they be spirituall for the former causes Thirdly that they be to the Lord that is first before the Lord. Secondly to his praise as Ver. 17. Whatsoeuer yee shall doe in word or deede doe all in the name of the LORD IESVS giuing thankes to God and the Father by him and Psal. 37. 4. Delight thy selfe in the Lord. Secondly the godly ought euer to giue testimonie of that heauenly ioy vvhich delighteth their soules and vvhich is a fruit of the spirit Gal. 5. 22. seeing they professe to be led by the spirit and by this they notably incite themselues and inuite others to pietie Thirdly it is fit there be a difference betweene wicked and godly mens songs They sing like themselues either vvickedly vvantonly and filthily or the best of their songs vvhich they sing with any feeling are but vvorldly vvhen their Wine and Oyle are increased and they enioy temporall prosperitie But the godly must be in another tune they must sing because God hath lifted vp the light of his countenance vpon them they haue a peculiar ioy the ioy of Gods people vvhich Dauid desireth the Lord to visit him vvithall Psal. 106. 5. The Stranger enters not into this ioy Prou. 14. 10. Fourthly if the godly should not make their songs of God he should haue little or no praise on earth for all his mercies seeing the vvicked cannot praise him the dead in sinne cannot praise him they can reioyce naturally in eating drinking sporting building and such props of the flesh yea and are neuer so glad as when God is farthest off out of sight and out of minde Now if the Christian man vvho hath a true sense of God should not sing vnto God he should haue no praise at all of all his goodnesse Fiftly the songs of godly men on earth are best when they be the same for kinde and matter with their songs in heauen seeing the same heauenly life and ioy is begun on earth vvhich vve must haue in perfection in heauen and there is no difference but in the degree And this vve see plainely in the Scripture both vvhat is the matter of that new song of the Saints in heauen vvho had gotten victorie ouer the Beast Reuel 15. â— the song of Moses and the song of the Lambe saying Great and maruellous are thy workes Lord God Almightie iust and true are thy wayes King of Saints And that the songs of the godly haue commonly beene of the same argument and matter is cleere by the Church in generall and in the speciall members of it The Church Exod. 15. 1. 2. sang this song vnto the Lord and said in this manner I will sing vnto the Lord the Lord is my strength and my song he is become my saluation c. My song that is first the matter of the song the Lord to whom all praise belongeth and secondly he in whom the Church reioyceth and glorieth all the day long Isa. 5. 1. I will sing to my beloued Christ is the song of the Church the whole booke of Canticles is a song of Christ and the Church which singeth out his beauties perfections and affections and describeth him in excellent manner from top to toe So for the particular members of it Dauid professeth it saying My song shall be of thee all the day long the like we may see of Hanna Zachary Simeon Mary Deborah and Barak Iudg. 5. All whose songs record how they made God their glorie and the matter of their Psalmes and praises in a word they were no other then songs of deliuerance Sixtly let a man turne his face any way else from God let him sing of his wealth of his pleasure or any of the delights of the sonnes of men his song shall be but a short one and as vnsound as short Salomon tryed his heart and tyred himselfe in worldly pleasures treasures honors and all kinde of earthly happinesse but he comes at length to a recantation and sings a new song and tells vs that all that is vnder the Sunne is but vanitie and vexation of spirit And trie it after him who vvill hee shall surely change his note as hee did vvhen his laughter shall be no better in his owne eyes then madnesse and the reason is because nothing out of God can afford matter of sound ioy We see hence what to thinke of musick in Gods seruice of which kinde songs are In the old Testament it was of diuine institution and a part of the ceremoniall Law In the new Testament God requires a more spirituall worship and yet we are allowed vs that musicke whether naturall or artificiall whereby the heart is raised vp and prouoked to glorifie God Is any man merry saith Iames let him sing Psalmes Chap. 5. 13. The conditions of
Thirdly such are reprooued as eyther neglect or enuie to communicate their graces in furthering the growth of grace in such as they ought A Magistrate should see all within his power keepe the two Tables as well as himselfe good Nehemiah would see all the Citie keepe the Sabbath and set forward all the good he could for the Temple by his authoritie and example Masters of Families also and Gouernours should be as great wheeles in a Clocke whereof if one bee set a going hee will mooue his fellow and that the next vnto him not one must bee idle Abraham will teach his Family and Ioshua his house and Cornelius cals his kinsfolke to heare the Doctrine of life Others enuie the graces of God where they should reioyce most as Cain did the grace and goodnesse of Abel and this was yong Ioshua's fault to enuie Eldad Medad for Moses his sake Master forbid them to prophesie but what said Moses he was of another temper and said Dost thou enuie for me would God all the Lords people were Prophets Numb 11. 29. It is wofull to speake but more wofull to practise that men should bee wearie of their seruants because they are good and say of their good and towardly children Yong Saints old Deuils also of the wife that she is attempting of some strange matters when shee will doe that good in her house which her husband will not Satan that can get this aduantage of men will get a greater before hee hath left them True grace would delight in building vp others and is glad when any comes on well or out-strips it in goodnesse Fourthly those are reprooued which not onely not instruct or help forward but also hinder others withdraw them from their godly courses which reproch or persecute good wayes men whom the Deuill hath taught to bee cunning in besmearing all the wayes of Gods children Oh say some they are all Hypocrites all Dissemblers as bad as who is worst yea if wee will beleeue such as blacke Deuils Much more are those in a wofull case which corrupt and peruert others saying What will you bee so precise and foolish will you in a kinde of singularitie lose both your pleasure and reputation But marke the seuere reproofe of such in Elymas the Sorcerer who laboured to turne away the Deputie Paulus Sergius from the faith Act. 13. 8. 9. 10. O thou enemie of righteousnesse sayth Paul full of subtletie the childe of the Deuill full of all mischiefe c. like indeed to the Deuill who is the greatest disswader of goodnesse and would driue all holinesse out of the earth if he could Elymas is the Deuils child because his workes he did Oh let vs take heed of these errours and bee more diligent in this fruit of conuersion If in the Spring-time a Plant bee without leaues or buds when others sprout and blossome we say Surely it is dead so if the Spring of grace bee returned vpon thee let all the World see it in this sprout if thou beest a Plant of righteousnesse thou wilt shew thy life and fruit that euery one may plucke somewhat and bee the better by thee The second point in this Preface is the Scholer or person to be taught Thee that is euery man particularly to vvhom this Psalme shall come to be heard sung read or any vvay vsed Whence vve may learne tvvo things First That no man naturally vnderstandeth the things of God without a Teacher Secondly that Doctrine is not sufficient to be deliuered in generall but must bee particularly applyed to all The first is manifest by Scripture and reasons 1. Cor. 2. 14. The natur all man vnderstandeth not the things of God Act. 8. 31. When the Eunuch read the Prophesie of Esay and Philip asked him if hee vnderstood the place How can I sayd he without a guide The case is with euery natural man as it was with Samuel God cals once and againe Samuel still runnes another way 1. Sam. 3. 7. Thus did Samuel sayth the Text before he knew the Lord and before the Word of the Lord was reuealed vnto him Which is true as well in respect of that ordinarie diuine knowledge which is common to all the seruants of God as the extraordinary which was peculiar to the Prophets The reason hereof is not as Papists say the obscuritie of the Scripture which is a light to our feet and a Lanthorne but First nothing can goe beyond its owne nature and kind nature cannot reach to diuine things flesh cannot reach aboue flesh and before Regeneration the whole man is flesh his bodie is flesh his soule is flesh his affections flesh his actions and all is flesh And as for spirituall things he can no more reach them then a beast can reach to reasonable actions No man knowes the Father but the Sonne and hee to whom the Sonne reuealeth him No man knowes the heart of a man till himselfe make it knowne much lesse can any man know the minde of God but God himselfe and hee to whom the Spirit reueales it 1. Cor. 2. 11. Secondly whereas by our innocencie wee were of large hearts and Eagles eyes for clcerenesse of vnderstanding and iudgement in the things of God by the fall a vayle is come ouer our hearts and the scales of ignorance are come vpon our eyes and the cloudes of darkenesse are betweene vs and our Sunne nay an vnregenerate man is not onely in darknesse but euen darknesse it selfe Ephes. 5. 8. and the child of night and darknesse 1. Thess. 5. 7. that as Paul being blinde must haue the scales taken off his eyes before he can see so no man can haue any sauing knowledge till his naturall ignorance bee remooued And as this was the first thing in Pauls Conuersion and the first worke of God in the Creation to seuer light and darknesse so the first worke of this second Creation is the illumination of the Spirit Thirdly if euery regenerate man need a Teacher much lesse doth any naturall man vnderstand without one but euen the best haue ignorance in them though not raigning it being with the godly in this life as in the twilight much darknesse is mingled with their light and therfore euen the Apostles themselues prayed for increase of spirituall vnderstanding And the knowledge we haue here of God is but as in a mysterie or in a mirrour In a mystery wherein something is seene something hid as in the Sacraments for that cause so called because we see the Elements but not the things signified by them In a mirrour as in a glasse and not face to face we know but in part 1. Cor. 13. First Let vs hence acknowledge our naturall blindnesse it being with vs as with the blind man Ioh. 9. who was borne blinde and neuer saw any thing till Christ had opened his eyes wee being naturally blind cannot see though the Sunne of righteousnesse shine vpon vs. And if wee cannot see our spirituall good
