nothing but deceit nature is so farre spent within that he speakes against his brother and the bowels of pittie and compassion are so eaten vp that he slaundereth his owne mothers sonne therfore it cannot bee but that the criticall day should bee most dangerous That I lie not 1 Iudgement 2 Day 3 Symptomes 4 Cure see the sentence of the Lord most plainely vnfolding it v. 21. in the iudgement in the day in the Symptomes in the cure The iudgement these things hast thou done the day I held my tongue the Symptomes thou thoughtest I was like thee the cure I will reprooue thee and set them in order before thee The crysis or iudgement is most exact first in the cause of his disease these things profanation adulterie theeuerie euill speaking slaunder deceit causes sufficient to destroy the soundest temper Secondly in the subiect thou God is not deceiued of the principall part and member that suffers actionem laesam it is an hypocrite euen poisoned at the verie heart The third crisis is in the effect done a perfect concoction of the disease and therefore presently to be purged As the crisis is very manifest Daâ— so the day is not the seauenth day since the disease tooke him but seauen twice told nay I dare bee bold to say seuentie times seauen times Matth. 18.22 for he that taught Peter Matth. 18.22 not to forgiue seuen times but vnto seauenty times seuen times hath practised the same and therefore doublesse the hypocrite hath often been visited of the Lord in hope of amendement These things hast thou done was no false iudgment and I held my tongue was no few daies of triall Now for the third the Symptomes of his discase Symptomes what can more sensibly be perceiued First his pulse shewes the temper of his heart thou thoughtest a weake pulse shewing the decay of the spirits neither reason nor grace but a meere dreame of his weake phantasie Let vs handle his pulse and we shall find in it all mortall and deadly signes Pulsus intermittens First it intermits shewing his soule to bee so burdened with sinne that it cannot strike one good stroke suppose there were a motion to goodnesse as to declare Gods ordinances take his couenant into his mouth yet his vngodly heart and profane life strike all dead The next pulse to this Caprizanâ— is a skipping or capring pulse a plaine signe that his heart is vnequall by reason of the smoakie excrements of vanity and pleasure Date â—uam verbo which push his heart this way and that way and therefore as he intermits all good so he is skipping and capring in his impietie for what a proud thought is gotten into him that hee is like God But a third pulse followes this Vndosus and that is swelling full of waues and surges Vermiculans tossing him to this vanitie and that vanitie but alas all is but as the rowling of a worme not able to get vp the head but still sticking it in the ground vntill God tread on them by his iudgement and then would they faine lift vp the head to heauen Formicaus call vpon God offer sacrifice c. but alas all this creeping is so soft and dainty as though their spirits were a company of antes creeping vnder the hand of their confidence and may be makes them smart a little with the feeling of the venome of their sinne but as yet they haue not learned the thing that God requireth Micah 6.8 Surely to do iustly and loue mercy and to humble themselues to walke with their God Hence followes a sixt pulse which they call minute Myurus so small that it can scarse be felt not able to extend to the outward props of their confidence but they sinke downe as readie to giue vp the ghost for feare of Gods vengeance And then comes the last pulse which wee call trembling Tremulus alwaies expecting when death will giue the heart his deadly blow And these bee the symptomes of his heart which God alone was able to feele and discouer and therefore tells him thou thoughtest The second principall Symptome is Actio laesa actio laesa the action annoied in these words to make God like himselfe a strange imagination that hath so besotted his senses that nothing can please him but meere idolatrie a wrong sense of God and a wandring motion from God therefore as in the bodie the losse of the action is either of animall or naturall forces naturall as the losse of stomacke hurt of the liuer obstruction of the veines oppression of the heart swelling of the splen convulsion of the sinewes consumption of the lunges c. animall actions are sense and motion the hurt whereof is either priuation diminution or deprauation as in the eie 〈…〉 blindnesse is the priuation dulnesse of sight the diminution and wrong apprehension the deprauation in the hearing deafenes the priuation difficultie in hearing or hardnesse of hearing the diminution the glowing of the eares the deprauation so in feeling tasting smelling c. This may most fitly be applyed First Application â— the similionâ—â— he is shroudly wounded in his very natural actions he suffers the dart to strike through his liuer by his adulterie his heart by his consent vnto theeuerie he hath lost his breath by running with them his tast by participation his mouth hath suffered a strange convulsion all the sinewes haue drawne it awry the lips are the doores of euill the tongue the forge of deceit both of them are set to speake against his brother and slander his mothers sonne all the passages of goodnes are filled vp with obstructions there is no way to the hands for the workes of charitie to the feete to runne in the pathes of righteousnesse euerie member is decaied and wholly put out of ioynt if he eate hee is giuen to gluttonie if hee drinke to surfet with drunkennesse if he sleepe to become a sluggard c. for his spirituall senses he hath no eye to see withall no care to heare withall he sauours not the things of the spirit he hath no feeling of his sinne nor the loue of God he can tast none of the meanes of his saluation his phantasie is possessed with dreams of peace and welfare his vnderstanding is taken with a spirituall madnesse and his memorie with a forgetful Lethargie euen of his owne name that he tooke in his baptisme for he neuer remembers what was therein promised vnto God and for motion he is starke dead can neither mooue hand nor foote nay alas his sickenes is surely vnto death for the disease hath so wounded him that he cannot perceiue any thing amisse his fancie workes so strongly that God onely must be imagined to be like him and therefore the action is a plaine Symptome that all is not well with him and surely there needs no further inspection his water is cast already and the prescript
together not as Samsons foxes by the tayles euery one to drawe sundrie waies they sustaine no double persons single will they be in all their waies they are troubled with no contrary laws they can make all agree well enough and therefore when cry they in the very desperation of their soules who shall deliuer vs they giue thankes to God not for Christ but for themselues that they are not like other men Therefore the spirit hauing not pulled downe the old building how shall it be possible to set vp the newe which is plainly to be seene in the chap. following Rom. 8. First where is their freedome from the law of sinne and of death neither Christ nor the spirit hath purchased it for them and I doubt that their owne paiment will not stand good in Gods court Secondly if things may be known by their sauours surely euerie man may see they sauour of the things of the flesh Thirdly if the wisedome of the spirit and the wisedome of the flesh be enemies I admire what peace and life can be in hypocrites when they will not denie their owne wisedome for as yet the bodie is not dead and quickned again by the spirit still are they debters to the flesh and will liue after him How will they prooue themselues to bee the sonnes of God if the spirit of bondage be gone and the spirit of adoption be entred into their hearts let vs heare the cry of Abba father let them prooue the witnesse of the spirit if they bee heires of God euen annexed with Christ let vs see how they can suffer with him how they esteeme of afflictions in comparison of their glorie doth the creature groane for them nay alas I feare against them because they subiect him vnto vanitie Let vs heare how they with patience looke for their redemption Is their hope for things not seene nay alas all for the present How doth the spirit assist them in their infirmities how is he with them in their prayers what requests doth he bring out of their soules where be their deepe sighes that cannot be expressed can they search the meaning of the spirit according to the will of God surely nothing lesse for all is but lip labour Againe haue they assurance that all works together for their good can they tell it from their predestination vocation iustification and glorification can they from hence conclude that God is for them and no man can be against them that there is no charges for them to pay that there is no condemnation no separation from the loue of God in Christ all afflictions cannot doe it no death no angels no principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come no place not heauen aboue is too high for them nor hell below is able to make them sinke into his depth yea in breife not any creature is able to doe it therefore no hypocrite is in Christ and therefore impossible that he should bee washed from his filthinesse beeing not washed hee must remaine in it And that will appeare if we mark his life and death life prosperitie aduersitie In prosperitie for his profession he is all courage and verie full of brags like the coward that before he come in the field is fire and towe but when he comes to the tryall is the first that flees the field when the couragious champion is very silent but when there is neede of him will shew that hee hath more tried sortitude in him then a thousand cowards So hypocrites make all the world ring with their Master though all the world forsake thee yet will I not forsake thee I will lay downe my life for thee yet when Christ shall come with a this night shall yee be put vnto it then will they flee with the first and if Christ haue no better champions then they he shall be left all alone Secondly come to the hearing of the word all promises they will make their owne all iudgements threatened they will put vpon others and for application of both it shall be as in this place God is like them he fauours them aboue all with his mercies and his iudgements passe ouer their houses Thirdly for his life no reformation For aduersitie if God be gone he is gone no more stout words no comming to Church no more outward reformation but labour to make the best of all Gal. 6.12 they will seeke to please to the face and labour to constraine to their profession that they may suffer no persecution for the crosse of Christ In speciall for their sinnes when they are in miserie it may be they will let a word come out against some knowne actuall sinne but with Dauid Psal 51. they neuer strike at the roote to wit their originall sinne for the punishment Mic. 6.6 they will part with any thing they haue to be freed from the stroaks of Gods rod but the thing required shall not once come neere them And for the thoughts of death many a Balaams wish but that is all for their life is nothing And lastly for death it selfe they either die like stocks and stones or else like bulls and bears roaring and bellowing out their shame and confusion Secondly this may be a direction to Gods children to approoue their sinceritie vnto God by alwaies setting themselues in the presence of the Lord. 3. Vse consolation First in trouble to reioyce when it shall please God to try vs in the fornace of affliction that so we may come forth as tryed gold refined and made the more fit for Gods kindome Secondly in our welfare to trust more in God then in our selues and to count the lifting vp of Gods countenance vpon vs in the face of his anointed more ioy of heart then when the corne wine oyle and all the pleasures and profits of this world are increased And thus much of the first part of Gods iustice to wit the power of it from the efficient in the forme and execution of it vpon the sinne and person of an hypocrite Now followes the orderly proceeding of this iustice Of the order of Gods iustice First in the cause Order In the handling of the methode vsed by the Lord in this place wee are to consider of the arguments Order is described first from the cause I thee Lord secondly from the effect which is to set or place things thirdly from the obiect in that word them that is thy sinnes 4. from a testimony drawn from the notice of the conscience which shall sufficiently witnesse of the worth of Gods methode For the cause of this order it is the Lord. Surely Gods wisedome is to be seene in nothing more then in methode and order for order is not from any brutish nature but the best and wisest so that the changes and multitude of alterations in this world are no casuall matters left in the hands of blind fortune If indeed we looke into Gods Church and see the varietie of colours and the instabilitie
our eyes into our owne bosomes Ier. 8.6 4. Is want of thinking of this duty toward God Ierem. 5.24 so the foolish virgins contented themselues with their lampes vnprepared neuer thinking of the oyle till the time of grace was past thus hardnesse of heart and securitie bring forth these wicked thoughts Hence obserue the strange opinion of the world men haue good hearts meanings intents and purposes howsoeuer the actions of their liues be faultie Hence learne that the Scriptures are no policies of men for nothing could reueale these wicked thoughts but the diuine truth Angels and men know not the thoughts Secondly learne that thoughts are not free though they neuer come into consent or action therefore repentance of thoughts is necessarie Ioel 2.12 Act. 8.22 1. Thess 5. Paul requires that they be sanctified in bodie soule and spirit Reas 1. Because a man is cursed for his thought Pro. 5.26 2. Because actuall sinnes proceed of euill thoughts 1. the thought thinketh it 2. after thought comes delight 3. after delight consent of will 4. after consent an execution or practise of the sinne 5. after practise comes custome in practise 6. after custome and practise death and damnation for thoughts the old world was destroyed Gen. 7.21 For repentance of euill thoughts Remedies of euill thoughts vse 1. examination 2. praier 3. reformation In examination first we must remember that all thoughts are in euery mans minde by nature therefore the least occasion turnes the mind to think them secondly we must heare the word of God attentiuely we must lay open all our senses to the hearing thereof and let it goe thorough them all 1. Cor. 4.25 2. Point Prayer A man must pray for the pardon of his thoughts Act. 8.22 3. Point Reformation of the minde for wicked thoughts Ephe. 4. be renewed in the spirit of your minds wherein thoughts and imaginations are conceiued and framed Rule 1. All thoughts must be in obedience toward God Prou. 20.18 15.22 he must not conceiue a thought in his mind before he haue consulted with the word 1. Cor. 10.4 5. Phil. 4.8 2. Rule Prou. 4.24 to keepe and counter-guard our hearts aboue all watch ward men dovsually guard their cities houses and their treasures now Salomon teacheth that the heart must be guarded more then any citie house or treasures because from it proceed the actions of life 1. Therefore make a couenant with thy senses that they be no occasion or prouocation to any manner of sinne this did Iob cap. 31. and Dauid Psal 119. Turne mine eies from beholding couetousnesse the senses are the windowes of the soule and if God enter not sathan will creepe in at them into our hearts 2. At the beginning checke an euill thought for the thought beeing checked the affections will be quiet 3. Labour with all care to cherish euery good motion of Gods spirit 1. all good cogitations by the ministerie of the word or good counsell hence quench not the spirit 3. Rule We must often vse eleuation of the heart and mind vnto heauen where Christ sits at the right hand of the Father Psal 25.1 Paul bids the Philippians haue their conuersation in heauen Iam. 4. drawe neere to God Hence the Lords Supper is a principall meanes of the eleuation of the heart and mind vnto God this eleuation must be continually practised such as are appointed to keepe clockes doe often euery day pull vp the waights because they are alwaies going downeward Pray continually 1. Thess 5. There be three speciall times the beginning of the day the first good thought affection euerie day must be the Lords The 2. time the end of the day commend our soules vnto God The 3. time receiuing of blessings or feeling the want of them to praise God for the one and call vpon him for the supply of the other 4. Rule The meditation of some speciall matters whereby saluation may be furthered which is either concerning God or our selues concerning God his presence this made Dauid to drawe neere vnto God Psal 139. Psal 19. his heart is purified by seeing God in his lawe Psal 23. in the shadow of death he wil not feare 2. Consideration of Gods iudgments not old but late and particular vpon persons cities townes we should lay these to the heart Ier. 12.11 Here we must practise three things 1. wee must obserue and carefully marke and remember Gods iudgements 2. wee must apply them to our owne persons in particular that they may make vs afraid Thus Habacuk when he heard of Gods iudgement his knees beate one against another Hab. 3. If in a familie one child be beaten others will take heed 3. We must make vse of them Luk. 13.3 Third consideration is of Gods word Psal 1. It is the propertie of the righteous man to meditate in Gods lawe day and night Luk. 2. Marie hid all those things in her heart 1. we must consider the sence of the Scriptures 2. what experience we haue had of the truth of the word of God in our own liues and consciences 3. how farre forth we haue swarued in the practise of the word or how farre forth we haue practised it Fourth consideration is of Gods works in vs and vpon vs this will make vs consider the workes of creation preseruation prouidence Isa 5.12 he pronounceth a woe to them that forget this 1. Consider the work of creation God hath made vs men when we might haue beene beasts that of nothing he made vs to be something 2. for preseruation and prouidence we must consider how he hath preserued vs from time to time from all dangers and hath giuen vs all things necessarie for this life and the life to come 3. for his patience that he hath not cast vs into hell but hath giuen vs a long and large time of repentance 4. that wee are not borne among the heathen but in the bosome of the church where hee hath giuen vs his word reformed our iudgments mollified our hearts and prouoked vs to euerie good worke Eccles 7.13 Psal 77.12.13 Second consideration of our selues 1. of our owne particular sinnes whether they be corruptions of the heart or sinnes of our liues Psal 119.59 Lam. 3. Come let vs search and try our wayes 1. In what manner we haue sinned against God whether of ignorance or knowledge of presumption or weaknes of constraint or wilfulnesse 2. The greatnesse of euerie sinne yea of the least sinne how the infinite maiestie of God is offended and his iustice violated 3. The number of them and here we shall find them with Dauid more then the haires of our head or the sands of the sea Must a man consider them whē he is sure they are pardoned yes so did Dauid Psal 25. Hee praied for the pardon of the sinnes of his youth That this may take the deeper impression let vs consider of the degrees of our misery 1. A separation from all fellowship with God Isa 59.2 2. a