simple Audience in no other then a plaine and simple manner auoiding as much as he may vnknowne sentences and darke speeches which flye aboue low conceits that by this familiar handling of the Word it may become as a light in the darke corners of ignorant mens hearts First then It were to be wished that a Minister were more then a bare reader hee must bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 apt to teach able to diuide the Word of trueth aright and must labour for the truely-learned tongue to bee a prompt Scribe an Ezra causing men to vnderstand the reading For if the blinde leade the blinde both fall into the ditch Secondly people must diligently attend to the things that are taught Heb. 2. 1. and not giue ouer till they vnderstand the grounds of Religion For first Faith commeth by hearing and vnderstanding of the Word the Word truely vnderstood is the seede and parent of faith Secondly without this knowledge of God and Christ there is no saluation Ioh. 17. 3. This is life eternall that they know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Thirdly great is the excellencie of knowledge Eccles. 2. 13. As the day is aboue the night so knowledge excelleth ignorance and wisedome folly without it there is no walking in the day or in the light knowledge is more necessary then the day or the Sunne therfore resist not the means whereby it may be gotten Thirdly we must not thinke that we then vnderstand vvhen we know or teach men to know that which they did not before for true vnderstanding stands not onely in speculation but first in the change of the heart 2. Cor. 3. 17. then wee behold the glorie of God in the Word vvhen we are changed into the same Image from glorie to glorie by the Spirit of God Secondly in the change of the life to new obedience Psal. 111 10. The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisedome a good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter whereas without obedience vnderstanding doeth but conuince and lay open to many stripes Thirdly when it mingles the word with faith Psa. 119. 66. Teach me good vnderstanding and iudgement for I haue beleeued thy Commandements Fourthly when knowledge sets vs forward in glorifying God for else it is no better then the knowledge of the heathens which made them excuselesse because knowing God they glorified him not as God Rom. 1. 21. and if the heathens were iustly condemned for not glorifying God according to that darke knowledge they had how much more should our knowledge mooue vs to glorifie God which else maketh vs more inexcusable if wee glorifie him not by giuing him his worship praise and honour and by making vse of all his attributes and mercies but especially those in his Christ Secondly A minister must not onely be an instructer by his doctrine but a leader also by his practice for else first hee is no guide for he is a guide whom wee take with vs to direct vs in a dangerous way what a guide and not able to guide himselfe Secondly else Gods worke shal neuer go happily forward for he shall not build so fast with one hand but he shal destroy with another Thirdly their doctrine which may saue others shall bee a bill of inditement against themselues the curse is already vpon them that seeing they perceiue not and speaking the word to others they heare it not themselues and their doome shall be Wicked seruant out of thine owne mouth thou shalt bee iudged Thou that teachest another doest not thou teach thy selfe thou that preachest against couetousnesse art thou a griper neuer satisfied or is there a graue in thy heart neuer full doest thou preach against drunkennesse and art an intemperate person a companion of drunkards against lyars and yet there is no trueth in thine owne wordes Fourthly it is a notable marke of an Hypocrite to doe the same things which commonly he reprooueth in another and of a bold wicked man that dares take the word of God into his mouth and yet hates to be reformed and if it be in a teacher hee becomes not onely a wicked agent but also a teacher of iniquitie All which shewes that a good Minister must be more then a Preacher he must bee a doer also a guide a good man not a directer onely but a guide too Singular holinesse must be written in Ministers foreheads and special graces in their hearts they must haue about them not onely the sound of Bells but the sweet smell of Pomegranates also they must bee neither bleare-eyed nor blemished nor any way defectiue Thirdly A faithfull Minister must euer haue his eye on his flocke to guide them and watch ouer them for their good as a tender mother will not let her weake and tender childe bee neere a place of probable danger but her eye shall bee ouer it to saue it from perill From this care Ministers are called watchmen and are set in their places as watch-towers to espie and preuent danger and enemies and First the estate of men requires this duty from Pastours who are weake when they are at the best apt to turne aside out of the way ready to be seduced and misled by others and prone to be carryed away head-long by their owne lusts if there were no enemie else without them Secondly their owne calling enforceth it being set as Ouerseers of their Congregations Act. 20. 28. to ouersee the wayes of their people Their charge is to warne the wicked and to admonish the righteous if he turne from his righteousnesse which they cannot doe without the obseruing of both Thirdly they must imitate the chiefe Pastor and shepheard of soules the good shepheard calls his sheepe by name and findes it out if but one of a hundred be wandering he seekes out the lost sheepe bindes vp the broken and strengthens the feeble knees he loued his sheep to the death and so true loue is desirous not to leaue a man till it haue set him safe Fourthly the danger of not admonishing the people is exceeding great for they communicate in their sinnes and the curses due vnto them God wil require the bloud of a sinner that is not admonished at the watch-mans hand Ezek. 3. 18 20. And hereunto adde the blessing and reward of him that turnes a man from iniquitie hee saues the soule of his brother Iam. 5. 20. and shall shine as the starres in the firmament for euer Dan. 12. 3. This doctrine serues to reprooue sundry both Ministers and people First the sin of non-residency is a great sin where there is no iust cause of absence A minister is tyed to liue among his people because he must euer haue his eye ouer his flocke but how can he guide them with his eye who is continually absent The Apostle Paul whose calling made him necessarily absent from some Churches professeth that he had no
rest in himselfe when he was thus forced to be absent Secondly the peeuishnesse of men is hence discouered that will not haue their liues marked nor their actions scanned the Minister must set no eyes vpon them they will endure no obseruing no reproofe Oh what hath he to doe with me I will doe what I list for all him Nay but he must obserue thy wayes he must guide thee with his eye hee must ouer-see thy course and warne thee out of thy speciall sinnes and if he cannot hinder or preuent thy damnation he must preuent his owne by warning and admonishing thee Nay if God haue made euery Christian anothers watchman and all the godly mutuall Keepers of each other which is a speciall fruit of the communion of Saints as appeares in those exhortations to obserue one another to prouoke to loue and good workes and Let euery man looke on the things of another c. much more must the Minister obserue the wayes of his people Thirdly see hence both the necessitie of the Ministerie which God hath erected in the Church as a guide to heauen and how vvee should entertayne it How kindly do Trauellers recompence faithfull guides How barbarous were it for a man to abuse him that gently guideth him through a dangerous and vnknowne way and yet what good guide in the Ministrie meeteth not with such vnnaturall dealing from naturall and vngodly men so much of the Preface Now followes the Exhortation VERS 9. Be not like the Horse or Mule c. IN these wordes is contayned the third generall vse of the former doctrine of Gods free mercy in iustifying and sauing the humble and penitent sinner hereupon inferring