the people raised a figure on hie that all men might obserue it and on the top painted a Serpent in a circle to shewe that in the world there is no greater arte then man to know himselfe in euerie part Let vs then a little enter this consideration and see what grounds hee laies of these his conceits First he considers his perfections as the perfections of nature a nimble wit good memorie full of ciuilitie and faire conuersation Secondly beeing within the bounds of Gods church he may obtaine certaine graces of Gods spirit as first from the word in generall vnderstanding consent to the truth submission affection delight in the messengers and to be a companion with the Saints and all frequenters of Gods church For the law he may see his sinnes the wrath of God due for them horror of conscience reluctation against sinne sorrow and a certaine change Mat. 12.43 2. Pet. 2.20 Mar. 6.20 For the Gospel knowledge of the couenant that God is faithfull that Christs merits are of infinite value and teares may flow from his eyes either in hearing or reading the passion of our Sauiour Christ Degrees of his perfections Heb. 6. 1 illumination 2. participation of the heauenly gift holy Ghost Gods word and of the powers to come these are his perfections Now let vs see what reasons may perswade him to this conceit First when he lookes vpon himselfe hee sees his heart to bee quiet within him and not boyle with the fowle and vglie sinnes of the world Secondly he sees his estate to be verie good in the world and full of prosperitie Thirdly he thinkes his profession is with the best he is as good a churchman as any other Againe he lookes vp vnto God and is verie lauish of Gods mercie he cares not to set it vpon the tenters and makes it rise as high as the mountaines but for his iustice he scants that and makes it like a mole-hill When he thinks of the deuill he finds himselfe nothing at all to bee troubled with him with a voide Sathan he can scare him from him at any time when he sets himselfe vpon the stage with other men he sees how the wicked cannot come neere him and yet they haue often a faire life an easie death and therefore shal it be farre better with him And for precise persons he cannot tell what to say of them sometime they are too proud for his companie another time they are too ful of hypocrisie he dares not trust them sometimes they are a companie of fooles and therefore he will not runne gadding about with fooles sometime men full of melancholy and sadnes fit for no societie or els singular fellowes that thinke none so good as themselues or els will haue a life by themselues and therefore they will not liue in societie with them but alas they are the men of pride that thinke that God dwells with them alone Bucephalus was then in cheifest pride when rich armor was set vpon his backe and none might ride him but Alexander so these hypocrites beeing in honour in the world will suffer none to accompanie with them but God himselfe for in comparison he excludes all And furely question with him of his estate and for the most you shall finde them verie resolute like vnto the Gyant of Gath they haue fingers and thumbes enough to apprehend mercie Aske them meane you to be saued they answer resolutly God forbid they should euer think otherwise when alas poore Christians lie wrastling with many a temptation Aske them againe doe you beleeue beleeue he that would not beleeue God were a wretch indeede Aske him in the third place haue you any doubtings with your faith doubtings why should I doubt the Lord is most certen in his promises when in both these the child of God is much perplexed Aske him in the last place when did you beleeue surely euer since I was borne yet alas many a good seruant of God will say once I was as blacke as a coale in sinne but it hath pleased God to put on me a whiter garment I know the verie day when hell did gape vpon me and at such a sermon it pleased God to strike me to the ground and raise me vp againe in his mercie or at least they that haue beene sanctified from their mothers wombe will crie and say Oh wretched men that we are who shall deliuer vs from this bodie of death This fight of the members and of the spirit is an excellent perswasion of true grace but alas these wretches when in the time of necessitie they come to make vse of their faith what doe they I pray you truly they are become like Adonibezek they haue lost all their fingers and must famish for want of laying hold of their meate so that all their beautie perisheth For beloued as greene fruits and flowers doe ripen by the sunne whose rayes bring forth their budds and their smells so by the sonne of righteousnes alone must all the flowers of Gods garden mend their smells and sauours And therefore let vs proceede to see what they are not for want of this sunne and that consists in the second part of the verse yet they are not washed from their filthinesse A Labyrinth is framed with such art that the entrance is both plaine and wide but beeing entred you shall finde such turnings that you can not come out againe without your guide so this conceit of puritie hath made such a large entrance into the hearts of hypocrites that they can not be brought out of their turnings without the guide of Gods spirit Therefore let vs view these two threeds that are here laid downe to helpe vs. First they are not washed secondly they are in their filthines Ianus had two faces and in the one hand he had a key in the other the sunne from Ianus comes Ianuarie that lookes at both parts of the yeare his two faces makes him looke forward and backward by his key he is able to open the day and shut in the night by the sunne in the hand he is able to discouer all things Formalitie in religion may be expressed in Ianus vntill we come to the key and the sunne the hypocrites can looke at both parts of the yeare winter and sommer but they will haue their backe vpon winter and their face vpon sommer for when winter comes againe and lookes them in the face they hide their heads and will not be seene like vnto snailes that are abroad while the dew is vpon the earth but creepe into their houses when they finde the dew to be dried vp by the sunne Againe they haue two faces they can looke backward and forward serue all times please all persons and keepe themselues out of daunger but when we come vnto the key whereby heauen is opened and shut in they haue none at all they lost their key of righteousnes in Adam and as yet they haue it not restored in Christ who alone
hath the keyes of Dauid which openeth and no man shutteth which shutteth and no man openeth And for the sunne in the other hand they haue none for how can they hold out the Sonne of righteousnes that neuer had him in their hearts by faith they shine indeede but it is like vnto a blazing starre which seemes to mooue as though it came from a true starre indeede but alas it is in the fall and presently comes to the earth and then what is it but a lumpe of very crude matter and as cold as a stone or like glow-wormes which in the night time make a shew of fire but when a man takes them in his hands and bruiseth them they are nothing but a deale of crude rough blacke blood So these hypocrites they come from heauen like lightning by the taile of the deuill and fall to the ground and then their glorie appeares no more they were alwaies cold at the heart and therefore their shining vanisheth when the true Sonne of righteousnes appeareth to trie them Let vs then examine the hypocrite and wee shall finde that although his sword and all the weapons of his profession be ouerspread with honie yet a bee shall sting him at the last and make him know that all that honie was none of his owne but that hee had stollen it from Gods bees and therefore beeing but the waspe must be cast out of Gods hiue The fisher oftentimes when he bragges of store of fishes puls vp a scorpion in his net which becomes his death so these hypocrites they fish for heauen but the scorpion is alreadie in their bosomes which will sting them to death they hatch cockatrice egges whatsoeuer commeth from them is poyson and death they weaue the spiders webbe all their religion comes to no proofe he that eateth of their egges dieth and that which is troad vpon breaketh out into a serpent For it is impossible that all mankind being the seed of coruption and secondly the most of them the seed of the serpent should bring forth any other thing but corruption and young serpents And therefore hypocrits remaning in their former estate must needs be farre from God and all true holinesse They are not washed therefore not in Christ Secondly they are in their filthinesse therefore in themselues Not in Christ because they know not the father by the Son through the holy Ghost They are most busie with the father but alas for Christ and the spirit they cast them both off God will haue mercie and God forbid that any man should think that God meant to damne his creature but alas they are silent of his iustice Christ is little in their mouthes for the satisfaction of Gods iustice and the onely foundation of Gods mercie to come vnto them the spirit is farre estranged from them as appeares by their sanctification But let them know that Gods saithfull ones make an other kinde of demonstration then to beginne with the father first Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ but how shall that be knowne surely by that which followeth which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit but how shall this be knowne why looke into the Gal. 5.19 to v. 24. That this may the better appeare let vs see how hypocrites pull downe the old building and reare vp the new for vntill that be gone there is no hope of a better That they would haue the old building stand it shall euidently appeare in the 7. of the Romans first if you looke vnto their mariage you shal see they will sticke to their old husband the lawe yet will they haue Christ too and therfore commit adulterie for God will but permit them one husband therefore either Law or Gospel doing or beleeuing Christ or Moses both can not stand together to make vs the spouse of Christ Secondly let vs see their seruice and obedience that they yeild vnto their husbands It is not in the newnesse of the spirit but in the oldnesse of the letter surely an hypocrite is all in the letter no iot of inward sanctification is in him but Law and Gospel speaks vnto him as a deafe man and so for power both of them are but dead and dumbe vnto him Thirdly they loue no innouations they would haue the old ordination to stand to doe and liue but now to be slaine by the law and to haue sinne made sinne indeede and haue their hearts euen bleede to the death by it that can not be indured for men naturally loue life better then death but now it is come to passe by our fall that except the Law kill it can not saue Fourthly they haue no discorning spirit to see how the Law is spirituall and they carnal fold vnder sinne for they alwaies allow that which they doe their will and doing goe together their hatred is not their doing when Paul saith hee wills one thing by Gods good spirit and by his flesh doth the cleane contrarie hee hateth sinne by the spirit and yet often is made to doe it by his owne corruption thus doth hee iustifie the lawe and and makes it good and substantiall but himselfe euill and naught when hypocrites take the law to make them good for they are iustifiers of themselues Paul by this meanes came to see that it was not he the newe man that did these things but sinne that dwelt in him and therefore hee onely iustifies not Gods law to condemne himselfe but also he makes a glorious confession that all power may be taken from himselfe and ascribed vnto the holy Ghost for his sanctification for I know that in me setting the spirit aside and therefore I meane in my flesh and corruption dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but I find no meanes to performe that which is good And surely reasons of this I haue many First the strength of my corruption secondly it is yoked with me and therefore beeing the stronger drawes me vnto euill thirdly I am a double person or a double man the inner and outward man which is so rebellious that I neuer liue at peace with my selfe fourthly these two haue their lawes and the outward man doth often captiuate me and make me a slaue vnto sinne and I am so sore oppressed that I must needs cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this bodie of death yet thanks be to God through Iesus Christ our Lord that my mind is so good vnto God and his lawe though my flesh will not as yet shake hands with sin But hypocrits are of another mind they will neither iustifie lawe nor gospel which shall condemne themselues they will not ascribe all vnto Gods spirit that is good and the rest vnto themselues they haue means enough to doe well they are Papists they can supererrogate they feele not the strength of sinne they are not yoaked to drawe contrarie waies like oxen they can drawe
speake I will testifie and therfore shall not Gods people heare when the Lord of hosts shall speake and shall they not beleeue when the most faithfull witnesse shal testifie vnto them surely it were intollerable if God should not haue the hearing with all reuerence 4. Reason is drawn from the right of creation preservation and in a word from the only fountaine of our happinesse for I am God therefore as able to doe what I will either for the sauing or destroying of my creature so also most willing and readie to doe both when it shall stand for my glorie therefore must I be heard because I am God and haue good right to command it 5. and lastly an argument of arguments to perswade to this dutie for I am God euen thy God it is much that I said I am God this argument haue I often vsed to perswade in many waightie matters but when I shall adde further God euen thy God what heart shall not be mooued with all feare and reuerence to take notice of that which now I will deliuer vnto thee V. 8 Consider of my loue and then my reproofe shall not bee grieuous vnto your soules my reproofe is this v. 8. a misconceiuing of my worship to think that I stand so much vpon sacrifices I renounce that opinion because I see that the world is ready enough to embrace it first in that I haue no cause to find fault with you for sacrifices since they haue been continually before me secondly I haue no mind to reprooue for such matters for they are not the things that I respect thirdly because I haue these by multitudes sacrifices and burnt offerings I will not stand to number them yet in a word in that indefinite number thinke with thy selfe that I haue iudged them too many fourthly in that they haue beene before me more then thy selfe when indeed I haue alwaies desired that in thē thou shouldst set thy selfe before me I would rather see thee on the altar sacrificing thy sinnes and offering vp thy selfe vpon my altar Christ Iesus as a holy liuing and acceptable sacrifice then all these dead sacrifices V. 9 The remoouall of the occasion of their error is v. 9. First the taking away of the matter no bullocks nor goats an excellent way to dispatch error is euen the remoouall of the matter though in it selfe it be lawfull and as here commaunded of God Secondly to put away the cost and charges that wee are at in providing of such matter I will not haue them out of thine house nor out of thy folds so that thereby they shall not complaine they haue sustained any great losse by his worship or that hee had any neede of their goods Thirdly they are to take notice that after they haue been at all this cost and charges that God will not esteeme of it for he saies hee will not take it at their hands V. 10 Now least the Lord should be found a changeling n playing fast and loose with them to say and vnsay to commaund and againe forbid he will cleare the point by fowre most excellent reasons The first is drawne from the right of possession v. 10. proouing that all is his owne and therefore that he is nothing enriched by them and his argument is drawne from an induction sufficient bringing all into his Syllogisme by an absolute ennumeration for if all the beasts of the forrest be his and the beasts on a thousand mountaines then cannot man bring God a present out of any countrie which is not his owne de proprio and therefore we should but steale for him in one place to inrich him in another This is the first reason V. 11 The second reason is drawne from the right of election v. 11. the Lord hath the best skill to choose for himselfe first because he hath the most exact knowledge of all his creatures therefore able to please himselfe best in his choise secondly his knowledge is most generall because hee knowes all the foules on the mountaines and all the wild beasts verie hard to be knowne of man for he can neither take them nor count them thirdly the Lords election is most free for he may take where he will and yet enter into no mans possession for all is his owne V. 12 The third argument is drawne from the right of prouision v. 12. the Lord he needes no stewards or marke-officer for his owne vse for first hee will make his wants knowne vnto no man secondly no man can knowe when the Lord is hungrie after these things thirdly because all the world cannot satisfie him nor all that is therein therefore iustly may he put off all the prouision of man because it will not serue his turne or be able to giue him contentment V. 13 The fourth argument is drawn from the vanitie of the end v. 13. first because the Lord can neither eate nor drinke secondly God hath no appetite vnto such things Will I eate will I drinke no I will not tast these things thirdly though I would eate and drinke yet neuer should my meate bee the flesh of bulls or the blood of goates but my whole rellish is in the sacrifices of the heart a contrite and a broken spirit I will neuer refuse I haue eares to heare of such prouision eyes to looke vpon it a smell to sauour the sweet sauour of rest in it a tast to please my palate and a touch of liuely feeling to do them good that shal thus worship me in spirit and truth but all other sacrifices are abhomination vnto mee against them I will close vp all my senses V. 14 Now followes Gods direction in the truth which is twofold first of the parts of his worship secondly of the end of his worship The parts of his worship are prayer and prayse praise in the 14. ver described first by his parts to offer and pay the first shewes the willingnes of the mind the second that it is a debt and therefore wee are to performe it Secondly from the obiect on which it must be fixed and that is the Lord and the most High therefore the first lookes for feare because a Lord and the other lookes for magnanimitie because most high and therefore Christians must be no base minded persons taken vp with the world and things here below but they must vp on high to God that dwells in the heauen of heauens who onely hath immortalitie and dwelleth in the light that none can attaine vnto whom neuer man saw neither can see and therefore an high estimation beseemeth the Saints in praysing of God that hath abased himselfe to behold miserable man and accept at his hands the offring of thanksgiuing Foure things notable for Christian practise 1. purpose 2. promise 3. vowes 4. oathes Thirdly the extent of our praise which must reach as high as vowes for there be foure excellent helpes in the practise of all Christian duties which carefully beeing obserued will
is a fearefull receipt worse then pils of hierapicra or any extreame purgation it is Take him bind him hand and foote and cast him into hell fire where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for euer Yet let vs see the cure that the Lord prescribes in this place and first How God meets 〈…〉 if any make the question whether curatio debetur Symptomati I answer No for it is a rule that the physicke must be applyed to the cause not to the effect yet with the Lord iudgement is as sure in the effect as the cause for hee cannot be deceiued he brings vs to the knowlege of the disease by the Symptomes but he himselfe first sees the cause and therefore he discouers the hypocrite from the very fountaine thou thoughtest and also tells vs the action of his thought to make God like himselfe Yet if God should aske his patient whether hee felt this thought in himselfe or no I am perswaded he would most impudently denie it yet if he had any eye but to looke on his practise hee should soone conceiue his thought to be no better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wicked men 〈◊〉 so senceles 〈◊〉 nothing wil make theÌ„ feele 〈…〉 But the disease is desperate therfore what remedies will the Lord vse the Apothecaries shoppe can afoard him none therefore questionlesse that course is to be taken that men vse to take with gangrens to cauterize and burne them to the quicke euen so the Lord must deale with all hypocrites for they haue suffered the disease to runne so long that nothing can helpe it but a hote yron And for this purpose the Lord hath two First hee will reprooue him this yron shall try and search him to the quicke but alas if God will handle this yron euen to sift out one that is rotten at the heart when shall the yron cease burning all must be burnt away and if that were so then happie were the hypocrite for then should he be without all sense and feeling but alas better had he been if he had neuer been born then that the Lord should take a second yron into his hand and that is after the searching of the sore should burne them in the very consciences by setting their sinnes in order before the eye of the soule Conscience most apprehensiue which is most quicke in sense and feeling But let vs descend from the title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to consider who this Thou is that the Lord will thus handle Hee is plainely described from the 16. verse to my text First and principally hee is such an one as wil become a publike teacher of his law and couenant but because this description may well agree to any professour vnreformed I will vnderstand it of all vnreformed professours that will needs make a shew of godlinesse but hate to bee reformed by denying the power thereof in their life and conuersation and therefore my text wil taxe many an one Yet before I come to the speciall explication of the words I cannot but a little shew myaffection to our distressed congregations that are full of these ministers that will haue to doe with Gods ordinances and talke of his couenants and yet hate all reformation often haue our ignorant scandalous and negligent ministers been warned to beware of their callings and know what they meddle withall God is not mocked neither euer will he suffer the malice of the deuill to rage in these persons against his little ones for alas what haue they done I knowe not what arrowe might more deepely perice them then this fearefull sentence of the Lord which neuer ceaseth cutting and wounding vntill it come at the verie conscience The best shast that Gods archers may vse for the battels of the Lord is alwaies to bee drawne out of Gods armorie framed by the hands and skill of himselfe and his owne workemen fit to make the manof God absolute and perfect 2. Timoth 3.17 vnto all good workes and blessed is the man that hath his quiuer full of them I know no arrowe that is able to dart and enter through euen vnto the diuiding asunder of the soule and spirit Hebr. 4.12 of the ioynts and marrowe and lay open the verie thoughts and the intents of the heart as the arrowes of Gods quiuer and therefore the word of God deals most roundly with hppocrites in this place sparing neither sinne nor person these things and thou euen thou that takest vpon thee to declare my ordinances and will haue my couenant in thy mouth I tell thee this shall neuer cloake thy sinne seeing thou hatest to bee reformed It is a case lamentable These things first caxe all vn 〈◊〉 miâ—isters deseruing the bowels of all Christian pitie and compassion and able to cause the teares of sorrowe to gush out and streame down the face of a man who is not frozen too hard in securitie and vncharitable carelesnesse when he shal but lift vp his eyes and see the wasts and desolations of so many distressed soules pined and consumed to the bone for lacke of Gods sustenance the bread of life the word of God the onely preseruatiue of the soule The cause of all this is because the very trash and rif-raf of our nation haue laide their sacrilegious hands on the Lords arke vnreuerently entred with shooes and all into his temple taken his vndefiled testimonies into their defiled mouth disgraced defaced and defamed the glorie and maiestie of diuine rites and mysteries Alas is the Church of God so destitute of labourers must Christ needes for their sakes call againe from the net the receit of custome and other trades such men as after a nights sleepe or an houres traunce are made able to turne the book of God declare his ordinances and mannage the keyes of heauen 〈◊〉 13 5. but my friend be not deceiued awake out of sleepe and dreame no more confesse I am no Prophet I am no husbandman for man taught mee to bee an heardman from my youth vp If any man aske thee what are these wounds in thine hands answer willingly thus was I wounded in the house of my friends do it quickely least the Lord wound thee in thy conscience when he shall tell thee these things hast thou done and these things will I set before thine eies If God hath said Arise ô sword vpon my shepheard and him that is my fellowe what then will he doe vnto thee smite thee deadly that his sheepe be no more scattered and that he may turne his hand from his little ones for alas what haue they done O therfore get with speed from the Lords house if thou be a cleauer to thy wedge and axe if a husbandman to the plough and share horse and harrow But in vaine doe I complaine for hard hearted men haue so flinted their foreheads seared and sealed vp their minds and consciences in all impietie as they haue made a league and bound