the dutie of humble subiection and obedience vnto God This is propounded in a precept dehortatorie disswading from brutish senselesnesse and peruerse obstinacy which are two mayne lets to repentance and godly sorrow and the Prophet layeth it downe by way of dissimilitude betweene man to whom God hath giuen a reasonable soule and Beasts deuoide of reason and vnderstanding especially such as are in a further degree of stupiditie and dulnesse then sundrie other of the Creatures be of vvhich sort he nameth two the Horse and the Mule from vvhose nature Nature it selfe hath taught vs not to depart onely but also to abhorre because vvee are made after the Image of God in knowledge and vnderstanding The things wherein vve must be vnlike these creatures are two First they are vnteachable which vnderstand not saith the Text Creatures they are vncapable of instruction you can perswade them vvith no Reason or Eloquence Secondly they are vntractable and therefore it is said Thou bindest them with bit and bridle lest they come neere thee they are wilde by nature and if they be not well watcht and hampered they will bite and strike their owners Herein must euery man professing the feare of God be vtterly vnlike them For the further opening of the wordes sundrie questions are to be answered as First Why is the Prophet so harsh and sharpe vvith his Scholers Are wee not commanded to be soft and gentle vnto all men and to instruct them with all meekenesse considering our selues were once deceiued Dauid was directed by a good Spirit and went vpon a good ground First he speakes out of his owne experience hee knew vvhat himselfe was a little before while he hardned himselfe in his willingnesse to keepe his sinne Psal. 73. 22. I was foolish and ignorant euen as a beast before thee Hee knew the strength of other mens corruptions the hardnesse of their knots by his owne and sees they haue neede of as hard vvedges as hee and yet after a sort makes himselfe a copy and instance in this sharpe reproofe Be not as I vvas euen like the Horse or Mule Secondly hee manifests a notable fruit of his owne true repentance that hauing left his sinne he cannot speake of it but with disgrace and testification of the lothsomnesse of it as it is a bad signe of impenitency when a man can speake any thing friendly of his sinnes past Whatsoeuer hath much lothed vs in time past we cannot name it or thinke of it without dislike And as hee be wrayes his owne zeale against his owne sinne so doth he assure himselfe that all that are truely touched care not how disgracefully their sinnes be dealt withall Thirdly he would checke the pride of sinners who thinke so well of themselues but in the state of nature are not only like but farre worse then any of the brute beasts True humilitie will make a man thinke of himselfe as of the basest creature Christ gaue the Woman of Canaan diuers checks and at length he called her a Dogge Truth Lord said shee shee thought no better of herselfe then so Fourthly though our softnesse and meekenesse must moderate our heate towards the sinner yet must it not abate our heate and zeale against the sinne it selfe againe wee must so haue compassion on some persons offending considering the circumstances of sinnes as others wee must saue with feare Further we must so consider our selues in times past as wee forget not our selues for the present Are vvee now healed then our zeale is more against sinne then euer before and as zeale increaseth so doth our hatred of sinne daily Lastly whom deales Dauid withall but obstinate and wilfull sinners vvho are no better then corrupt and brutish nature made them Secondly Why doth he name these creatures the Horse and the Mule and not the Lyon or any other First because these are best knowne vnto vs that his true meaning might appeare to the meanest and breake out sensibly in his comparison to the simplest Hearer Secondly that in their properties naturall men might see their owne as first these creatures are led by sensualitie not by reason no more are naturall men but led by the same guide Secondly euery man sees these creatures lower then that they can rise vp to the vnderstanding and iudgement of humane actions and so are they in the things of God 2. Pet. 2. 12. Thirdly how often doe these creatures especially if better fed lift vp the heele against their Feeder neuer or seldome acknowledge the Owner of their fat pasture they cast off their Rider and grow insolent so doe they Deuter. 32. 15. Fourthly the Horse longer then the spurre or bit is vpon him is in no awe so wicked men neither spurre nor bridle auailes them to amendment Fiftly the Horse wanting reason to his strength and courage rusheth fiercely and fearelesly into any danger so euery wicked man turneth to his race as the Horse into the battell Ier. 8. 4 6. Sixtly the Mule is a creature not of the creation of God but against his institution Gen. 36. 24. and a wicked man is a degenerate creature not of Gods making but against his Law a Mule arising by strange copulation with Sinne Satan there was neuer a wicked man when God said of all
the works of his hands that they were exceeding good But we wil cōfine our speech to those two properties in the Text of which an on Thirdly Whereas it is said Be not like the Horse or Mule Whether hath a man free-will and power to change and conuert himselfe or else it seemeth the exhortation is idle Such exhortations argue neither vniuersall grace nor free-will as the Lutheran Diuines and the Papists hold but haue manifold vses besides first in regard of the wicked to restraine their wickednes or to harden them as Moses his ministry did Pharaoh Exo. 7. 2 3. or to conuince and make them inexcusable in that they cannot plead ignorance Secondly in regard of the godly and these eyther vnconuerted for with the exhortation the Lord putteth forth a power to enable them to doe the Commandement in some measure as when Peter spake to the Creeple and bade him stand vp at the same instant a new and fresh power and life came into his ioints and ankles by which hee was able to rise and walke or conuerted and then they serue First to shew them what they could doe in ADAM but now are disabled by their owne fault and folly Secondly what they can doe in the second ADAM in some measure Thirdly what to striue vnto because God commandeth Fourthly to blow vp grace receiued which is often weake as a smoking flaxe or as a sparkle vnder greene wood Whereunto one obseruation serueth cleane contrarie to the Papists opinion namely Wee neuer read of any exhortation but somewhere it hath a promise or prayer for it both which send vs out of our selues As for example Ezech. 18. 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit but it is the Lord that promiseth to giue an heart of flesh Chap. 11. 19. and DAVID prayeth Create in me a new heart Psal. 51. 10. So Feare God and keepe his Commandements Eccles. 12. 13. but it is the Lord that promiseth to put his feare into our hearts Ier. 31. 33. 32. 40. Now from the former propertie of these creatures which is vnteachablenesse being without vnderstanding we learne that It is a brutish qualitie not to learne our dutie by the Word of God for Dauid here speakes out of his owne experience who while he cherished his sinne prouoked God to deale with him as wee doe with Horses and Mules which being vncapable of perswasion wee deale not with them with words or arguments but with bridles spurres and roddes we can make them feele vs but not vnderstand vs and this is the brutish propertie of wicked men and of the godly sometimes in desertion not to bee ruled by the voyce of GOD till his hand set it home Prou. 7. 22. the yong man being taken with the Harlot and not vnderstanding his way followes her as an Oxe to the slaughter and as a Foole to the Stockes for correction till a Dart strike through his Liuer he sees and knowes nothing Dauid himselfe Psal. 73. 22. not hauing learned in the Sanctuarie by the word that point of heauenly wisedome which might haue sustained him in a sore temptation confesseth of himselfe that he was in this point ignorant as the beast without vnderstanding Nebuchadnezzar would not heare the Word of God while Daniel admonished him to breake off his sinnes by repentance and to shew what a brutish practice this was God changed him into a brute beast not in forme or shape of bodie but in his vnderstanding and behauiour hee ate grasse with the beasts and sorted himselfe with them seuen yeeres till his vnderstanding came againe and then hee knew it was the most High that beareth rule Balaam would not bee taught to sit downe by Gods Word but still hee would assay if in this place or that he could curse the people of God To shew what a brutish propertie this was the Lord by the brute beast which was vnder him reprooued him which saw more then his Master 2. Pet. 2. 16. He was rebuked for his iniquitie for the dumbe Asse speaking with mans voyce checked the foolishnesse of the Prophet Ier. 10. 21. The Pastors are become beasts hauing no vnderstanding First the chiefe part of that glory which God decked man withall at the beginning and wherein his excellencie was aboue the beast was in the light and holinesse of his minde for being created in the Image of God which as the Apostle sayth stood in knowledge he did acknowledge God in himselfe in his word and workes he had communion with God and delight in his will But now by his fall spoyling himselfe of his vnderstanding and falling out of his right minde hee degenerates into the nature of the brute beasts which neyther doe nor will vnderstand the will of their Master The same speaketh the Psalme 49. 21. Man being in honour became like a beast without vnderstanding plainely shewing that his honour aboue the beast was his right vnderstanding which departing from him hee was deiected and degenerate into the dishonourable ranke of brute beasts Secondly since the fall euen the worst men retaine the specificall and common difference betweene man and beast which is reason it selfe suppose neuer so corrupted which when a man forsakes hee becomes brutish like the brute beast following lust and appetite and no other perswasion and euen so doe they that although they heare the reasons and exhortations of the Word all which reasons are diuine and of Gods framing yet as if they were beasts in the shape of men their actions proceed from sense and appetite and haue a brutish beginning they will not liue by rules of reason especially renewed enemies they are to perswasion words no more preuaile with them then with the Horse or Mule which vnderstand them not Thirdly who can deny that doth but looke on the externall shape of man and beast but that GOD hath put a plaine distinction betweene them One hee hath made with his face vpright to looke vpward as hee that should haue his continuall dependance vpon God and as hee that should communicate with God in his counsels and attend the wordes of his mouth and being of an intelligible nature to receiue and know his will should yeeld him franke obedience The other the beast the Horse and Mule are made with their eyes and countenance fixed vpon the earth aboue which they cannot rise or consider any thing A beast cannot looke beyond things present or any thing but those that are ante pedes before the feet it vnderstands not any promises or threats further then it feeles and is not this the propertie of many men who are no better then beasts in their vnderstanding tell them of GOD of their Creation their Fall the Curse of Sinne the meanes of their Restitution the promises of Life and the torments of Sinners their eyes are fixed wholly vpon earth and cannot see or discerne any such thing The beast may heare the sound when wee speake of
such things and these men heare no more or to no more purpose but to make their damnation iust they liue for the present if they feele nothing they are well enough nothing that they heare troubles them And if this be not a brutish propertie aske the brutes themselues and they will tell thee This teacheth vs to take shame to our selues and be humbled when wee see this to bee our disposition that wee haue not vnderstood nor beene warned by the Word of GOD nor considered of his wayes but as brute beasts haue been led by lusts and sensualitie while the Lord hath spoken vnto vs whereby in Gods reputation wee are worthily cut from the account of men nay thrust farre lower then they as the Lord often shameth his owne people by the brute beasts themselues as Isa. 1. 3. The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters Crib that is by much sense and daily good-turnes may bee brought to know their Benefactors wherein he preferreth them before his people that by no benefits neuer so great or constant would bee brought to know him Yea and whereas nature hath taught the silly birds the Crane Storke and Swallow to know their seasons Ier. 8. 7. neither nature nor grace hath taught such as professe themselues GODS people to know God a. right Secondly this sheweth what men may thinke of such as are vnteachable and vnwilling to learne the will of God If we frame our iudgement to Gods wee are to thinke no better of them then of the Horse or Mule Numbers will not bee taught and as many who are capable enough in earthly things to reach them and ouer-reach others yet are altogether vncapable of heauenly both of these as they haue liued without GOD and his Word all their liues so they liue still Well were it for them they were no worse then Horses and Mules when they dye their miserie ends when these dye their vnhappinesse begins when Christ shall appeare in flaming fire to render vengeance to all them that know not God nor obey his Sonnes Gospell Thirdly if wee would retaine not the place of Christians only but euen of men wee must bee perswaded to be vnlike the Horse and Mule who are without vnderstanding We must labour to vnderstand what is the good and acceptable will of God for which purpose we must vse the meanes to get out of our naturall ignorance and they be these First because God teacheth by his Word we must cōscionably frequent the Ministerie I say not customably but cōscionably if you should bring your Horse Mule as your little Dogges to the place of knowledge you may make them stand or lye quietly you can make them learne nothing and doe you your selues no more the more you heare and frequent meanes without profit the liker you make your selues to the Horse and Mule Secondly God speakes by his Spirit which makes the Word effectuall wee must therefore heare the voyce of the Spirit not the sound of the wordes so much but the meaning of the Spirit An Horse or Mule can heare a sound of wordes but haue no distinct sense and if a man come and heare wordes and endeuour not to bee led into the meaning of GODS Spirit hee goes not beyond his Horse in hearing A beast by much paines may bee taught something of man which runnes into the senses and if thou beest onely taught by man and not by God that thine eares heare but the heart which God must teach bee vnperswaded thou art not beyond thy beast in knowledge Therefore pray for Gods Spirit to teach thee hee is the Spirit of illumination the Spirit whose office is to lead into all Truth Thirdly thou must lay vp instruction hide the word in thy heart lay vp and binde vp the Lessons in thy soule not to lose or depart from them The Horse or Mule by sense will conforme for the present and doe that they see they must doe but want vnderstanding to make vse of that knowledge for time to come Like to the Horse or Mule are they that for the present heare and bee affected and seeme desirous to conforme to the Doctrine deliuered but no sooner out of the place but all is forgotten and all good motions quenched all the vse of their instruction is confined to the present time and for time to come is as meerely lost as wordes and perswasions vpon an Horse or Mule Fourthly thou must grow vp in the similitude of the Word thou hearest the Word must make thee of a man a new man of a good man a better man thou must be changed into the Word It is a Word of Faith and must make thee a Beleeuer yea and the more thou frequentest it thou must rise in the degrees of Faith It is a Word of light and must inlighten the darke corners of thy heart and giue direction to euery one of thy steps It is a Word of life and must quicken thee in the wayes of God and make thee mooue and actiue in pietie It is a word pure and holy as God is and must make thee grow vp in holinesse of heart and life without which thou shalt neuer see God Thus if thou growest not like the Word thou art not yet better then an Horse or Mule who let them heare neuer such good reasons and perswasions and by maine strength be brought to conformitie yet abide the same they were without any change of themselues Horses and Mules they were and so they abide be not thou like vnto them let the Word make thee another man or else thou art to these ends take with thee a few motiues First consider God hath made thee a man and wilt thou by this propertie debase thy selfe and equall thy selfe with beasts Wilt thou being a man put off manhood and lay aside thy minde and the powers which God hath giuen thee to distinguish thee from a beast Secondly he hath called thee into his Church he hath set open his Schoole he hath sent out his owne Spirit to teach the Elect so that now thou art willingly ignorant as they 2. Pet. 3. 5. worse then an Horse or Mule who would know their dutie but cannot thou canst but wilt not Thirdly he hath afforded thee his blessed Word a Word full of wisedome resembling himselfe furnished with such varietie of perswasion as Men and Angels cannot deuise the like that if this will not perswade thee thou must be no better then an Horse or Mule without vnderstanding nay worse for reason cannot perswade them being vnreasonable creatures but thou being reasonable the reason of reason cannot perswade thee Fourthly if thou wouldest haue a note of thy owne conuersion thou must put off thy brutish nature and grow vp in the knowledge of God Hos. 6. 1 2. so soone as euer Gods people were conuerted and returned to God they professe this as a necessarie consequent Then shall we haue knowledge and endeuour or proceede