and water good and euill may as well bee reconciled In deede Gods silence might haue wrought better effects in the mind of these wicked men but they haue so hardned themselues Rom. 2.4 and brought impenitencie vpon their hearts that they are become subiects vnfit to be wrought vpon neither haue they that wisdome as to turne themselues vnto such a subiect as Gods silence to ponder seriously thereon so that neither can it worke vpon them nor they vpon it and therefore what consention betwixt God and their thoughts 2. Acception is to conforme the fruit of agreement 2. Conformitiâ—â— by a metanomie of the effect for the cause for conformity is the effect of consention neither will this stand in any good sense thou conformedst for it is the only thing that God complaines of in this place Râ—u 2.21 that he did not conform himselfe vnto the large time that God gaue him to repent for how can there be any peace as long as the whoordomes of Iezabel are in such multtiudes peace is where men agree together but where they are vp in armes all is in an vproare and the tumult is so great that they will bee brought vnto no order The men of Ephesus when they were troubled about their goddesse made the whole citie full of confusion Act. 19. one crying one thing another the cleane contrarie all out of order and the more part knewe not wherefore they were come together the Towne Clarke for all his wisdome can hardly bring them vnto any conformitie so as long as the tumult of sinne disturbs all within vs it is impossible that God should haue audience especially when for his silence he would be heard of vs. Let a sonne of thunder cry at a doore where all are fighting and quarrelling and they will out-cry him but if he should stand silent at the doore it were impossible that they should heare him when they were at the best therfore God may stand at the doore and knocke by his silence as long as he will and he shall neuer be heard therefore thou thoughtest was no conformitie with Gods silence 3. Signification is assimulation 3. Assimulation either to assimulate himselfe vnto the thing or the thing vnto himselfe if it had beene of himselfe vnto the thing theÌ„ had his thought without all question been lawfull and honest but it is of the thing vnto himselfe and therefore let the thing bee what it will it must bee made to serue his turne And this signification is very emphaticall and seruing for our purpose and is thus much in sense as if the Lord should haue said As a wicked man thinks of me so must I be indeed he will frame mee according to his owne conceit and not his conceit according to that which I would haue him thinke of me and my silence toward him and this is the first beginning of his thought now assimulation is neuer without a conceiued image Imagination comming betwixt the two things that make themselues like Hence a fourth signification to imagine and that is a second degree vnto this thought first by turning Gods silence vnto his owne will he saw no great difference but that there was proportion and similitude enough then in the second place he imagined that hee sawe God well pleased with him Resolution Now a third degree is to bee added and that is from the imagination a direct resolution that I may thinke it and acknowledge it for the truth The reason of the phrase is this because when any thing approaches toward the minde of man then the minde turnes it selfe vnto it sees how it likes it imagines what contentment may be drawne out of it and then thinks on it if the thing be good and the mind frame it selfe according to the same then the thought that riseth from that thinking is good If on the contrarie it be bad and the mind will impresse his image then the thought is bad silence and mercie from God in this place were exceeding comfortable they enter the mind of this wicked hypocrite but they are not intertained in their owne name neither will he part with so much as a cup of cold water for his sake that sent them but he will bee refreshed by them according to his owne liking Amos 4 5. The people will bring sacrifices yea betimes in the morning tythes after three yeers a thankesgiuing of leauen free offerings c. but according to whose liking euen their owne and therefore God counts of it as to transgresse at Bethel Esa 58. and multiply transgressions at Gilgal Esay 58. they fasted punished themselues but it was to seeke their own wills and require all their owne debts they care not to haue a good glasse to looke in but they must needs breath in it and therefore the inward corruption of the heart sends out such smoakie fumes that the true image is dimmed and so they see nothing but themselues The flowers that God sent them all the time of his long silence were exceeding sweete but the mind beeing corrupt in it selfe and also in his breathing infects or rather driues backe the pleasant smell and so most truely sents it selfe yea takes the deeper poison because a sweete flower poisoned is more louingly imbraced of the sences and so the poison doth creepe in with the pleasant smell and strikes with the spirits presently to the heart so often they poison the good graces of Gods spirit which willingly would be imbraced but the poyson creepes in too into the soule and strikes all dead at the very heart the glasse that is coloured casts about all the beames of the sunne with the appearance of his colour so the glasse of our mind beeing coloured and deepe died withall impietie makes euery beame of Gods goodnesse shine according to his owne minde intus apparens prohibet alienum was an old axiome of Aristotle but well may it be brought into diuinitie sinne that onely appeares within hinders all grace and goodnesse for alas they come but as strangers vnto vs and therefore they find very meane intertainment As Christ was dealt withall when hee came vnto the inne all inward roomes were taken vp and onely the stable is left for him so doe we deale with his grace and mercie all the cheife roomet in our soules are taken vp with greater personages then Christ and his grace there is either lord couetousnesse or lord pride or ambition or pleasure or reuenge c. and therefore must Christ and his grace into the stable for we will not haue these men to rule ouer vs and therefore if his grace will become our seruant we will giue it entertainement but to be Lord ouer vs is too much we will not haue it take so much vpon it and for our seruice we haue no other place for grace but the stable and therefore no maruell if all goodnes disdaine once to come neere the houses of these wicked men
vertues which are able to proclaime his name for vertue is the onely thing to blaze abroad the name of Iehouah these vertues are mercy and compassion more speciall Chap. 34.6.7 strength mercie grace patience bountifulnesse longanimitie gentlenesse c. Here you see is speciall mention of mercie and iustice Mercy and iustice Gods cheife glorie as though in regard of them all the rest were obscured these are as the two great lights the one to rule the day of his election the other to rule the night of mans misery Now all these are simply willed of the Lord and therefore as we haue come vpward by analysing so now may we boldly compose againe the whole matter First God wills his glory secondly his goodnesse Genefis or the order of Gods proceeding as farre as the Scripture guideth vs. thirdly his verues fourthly the vertues of vnderstanding fiftly the vertues of will sixtly the principall vertues of his will iustice and mercie this is all done in himselfe absolutly without all respect vnto the creatures But God wil manifest all this out of himselfe First therefore he will create secondly by creation he will make a world thirdly in the world he will haue a man fourthly that he may haue him he will make him fiftly he will make him in his owne image sixtly man thus made may by his own free will become vnholy seuenthly man beeing vnholy may be receiued vnto mercie or plagued with iustice eightly that mā may be receiued vnto mercie Christ shall redeeme ninthly that Christ may redeeme him he must bring him to his sheepefold and saue him in the arke of his church tenthly that he may be saued in the Church he must create in him the spirit of faith lastly he must bring him to those heauenly mansions where his name was written long before the foundations of the world the rest beeing left in their sinnes must dwell out of heauen where there names are written in the earth And thus much of the subiect Now I come vnto the end Concerning the third thing in the definition which is about the ende where I wil shew three things first the end it selfe secondly the manifestation of it thirdly the order The end on all parts is graunted to be Gods glory for as he is the supreame efficient cause of all things so is he the last end and before him and after him nothing is to be found Secondly all agree that the manifestation must be in regard of his essentiall properties only all the question is of the last in what order they are to be manifested That this may appeare we will shew what the order of endes is Subordination of ends to some last secondly which ende is exactly the last in this order thirdly the order of the meanes fourthly the order of subiects out of which these meanes are produced Order of ends is the subordination or bringing vnder of all ends to one last ende the reason of this is because order is alwaies of things comming betwixt an absolute first and an absolute last this the heathen Philosophers called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eruditio in cinculo wisdome running round in a circle In a circle you know that there must be the same beginning and ending so God the beginning and ending of all things makes his wisdome in all his creatures runne round from him to him This the heathen Poet Homer called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 auream catenam quae de coelo vsque ad terram descendebat a golden chaine comming from heauen to earth in which euery footsteppe or impression of Gods wisdome is as a golden lincke coupled with some-other from the beginning to the ende So then the first point is plaine that all things are vnited together for some last ende Many lines meete in one center and so all make but one yet being drawn vnto the circumference spread themselues abroad For the second The last end consists in all Gods attributes which are one as himselfe is one all Gods attributes are the last end his glorie is the last his goodnesse is the last his vertues are the last and so of the rest If it bee inquired which of all these wee are to conceiue of as the last exactly I answer iustice and mercie This shall the better appeare if we consider how God is the best in euery thing If we speake of beeings then God is the best and most absolute beeing if we speake of life then God is the best life therefore will and vnderstanding which belong vnto the best life Now will and vnderstanding are considered of vs either for facultie or vertue for facultie then the Lords vnderstanding beeing the best must be able to vnderstand together and at once all truths and his will most free to will all good facultie we say makes able but vertue makes prompt and readie as the intellectuall vertues make a man prompt and readie to vnderstand the morall vertues prompt and readie to wil that which is good Vertue is whereby God is knowne vnto vs to be absolutely good therefore absolute happines both for vnderstanding and will These beeing premised let vs see where we may note the greatest perfection and excellencie First vertues are more excellent then faculties and so the Lord had rather shew his goodnesse then his omnipotencie Secondly morall vertues are better then intellectuall in so much as the will is better then the vnderstanding therefore I dare boldly say the Lord had rather shew his morall vertues then intellectual The best vertues iustice and mercy for it is a greater praise to be iust and mercifull then wise and vnderstanding Lastly among morall vertues none comparable to iustice and mercie why then may I not conclude that exactly the last ende that God would haue manifested is the glorie of his iustice and mercie and if this be the last then all other must be brought vnder these and aime at these principally Reasons of this assertion are many First that which brings out of the creature the speciall manifestation of Gods glorie is the last and best ende but iustice and mercie doe this Exod 33.19 I will proclaime the Name of the Lord before thee and what is especially proclaimed iustice and mercie and mercie more then iustice so Rom. 9. God will get him a name on Pharaoh a reprobate by his iustice and a name on his Elect by his mercie and therefore God is often said in the Scriptures to delight himselfe in iustice and mercie Secondly iustice and mercie are the chiefe because they are the vertues of the will which is properly conuersant about good Thirdly these make vs conceiue of God as the chiefe good It is worth our obseruation to see euen how by the light of reason the Heathen haue ascended to this consideration they referred all things to foure heads 1. Such as haue onely beeing 2. that haue beeing and life 3. that haue beeing life and sense 4. that haue beeing life
wicked men pay all to the deuill nothing to God and therefore because they will be thus debt-bound to the flesh to liue after it they shall be sure to die Reas Comparison with others 3. is comparison with others First wicked and profane which are extraordinarily beastly these men oftentime liue a faire life and die a quiet death and therefore if God loued them a little in both these then surely must I needs be loued of God much more Againe with the godly they are a companie of precise persons men of melancholy dispositions at peace with no men cannot liue quietly at home but they must abroad to heare sermons and yet for all this I sit still at home content with that which God sends and am as wel esteemed of my neighbours as they and why then should not I be in the fauour of God as well as they Thus dealing with their owne soules they are farre gone in a conceit that God is like vnto them and loues them most dearely therefore are sure to die in it 1. Vse reprehension first confutation of the wicked that they are of an other kind of stampe then they dreame of they conceit heauen and happines when indeede they are but one steppe from hell 2. Correction of the godly that if they trust for any fauour at the hands of wicked men they shall be deceiued for it is impossible they should doe them good except the Lord worke it out of them for they are forlorne creatures and forsaken of God 2. Vse instruction First admonition to the wicked that they bragge not too much of their prosperitie in so high a conceit of all is well with them 2. A direction to the godly to conceiue best of themselues when they haue learned the greatest humilitie to confesse that they are but dust and ashes and lesse then the least of Gods mercies This will make them mount vpon Eagles wings vnto the kingdome of heauen and the throne of glorie 3. Vse consolation First in our exaltation when we shall consider what a difference there is betwixt the true loue of God shed abroad in our hearts and that vaine conceit that we had of it in our owne thoughts Paul thought he did well and that it was an acceptable sacrifice vnto God to shed the blood of the poore Christians he was zealous for the law and surely he had no small conceit of Gods loue toward him But when the Lord had appeared vnto him and told him of his seruice he becomes of an other minde and triumphs in nothing but in Christ crucified and that with an execration God forbid now he sees the world crucified vnto himselfe and himselfe vnto the world 2. This obseruation may vouchsafe comfort in affliction that therefore the Lord doth afflict vs that we may not trust too much to our selues but truly resort vnto him that will denie vs no comfort Reason for all opinions Obs 6. No opinion so absurd but men wil haue some appearance of reason for it That God is like man is a conceit vaine enough and full of absurditie yet the hypocrite hath his reason for it because God is silent This point is cleare in all kinds of errors Atheisme which for breuitie I refer to foure heads Atheisme Idolatrie heresie prophannes Atheisme a strange opinion euen against reason it selfe and the crie of the whole world which cannot but make God the first and the last For if there be any beeing which cannot be denied then must it needs be either the first beeing or a beeing from the first for to say that there are two first beeings is false seeing that two doth alwaies presuppose one but one doth not alwaies presuppose two one may be without two but two cannot be without one therefore euery beeing wil say that God is this first that God is this one Secondly euery creature is for some next ende as all things are for man now for what next ende is man surely for God or else he is good for nothing A stately building can not be except some man haue his hand in it though I can see neuer a man about it This stately palace of the world could not be except God had shewed his power in it although wee cannot see his presence according to his essence yet see how Atheisme preuailes 1. Of God there is no cause aboue nature or fortune for into these two may all things be resolued as the first principles and therefore there is no God Tush God sees not neither is there any knowledge in the most high 2. Of creation Atheisme of his works first of creation that could not be because the Lord had no workemen to helpe him no instruments to worke by nor any matter to worke from 3. Of prouidence Againe no prouidence because bonis malè malis benè Neither any last iudgement 4. Of last iudgement because all things come a like since the fathers Neither haue we these generall Atheists alone Partiall Atheisme but also many partiall Athiests denying of his particular prouidence ouer all creatures â— Of speciall prouâ—â—ence in all creatures It is too base for the Lord to take care for smal creatures and actions of small moment because he sits like a king and therefore iudgeth the great matters of the world â— In sinne and the rest he puts ouer to angels and men nature and fortune Againe those that denie the prouidence of God ouer sinne saying hee hath a bare knowledge of it as though there were any prouidence which did not containe in it knowledge and care and they are not without reason for it God is not the author of sinne a good reason if it were not mis-applied Againe the Aramites the 1. of King 20. v. 23. 3. Of Gods vbiquitie will fight no more with Israel in the mountaines because their Gods are the Gods of the mountaines and therefore they ouercome vs but let vs fight against them in the plaine and doubtlesse wee shall ouercome them Here is an vndoubted argument that God is not euery where and therefore they might as well haue said no where Beside 2. Of his special and extraâ—â—dinary prâ—â—idence we haue more secret Atheist as some physitians which when God shewes his extraordinarie prouidence in preseruing some without food for many yeares will shew how this may be done by the losse of stomack liuer and the rest of the instruments which serue for nutrition and they further adde for the preuenting of the death of the bodie that these parts are turned in salinam substantiam which saltie substance is so farre from corrupting the body that it preserues it now for the continuance of life they adde further that the braine heart and lungs being in their naturall force giue life sence and motion by reason that breathing is from without as well as from within whereby the lungs are preserued and that the spirits vitall and animall are