out of this obstinacy and stiffenesse betimes lest the Lord giue vs vp to fall away by perpetuall rebellion This we shall doe by yeelding our selues tractable and laying aside obstinacie in sinne and by giuing vp our selues to be ruled by Gods word and spirit This point is so much the more necessary because the great sinne of these dayes is obstinacy of heart men cannot plead ignorance nor want of good means to helpe them out of their sinnes and yet few or none leaue their sinnes but wilfully perseuere in them against the word and their owne consciences Besides this God hath giuen vs many warnings of our estate by many plagues of the highest kind threatned and not a few and those not insensible executed with seuerity but for all this we are in generall senselesse and are resolued to hold our sinnes without humble sorrow and suing to God for reconciliation And this is rebellion against God of knowledge to depart from the knowne trueth in whole or in part Now to helpe vs out of this sin of obstinacy consider these motiues first neither Gods couenant of mercy nor the least part of it belongs to that man that obstinately goes on in sinne for the first condition in the tenor of the new couenant is to take away the stony heart Ezek. 11. 19. It is a brand of a man in the state of death to bee hard and brawnie-hearted Secondly all the hope and expectation of such a man is euill and mischiefe to meet him at euery corner Prou. 28. 14. He that hardneth his heart shall fall into euill he may with Balaam shuffle from one way into another but cannot auoid the Angel with a drawne sword ready to kill him Now what a fearefull and desperate estate is it for a man to goe vnder Gods curse continually as a man vpon whom sentence of death is passed and knowes not but expects euery moment execution yet so hardned are some who harden themselues that when the parts of this curse are in executing vpon themselues and theirs they are further hardned still Thirdly euery sinne is damnable but yet not so much sinne as obstinacie and impenitencie in sinne condemneth especially where all good meanes of softning haue been vsed nothing but repentance cuts off sinne and that is the only remedy which by the hardnesse of heart being reiected the wounded soule dieth irrecouerably Fourthly while hardnesse and obstinacy continue no means can helpe or auaile a man to saluation He cannot pray because he turnes away his eare from hearing the law Hee cannot heare the word to doe him any good for To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts The Sacraments are bane and poyson to him because he comes with a wicked heart In a word no Seruice or sacrifice is acceptable but from a broken heart which hee hath not therefore hee is like a sicke man giuen ouer by the Phisician Fiftly the longer a man continues in obstinacie the more he increaseth the wrath of God vpon him Ro. 2. 5. Thou through the hardnesse of thy heart which cannot repent treasurest vp to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath As if a great malefactor should for twenty or fortie yeeres euery day be carrying a faggot to make a fire to burne himselfe withall so the sinner the longer he continues in his sinne the greater wrath is layd vp for him as the more faggots the greater fire What a wofull condition were this but nothing to the fire of hell the burning of which is fire and much wood and the wrath of the Lord as a riuer of brimstone kindles it Isa. 30. 33. Is it not a lamentable thing for a man to abide in that estate in which hee is continually carrying as it were a faggot to hell-fire to burne himselfe withall Oh but I will repent in the end of my dayes Doe not trust vpon that for first late repentance is seldome true repentance he that repents not till hee be dying it is to bee feared lest his repentance dye with him Secondly the longer a man perseuers in sinne the longer and more he increaseth the hardnes of his heart and it prooues daily the harder to repent euery day addes something to hardnesse of heart as in the body a sore the longer it is delayed the more incurable it is so is it in the soule And thirdly this thy speech makes as if a man would bee sure to pay his debts by running further in Know this for a certaintie that the soules sweruing from God is like bones out of ioynt which the longer they are let alone are the hardlier set Notes of a man gotten out of his obstinacie are these first pouertie of spirit all our liues for sinne which is an humble sight and sense of sinne and misery when a man findes a want of all goodnesse in himselfe and in an holy despaire of himselfe hee flies wholly to the mercie of God in Christ longing after it aboue life and hungring after it aboue all things in the world Secondly a trembling at Gods word for these two are ioyned Isa. 66. 2. I will looke to him that is of a contrite heart and trembleth at my Word and yet loueth the sharpest reproofes of it which is ioyned with the former Psal. 119. 119. 120. I loue thy testimonies My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy iudgements Thirdly silent submission to Gods corrections Psal. 39. 9. I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou diddest it Micah 7. 9. I will beare the wrath of God because I haue sinned we must get into our hearts a patient waiting in all iniuries and wrongs till God plead our cause Fourthly a mourning vnder the grudgings of our owne hardnes of heart and that we cannot mourne and get them to through subiection so did the Church returning to God Isa. 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy wayes returne for thy seruants sake and for the tribes of thine inheritance Fifthly a feare of the occasions of sin and hatred of appearance of euill of the garment spotted by the flesh Whose mouthes thou doest binde with bitte and bridle OVt of these words we may note that If a man wil continue indocible and intractable God hath his bitte and bridle for him to curbe and hamper him If men will be as Horses and Mules God will deale with them as men doe with Horses and Mules Prou. 26. 3. Unto the Horse belongs a whip to the Asse a bridle and a rod to the fooles backe God hath rods enough in store to whip the folly of sinners otherwise incorrigible Leuit. 26. 27. If yee will yet walke stubbornly against mee I will walke stubbornely against you in mine anger and will chastize you yet seuen times more according to your sinnes Now then a man walketh stubbornely when hee regards no admonitions nor precepts nor corrections and iudgements to bring him
crooked a good signe of a right heart is to descrie and discouer but not without true sorrow and griefe the crookednesse and hypocrisie of it and to labour to correct and reforme it Psal. 119. 80. Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes that I bee not ashamed a right line shames a crooked crooked legges are ashamed to bee seene when a man feares and is ashamed of his hypocrisie and crookednesse and euer tendeth to straightnesse it is a good note of some rightnesse of heart Thirdly consider the things which flow from the heart if they be single and pure warrantable and right then a man may know his heart is vpright for such as the fruit is such is the tree if thou feedest on forbidden fruit thou art a bad tree and thy heart farre from vprightnesse an vpright heart suffereth not rotten speeches in the mouth idlenesse in the hand iniustice in the life drunkennesse in the braine and disorder in the course Fourthly consider the ends and aimes of our actions the vpright heart aimeth directly at Gods glory in all things but the crooked heart propoundeth euer some crooked end and sinister respect vnto good actions as many come to Church get knowledge and professe Religion for vaine glorie and vaine ends some thrust among godly persons and into good companie not because they are good or would be good but because they would be thought so Fiftly consider if thy heart be the same in priuate as it would be thought in publike Psal. 101. Dauid will walke wisely in the perfect way in the midst of his house and the conuersation of the Saints hath beene alwayes like it selfe Abraham walked in vprightnesse before God according to the Commandement Gen. 17. 1. how did he reforme his house teach his familie instruct his seruants and take God with him in prouiding a wife for Isaac and in all things Gen. 24. 63. Isaac was the same in the field as he was in the house he went out into the field to pray saith the Text. Daniel was the same after the dangerous Law that he was before he opened his windowes thrice a day as he was accustomed So vpright was Paul in his whole course as he knew nothing by himselfe 1. Cor. 4. 4. A good heart sets God often in sight as well in the Chamber as in the Church Dauid set the Lord euer in his sight and at his right hand It is as seuere and zealous against his owne crookednesse as any other and will not swallow small sinnes no more then great seeing Gods pure eyes are set vpon and against both Vprightnesse is in euery thing alike without and within it is not worse in substance then in shew nay it is better It seekes to approue it selfe before God and al men first to God whose eye is more respected then if all the world looked on and then to all men but so as if none but God looked on them It desireth to purge it selfe from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and to grow vp to full holinesse in the feare of God That man that findes these notes in him may be a glad man nay he must be a glad man according as it followes in the Text Be glad yee righteous from the connexion of the persons to this duetie we may note that Only the godly man can truely reioyce with sound and lasting ioy Isa. 65. 13. My seruants shall reioyce and yee shall be ashamed my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart and yee shall crie for sorrow of heart and howle for vexation of spirit The stranger shall not enter into his ioy Prou. 14. 10. and it is called the ioy of Gods people Thus the Scriptures euer limit this ioy to the faithfull Psal. 40. 16. Let them that seeke the Lord reioyce and Prou. 29. 