sea yet thither shall thine hand lead me and thy right hand hold me Secondly for the circumstance of time v. 11. If I say yet the darknes shall hide me euen the night shall be light about thee yea the darknes hideth not from thee but the night shineth as the day the darknes and light are both alike Here is no plea that olde things are out of date and sinnes committed many yeares agoe are forgotten of the Lord for be sure that the sinne of Cain in murthering of his brother is as freshly bleeding in the presence of God as the sin thou hast committed this day so that neither time past present or to come will helpe vs at all with the Lord. Thirdly for the circumstance of persons he knoweth all by their names Psal 147.4 therefore no companie shall excuse thee Indeede in the world multitudo peccantium tollit poenam peccati when multitudes sinne then mens lawes dare not execute yet be sure with the Lord he that runnes with a multitude to doe euill shal be sure to be punished with them Neither great men nor rich men shall be able to rescue vs out of the hands of God therefore the point is cleare that the Lords knowledge is most exact in all particulars 1. Vse is reprehension first confutation of the wicked that are ashamed to doe that in the presence of men which they dare most impudently doe before God surely hee is able to iudge more exactly of our offences then any man therefore if we labour to keepe our selues secret from the eyes of men how should we not tremble to sinne before God Secondly correction of the godly that doe not alwaies set themselues in the presence of God but sometimes take libertie to slip into the wayes of their owne hearts thinking that this is but a small sinne and therefore the Lord will be mercifull to me in this thing neuer considering the puritie of the Lord and the brightnesse of his glorie which is alwayes shining round about them 2. Vse instruction first an admonition to the wicked that beat their fellow feruants because their master deferreth his coÌ„ming let them take heed for he will come at vnawares vpon them and let them blush for shame seeing that mens scruants here vpon earth hearing that their master approacheth betake themselues to their worke although before they were at their sports idle recreations we know that schoole-boies in the absence of their master leaue their seats spread themselues abroad yet the verie voyce of venit magister the master comes presently makes euery one hastily betake himselfe vnto his seat Shall then man bee so bold as to dare to leaue his place betake himselfe to his owne pleasure when the verie eye of his God lookes vpon him surely nothing is more obuious vnto our eye then this which argueth that the world is very destitute of the feare of God Secondly this may be a driection to the godly to examine them-selues in all their particular carriages Thus Dauid deales with his soule vpon the consideration of Gods excellent knowledge Psal 139. to the ende first a pretious estimation of it 17 18. how deare how great what account to make vp the summe all is too short yet this will he aime at when he awakes he will still be with God Indeede in the violence of passion Dauid may make warre a pretense to excuse Vrias death but yet Psal 51. it shall cause him vtter many a bitter word heauie sighs and euen water his couch with teares The second is the manifestation of his zeale 1. in his loue of the maiestie of God v. 19 20.2 of his hatred to the wicked that dishonour God v. 21 22. See them both Oh that thou wouldest slay O God the wicked and bloody men to whome I say depart ye from me which speake wickedly of thee and beeing thine enemies are lifted vp in vaine I hate them I contend with them as with mine vtter enemies The 3. his confidence v. 23. Trie me O God and know my heart prooue me and know my thoughts consider if there be any way of wickednes in me and lead me in thy way for euer This consideration can not but haue powerfull operations in the hearts of Christians fire all that is within them let vs see it in a few of Dauids affections in the Psalmes breathing zeale out of euery pipe How doe I loue thy law O Lord more then the hony or the hony combe Loue. more then thousands of siluer and gold Thine enemies I hate with a perfect hatred Hatted Thy testimonies are my delight Ioy. I reioyce more in them then they that finde great spoyles more then in my appointed foode Mine eyes gush out riuers of teares Griefe Oh that my head were a fountaine of teares because they destroy thy law Mine eyes are dimme with waiting Hope how doe I long for thy saluation Thy iudgements are terrible Feare I tremble and quake Looke what pitch of affection the naturall man bestowes vpon his dearest darling what vnsatiable thirst the couetous worldling vpon his mammon the ambitious vpon his honour the volupâ—uous vpon his pleasure the same the Christian striueth in equall yea if possible farre exceding in as much as the more pure the heart is the more actiue we shall finde it Zeale is to the soule that which the spirits are to the bodie wine to the spirits putting vigour and agilitie into them be not drunke with wine wherein is excesse but be filled with the spirit an excellent Antithesis the soule may be filled with this zeale and yet neuer exceede As wings to the foule as wheeles to the chariot as sailes to the shippe wind to the sailes courage to the soldier mettell to the horse and dust to make the earth fruitfull so is zeale as wings to the soule to flie aboue earthly and worldly cogitations as wheeles not to goe but runne the wayes of Gods Commandements as sayles to driue vs with a plerophorie vnto God This makes vs fight and puts mettle into vs yet must we take heede how we meddle with this fire least wee heape coales vpon our owne heads and bring an ill sauour vpon all â—ur seruice as Nadab and Abihu beeing vnsanctified Aguish and distempered heats are farre remote from the radicall nay an enemie vnto it and the verie causes of sickenesse and death a very empericke may iudge of them For first some of these are deepely sicke of the Pharisaicall humour they ioue more to be seene of men then God and yet God wil see them the best as Iâ—hu Come and see how zealous I am for the Lord of hosts These trumpets praise them before men but shame theÌ„ before God An aguish or consuming heat by his flushings is seene more in the face then the naturall heat that warmeth the heart In wisdome and skill artis est celare artem hiding of art is the best art so hidden zeale is often the
haue the silence of God first in regard of the first death the Lord did not presently depriue him of all the goods of bodie whether internall or externall Internall first in the sense of his nakednesse it pleased God to couer him in the losse of his created maiestie wherein stood his shame it pleased God a little to releeue him for the beauty of his bodie it pleased God not to make him altogether deformed for the health of his body not presently to make him wearie of his life leauing him to dangers filling him with diseases and setting the footsteps of death in him Againe for the externall goods of bodie seruing for honestie and necessitie were not presently remooued for first hee left him some dominion ouer the creatures some honour and friendship amongst themselues Lastly for goods whereby his life was maintained some releife from the earth though with his labour and the sweat of his browes from among thornes and briers some from the creatures first cloathing secondly possession though in the first was his shame and in the second calamitie and losse Thus was the Lord silent with man in regard of the first death onely concerning the incoation of it but when the perfection came then the voice of the Lord breakes out as he did to the rich man This night shall thy soule out of thy bodie thy body to the dust and thy goods to their owners Secondly for his silence in regard of the second death first in the incoation of it and that in regard of the conscience or some extraordinarie iudgement in regard of the conscience not presently the extremitie of horror and feare whereby man flieth from God and hides himselfe nor dead securitie whereby there is no sense of hel but desperate searing vp of the conscience Lastly the Lord is silent a long time before hee bring some extraordinarie iudgement vpon them as he did vpon Baltashar Saul Ahithophel Hammon Iudas and this is Gods silence with wicked men in regard of the second death but when the perfection is come the Lord breakes his silence and saies my creature away from me packe into hell where I will roare vpon thee as a lyon for euer So then it plainely appeares that God is onely silent in regard of mans miserie in the incoation of the first and second death Indeede prophane men restraine Gods silence to an other obiect to wit their sinnes and hypocrits to their good actions Isa 59.3 We haue fasted and thou seest it not we haue punished our selues and thou regardest it not Lastly the Saints to their troubles and afflictions wherin they thinke the Lord is too silent and too slow in hearing of their cries but all these three haue brought in an obiect about which the Lords silence can not be conuersant for wicked men haue the Lord alwaies calling by his word to forewarne them of their sinnes and hypocrites blaspheme against God in saying he regardeth not goodnes and the children of God haue forgotten the consolation which speaketh vnto them as vnto children Heb. 12.5 My sonne despise not the chastening of the Lord neither faint when thou art rebuked of him And thus haue we cleared the point by the word of God The Rhetoricke is this first these things for these doings secondly these doings for these sinnes thirdly these sinnes for the deferring of the punishment of these sinnes for in that is the Lord silent Concerning the Logicke the arguments are the subiect and the adiunct wherein is contained an agreement of reasons and therefore we may take notice how the Lord out of sinne a deadly enemie vnto his will can frame himselfe an obiect wherein he will delight from whence the obseruation riseth that the Lord hath great respect vnto the miserie of man Observ God that is holy in all his waies and such a God that wills no iniquitie is able in the excellencie of his wisdome to see something in sinne which shall mooue him to pitie and compassion euen that which the creature feeleth not the Lord laies it vnto his heart for Gen. 3.22 the Lord God said Behold the man is become as one of vs to know good and euill c. is not an Ironie but a kind of pitie and sorrow for the miserie of man and therefore we find in the Scripture phrase that the Lord is mooued with good to loue it with sinne to hate it and miserie to pitie it Reasons 1. Gods creation he loues the worke of his owne hands and it pities him to see it any waies out of order Gen. 6.6 It repented the Lord that he made man in the earth and he was sorie in his heart 2. Reas Mans miserie Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwaie striue with man because he is but flesh Gen. 8.21 I will henceforth curse the ground no more for mans cause for the imaginations of mans heart is euill euen from his youth Psal 78.38 39. Yet he beeing mercifull forgaue their iniquities and destroyed them not but of times called backe his anger and did not stirre vp all his wrath for he remembred that they were flesh yea a wind that passeth away and commeth not againe 3. Reason his promise Act. 13.18 About the time of fourtie yeares suffered he their manners in the wildernes because of his couenant Psal 105. where all the good that he did vnto his people is brought in by reason of the couenant and promise that he made with Abraham sware vnto Izhak confirmed vnto Iaakob and left it to Israel for an euerlasting couenant 4. Reason is the measure of sinne which the Lord will suffer to be made vp Gen. 15.16 For the sinnes of the Amorites is not yet full 1. Vse reprehension First confutation of wicked mens conceits of the silence of God thinking that all is well with them as long as they heare of no messengers from the Lord of hosts alas it is the miserie of their sinnes that mooues the Lord a little to pitie them and therefore small cause to conceiue so highly of Gods mercie Indeede it were well if they would magnifie God in this his mercie by humbling of themselues and confessing the long abuse of his silence but they on the contrarie set vp themselues and confidently beleeue that they shall neuer be mooued Againe this confuteth the hypocrite that takes the silence of the Lord for the approbation of his thoughts words and actions when alas all is but a silence at his sinne and a pitying of his miserie the Lord can not but be angrie with them because they draw him into a league of iniquitie dishonour him before men and conceiue amisse of him in thēselues Lastly it confutes all despisers of the riches of Gods bountifulnes patience and long suffering hauing no knowledge how the bountifulnes of God should lead them to repentance and therefore after the hardnes of their hearts heape vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath Secondly a correction of the godly in the want of Christian
him how much more horrible is it to curse the King of kings the God of Gods therefore euerie one must labour to know see and discerne this wretched thought in his heart which wee may doe by Gods grace not onely the damnable actions of our times but the inward thoughts of the spirit within vs. A second thought touching God is that the word of God is foolishnesse this must especially be vnderstood of the Gospel 1. Cor. 1.21 Paul calls it foolishnesse according to the opinion of the world not because it is so in it selfe but in the iudgment and imagination of the Grecian and 2.14 that a man should be saued iustified and sanctified by Christ is foolishnes to the naturall man this also in part is to be vnderstood of the lawe Deut. 29.19 Moses bids the people take heed least when they heare the curses c. where hee intimateth that this euill thought is in mens minds to thinke that the lawe is foolishnesse and therefore not to hearken vnto the curses thereof Now this is a dangerous thought as appeares by the fruit 1. Hence riseth that deuillish opinion that religion is but a policie to keepe men in awe from treasons and rebellions Secondly hence springeth all apostasie and all departing from the faith Gal. 1. the Galatians were a worthy Church of God planted by Paul yet there he saith that some of them were departed from the truth the reason is because they thought the word of God to be foolishnes Many in the East countries and in Asia where the Gospel was planted by the Apostles by this damnable thought fell first into the herefie of Arrius and many 600. yeares after Arrius departed to the religion of Mahomet In the West church in Europe and Italio the Gospel was planted by the Apostles yet afterward fell to Papistry and about 600. yeares after Arrius death Papisme ouerspread all Europe except in some little parts of Greece and so hath raigned till this day the reason is plaine in euery mans heart lieth this corruption to thinke the word of God foolishnesse and hereupon men by nature can embrace any religion but the truth And so in England let a man broach an herefie it shall not onely at the first but afterward haue strong and stout patrones When the family tooke shipping and came out of Germany into England though it were but a very brutish herefie yet it was much broached and had beene more had it not beene repressed by the preaching of the word and good order of godly Magistrates The cause why men are so readie to entertaine a schisme or heresie is because mans heart by nature is full of blindnes and error and thinkes the Gospel foolishnesse and madnes Examination of our hearts touching this thought beeing seriously performed we shall find it to raigne in high degree for we are all content to come to the assemblies where Gods name is worshipped and submit bur selues to be taught we are content to heare the preaching of the word and herein our personall sinnes displayed the terrible curses of the lawe denounced against them viz. iudgements in this life in death and at the day of iudgement and yet we tremble not at all this our hearts are not amased and affrighted at these thunderbolts of Gods curses due to our sinnes If a man in the streets crie fire our hearts will be astonished but when the fire of heauen kindled by the breath of the liuing God is cried against our sinnes we are not mooued and why surely our hearts are forestalled with a false imagination that the word of God is foolishnes therefore that his plagues and threatnings and curses are nothing Againe when we heare in the Gospel of the pardon of our sinnes by Christ and life euerlasting repentance the kingdome of God few learne this doctrine repent and enter into it because their mind is forestalled and wholly possessed with this false imagination Psa 126. the Israelites deliuerance was a dreame much more then is our spirituall deliuerance from Sathan and no maruell for the Gospel is as farre contrarie to mans reason as light to darknes for that Christ by bearing death and the curse of God for sin should thereby free men from death and the curse is quite contrarie to naturall reason Vse 2. If this be so that all men naturally imagine the word to be foolishnesse then must we followe Pauls rule 1. Cor. 3.18 If any man will be wise let him become a foole first we must renounce our owne naturall reason denie our selues our own iudgement put out the eies of our naturall vnderstanding and suffer our selues wholly to bee guided by the doctrine of the Gospel of Christ Secondly we must all pray with Dauid that God would open our eyes that we may see his wil and vnderstand the words of his law because our reason and imagination is flat contrarie to the Gospel From this second thought ariseth an other viz. that if the word be foolishnes then I will performe no obedience to the word of God That this is mans thought naturally I prooue it thus Iob 21.14 he brings in the sinner saying depart c. there is none so wicked to say so in word but it is their hearts imagination and affection and he that purposeth to walke after his owne wayes he it is that saith who is the Lord that wee should worship him It is a disgrace for me to bee the seruant of God I will not doe it therefore depart from me O God Ier. 6.16 they say so in the purpose of their hearts Luk. 19.14 which place as it is meant of the Iewes so of all other men in the world by nature that are impenitent sinners for so long as a man goes on without repentance hee carries a purpose in heart to liue in his sinnes and so saith in heart I will not beare the yoake of Christ I will be none of his subiects he shall not raigne ouer me Come to an adultreer drunkard c. tell him of his sinne he will straight swell like a toade and shewe the malice of his heart to him that reprooues him reason because he meaneth to liue in his sinnes c. Examination of our hearts touching this thought Most will say they defie and abhorre all such wicked thoughts of not seruing God but after examination had it will be found that it raignes in our hearts We can bee content to heare the word receiue the Sacraments which are the pledges of Gods sauour and mercie in Christ and wee are content to looke for saluation in Christ but what is the cause why after all this there is so little obedience so litle knowledge and conscience so little mercy and compassion so little iustice and loue in our callings surely this because our hearts are wicked deceitful full of guile and what is this guile I will not obey the waies of God Vse If this be the well wished thought of mens hearts then we