6. In the transgression of an euill man is his snare but the righteous doth sing and reioyce The reasons of this doctrine are these First because none else are commanded to ioy but the godly none else haue warrant to reioyce where doe we reade that a wicked man is bid to ioy and indeed what cause is there that he should be so bid What troubles him his sinne troubles him not it is his hearts delight not temptations for he swallowes them all not his conscience for it is asleepe not the world for it is his Darling not the Deuill for he is not cruell in his owne house not outward afflictions for he will not endure any al things are at peace with him he mournes not and therefore needes not be called to comfort the promise is Blessed are they that mourne and are troubled and persecuted for the name of Christ for they shall be comforted Nay he is called from ioy to howling Iam. 5. 1. he is alreadie glutted and drowned in worldly delights and carnall ioy from which he is euerywhere called yea a woe is pronounced on him Luc. 6. 25. Woe be to you that reioyce now for yee shall mourne and weepe Secondly onely the godly haue cause to reioyce for First they only haue the presence and fruition of the chiefe good which is God himselfe and are in couenant with God by vertue whereof they are interessed in all the good things of heauen and earth as a wife in the goods of her husband Here is a great cause of ioy indeede a godly man hath gotten this cause of ioy and therefore he may lawfully reioyce Secondly they only know that their names are written in the booke of Life which is a truer cause of ioy by our Sauiours testimonie then if by the gift of miracles they were able to subdue the Deuills Luc. 10. 20. Reioyce not in this but that your names are written in the booke of Life And then the godly know their names to be written in that booke when they write their owne names in Gods booke by becomming beleeuers for faith giues them priuiledge to be the sons of God Ioh. 1. 12. Thirdly they only haue escaped and are set free from the infinite euills and sorrowes of sinne with which all other besides themselues are beset and bound ouer to damnation And therefore as Israel hauing escaped the Sea the Mountaynes and Egyptians and gotten out of Egypt it selfe sang and reioyced Exod. 15. 1. so haue all the Israel of God being set free from hell and sinne and sinners and the curse of sinne iust cause of ioy and gladnesse which all but they want Fourthly only they haue the Spirit of God the Author and Preseruer of this ioy which is therefore called the ioy of the Holy Ghost only they are anointed with the oyle of gladnesse and clothed with the garment of gladnesse and haue the Spirit of comfort sent into their soules who is the Moouer of this ioy and not so much maketh our Spirits reioyce as himselfe reioyceth in vs as he is said not to make vs make requests but to make requests in vs
his affection of loue and reioycing in his Rahel Another obiection which terrifies many from godly life is that the godly are so beset and compassed with troubles sometimes inward and sometimes outward in themselues and theirs in their goods names and persons as they cannot see what ioy they can haue in their liues No maruell if the world can see no cause of ioy in the godly estate especially when the Sunne and heate of persecution tanneth and discoloureth them seeing the godly themselues are often out of loue with their owne condition For First they haue a true sense of sinne and rather then they should not haue it God himselfe will hide his face from them and they are troubled Psal. 104. 2â— So Dauid in the 51. Psalme had by his grieuous sinnes lost the ioy of his Saluation which hee desires the Lord to restore vnto him once againe Secondly the Church sometimes forfeits in a manner Christs presence and by vnkinde answeres makes him goe away in displeasure and then her beauty and ioy is faded and seemes blasted as plants are in the absence of the Sunne or farre distance of it Thirdly sometimes presence of naturall corruption and strength of rebellion in the heart carryes a godly man as a slaue to execute the lusts of the flesh whereby the Spirit is grieued and quenched and seemes quite gone and this is a great cause of sorrow and heauinesse of heart as we may see in Paul crying out O miserable man that I am c. But in all this there wantes not some cause of ioy First Seeing Christ goes not away but he leaues some pledge of his comming againe he puts his hand by the hole of the doore that the heart of the Church may bee affectioned towards him Cant. 5. 4. and this is that which makes her in his absence sicke of loue which argues some delight in him while he is farre off and this delight and desire after him giues her no rest till she find him againe and then shee layes better hold and makes more of him then euer before Neither doth Dauid so lose all ioy by his sinne but that hee still desires and longs after it which argues the Spirit not to bee quite gone who onely worketh such vnspeakeable groanes after himselfe in the hearts of such as he hath once taken for his mansion Secondly the ioy of the godly is often ouercast with the mist of affliction and this dazles their owne eyes that sometimes their ioy is hid from themselues and much more from others But as it is in the heauens when a cloud hinders the sunne-beames or the interposition of the earth makes an eclipse for a time but afterward the Sunne shal breake out and shine gloriously so is it heere first the promise is Yee shall weepe for a time but your sorrow shall bee turned into ioy and your hearts shall reioyce Ioh 16. 20. Secondly afflictions from the world for well-doing cast not ioy out of a godly heart but feede it Iam. 1. 2. My brethren count it all ioy when yee fall into diuers afflictions and 1. Pet. 1. 6. Wherein yee greatly reioyce though now for a season if neede bee yee are in beauinesse The Apostles therefore reioyced when they were whipt and set in the stockes and vsed like rogues for Christs sake and the Saints reioyced in tribulation and suffered with ioy the spoyling of their goods Hebr. 11. Thirdly those afflictions were comfortlesse and iustly to be sorrowed for which could separate vs from God and from Christ the onely fountaine of our true ioy but all afflictions helpe the godly neerer vnto God and Christ working repentance feare shame and remorse for sinne and reconciliation and so helpe our ioy Thirdly the godly haue oftentimes lesse comfort of their life then needes because they mistake their estate two wayes especially First when they are not able to distinguish between nullytie and imperfection of grace Oh they finde no faith in their hearts no feare no brokennesse of heart when they I will not say belye the Spirit but vnthankefully deny his worke in themselues I grant heere is imperfection of these graces but that they are quite shaken out where euer they were in trueth is not to be graunted Secondly when they will measure their estate by sense and not by faith whereas faith stands not by sense and feeling but is a secret force beyond these A man in a swoone or in a sleepe feeles not his life and yet is a liuing man and a sounder man if the qualme or sleepe bee ouer it is one thing to haue grace another to feele grace one thing the life of faith another the life of sense Fourthly the godly are often too hastie and loth to stay their time of preparing to their glory this troubles them much that God delayes them so long they feare he hath vtterly forgotten them But hee that beleeues makes not haste and Marke the iust man his end is peace not alwayes his beginning If God delay long yet he will come at last let thy faith grow in strength and thy ioy shall be abundant thou shalt not feare but that as in Sampsons Parable out of the eater shall meat come and out of strong afflictions sweetnesse By all which we may see the blindnesse of the World that can see nothing at all in the godly life worth the taking vp and who to auoyd the troubles of godly men refuse to partake in their ioyes which are so sure and sweete as that no affliction or sorrowes can befall them in which they may not reioyce if it be not by their owne default But let the godly themselues reioyce in their portion that God hath seuered them from the base brats and Ismaels of the World whom hee sends away with some gifts but hath bestowed the peculiar liueli-hood of his owne Isaacs vpon them Let them bee glad in the euils they haue escaped in the good procured them within and without them here and hereafter the least dramme of which hath more true cause of ioy in it then if they were heires of the World Secondly see hence the vnhappy estate of vnrighteous men seeing they are without all found ioy or cause of it for First what ioy can he haue that is a dead man dead in sinne without the life of God without Christ the fountaine of life and ioy surely a dead man that lyes rotting in his graue hath as much cause of ioy in that estate as he that is dead in sinne hath in his Secondly what ioy can hee haue in GOD whose conscience continually vexeth and accuseth him in whom the spirit of feare and bondage ruleth which keepes and barres out peace with God and much more the ioyes of the Holy Ghost A sound of feare is euer in his eares Iob. 15. 20. True it is a wicked man may labour to forget the troubles that haunt him or to brawne his heart not to