may see what a wonderful hard thing it is to conuert a sinner a man may be a long hearer of the word and by hearing his mind may be furnished with knowledge with a good conceit with verie good vtterance so that he may teach and publish the Gospel and conceiue prayer and that verie well and yet this damnable imagination may lurke in his heart therfore he may not onely hereby deceiue others but euen his owne soule for so long as this thought is in his soule hee is voide of true repentance for where true repentance is there is a resolution to please God in all things Third thought touching God It is a vaine thing to worship God Iob. 21.15 he speakes it not with the mouth but in the heart Matth. 3.14 Nay Dauid Psal 73.13 had this thought in his heart now I see I am deceiued In vaine haue I worshipped God but yet this thought comes not into mans heart at all times but vpon occasion as when the godly seeth the wicked flourish Examination This thought takes great place in our hearts for goe to the poore mans family he works and toyles all day to get riches but neuer worshippeth God or calls vpon his name why so because the heart saith so I may haue wealth it is no matter whether I serue God or no. Come to the rich mans house there is nothing but eating drinking sleeping gaming and the like why so because his heart saith all is wel so I may haue my pleasure it is enough for me it is no matter for Gods worship The ordinarie man saith he will do as his ancestors haue done he hath as good a faith as the best hee will not come to sermons for they that haunt sermons most are vsually the worst disposed persons and none so bad as they If a man professe Christ in sinceritie hee is a by-word and a mocke to men Nay almost all men betake themselues to will-worship not onely the Papist Iewe and Turke but the common Protestant he comes to Church and serues God by mumbling ouer the Creede the Lords praier and the tenne Commandements thereby thinking to serue God as well as the best the cause is because this imagination taking place in the heart hindereth all good things in vs. Fourth thought is the thought of distrust and it runnes much in the mind of man God doth not regard me God will not helpe me God will not be mercifull vnto me This made an entrance to the fall of our first parents for first Eue lookes vpon the fruit and sees it to be very beautifull 2. There enters into her heart a thought of distrust viz. It may be there is no such danger in eating this fruit as the Lord faith there is and it may be God doth not regard vs. When the Israclites murmured at the waters of strife Numb 20.12 Moses was barred the Land of Canaan for this distrust for when hee smote the rocke as God had commanded him he thought in his heart God will not giue water though I strike the rocke Dauid Psa 31.23 Psal 78.2 is full of spirituall confidence but in an other place saies I thought all men were lyers Samuel the Lords Prophet hath deceiued mee now I see that Samuel spake not by the spirit of God as aprophet but by his own sense lyingly when he said that I should come vnto the kingdome of Israel Thus Dauid did not openly distrust God but Samuel as if he had not knowne Gods will but had passed beyond the bonds of his calling Matth. 14. why did Peter sinke when Christ bad him come to him on the water because his minde was troubled with the thought of distrust it may be God will not helpe me now walking vpon the sea Christ reprooues this why didst thou doubt Touching this thought two points 1. the time when it was in mans thought 2. the danger of it For the first it takes place in the time of danger temptation aduersitie sickenesse and death it troubled Iob in his affliction Iob 16. when he said God hateth me hee is myne enemie hee makes me a but Psalm 77.9 It may be God will no more haue mercie vpon me In peace Sathan tempts by presumption The dangers hereof 1. horrors of conscience and all feares and astonishments of the heart which come when the minde distrusteth 2. Desperation whereby men confidently auouch that God hath forsaken them and that he hath cut them off and that nothing remaines but death this is often in the heart of repentant sinners 3. It weakens the foundation of our saluation which stands in the certentie of Gods promises and thus it doth by weakning faith for by faith we beleeue that God is our Sauiour and that Christ shed his blood for vs in particular now this thought is cleane contrarie to faith as fire to water and where distrust preuailes there shall be no faith hence appeareth the great danger We must take heede of it Remedie and vse all meanes in the daies of our peace that it raignes not in our hearts in the daies of trouble The meanes are three 1. the preaching of the Gospel this is the especiall meanes to applie Gods mercie truly to our soules and consciences therefore a soueraigne remedie against this thought for the speach of the minister is as though God himselfe spake by vertue of the very ordinance of God if God should say to me in his owne voice my mercie belongs to the beleeuer I would surely beleeue and not doubt now whē the minister saith beleeue in God his mercie belongs to thee it is by the power of this ordinance of God as if God himselfe had said it 2. Baptisme if a Prince shall giue a man a pardon and put his name and seale to it he will neuer doubt but assure himselfe of pardon now when a man is baptized God puts the parties name in the pardon and his owne seale to the pardon of his sinnes in Christ 3. The Lords Supper wherein the bread and wine are particular pledges of Gods particular mercie to euery particular receiuer and therefore it is that euery particular man receiues for himselfe in speciall II. Point Of euill thoughts touching our neighbour To finde out what these be we must haue recourse to the commandements especially to the second Table These beeing spirituall condemne not onely wicked actions words and affections but also the wicked thoughts of man against man And they are of two sorts in the second table First thoughts without consent Secondly with consent Without consent hath the first motions and inclinations in the mind forbidden in the tenth commādement Thoughts with consent are those wherein the wil consenteth with the first motions these as they are conceiued so are they practised and are forbidden in the 6.7.8.9 Commandements 1. Thought is of dishonour against the 5. commandement the 2. of murther against the 6. the 3. of Adulterie against the 7. the 4. of theft against
the 8. the 5. of disgrace against the 9. 1. Is any thought that tendeth to the contempt and dishonour of the person of our neighbour and that is a base estimation of the persons of our inferiours in respect of our selues Luk. 18.11 the learned and zealous Pharisie thinkes basely of the Publican this thought is like to Adonibezek who sitting in his royaltie had diuers kings with their thombs cut off receiuing meat of him vnder the table as dogs Pride makes a man destitute of all friends he hath neither God nor his neighbour nor himselfe he that hath not God what happinesse can he haue he that hath not his neighbour what societie can he haue and not to haue himselfe is to be a slaue when he thinks he domineers ouer all Therfore with Iob learne to say Lord I am vile when we can say this see it it will be a meanes to represse this thought Iob 39. 2. Thought of murther is any intent of murthering his neighbour or any thing tending to murther Deuter. 15.9 where two signes are laide downe of it first an euill eye to looke vpon the poore without compassion secondly vnmercifull dealing A second is the thought to doe some hurt to them that worship God truly Psal 74.8 the Babylonian speakes against the Iew Let vs destroy them altogether Christ saith Ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake this hath bin since the time of righteous Abel This thought proceeds from an other set downe 1. Pet. 4.4 the wicked maruell that others will not doe as they doe Ob. Nebuchadnezzar a wicked man fauoured Daniel Ans Dan. 1.9 it was Gods prouidence that disposed the Kings heart to doe good 3. Murdering thought is when a man thinks the Minister ripps vp his sinne in malice 3. Thought of adultery as all vnchast thoughts 4. thought theft Psal 50.18 when thou seest a theefe thou runnest with him this seeing makes him runne in thought and deede 5. thought disgrace to thinke a thing well done ill done or ill done well done 1. Sam. 1.13 and v. 17.28 Matth. 19.4 Act. 2.13 yet loue thinkes no euill which beeing wanting amongst men makes them thinke all euill Mens hearts are like drie wood which burne not alone but put the least cole to them and they will burne so the least occasion offered wil set all on fire This thought of dishonour is as the table of Adonibezek in respect of murther it is a meere slaughter-house in respect of the thought of adulterie a meere stew in respect of theft a den of theeues and in respect of the thought of disgrace a verie fountaine of all backbiting slaundering reuiling c. 3. Point euill thoughts touching our selues fowre 1. The thought of pride thinking himselfe most excellent Isa 14.13 Zeph. 2.15 Luk. 18.11 Reu. 18.7 Gen. 3. our first parents learned this lesson of the deuill You shall be as gods and the lesse we see it the more it raignes in vs. Pride in outward apparell is a most damnable pride but none aboue spirituall pride from hence sprung many sinnes and therefore to be abhorred As 1. ambition whereby men are not content with their owne estate but seeke to be aduanced 2. presumption in daring things aboue his calling 3. boasting 4. hypocrisie 5. obstinacie 6. contention 7. affectation of nouelties Secondly when this thought raignes in vs Gods spirit cannot dwel in vs Luk. 1.51 52. Iam. 4.6 Isa 66.2 Thirdly when all other sinnes die in vs this thought dies not nay when the graces of God come this thought reuiues because he makes them matter of his pride 2. The highest degree of this is when a man thinkes himselfe check-mate with God Isa 14.14 two waies first when he thinks he may haue power to preuaile with or against God Dan. 3.15 Exod. 5.2 Secondly taking honour due vnto God vnto themselues Act. 12.22 23. 2. Thess 2. Antichrist sits in the Temple of God as God Obiect But he is servus servorum Ans It is not in word but in the thought of his heart in that he thinks he hath power to make lawes binding conscience to dispense with the morall law and Apostolicall constitutions and to forgiue sinnes hereby he thinks himselfe to be equall with God 2. Thought I am righteous and neede no repentance Deut. 9.4 two things first that a man thinks himselfe by nature righteous secondly that the Lord giues them all that they haue for their righteousnes Ier. 2.25 Reuel 3.17 Christ came not to call these righteous because their imagination was such that they were vncapable of his grace The angels reioyce more for one penitent sinner then for nintie nine that neede no repentance Come to an ignorant man aske him can you keepe the law yea and that he lookes to be saued by this righteousnes and by the works of the law Hence we see how euery man by nature is a Papist Secondly this sheweth vs that it is a very difficult point to bring a man to true humiliation Thirdly we see why men neglect the preaching of the Gospel because it teacheth a strange doctrine vnto corrupt reason 3. Thought of securitie I prosper and am free from all Gods iudgements I am not in danger of hell death and damnation Psal 10.6 Isa 28.15 Psal 30.7 This makes the Ministers labour in vaine Zeph. 3.5 Noe an hundreth and twentie yeares Fourth thought in miserie to thinke my crosses to be worse then indeede they are Iob. 6.3 come to comfort them Oh neuer man was vexed as I am The cause of these is Gen. 6.5 v. 21. the heart which sometimes signifieth the fleshie part of man which is the beginning of vitall blood placed in the middle of the body 2. the soule 3. the faculties 4. the middle of any thing Psal 46.2 but here is meant the vnderstanding wil and affections Ephes 4.23 imaginations this word sheweth the frame of the heart first for his corruption 2. for his fruits 3. tearmed mans heart not euil men alone or those before the flood but all men naturally 4. word euill that is against Gods lawe 5. from his childhood as soone as he beginnes to vse reason he frames euill in his heart Hence the cause plainely riseth want of all good thoughts or want of all consideration this is the mother sinne we must keep all the morall law euen in thought Luk. 10.27 the want of this may be seene in matters earthly 2. in matters spiritually in matters earthly Eccles 4.8 in regard of their natures ends and vses but in spirituall things there is an absolute want 1. Is want of the consideration of Gods presence and prouidence in regard of our sinnes Hos 7.2 2. In regard of Gods iudgements for men neuer thinke of iudgement in this life nor in the life to come An 120. yeares Noah preached yet no consideration Luk. 12. the rich man neuer thought that his soule was in danger 3. Is in respect of a mans owne sinnes for we cannot turne
societie and fellowship with the deuill and his angels which stands in this that a man by nature beares the image of Sathan and performes homage vnto him in the practise of all sin 3. all manner of calamities in this life sickenes of body damages and losses in name in goods and in friends 4. the horror of a guiltie conscience which is euen a beginning of hell fire for first it is a mans accuser accusing him for his sinnes 2. his iudge in the roome of God giuing sentence against him in his life 3. the hangman because it condemneth eternanally 4. the second death which is an apprehension of the wrath of God eternally in bodie and soule 3. Of our particular temptations wherewith Sathan daily assaults vs 1. Pet. 5.8 If enemies should inuade the land we would consider what place of the land is weakest and lay all hold to that so Sathan labouring against vs daily wee must examine what is the weakest part of our hearts and by what sinne he is most able to make breach into them and then by Gods grace we shall vse some strength against them 4. Consideration of our particular ends Exod. 32.29 1. the time of our end that is most vncertaine 2. the place likewise vncertaine Ahab repented when hee heard of his ende so did Nineueh and so must we all 5. Consideration of our reckoning in the last iugement A trauel er comes to an inne hauing but one pennie in his purse yet he calls for the best meate and spends most sumptuously will not euery man iudge him to be void of all consideration Thus deale men in the world spend all that God hath giuen them neuer thinking of the day of reckoning yet Paul Acts 24. considering this kept a good conscience before God and man 6. Of our estate whether we be members of the kingdome of darknesse or of grace A man may liue in the Church and yet belong to Sathans kingdome 5. Rule We must labour in our hearts to be assured of our particular reconciliation to God in Christ this assurance or certificate of the spirit is commonly called faith Now when this particular assurance is setled in them it will purifie them for faith purifies the heart affections and thoughts for a man beeing thus assured will resolue neuer to offend God any more but to honour and obey him euen in his thoughts 3. Obserue from hence that mens best thoughts are grieuous sinnes against God 4. Vse All Readers or students in Diuinitie ought to humble themselues before God and pray that he would open their eyes and teach them the wonders of his law before they attempt to studie and read the Scriptures because the imaginatiōs of man by nature are wicked yea whatsoeuer his heart studieth frameth or inventeth Psal 119. Dauid at least tenne times prayes to God that he would reueale to him the statutes and wonders of his lawe This example ought to be a patterne and president to all students of diuinitie neuer to read or meditate in the Scriptures before they haue prayed to God to open the eies of their vnderstanding that they may rightly discerne of that which they reade Obs The doctrine is cleare and euident that an hypocrit or any wicked man cannot thinke a good thought for he looks through his owne corruption and therefore as he is disposed so must all be that comes to his vnderstanding will or affections Againe his practise is lewd therefore his thoughts must be answerable for he cannot do otherwise then he thinketh Thirdly the heart which is the fountaine is framing thoughts which are euill in their kind all in their extent onely continually and from his infancie Fourthly there is no confideration of Gods presence of Gods iudgements of his owne sinnes or the duties he oweth vnto God Fiftly when he thinks of God he is profane when of his neighbour vnrighteous when of himselfe proud hautie and insolent Let God be good vnto him in temporall fauours be silent at his sinnes vse compassion towards him offending gentlenesse in his iustice remembring mercie patience most gently suffering him in his sinnes and deferring the punishment longanimitie a long time exspecting his repentance and lastly bountifullnesse beeing rich in goodnesse and powring forth his good gifts vpon him yet for all these he hath not one good thought to bestowe vpon God Let his neighbours liue quietly by him offer him no wrong do him the best kindnesse he can aduise him by good counsel yet can he not so much as afford him a good thought lastly let his conscience checke him and cause some hote stirres within him yet he will checke his conscience againe and put it to silence with a wicked thought against himselfe and his owne soules saluation Where then is his free will of doing good if he cannot thinke a good thought to do himself good will he thinke you busie his braine and set his temples a working to please God no assuredly for iudgement will and affections which are the principles of our actions are wholly taken away Rom. 3. There is none that vnderstandeth therefore no iudgement in spirituall matters Secondly none that seeketh God their will affections are estranged Thirdly all haue declined and are made vnprofitable there the power and endeuour are wanting 1. Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceiueth not the things of God there is want of iudgement Rom. 8.5 they that liue after the flesh sauour the things of the flesh there the will is meerely carnall Phil. 2. God worketh both will and deed Ezek. 36.26 God giues the heart Rom. 7.14 man is carnall the law spirituall how should that which is carnall affect that which is spirituall Ioh. 15.5 Without mee yee can doe nothing Againe the counsellers 1. domestical 2. externall internall domesticall 1. flesh Rom. 8.6 2. the concupisence of the flesh Rom. 6.12 3. carnis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisedome of flesh is enmitie with God 4. the will of the flesh as a queene externall 1. deuill 2. world Ephes 2.2 Man therefore hauing no principles of good thoughts and that which is to be thought vpon beeing spirituall and he carnall and hauing sixe most woefull counsellers foure at home with him in his owne breast as the flesh which can no waies sauour the things of God and therefore doth alwaies intreat for obedience to his owne Iusts secondly concupiscence wherby the flesh is made more strong and effectuall to command thirdly a carnall discourse against Gods wisedom fourthly a Queene or rather an vsurping Iezable to set vp her throne in the soule to informe and command what shall be done and lastly two outward enemies that creepe neere vnto the walls of the soule as the deuill and the world full of polices and great in strength how should it be possible that the soule should resist nay alas the watch and ward is wholly neglected and therfore ful possession is giuen vnto the enemies This doctrine then doth fully ouerturne all