then wee can in this present World Thus enioy all things in God and God in all things and ioy as much as thou canst for all this while wee reioyce in God performing his holy promises vnto vs. Secondly wee must reioyce in the Lòrd that is according to the will of the Lord now God's will measures and limits our ioy first in respect of the matter secondly of the manner thirdly of the measure For the matter it restraineth our ioy from all vnlawfull things For the manner our ioy in lawfull things must not be vnlawfull For the measure the best things must haue the best measure of our ioy For the first it suffreth not men to reioice in sinne or such things as chase God and his spirit away as in swearing excessiue drinking vncleane and filthy speeches cursed and blasphemous language in wantonnesse and whoring this is the deuils mirth and musicke a mirth and laughter which is madnesse like the laughter of a thiefe vpon the ladder ready to be turned off The like may bee said of such as reioyce in railing reuenging quarrelling disgracing and reproching of Gods children Can such men reioyce in the Lord nay there is none of all this cursed crue or the former rabble that can be glad but when God is furthest off or forgotten and set out of sight For let a man now put them in minde of God and the true causes of ioy in him by any sauoury word they presently with the deuils in the Gospel thinke and perhaps crie out They are tormented before their time For the second Gods will permitteth not men to reioyce in the most lawfull things vnlawfully whether necessary or indifferent First Indifferent things are meate drinke recreation wealth prosperitie in all which and the like if God be not still kept in sight the ioy in them is vnlawfull And if God be in the eye then first hee will be inuocated to blesse all the comforts euen the least Secondly men would know measure and moderation that is they durst not sit at the wine nor be brought vnder the power of the creature durst not be louers of pleasure more thē of God durst not spend out so much precious time in pastime and so little in priuate exercises of pietie no man hires a seruant to doe nothing but play all the weeke and yeere and thirdly if God be in the eye in the end of all the ioy in the creatures he would be acknowledged to be he that giues power to get and vse substance hee should haue the praise of his mercie returned him as Dauid did Psal. 23. 5. It is thou that feedest me spreadest my table fillest my cup and anointest mine head The most ioy in the world is in those things wherein men are most excessiue because they diuorce the ioy in the creature from that in the Creator And a generall error poysoneth the common reioycings of men who thinke they cannot bee merrie and serue God too But of all such mirth as is seuered from Gods feare our Sauiour saith Woe be to you that now laugh that is carnally excessiuely without God or his word remember the Apostles Canon Reioyce with trembling Secondly Things lawfull and necessary must not take vp our hearts so but that we reserue the chiefe roume for God and ioy in him as for example Many reioyce in their callings and diligent exercise of them which is good and commendable but herein they faile that they bury themselues in earthly businesse and forget their generall calling of Christianity Gods Kingdome Word Workes and Sabbath whereas were the ioy in the calling sound it would be herein that suppose thy calling were neuer so base yet thou art in Gods worke and in thy way yea in a course which must bee so farre from hindring thee in pietie as wherein thou mightest as thou oughtest hold God alwaies in thy sight For the third namely the measure of our ioy Gods word and will is that our chiefe ioy bee on the chiefe good and as things in the degree of their goodnesse approach vnto or decline from that so must our ioy be to them in greater or smaller measure and here First God must be our glory and our ioy all the day long that the blessed Father is our Father the beloued Sonne of God our Sauiour and the holy Spirit our Sanctifier and Comforter Secondly next to God we must reioyce in his Image for his sake and first because Christ is the expresse Image of his Father wee must reioyce in him aboue all men and Angels euen as the chiefe of 10000 but especially that we conceiue him in our hearts as the blessed Virgin did in her wombe for which shee is bidden reioyce Secondly his Word carries his image in trueth holinesse light eternitie we must therefore with Dauid reioyce in the Word because there God and Christ and the blessed Spirit meete vs with light and abundant comfort The wise men seeing the Starre that led them to Christ reioyced with exceeding great ioy The Word is to vs this Starre which leades vs to Christ first in the Manger and on the Crosse in his humiliation and then to his Crowne and Throne in his aduancement and exaltation Thirdly The Saints of God carrie his image and therefore all our delight must be in them that excel in vertue Psa. 16. 2. and Psa. 137. 5 6. Dauid considering the Church as the collection of the Saints wisheth his hand to forget his cunning and his tongue to cleaue to the roofe of his mouth if hee preferre not Ierusalem to his chiefe ioy Thirdly next to Gods image wee must reioyce in such things as by which God is most glorified as first when the Church inioyes prosperitie when the Kingdome of God is magnified his Scepter lifted vp and set vp in the hearts of men Psal. 122. First I reioiced saith Dauid when they said vnto me Let vs goe vp to the house of God We reade of Iethro that seeing all that God had done for Israel he reioiced much and so must wee when the Gospel hath free passage the ministerie established and entertained and the ruines of the Church are repaired more then when we growe rich and wealthie in the world therefore Christ teacheth vs first to pray Thy Kingdome come Secondly when men are conuerted from their wicked wayes when the lost sheep the lost groat is found If the Angels in heauen reioice when a sinner repenteth much more must we who are in more entire fellowship one with another then the Angels are with vs. So the parable teacheth Luc. 15. 32. It was meete we should be glad and make merrie for thy brother was dead but is aliue was lost but is found How did Paul reioice and wish Philemon to reioice with him when his runnagate seruant Onesimus was conuerted Thirdly when our selues or others increase and grow in grace The Apostles in all their Epistles breake out into exceeding ioy and
by cruelty not of God 264 Remission of sins followeth a sound purpose of confession of sins 4. reasons 159 Remission followeth not confession of sins ex opere operato against Popish doctrine 163 Sound Remembrance includeth four things 270 Repentance of Gods children in respect of outward afflictions may come too late 232 Righteousnesse Legal and Euangelicall 398 Romish Religion accursed of God for the cruelty of it 205 Rules to vphold a weak Christian not feeling his reconciliation with God foure 38 Rules of limitation of godly sorrow six 86 Rules of discerning the same godly sorrow six 83 Rules to know if we haue the Spirit of God foure 131 Rules of direction what to doe in our falls foure 335 S HOw to be Safe in dangers fiue rules 251 God begins our Safety in remission of sins and so must we 255 To be Safe be syncere 265 Saints departed not to be inuocated why 215 Scriptures most wickedly taken from the Layty by the Church of Rome 187 Security may cast a godly heart asleepe till God awake it 6. reas 70 Selah what it meaneth 109 Sence of misery must go before sence of mercy 5. reas 110 Seruice of God only acceptable from mercifull men 4. reas 199 Sin a most intolerable burden fiue reasons 6 Sin a most odious thing in 3. respects 15 Sin is an infinite debt 4. reas 23 Sin Sin is only forgiuen by God 29 Sin pardoned makes an happy man 31 Sin before it be committed how it insinuates it selfe 46 God worketh a serious sight of Sin in his children for 3. causes 136 Sins against many meanes very sinfull 157 To see Sin in a true glasse 4. things 375 Songs of praise be seem seasons of ioy ' 5. reasons 287 Matter of Godlies Songs must be spirituall six reasons 302 Songs and wanton tunes mistuning the heart condemned 306 Euery godly mans sorrow is not godly sorrow 4. reas 82 Wicked mans sorrow for sin most helplesse and why 89 Sorrowes of the godly compared to the sorrowes of a woman in trauaile in 5. respects 283 Sorrowes of wicked men in this life of many kindes 370 Sorrowes of the wicked after this life in six things 371 Sorts of by-wayes beaten by many six in number condemned 330 Stayres to rise vp to happinesse three 21 Spirit of God at length preuaileth against the corruptions of flesh 4. reasons 125 We must Speake of our experience of God to euery godly man 191 State of an obstinate sinner most accursed 5. reasons 367. 372 State of Gods children not vncomfortable in their sorrowes sundry reasons 409 Summers fruits are not to be condemned for Winter-stormes 278 Syncerity of heart vrged at large 57 T THe best Teachers are they who teach out of their owne experience 5. reasons 175 Teachers must make people to vnderstand the word and their owne way two reasons 337 Testimonies of Thankefulnesse for deliuerances foure 378 Thankefulnesse is as much and as little as we can return to the Lord for all his mercies 287. Many faile in Thankefulnes many wayes 299 There is a Time when God will not be found though he be sought 4. reasons 228 Time is when God will be found of euery godly man seeking him fiue reasons 237 Times of ioy euer succeed times of sorrow to godly men 5. reas 280 No Torment in the world like torment of conscience 3. reasons 77 In Trials godly must set 3. things before them 278 Troubles of the godly are already ouercome by Christ. 281 Trusting in God hath abundant mercie 4. reasons 380 V VErtues and Vices of the Saints recorded the former for imitation the latter for our instruction 185 True Vnderstanding hath foure things 339 Vnmercifulnesse hindereth both the preferring of our prayers and preuailing of them 200 Vnthankefulnes vnbeseemeth a reasonable man and much more a Christian. 