are in danger but it lights but vpon the pate of one of them and he falls to the ground wounded and yeelds vp the ghost all the rest quake and tremble at the sight and are speechlesse So the Lord is daily shooting forth his arrowes he neuer misseth his aime the watchmen of the citie tell the people the arrowe of God is among them and for all this no man is afraid it strikes downe some of the stoutest of them but alas all is giuen to some surfet or weakenesse in the man which they finding themselues free from thinke it is impossible for them to die as he did because they haue not his disease as though there were no more diseases to cut off life then that one If a messenger knocke at the doore and answer be giuen him presently hee is gone without delay so beloued Gods plagues would not still rage at our doores if we gaue God his answer yet still the Lord rings the bel at our doore Secondly a direction to the godly to watch continually that so they may escape the iudgements of the Lord and mourne for his iudgements vpon others for these April dewes will bring forth in them the May flowers of Gods spirit and in weeping stil respect our selues more thē other for that alone makes God carie handkerchifes to wipe away our teares and this sowing in teares will bring vs a speedie haruest and when the rod is vpon others let vs take it to our selues for is it not better to take the rod into our owne hands and beate our selues gently then the Lord who is a consuming fire should wast vs with it Bones out of ioynt the longer they goe they prooue more painfull betimes they are set more easily therefore let vs betimes set our selues in the waies of the Lord least he rebuke vs sharply We physicke purge sweate and all for the bodie can we indure nothing for the soule the vomite of the soule is the greife of repentance and tell me I pray you who euer repented him of repentant sorrow In these reproofes we are worse afraid then hurt rising out of a soft bed is exceeding tedious to a sluggard yet our vp doth not dare vs at all so is the awaking from the sleepe of sinne and slumbering in the reliques of sinne which still haue dwelling in the best of vs. To see a souldier wounded is no newes but to goe with it is desperate follie so our sighting in this world is no newes if it bring knocks and maimes vnto vs yet to let them goe and ranckle and fester is forlorne negligence therefore let this direction take his impression in our soules that we may make excellent vse of all Gods reproofes Vse 3. Consolation in trouble because the Lord will reward vs but punish them that cause vs affliction 2. Thess 1.6 7. For it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you which are troubled rest with vs. Secondly in prosperitie to reioice that we can sorrow that the Lord reprooues any of our brethren to be grieued for the afflictions of Ioseph Daniel could find no comfort in his priuate prosperitie and great authoritie because he knew that the Church of God was in great miserie the like affection was in good Nehemiah so likewise on the contrarie to reioyce when we be reprooued to see Gods church to flourish so Paul beeing in prison was not so much grieued at his own bonds as he reioyced at the libertie of the Gospel of Christ Sect. 3. Of the obiect Thee God in his owne children loues the person and accepts of them in Christ and onely hates their sinne and reprooues that but in an hypocrite he hates both the person and the sinne for if he should onely bee offended with the sinne then should there be no difference betwixt the godly and the wicked for he hates sinne equally in them both and yet they are not both equally hated and therefore some thing more in an hypocrite is the obiect of hatred then his verie sinne But it may be obiected that nothing can be hated but that which is euill The obiect of Gods hatred now the persons of wicked men are good the sinne is onely euill therefore onely hated Answ Euill is considered two wayes First in the abstract as beeing not considered with the subiect in which it is and so it is equally hated of God euery where Secondly in the concrete when the euill and the subiect are put together euill absolutely taken and an euill man are diuers considerations the same cause of hatred in both but not the same manner for a godly man is of an other condition seeing sinne in him is but a tyrant and he is none of his lawfull subiects and therefore though sinne fights to subdue him vnto his kingdome yet the spirit of God resists and will be the ruler Therefore as the loue of the subiects stand toward their king so doth the king loue them Now the loue of sinne and wicked men is naturall and so is the loue of God and his children spiritually naturall and therefore must he needes loue his owne subiects and hate all his enemies for if an enemie should captiuate a loyall subiect the king would presently require him againe when he is content to let his enemies haue their owne libertie ouer their owne slaues Therfore the children of God lose not the name of righteous persons because they sinne for it is rather sinne in themselues then themselues that offend God Rom. 7. Paul saies It is no more I but sinne that dwells in me Therefore in a wicked man there be three considerations first of his euill 2. of his sinnefull person 3. of his personall beeing the two first are hated the third is loued of God so a godly man first his euill secondly his righteous person thirdly his personall beeing the first is hated the two last are loued of the Lord. Observ 1. A Reproofe must be passed vpon sinne Euery thing that is secret must be brought into light Eph. 5.13 All things when they are reprooued of the light are manifest for it is the light that maketh all things manifest Ioh. 16.8 And when he is come he will reprooue the world of sinne and of righteousnes and of iudgement So that this point is generall to the sinnes of all men especially to the wicked for they haue neuer desired by heartie repentance to bring their sinnes vnto the light and therefore because they would not iudge themselues by it it shall iudge them to their woe Indeede to behold the light is a comfotable thing but for sore eyes it is verie troublesome and therefore those that doe euill hate the light because their works are euill and so the Lord must needs araigne them euen in the cleare sunne-shine to the view of all men euen of their verie consciences Ioh. 3. Reas 1. Because sinne is the violation of Gods law and therefore must
of them wee shall either thinke that there is no prouidence or else so strange a prouidence that it should contradict it selfe Yet surely after due consideration we shall see all colours to paint out this excellent glorie and rauish vs with the beautie of it For as the skilfull painter is able to dispose of infinite varietie of colours in his curious worke to set forth the excellencie of his skill and produce the greatest praise which perhaps to the eyes of ignorant beholders in the beginning were nothing but the pictures of deformitie yet he himselfe knew full well that the chiefest of his arte was in the limming forth of that creature which afterward he meant with boldnes to commend vnto the eyes of the beholders so the Lord which in the creation replenished the world with all beautifull colors from whence all painters haue learned their arte the very imitation of Gods worke in nature shall be able to dispose of all the varietie of colours in his Church to shew that that piece of work which he limmed forth in his decree which men make a monster and since the beginning of the world hath set it forth in his liuely colours to be most admirable and full of beautie or as an exquisite Musitian which is able to make a most sweet harmonie of the greatest multitude of strings and in nature dissonant to sound forth his skilfull and most excellent arte which at his pleasure can extend or let fall as well the trebble as the tenor and the tenor as the base and mixe them with the counter-tenors the small bases or what soeuer seemes good vnto his will to ioyne extreames with middles and middles with themselues and all their extreames so that in all his musicke is neither heard harshnesse of stroke or vnpleasantnesse of sound so the Lord the best and most sweete singer in all Israel is able to put downe all artes because if they should striue with him they should but stand vp against their maker for he is the inuenter of them all and men and angels are but the obseruers of his wisdome and therefore all in heauen and earth shall meete together to sound forth the praise of the Lord and therefore the Lord can not but keepe good order in all his waies and if he will take sinne into his owne hands it shall not be spoiled for want of good handling Obs Sinne shall be an excellent means to glorifie God surely except it had bin for this cause I should haue vtterly despaired any good that euer could haue bin brought out of sinne but seeing my text informes me that God will haue the handling of it I dare boldly say that sinne is decreed made good of God and for no other end but that he may be glorified by it for God handles nothing that he wills not and what he wills he wills from all eternitie And therefore he deales not with sinne as men deale with ineuitable accidents to make a vertue of necessitie to take in hand to dispose of sinne when he could not mend it but the Lord had this work in his hands long before it came to passe and now it is sufficient for vs to admire at it and haue it in exceeding account Surely God hath ordered with himselfe and now he will order it with his creature it was in Gods eyes from eternitie and now shall it be in mans eyes according to Gods time alloted vnto him Reason 1. Because God is the God of order and therefore must he needes iudge as well of confusion as of order it selfe for that which approoues the one doth alwaies disprooue the contrarie Reas 2. Because God will haue his works seen as long as all did lie in the first chaos nothing was seene in his distinction but when the Lord had brought light out of it made it separate the euening and the morning brought euery creature into his place then became the worke of the Lord to be glorious Psal 19. the heauens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth forth the worke of his hand So when the Lord hath brought the light of his decree out of the confusion of sinne then shall all flesh see the glory of our God Reason 3. From the wicked which haue set themselues to crosse God and therefore if he wil be glorified by them he must haue it by his owne arme for they scorne to giue it him Reason 4. The consolation of his Saints for this puts them out of all heart to see things fall out a crosse Psal 37. is wholly spent vpon this subiect that the flourishing estate of the wicked is but transitory and destruction is their end but the misery of the godly in this world ends in peace and quietnesse because they are in the fauour of God therefore must they not fret or be enuious for the euill doers for they are soone cut downe like grasse and wither away as the greene hearb but trust in the Lord and doe good dwell in the land and they shall be fed assuredly Psal 73. yet God is good vnto Israel euen vnto the pure in heart there is the dispute about Gods order or prouidence in gouerning of the world The question is whether God be good vnto the faithfull The disputants are the flesh and the spirit the arguments are brought on both sides and by the arguments the cause is determined First the old man brings his arguments and proues the negatiue part that God is not good vnto Israel first he pulls two arguments out of his owne bosome want of wisedome and discontentednes of minde which were the fountaine of his errour he that can not guide his feete nor keepe his steppes from slipping may easily say God is not good vnto Israel but I the old man cā do neither of these and therefore must I needes thinke that God is not good vnto Israel Secondly he that can not indure the prosperitie of the wicked and the miserie of his owne soule may easily iudge God not to be good vnto Israel but thus were my affections guided and therefore from minde and heart from blindnes and affection I conclude that God is not good vnto Israel But the discerning spirit may easily answer these obiections with a nego consequentiam for they are but the witnesses of a lying spirit it is no good consequence to say that the sunne shines not because I am blinde and see it not no good consequence to say Gods hates me because he prospers the wicked Leaue these inartificiall arguments and dispute more solidly from some artificiall thing I will therefore beginne with their death and thus I dispute He that is not drawne vnto his death as a malefactour neither hath sicknes on him as the messenger of death but is without all bonds lusty and strong must needes prooue that God is better vnto him then his Israel and therefore not good vnto them the assumption I prooue They are not in trouble with other
with my heart and for my spirit to search diligently will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shewe no more fauour is his mercie cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore hath God forgotten to be mercifull hath he shut vp his tender mercie in displeasure what will this doe vnto my soule surely it will prooue my death Yet I remembred thy workes meditated in them deuised with my selfe what should be the ende of them and I found thy way in the Sanctuarie whither I must ascend by faith if I meane to declare thy power among the people to wit thy redemption The waters of the red sea seeing thy power were afraid the depths trembled thou rainedst vpon Egypt and madest thy thunders to be heard the lightning lightned the world the earth trembled and shooke thus thou didst lead thy people like sheepe by the hands of Moses and Aaron so that they wanted no comfort in the midst of many waters and all because God did dispose of all their troubles Surely that God orders all things is a most admirable comfort of the faithfull and a reson that I cannot leaue vnpressed Thy little finger shall not ake a haire of thy head shall not fall to the ground without Gods disposition Psal 121.4 behold a note of admiration both to good and bad of demonstration to all that expect the mercies of the Lord and of attention to those that are too negligent and what may they all behold euen this that the keeper of Israel will neither slumber nor sleepe A keeper what is that surely to be set in some office and therefore too base for the great God of heauen to become Israels seruant if Dauid had not styled him so in the next verse I should haue beene vnwilling to haue thought it but nowe I dare say it the Lord is thy keeper and therefore O Israel thou art but as a child vnder tuition as a sheepe vnder a pastor but happie that thou art put into the hands of no gouernour saue into his that gouernes the whole world not a sheepe left vpon the mountaines without a shepheard but euen vnto him that against the fond conceit of the Aramites is the God both of the mountaines and vallies the keeper of Israel First he had Iacob in his keeping the younger brother who when he feared the strength of his brother Esau became Israel one that preuailed with God and therefore sure to preuaile with man He had stood before the lyon of the tribe of Iudah and therefore needs not blush at the face of Esau Againe all the twelue Patriarks haue gone into Egypt and their whole progeny taking the name of their father and therefore were preserued in Egypt brought out with ioy lead through the red sea protected in the wildernesse and most safely conducted into the land of Canaan and since that all spirituall Israel hath bin lead by Christ Iesus out of spirituall Egypt through the red sea of his baptisme to passe through the wildernesse of this world vnto the celestiall Canaan where they shall appeare in Sion Now beloued what is this keeper vnto Israel not onely no sleeper but also free from all slumber he neuer layes his eyes together as though he were wearie with watching Psal 34.15 The eies of the Lord are vpon the righteous and his eares are open to their cries neither hath he any neede to close them vp for it is onely proper vnto the creatures that are wearied with labouring and watching but the Lord is no more wearie in his care for the whole world then he is for one of the heires of thy head See it in his Saints hee preserued Noe in the great deluge Abraham and Lot in all their dangers Iacob could not be hurt of Esau nor Ioseph in prison Moses cannot perish in the riuer nor Israel in the yron fornace and therefore the heathen by the light of nature could paint out prouidence in Argos with an hundred eyes so that if one were at rest yet another might be waking but the Lord is totus oculus nothing but eie and therefore all comfort to them for whom he watches for good and not for euill Vse 1. Reprehension first the confutation of the wicked that thinke by their disorder to confound the Lord indeede man is confounded in many law causes and knowes not to what heades to bring some crimes that so they may be iudged but the Lord wil not misse his scope for all their confusion Secondly a correction of the godly that depend no more vpon God is God thus excellent Oh then I will neuer be from his elbowe I will keepe me to my station that so when my God shall call I may be in readinesse Vse 2. Instruction first admonition to the wicked that for shame they set something in order and leaue not all in heapes seeing the God of heauē means to visit their houses Secondly let thē be admonished to deale better with their neighbours and bandle them more gently for that must come on their skore The other vse is a direction to the godly concerning the faithful cariage of themselues in this world Let them haue as little to doe with the wicked as they can for euery secret of them shall be brought to light How would a man tremble when he knows that any person is detected for villanies with whome he had to doe be none of their receiuers for they are theeues and they will indanger euery one of the law that hath any thing to doe with them Vse 3. Consolation vnspeakable that the Lord will haue the handling of all matters first in thy necessities hast thou any wrongs offered thee be of good comfort for the Iudge is for thee hast thou any trialls be exceeding ioyfull the matter shall be caried on thy side against the face of all thy aduersaries hast thou lost any thing by theeues and wicked oppressors of the world if they now be vnknowne vnto thee thou shalt haue them then detected if thou knowest them but can get no redresse here vpon earth rest quiet thine heart the matter shall be amended and for deferring of the payment thou shalt receiue the whole with all the forfeits Secondly in thy plenty reioyce in the Lord for he orders all things to increase thy store and to giue thee thy fill of ioy Sect. 2. Of the placing of sinne Set The second argument is the setting or placing of sinne Hos 2.10 from whence it is plaine that sinne hath wholly put man out of ioynt and alas when this setting shall come he shall be so forlorne that it shall be impossible to bring his ioynts into any good frame It shall then be past time for turning the wheele of the vnderstanding for disposing the will to runne in her created course to bring the affections to good order place euerie member of the bodie to become a weapon of righteousnesse to serue uhe Lord yet there shall be a
Sathan is a worker beside his owne peculiar manner of tempting which is possession or a more liberty and freedome to the tempted of sorrow and despaire and quicke dispatch of themselues For comfort of the godly I will instance a little in these lesser temptations and then I wil inlarge them to the wicked whose cause is desperate Of our owne natures spring the temptations which rise of the roote of originall sinne The spring and fountaine of all temptations without any forraine instigation from the world whatsoeuer is either a baite of pleasure or fright of terror which increase the actuall sinnes springing frō the originall roote and lay as it were compasse and powreth on water to that vngracious stock to make it grow the faster Now all these temptations are not of that dangerous nature that this is of here must we attend with patience the issue which not onely is certen but also shal come in the best time The corporall inhabiting of Sathan is the greatest fullest of terror and despaire that can befal the godly yet the historie of the deeds and sayings of Christ the writing of the Euangelists do testifie of whole legions dispossessed of that habitation by the power of Christ mercifully extended vpon such miserable captiues which examples serue against like times of affliction that we giue not ouer hope though millions of deuills should possesse vs within enuiron vs without but knowe his power to be aboue all force of the enemy and his mercie farre surmounting Sathans malice therefore Gods children haue no cause in this sort to feare nor haue any shadow of ground wheron they should resolue against themselues vpon the point of reprobation but that all these molestations and terrours which they now indure are temptations rather of their father for good and profit then grounded resolutions of such lamentable issue Againe The order of the deuill in drawing Gods elect into Atheisme and so on concerning his soule religion or faith for more praticular examination I find by daily experience that these are as well the operations of phansie from melancholie as of conscience for sinne that methode of which temptation I find for the most part to runne in this order First to call into question whether there be any God or no for melancholie is a disputing humor Secondly when reason hath mastered that then the second question is about the immortalitie of the soule When that again is conquered there enters a third question whether we professe the true religion or no. When that is expelled the fourth question that maketh the greatest tumult in the soule is whether wee haue any part or portion in that which it promiseth Here the deuill is exceeding busie for if this be resolued on he is wholly cast out and hath nothing further to trouble vs withall Any of the former doubts would haue sunke our soules for if no God then why should I abstaine from my sinfull pleasures If againe no refurrection then why should I vexe my selfe in this world If my religion be false then must I haue a new twenty to one but I change amisse and therfore I wil be of no religion but when I shall begin to thinke I haue no faith in Gods promises Whether melancholie be the affliction of conscience then alas what shall comfort me Therefore consider these questions first whether the conscience of sinne and the afflictions thereof be melancholy or not secondly what is the differēce thirdly the afflictions of mind to what persons they befall and by what meanes fourthly what may be the consolation And so from this setting before the eies of the conscience only in appearance I will proceed to the reall and that which the Lord will do to the hypocrite in this place For the first Difference betwixt them the affliction of conscience is quite another thing then melancholy as may appeare out of the second question by the differences First in the causes 1. Causes the one is a meere fancie without all true and iust ground and is onely raised vpon disorder or humour in the fancie and rashly deliuered to the heart which vpon naturall credulitie fareth in passion as if it were indeede whereof the fancie giueth a false alarum But the other is a sorrow and feare vpon cause and that the greatest cause that worketh miserie vnto man Secondly 2. Effects in the effects In that of conscience the bodie is ofttimes in firme state of health perfect in complexion and perfect in shape and all symmetrie of his parts the humours in quantity qualitie not exceeding nor wanting their naturall proportion but in the other the complexion is depraued obstructions spoile the course of humour and spirit whereby the blood becomes ouer-grosse thicke and impure and nature so disordered that diuerse melancholike persons haue iudged themselues strange creatures as historie will plainly record Thirdly 3. Subiect in the subiect The senses in the other both inward and outward are ofttimes perfect the imagination sound the heart wel compact and resolute and this excepted want no courage but in the other both inward sense and outward are too feebled the fancie ouertaken with ghastly fumes of melancholy and the whole force of the spirit closed vp in the dungeon of melancholy darkenesse imagineth all darke blacke and full of feare their hearts are either ouertender and reare and so easily admit the passion or ouer close of nature serue more easily to imprison the cheerefull spirit the causes of comfort to the rest of the body Hence they are faint hearted without occasion onely driuen with the tide of that humour to feare euen in the middest of securitie 4 From the originall Fourthly they differ in the fountaine and originall of them the one begins in the minds apprehension the other in the distempered humour which deluding the organicall actions abuseth the mind and draweth it into erroneous iudgement 5 Cure through false testimonie of the outward report Fiftly in the meanes of cure the one is helped by no medicine no purgation no cordiall or balme except the balme of Gilead are able to assure the afflicted soule trembling heart panting vnder the terrors of God hell death and damnation But in melancholy passions the vaine opened neesing powder or Bearefoot ministred to expell the fumes in the braine cordialls of pearle saphyres and rubies with such like recomfort the heart throwne downe and appaled with phantasticall feare 6. End Sixtly they differ in the ende in the one the perill is not of bodie and corporall actions but of foule and bodie to be cut off from the life of God from the sweet influence of his fauour the fountaine of all happinesse and eternall felicitie Here then the cause is the seueritie of Gods iudgement summoning the guiltie conscience the subiect is the sinfull soule apprehending the terror thereof which is for euer and euer the issue is eternall punishment satisfactorie to
his sleepe forsakes him when he speakes he is little bettes when he keeps silence he boyles in disquietnes the light doth not comfort him and the darknes doth terrifie him All other afflictions are tolerable because temporall and pursue but to death yet this beeing not â—uâ—ed endeth not in death Mens lawes transgressed may be helped by bribing of the magistrate or if the offence be capitall that there can be no pleading for him yet he may flie his country and so escape but God will not be bribed neither is there any flying from his presence Psal 139. nay alas we shall neede no seeking out we shal neede no apparitor to summon vs no baylâ—ffe to fetch vs no accuser to giue in euidence against vs sinne it selfe will arrest vs for he lieth at the doore our conscience will impanell a quest against vs our hearts will giue in sufficient euidence to conuict vs and our owne iniquities will plead guiltie to our faces This made the heathen to kill themselues thinking death to be an end of all miserie and thus like fond fishes they leape out of the pan into the fire out of the hell of their consciences into hell it selfe Let them doe the best they can get them to merrie companie laugh their sinnes out of countenance yet let them know that with Nero they may change their chamber but their chamber-fellow shall neuer leaue them They may sacrifice vnto the Lord humble themselues weepe with Esau confesse with Iudas lay hold on the hornes of the altar to mitigate their paine but onely the expiatorie sacrifice of the immaculate lamb is able to giue them rest and quietnes of soule Indeede this distresse of conscience soone becommeth melancholike vile and base turneth reason into foolishnes and disgraceth the beautie of the countenance How conscience may disiguâ—e the body and transformeth the stoutest Nebuchadnezzer becomes a beast so easily is the bodie subiect to alteration of minde and soone looseth with anguish and distraction thereof all the support of his excellencie In melancholie the heart is troubled with vaine seares vpon euery small obiect the very eye by a false apparition may strike him the eares with the imagination of euery voice sounding may dolefully appale him a very touch may make him startle and many such like troubles which are whelps of that melancholie litter bred of that corrupted state of bodie altered in spirit in blood in substance and complexion This may increase the terrour of the afflicted minde double the feare and discouragement How distemper of body may increase this wound and hinder all cure by counsell and aduise and shut vp all meanes of consolation for it must enter by the senses to the minde Now the instruments of sense beeing altered by the humour and their sinceritie stained with the obscure and darke spots of melancholie receiue not indifferently the medicine of consolation As the braine the original and fountaine of all sense and motion is thus euilly disposed so the heart the cherisher and refresher of our nature beeing in no better case and acquainted with terror and ouerthrowne with that searefull passion imptisoneth the spirits contracts it selfe and hardly yeilds to perswasion of comfort whatsoeuer it bringeth of assurance For though the griefe strike down at the first respecting no time place person condition or opportunitie of working but breaketh through all such considerations and beareth downe all resistance yet the comfort requireth them all and the missing of one makes the affliction to be long and hard in the cure The Comforters person his manner of handling the patient the time and place of performance with the braine and heart which are as the gates and entrance vnto the soule may hinder or aide the consolation No distemper can hinder the inward comfort of Gods grace But all this is to be vnderstood of outward meanes for the inward meanes to wit the grace of God and his mercie his comfortable spirit and gratious fauour in like swiftnes without meanes may restore the minde thus distressed which lieth open equally to the kind of cure euen as it lay to the wound Therfore seeing the body workes nothing vpon the mind altogether impatible of euery beeing sauing of God alone and secondly that the efficient can do it without helpe of the bodie and thirdly that the comfort is not procured by any corporall instrument nor the discomfort directly procured by the same lastly because all is done by causes in subiects nothing corporall and producing effects of an other nature then corporall it must needes bee concluded that there is great difference betwixt these two troubles The punishment of bodily racking is not the passion of the heart but a cause of it so that racking of the soule by sinne is not a melancholie passion but yet may it cause it and therefore makes the distinction not so cleare for oftentimes the symptome of a disease is taken for the disease it selfe The affliction of mind The persons which are hable to this sorrow to what persons it falleth and by what meanes is thus to bee resolued All men are subiect to this by reason of our fall the breach of Gods lawe and the wrath of God that followeth thereupon yet of all sorts of men melancholie persons are most subiect vnto it not from the humour but because he is most doubtfull and iealous of his estate for life temporall and life spirituall For temporall physitians and apothecaries shops will beare sufficient witnes for if they be able to walk we find them for the most part in these places And I would to God they were as readie for their spirituall life to bee with Gods spirituall physitians and in the shops of the true balme of Gilead By experience we find that when they beginne to examine how their actions answer the naturall and written line of righteousnesse and wanting the arch-pillar of faith and assurance in Christ Iesus our hope presently feele the very anguish due vnto sinners and in that most miserable condition fall into flat despaire The manner how this is done is when the curious melancholie person carrieth his mind into the senses of such mysteries How it befalls them as exceed humane capacitie and is desirous to knowe more then is reuealed in the word of truth and yet being ignorant of that which is reuealed he suddenly falls into the gulfe of Gods secret counsells which swalloweth vp all conceit of man or angel and measuring the truth of such depths by the shallow modell of his own wit is caught and deuoured of that which his presumptuous curiositie mooued him to attempt to apprehend Of this we haue a memorable example of a vertuous gentlewoman in this land who was carried along in this course doubting verie often of her saluation and making her case known vnto a worthy minister of God he often couÌ„felled her to take heede of inquiries further then Gods word and trust assuredly that shee might
conclude her saluation out of Gods word without any further reuelations yet still did the temptation grew vpon her insomuch that hauing a venice glasse in her hands and the selfe-same minister setting by her presently breakes forth into lamentable words You haue often told mee that I must seeke no further then Gods word but I haue been long without comfort and can indure no longer therefore if I must be saued let this glasse be kept from breaking and so she threw it against the walls Here might the Lords hand for this tempting of his maiestie haue left her to the euerlasting woes of her distrustfull heart yet the Lord that is rich in mercie hauing stamped her with the seale of his election was content to satisfie the languishing soule with a miracle the glasse rebounds againe and comes safe vnto the ground which the minister hauing gotten into his hands sayeth Oh repent of this sinne blesse God for his mercie and neuer distrust him more of his promise for now you haue his voyce from heauen in a miracle telling you plainly of your estate This was curiositie and might haue brought despaire yet it was the Lords mercie to remit the fault and graunt an extraordinarie confirmation of her faith But to proceede melan cholie persons that are giuen to contemplation if they be not well grounded in the word of God and haue resolued in all their speculations not to remooue one haire from the same are easily ouertaken and plunged in miserie and especially all such as haue their vocation consisting in such studies as philosophie c. which if they cary not a low saile and sometime to strike and lie at the anker of the Scriptures of God but hoist vp saile leaue it to the tempest of presumption are presently carried into the whirle-poole of Gods infinite secrets and are in daunger without the speciall grace of Gods mercie neuer to deliuer themselues for these men being not balanced with knowledge of Gods scriptures and assurance of his spirit are neuer able to abide the vglines of their sinnes when they shall once be vnfolded that narrow point of reprobation and election propounded vnto their melancholie braines and hearts and most miserable polluted soules Others which haue but some little knowledge of Gods word and practise answerable for want of the true apprehending of Gods reuealed will touching election and reprobation and the right methode of learning and conceiuing the doctrine causeth them to stumble and fall at this stone for a sword taken at the wrong ende is readie to wound the hand of the taker yet held by the handle is a fit weapon of defence so Predestination preposterously conceiued may through fault of the conceiuer procure hurt whereas in it selfe it is the most strong rock of assurance in al storms of temptations that can befall vnto bodie or soule because predestination is Gods immutable will the cause and rule of all iustice and vttermost of all reason in his workes Now if reason ascending to this supreame cause descend not againe to the meanes then when our sinnes shall meete with Gods iustice and we haue no eye to looke vpon his mercie in his sonne Christ we shall find nothing but the assurance of our owne destruction Againe if with the world we eye alone his mercie and consider not his iustice then miserable man who melteth as snow and vanisheth like a vapour before his iustice must needes perish eternally in that his carelesse presumption Againe as the melancholie person in generall and secondly in speciall 1. of giuing himselfe to contemplation 2. knowing Gods word vngroundedly so in the 3. place this makes the melancholie nature subiect to this passion when with a passionate humour he reads Gâ—ds word and doth as melancholy persons doe in regard of their bodie for if they read or heare of any disease presently they conceicue they haue it so deale they with the Scriptures they are guiltie of all iudgements and no sinne or iudgement but they either haue it or presently expect it and especially they resemble the one the other in this that they haue the strongest conceit of the most deadly diseases as consumptions and sicknesses incurable so the other of nothing but the sinne against the holy Ghost So that as ignorance before was their guide here ignorance and infidelitie linked together A fourth speciall manner in this melancholike subiect is the good and christian heart the waight of whose sinnes exceeding for a time the strength of their faith see not so clearely as they desire but euen as in a stormy tempest the ship seemeth at euery blast and sourge of the sea to be in danger of wracke and as the young ash bending to euerie blast of wind seemeth in perill of breaking and rooting vp when notwithstanding both the ship keepeth her constant course and the tree yet hath the rooting In winter we thinke the trees are dead and in a tempest we thinke wee haue lost the brightnes of heauen yet summer prooues the contrarie and the space of an houre may shewe the cleare heauens againe So when this tempest of Gods anger is ouer-blowne and his gracious countenance beginneth to shine on vs againe then the saith which was as it were hid for a time taketh life and sheweth foorth it selfe and plainely prooueth that as the trees when they bud in the spring time and bring forth fruite were not dead in the winter as they seemed so the faith of Gods children springeth afresh after the stormie winter of temptation and therefore no dead faith The diseases of the bodie make vs sometime seeme little better then dead corpses and yet the hidden life is after recouered and raised vp againe Thus saith by reason of our owne weakenes and thorough Sathans tempestuous malice bendeth seemeth feeble and yeeldeth to the force while notwithstanding it is built on the rocke and planted with the hand of God in the Eden of his gracious election and doth remaine a plant for euer in his Paradise of euerlasting felicitie Thus the lilly of God and euerie member of it though among many thornes is preserued because they are planted by the good husbandman watred with the dewes of heauen hedged and preserued by his continuall care for this husbandman is night and day in his field and yet he neuer sleepeth no not so much as slumbereth by his watchfull care for Israel his flocke Psal 121. In deed we had need of a good shepheard for wee are extraordinarie wandring sheep we had need of good gouernours for we are but punies in our wayes we had neede of a good guide on the seas of this world for we are but like vnexperienced trauailers by sea fearing euery weauing of the ship and â—â—ying with the disciples helpe vs Master or else we perish we imagine euery puffe of temptation to bee nothing but the gate of destruction when indeede it is the way of Gods dearest children and appointed of the Lord to bring vs
towards himselfe but he hath not lost his loue and fath toward God for he saith though the Lord should kil me yet would I trust in him Dauid Psal 22. Oh my God I crie by day but thou hearest not by night but thou giuest no audience neither night nor day had he any feeling that God did heare his prayers or graunted his requests but yet he was not without faith for he made this praier in faith and that with speciall application my God The Canaanitish woman had fowre repulses 1. silence 2. deniall I am not come but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel 3. the Apostles to speake against her send her away for she crieth after vs. 4. a wofull remembrance of her miserable estate Woman it is not good to take the childrens bread and cast it vnto dogges in all these Christ shewes her small comfort yet shee hath not lost the feeling of her saith for still shee cries Truth Lord yet the dogges may eate the crummes that fall from their masters table And surely all that can thus hang on the breasts of Gods mercies are children of hope that neuer miscarrie but at length after many scourges shall heare the admirable voyce of commendation I haue not found such faith in any goe away in peace and be it to euery one of you according to your faith Reas 2. Hee that will rest vpon the meanes of his saluation though he finde not any sweetnes in the performance of them is a true beleeuer though hee feele not his wished ioy Wilt thou goe to beare Gods word and frequent the places of his worship wilt thou pray read conferre meditate c. and performe all these in obedience vnto God though thou feele no sweetnesse in them then assure thy selfe that resting vpon Gods meanes for comfort thou hast true faith and that cannot but at length make thy ioy to breake forth Reas 3. He that with all his heart can wish the saluation of any member of Christ is a true member of Christ and ingrafted into Christ by a liuely faith now these diffressed soules can wish with all their hearts the saluation of others and therfore it cannot be but they should be of Christs bodie and haue in them the true life of that bodie for a member of the world can neuer in vpright sinceritie wish the wel-fare of Christs bodie Reas 4. They that most complaine of their corruption from the true sense and feeling thereof are sanctified by the spirit of grace for corruption cannot complaine of corruption neither one sinne become an enemie to another but grace alone complaines of corruption and the law of the spirit opposeth the law of the flesh nowe it is prooued by experience that none complaine more of sinne then the poore Christian afflicted in conscience neither is this their complaint that of the wicked for they crie out of the sense and feeling of the pupunishment but these for that they should so displease God O therefore lift vp your hearts and cry with Dauid Psal 51. Lord restore vnto vs the ioy of thy saluation Againe let vs consider with whom we fight and for what crowne and how both heauen and earth mooued at our redemption and the same power concurred thereto as in our first creation and therefore the worke beeing so great no maruell if we vndergo many an heauie burthen be put to many a dangerous lift yet the foundation is so surely laid that it must vp in spight of all opposing power For as the great and mighty oakes are slower in attaining their full growth then the shrubs and weedes whose enduring is for many yeares and for time out of mind as we say when the other in short time wither and fade away so must Christians esteeme their increase of heauenly graces slowe but sure and euerlasting as immortalitie that they may bee as a beame or a pillar in the temple of God for euer and euer for the life of grace is no naturall life but spirituall therefore no way corruptible for if it were so contradictions would be true that spirituall life should bee naturall life incoruptible corruptible and immortal mortall Neither here let vs be deceiued in iudging according to our sense or meere shewes of things for then the most fruitfull trees in winter shall be taken for barren and the lustie soyle dry and vnfruitfull while it is shut vp with the hard frost but reason and experience prooues the contrarie faith the spirituall sheild in this our spirituall war-fare endureth much battering and many brunts and receiueth the forefront of the encounter oftentimes fareth as if it were peirced through and worne vnfit for battell whereupon we lay it aside yet euen for all this it proues inuincible and repelleth whatsoeuer engine the enemie inforceth against vs and standeth firme rooted whatsoeuer storme Sathan raiseth for the displacing thereof therefore when the sense of faith is dulled in vs and the fruits minister discontentment remember that the graces and mercies of God are without repentance and Christ Iesus whom he loueth he loueth vnto the ende Suppose that fire were extraordinarily fixed in the cold water so that you would say there can be no coldnesse at all in the water yet consider that cold is so naturall to the water that secretly he will driue out the heate and make it apparent that the fire had no place there but by vsurpation so faith in the soule of man assisted by patience when man in the verie fire of affliction will by little and little bring out sinne and with sinne the punishment of the same so that it shal clearly appeare that faith doth but esteeme of them both as tenants at will Oh consider this that our goodnes did not mooue God to bestowe his mercie vpon vs neither shall our sinne cause him to remooue it for he saw them before be gaue vs his mercie why did he not then withhold his mercie surely as he knew vs when we were strangers from him and loued vs when we hated him and had nothing which might prouoke his mercie but our miserie so is his goodnes continued vpon vs still for his owne sake and not at all for our deseruing but for that righteousnes sake which is in his Sonne and that oblation of his offered vp not for himselfe but for others and therefore with whome he was well pleased for that sacrifice with them shall he still be well pleased otherwise both these absurdities should follow that this sacrifice might be in vaine and this wel-pleasing might be changed from whose righteousnesse so much is detracted as we attribute either vnto chāge or vnto our selues or thinke to attaine vnto in respect of our owne satisfying and againe so much of Gods mercie is impaired as we shall rest vpon any power or vertue in our selues whereby to auoid his vengeance iustice Election is onely the Lords therefore committed to no hazard if on vs who are like the