288 Uprightnes what 398 Vprightnes discerned by 5. notes or marks 404 W VVArre with thy fins brings peace by the word 140 Way of God preferred before all other in foure respects 327 Wicked men seeke not God till too late 229 Wicked men cannot be happy two reasons 376 Wicked haue temporall mercies but no true right before God 4. reasons 382 Wicked haue often some ioy but no cause 4. reasons 414 Wicked how they are heard of God or rather not heard in six particulars 196 Wicked in trouble how he seeks God fiue things 219 Willing and free subiection to God vrged by 3. reasons 365 Word of God limiteth our ioy for matter 419  manner   measure  Good Works cannot merit or iustifie 33 Works of Gods iustice recorded in Scripture for our instruction 185 Word of God must be specially applied 4. reasons 321 FINIS Errata Pag. 19. l. 26. adde Christ teacheth Pag. 24. l. 28. for seat of a debtor reade state of a debtor Pag. 25. l. 12. for are able read are not able to pay Pag. 57. l. 32. for darting reade darling sinnes Pag. 300. l. 3. put out yes Pag. 369. l. 22. for Secondly reade First the very course Elephas or elephantiosis 2. King 15. Rules of inquisition 1. 2. 3. Rules of preuention Rules of cure Verse 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 2. 3. Gal. 1. 6. 1. Proposition Mandatū dei est 1. Probationis  2 Praestationis Prius datū non vt illud facto ipso exequamur sed vt obsequiū probet posterius vt facto ipso illud impleamus Exod. 32. 2. Assumption Pro quibus Christus passus est pro ijs interpellat etiam Spiritus Ambros. li. 5 epist. 23. A communione naturae ad 〈…〉 Obserue All vse of Psalmes must edific Obseru 2. No learning to Dauids learning Vse Doctrine Sinne is an intolerable burden Isay 1. Reasons Vse 1. Vse 2. Quest. Answ. Why men feele not such an heauy burden as sin is Vse 3. Meanes to be disburdened of sinne Obiect Answ. Vse 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Obiect Answ. Vse 5. 1. Thess. 5. 14. Vse 6. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Tum tecta peccata dicuntur cum Deus nolit punire August Isa 44. 22. Doctrine Sinne a most odious thing Exod. 32. Rom. 6. 21. Vse 1. Act. 15. Vse 2. Ier. 3. 3. Ier. 2. 26. Vse 3. Doctrin 2. Euery one must get a couer for his sin 2. Vse 1. Vse 2. Obiect Answ. Reuel 3. 18. Meane to get sinne couered Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Doctrin Sinne an infinite debt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Use 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 3. Reasons Obiect Answ. Doct. 1. Pardon of sin maketh an happie man Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Use 1. Sequuntur iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum Obiect Answ. Obiect 2. Answ. Obiect 3. Answ. Obiect 4. Answ. Obiect 5. Answ. Vse 2. Obie ct 1. Answ. Obiect 2. Answ. Obiect 3. Answ. Obiect 4. Answ. Use 3. Vse 4. Answ. Rules to
vphold the weak Christian not feeling his reconciliation Ionah 2. 4. Psalm 116. 11. Vse 5. 1. Pet. 1. 5. Description of guile of spirit 1. Guile of spirit in respect of God 1. Rom. 7. 9. 2. 3. 2. Guile of spirit in respect of sinne Before sinne 1. 2. Psal. 14. 1. Zepha 1. 12. 3. 4. Reuel 2. 21. After sinne 1. 2. 3. 3 Guile of spirit in respect of grace 1 Out ward 2. Inward 1. 2. 3. 4. 4. Guile of spirit in respect of the worke of the Word  Spirit Obiect Answ. 1 Notes of grace restraining not renewing 2. 3 4 Vnfailing marks of fained loue Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. 2. Kings 8. 13. Vse 4. 1. Notes of a sincere heart 1. Thes. 2. 4. 2. Obiect Answ. 3 1 2 3 4 1 Benefits of sinceritie 2 3 Motiues to sinceritie 1. 2. 3. 4. 5 6 7 Vse 5. 1 Motiues to a diligent custodie of the heart 2. 3. 4. 5. Quest. Answ. Meanes of keeping the heart in good order Doct. 1. A Christian must haue experience of Gods Word in his owne person 2. Doct. 1. A godly heart cares not to shame it selfe so as God may be glorified Doct. 2. Guilefull security may cast a godly heart on a slumber till God awaken it Reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Pudor conuersionis confusionis 5. 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Doctrin 3. Gods child may hold some outward parts of godlinesse and yet not see and confesse his sinnes for a time Use. Note The end of afflictions is to shake the godly out of their securitie Obiect Answ. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Doct. No torment in the world like the torment of conscience Reas. 1. 2. 3. Quest. 1. Why wicked men feele no such burthen of sinne vnpardoned as the godly of sinne pardoned Answ. Quest. 2. Answ. 1. How the body commeth to be troubled by the mind 2. Quest. 3. Why all the godly are not a little terrified with their sinnes Answ. Vse 1. Vse 2. Use 3. Vse 4. Doct. 1. Euery godly mans sorrow is not godly sorrow 2. 3. 4. Use 1. Quest. Answ. Rule 1. Infallible rules to discerne godly sorrow by Rule 2. Quest. Answ. Rule 3. Rule 4. Obiect Answ. Reasons why Christian ioy and sorrow may and must stand together Rule 5. Rule 6. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Doct. 1. Reas. 1 2. 3. Obiect Answ. Obiect How afflictions can bee Gods hand when the deuils hand or wicked mens be in them Vse 1. Quest. Answ. John 19. 11. Vse 2. Vse 3. Obiect Answ. Vse 4. Doct. 2. Gods hand is often heauie vpon his owne children Quest. Answ. Reas. 1. 2. 3. 4 5 Heb. 6. 2. 6 Vse 1. Vse 2. Gods heauy hand no signe of hatred to his children Why. Vse 3. Vse 4. 1 2 3 4 Vse 5. Differences betweene Gods heauie hand on the godly and on the wicked 2. 3 4. Doct. 3. God laies an heauie hand a long time vpon his owne children Reas. 1. 2. 3. 4 5 6 Obiect Answ. 1. How long afflictions are but short and momentany 2 3 4. 5 Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. Maximè Tremell Attollere Vatabl. Doct. Sense of miserie must goe before sense of mercy Reas. 1. 2. 3 4 5 Use 1. Use 2. Markes of that sense of misery which shall finde mercy Acts 2. 37. Vse 3. Vse 4. Motiues to get a sent of our spirituall miserie Doct. 1. Sound consideration brings forth sound resolution Reas. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccles. 11. 1. Vse Motiues to consider of our waies and estates 1 2 3 4 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1 Sundrie godly directions to helpe vs in our consideration of our selues 2. 3. Choise matter of consideration 2. 3 4 5 Doct. 2. Gods Spirit at length preuailes against corruptions of flesh Reas. 1. 2. 3 4. Use 1. Vse 2. Doctr. Sound confession reacheth vnto all sinne Obiect Answ. How to know whether euer a man haue had the Spirit of God Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Meanes of the Spirits preuailing Reason 1. 2. 3. Use 1. Use 2. Vse 3. Danger of hiding or lessening sinne Use 4. Doctr. All sound confession of sin must be made vnto God Reas. 1. 2. 3. 4. Quest. 1. Answ. Quest. 2. Answ. 1. 2. 3. Quest. 3. Answ. Non dico confitearis conseruo tuo qui exprobret sed dicito Deo qui sanat Chrysost. in Psalm 50. Obiect Answ. 1. Cases of publike Confession to men 2. Benefits of publike confession to men foure 2. 1. Gen. 20 7. Iob 41. 8. Iam. 5. 16. 1. Difference of Christian confession from Popish and Auricular 2. 3. 4. Use 1. Vse 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vse 3. Necessary attendants of Confession Rom. 6. 21. Doctr. A true confessor must be his owne vtter enemy Reason 1. 2. 3. 4. Use 1. Use 2. 2. 3. Vse 3. Vse 4. Quest. Answ. 1 Meanes of sound hatred of our owne sinnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist. l. 1. de anim c. vlt. 2. 3. 4. 5. Wherein the danger of sin consists sixe things 2. 3. 4. 5. 6 Sinnes against many meanes Doct. Remission of sinne followeth a sound purpose of confession Reas. 1. 1. Iohn 1. 9. 2 3. 4. Obiect 1. Ans. 1. 2. Obiect 2. Ans. Vnsound confession discouered Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Est quaedam derelictio vbi nulla fuit tanta in necessitate virtutis exhibitio nulla Maiestatis ostensio Berâ— Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Isa. 22. 12 13 14 Doct. No mans sinne pardoned but the true penitent confessors Quest. Ans. Deut. 29. 29. Orig. in Libro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est tamen quaedam Specialis Vniuersalitas Ambros. Qui iam viuit proùt vult viuet aliquando proùt non vult Quest. Ans. Fides iustificat non nisicorrelatiuè Use 1. Obiect Ans. Totus mundus de toto mundo exemptus redemptus Amb. Use 2. 1. Notes of a man discharged of his sins 2. 3. Fruites of remission of sins 1. 2 Iohn 13. 8. 3. Vse 3. Vse 4. Obiect Answ. Doctr. Those are the best teachers that can teach from their owne experience Reason 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Ad hoc opus quò quis sanctior est eò tardior est Quest. Answ. 1. 2 3. Obiect Answ. 4. Doctor Ecclesiae benè docendo malè viuendo instruit Deum quomodò eum debeat condemnare Chrysost. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Nequicquam sapi â— qui â—â— non sapit Use 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Doct. 2. Euery godly man must make vse of Gods mercy manifested to any one Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. Instruunt PatriarchaetaÌ„ errantes quà m docentes Reason 1. 2. 3. 4. Use 1. 2. Tim. 3. 16. Vse 2. Obiect Ans. 1. Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Obiect Sol. Use 3. Vse 4. Doct. Onely he that hath grace can pray for grace Reason 1. 2. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. 3. 4. 5. 6. Vse 1. Obiect Answ. Obiect Answ. How God heareth wicked men or rather heareth them not Prou. 1. 28 29. Use 2. Difference betweene prayers of the godly