wind in vnconstancie and as fraile as the tender hearbs how soone should all become nothing therfore Gods decree being laid the first corner stone we may assure our selues that the building shall stand for euer therefore euery one in his conflicts with the deuill hath full assurance of the conquest for this roote is laid in him whose fruit and branches stormy tempests may nippe and shake yet the sappe shal neuer be dried vp in the roote neither shal any euil wind of Satan so blast that the immortall seede bee at any time quite withered yea though all fierie darts bend thereto with all might and maine employed yet the storme beeing blowne ouer by the spirit of grace and the comfortable sunne of consolation shining vpon our gloomy hearts it will budde forth againe into blossome fruit and branch as a most beautifull tree in the paradise of God Let the comparison of bodily sickenesse and the consideration of the kind of frailtie mooue vs we haue experience how diuers times the disease preuaileth ouer the sicke persons that actions faile and the faculties seeme quite to be spent neither hand nor foote is able to doe their duties the eie is dimme the hearing dul the tast altered and the tongue distasteth all things euen of most pleasant relish and the weake and feeble patient seemeth to attend the time of dissolution when as yet notwithstanding there remaineth a secret power of nature and a forcible sparke of life that ouercometh all these infirmities and consumeth them like drosse and rendreth to the body a greater purity and firmenesse of health then before the sicknes it did enioy euen so ought euerie one to esteeme of the spirituall case and consider that their soule is sicke but not dead faith assailed but not ouercome therefore let patience attend the finishing of this secret worke and so shall they see these burning seauers of temptations to be slaked and cooled by the mercie and grace of Christ and that sparke of faith which did he hid ouerwhelmed with heaps of temptations to breake forth againe consume the causes of the disease And as nature after a perfect crise dischargeth her selfe either by stoole vomite sweat bleeding or such like euacuations to the recouery of the former health euen so shall the faithful soule find in himselfe strange ease after these temptations by reason they haue caused diuers euacations of the filthines of sinne and therefore greater puritie must needs be in the soule Thus the Lord preserues the verie garments of his Saints that he suffereth them not to take any smell of the flame or the verie sweat of afflictions to sticke vpon them Psal 68.22 The Lord hath said I will bring my people againe from Bashan I will bring them againe from the depths of the sea Og the Gyant and all his fat bulls may push at the godly but their strength shall not preuaile against the strong one of Israel but euen the foote of his faithfull ones shal be dipped in blood and the tongues of the dogges of Israel may drawe out the verie heart blood of all these bulls So that after the conquest the triumph beeing giuen to the Lord they may truly celebrate it setting the singers before the players of instruments after so that the praise of God may be heard in his assemblies euen from all them that are deriued from the fountaine of Israel so that this knot betwixt God the faithfull soule more surely knit then that of Gordius can neuer be loosed by the deuill broken by his forces disanulled by his stratagemes or euer found out by his policies Therfore as Christ cried out O my God my God why hast thou forsaken me it is impossible that Christ should be forsaken therefore it is a voice more for the instruction of his children then to shew his owne discomforts if he cried out why may not we crie out yet as Christ was heard and freed from his feare so shall euery faithfull soule be sure to speede with his God and shall againe as Dauid was be restored to those wonted ioyes which they sometimes felt in the sweet mercies of the Lord. These assaults are at the first heauie and bitter if they come in great measure they may cause impatience Iob 3.1 if they continue then may the soule beginne to iudge them nothing but Gods wrath Iob 6.2 3. The arrowes of the Almightie are in me and the venome thereof doth drinke vp my spirit and the terrors of God are against me it brings afresh his old sinnes into remembrance to trouble him in his sleepe visions dreames and anxietie of spirit Yet in this miserie God supports his faith he feeling this gets experience Rom. 5.4 hence hope that grace shall neuer be wanting Iob 42.5 6 Heb. 12.11 Let Pharaoh feele but a little of this and he presently rebells yet the faithfull though they haue more feeling of their rebellious hearts and the deuill more strongly assailes them then any other yea God seemes to be their enemie yet Iob 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Dauid Psal 22.1 O my God I crie by day but thou hearest not by night but I haue no audience words almost of desperation and as a man without faith yet then he saith My God a plaine argument of faith for Gods children can not forget their language Hence a man may in a manner see contrarie affections in their prayers for flesh and spirit struggle together Gen. 32.18 Iaakobs wrastling is a type of the conflicts of the faithfull with Christ he assailes them with the one hand and vpholds them with the other hence Iaakob is called Israel a preuailer with God The Church hath both his names Psal 130. and Psal 121. Mark 15.22 to 27. we see a strange conflict betwixt the woman of Samaria and our Sauiour Christ foure notable repulses are giuen her 1. silence 2. haish speeches of the Disciples Send her away 3. cold comfort I am come for the house of Israel of which thou art none 4. extraordinarie reproch Thou art but as a dogge therefore must thou haue none of the childrens bread yet we finde her to be more instant at euery repulse and when the most dangerous repulse was giuen her to bring an inuincible argument of her faith True Lord I yeild all if my place and deseruings must be considered then no mercie for me but Lord yet account of me as thou hast saide let me thy dogge but tast of the crummes of thy mercie and it shall suffice the hunger of my soule Thus Gods children ouerwhelmed with sinne turmoiled with Sathans conflicts and amazed with Gods anger can then lift vp their eye lids and giue a glimps to the brasen serpent Christ Iesus and fling themselues into his armes catch hold on Gods hand buffetting them and kisse it There be three grounds of temptation First our naturall weakenesse prooued by Sathan and the world Secondly the continuall buds of our originall sinne in
vnderstanding will affections and all their instruments our vnderstanding is turned into blindnes of error our will embraceth not onely those things which corrupt iudgement directeth vnto but euen where vnderstanding standeth sound there will bendeth to affection and neglecteth the light of reason our affections are both rebellious to right iudgement and will in that they rage when they should not and where iust cause is giuen are quiet and at rest Thus from these principles in the soule the bodily members become weapons and instruments of all impietie and iniustice euen to the ouerturning of Church and Common-wealth except the Lord should restraine them in so much that the very pillars of the world would shatter in sunder and the vault of heauen would fall all things would turne to their former Chaos be consumed with the terrible fire of Gods vengeance and perish in his heauie displeasure Thirdly God puts on his children armour of proofe but they are negligent in the buckling of it on them and therefore the deuill often takes aduantage by that to doe vs hurt euen the gifts and graces of God are made grounds of the deuils temptations and therefore no maruaile though Sathan and the world preuaile against vs except the Lord stretch forth his hand and vphold vs. Therefore because I see the point in hand waightie and that which troubles the whole world to lie euen vpon this foundation and the resolution whereof cannot but administer excellent comfort to euery Christian I wil be bold to inlarge my meditations and the more willingly because it is so direct with my text not as grounded from it but as misapplied of the weak Christian taking euery sight of his sin for this fearefull setting of them before the eies of his conscience when the Lord onely threatneth the hypocrits and wicked of this world which will not but by constraint of law and iudgement meddle with their sinnes nay on the contrarie it is their nature to make God alwaies a friend vnto them as before we declared Therefore for the godlies sake will I not keepe silence in proceeding for their cōfort The grounds of all temptations beeing laid both inward and outward essentiall and accidentall we will come to the difficultie of difficulties to see how the deuill aimes at these grounds For distinction he doth it two waies either mediately or immediately mediately either by single means or by ioyning two together all these kinds will I manifest in the following discourse And first for his immediate working the experience of it is more lamentable and infallible then the manner howe easie to finde out yet something dare we boldly affirme and for methods sake we bring it to two heads It is either corporall possession or spirituall for the first hee may easily bring it about without any meanes because he is a most subtile nature and ful of strength by his subtiltie he may easily enter the bodie and by his strength he may carrie it at his pleasure he may possesse the whole bodie as Master command all that house but surely hee can not haue such accesse vnto the soule yet from his nature beeing by creation a spirit and therefore of the same kind of essence with our soules and indued with the same qualities of vnderstanding and will is able by agreement of nature and excellencie of qualitie to ouer-reach man beeing in the selfe same kind his inferiour For the nature of Angels is more excellent then mans and therefore hath hee a power ouer them for in nature euery inferiour power is subiected to the superiour yet both of them limited of God Therfore I doubt not but God permitting the deuill is able to meddle with our spirits without all corporall meanes euen as we see corporall creatures with bodily and corporall force to annoy one another and as men haue fellowship one with other by corporall presence and are delighted or displeased with the qualities of the mind according as they like or dislike vttered by speach and talke so it is most like that spirits haue their societie maintained by a spirituall conference whereby their wils and purposes are intercommunicated one to another without corporall sound whereof both the spirits want the instrument and the voice nothing affecteth the mind Daily experience maketh this manifest in such as are possessed whose discourses are often rare and admirable whose speach and phrase is often such as they neuer learned Now the deuill must needs be the schoolemaster and surely he informes them not by voice but by spirituall communication and so they receiue a cleare notion of many a point they were alwaies ignorant of and are able to expresse it in all varietie of languages and that in the phrase of eloquence Nay in a lesser degree then all this the false spirit perswades Ahab by all his false and lying Prophets that he should goe vp and prosper surely this spirit informed their spirits Thus entred Satan into Iudas not by corporall possession but spirituall and perswaded him to betray Christ thus Ananias Acts 5. had his heart filled and Ephes 2. the deuill is called the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience and that once they walked according to the conduct of that spirit These must needs bee reall operations carrying a force in them more then obiects do vnto any facultie that is conuersant about it for suppose the deuill should hold any art before the eies of an ignorant man could he possibly become a good Grammarian Rhetorician Logician whereby hee would talke with a Grecian though he were a Barbarian plead with Cicero though he were one of the common sort and dispute with Aristotle and Plato though he had neuer been in their schooles but had followed the plough all his life I should from reason thinke it impossible therefore he communicates his knowledg with these ignorant persons But you will say this is strange why should we then not perceiue it I answer the bodie in which the soule is is as a vayle to hide his manner of communication from vs yet it is no hinderance for him to enter within the vaile and speake vnto vs more angelico yet we peceiue it not saue in the effects because for the time of this life we exercise all actions through the body yet I am perswaded that if the soule were out of the body we should perceiue it most plainely if the curtain were drawn we should see the deuill lying with vs in our bosomes for the soules among themselues and with the angels in heauen haue sweet communication and therefore I feare not but the damned soules and deuils in hell haue their wofull societie Againe for the better conceiuing of this point wee stand not only subiect to Sathans annoyance through the subtilnes of his nature being a spirit but through that long experience and practise about our miserie from age to age is able to work more powerfully the Lord permitting him for a time Thus more perfectly
and at the table before him fall vnto his meat Now as it fares with the bodie so may the deuill cause it fal out with the soule make men cōceit strange things either by presumption as these hypocrites that they were like God that all was well with them or by despaire to discourage themselues that they are out of the loue and fauour of God and therefore neuer hope for any mercie therefore good to make a sudden dispatch of themselues by death and therefore Serapio calls this humour the very seate of the deuill and our common speech is that melancholy is the deuils blacke horse Againe if a man be of a cholerick complexion hote and drie it makes him fit for anger contention and brawling the deuill will augement it and make him forget all reason humanity and like beasts kill one another if a man be of a sanguine constitution hote and moist then naturally they are merry and Iovially disposed therefore he stirres these persons to wantonnes vncleannes if of a phlegmaticke constitution which is cold and moist then they are heauie and sleepie and these the deuill wil notably assaile with all manner of idlenesse the begetter of all manner of vices Againe he can play his part with the spirits of the body which are most excellent and the verie bonds of our soule and bodie First with the natural spirits he can helpe forward to great vices gluttonie and drunkennesse make men passe all bonds of sobrietie therefore by the naturall spirits he will notably increase the desire of all drunkards and gluttonous liuers It is an admirable thing to consider what many witches wil deuoure yet say they haue eaten nothing By this meanes the deuill keeps men from all good callings and disposeth them vnto all euill Secondly for the vitall spirits he can make men liuely quicke nimble to runne about his matters and againe make them dead hearted when they would goe about the workes God requires and therefore no maruell why men are so chearefull at playes beare-baitings lasciuious dauncing and many wicked recreations when at sermons and works of their callings they thinke euery houre a day and euerie day a yeare Thirdly for the animall spirits he makes what he lift of our outward senses he hath the eye at command to behold vanitie the eare at his becke to listen vnto lies the tongue at will to blaspheme God the hand at libertie to shed blood and the feete vnfettered to runne into all excesse of riot he hath the smell to wind a commoditie though it must be gotten by oppression he hath the touch most exquisite to finger other mens goods but as tender as butter to receiue any iniury For the inward senses he hath the common-sense the very sinke and puddle where all the outward senses center themselues that a speedie conueyance may be made to the phansie and so to the iudgement will and affections that sinne may euen haue entertainment without all intreatie quicke dispatch in his busines without all controlment or contradiction the memorie in good case to become a store house for all villanie and the phansie night nor day to be at rest vntill they haue found out a tabernacle for the deuill with all his instruments to dwell in These spirits helpe forward all motions and surely the deuill hee will driue the cart and horses and therefore no maruell if we rush into sinne as the horse doth into the battell for he goes fast enough whome the deuill driueth and therefore seeing that the deuill hath so many waies to deale with vs no extraordinarie matter to be troubled with him and as he driues vs vnto sinne so would he likewise driue vs into setting sinnes before our eyes especially when the hand of God is vpon body or soule to despaire of his mercie and leaue off all our confidence and cry nothing but reprobation let vs a litle see this cheife aduersarie of our soule that we may the better oppose him Of the deuills wit will and power to hurt the godly The deuill for facultie of vnderstanding is most subtile for habite most nimble and policie most expert Strength without wit is like a gyant without eies and the lesse to be feared but when there is a quicke eye to discouer all aduantages and a mighty strength to strike downe all before it then there must be strange power that can resist The deuill in the Scriptures is as well a serpent as a dragon yea and an old serpent which beeing the subtilest of beasts hath his craft redoubled by his age and experience Apoc. 12.9 hence he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signifie vnto vs great knowledge Sixe thousand yeares in a manner is the time of his age which were able to make one wise that were by nature simple and foolish therefore much more one of an exquisite knowledge by nature he is a spirituall beeing and so is able to diue as it were into the secrets of nature and with incredible swiftnes to passe from plece to place readie to intrude himselfe into all companies and learne their natures qualities dispositions and order of life so that our estate is almost vnto Sathan as was that of the king of Arams 2. kin 6.12 he knoweth all our counsels and consultations which wee take and hold in our most secret chambers for indeed for the most part he is the cheife counseller in all matters of sinne and receiues such intelligence frō our cogitations affections lusts inclinations and outward actions that he can shrewdly gesse at the frame of the soule if he keepe vs companie but a few dayes by the abuse of simple intelligence he can teach vs how to inuent much euil by the abuse of science he can become a lying spirit in the hearts of all men to seduce them to all error and heresie by the euill discourse of wisedome he can drawe men from one danger to another and perswade them that all are true diductions for yeeld to one sinne and a thousnad will follow out of the deuils discourses by the disorder of prudence he can teach men that no practise is warrantable but that which followes their method and by the euill handling of art he can seeme to be skilfull by nayling men fast vnto all their impieties Hence arise all the deuills stratagems first against vnderstanding 2. the will and affections 3. the body Against vnderstanding first he desires nothing more then to put out that eie and make men like mill horses to runne round in his seruice and when he pleaseth may suffer them to knock out their braines Secondly after he hath blinded the mind with ignorance then he tempts them to error and thirdly from error he brings them to heresie and from heresie hee leads them a long to hardnesse of heart from hardnesse of heart to no sense and feeling of their wretched estate and then follows all
seaze vpon that which he pursueth 1. Pet. 5.8 Secondly that yet we may a little the more conceiue of his brutish cruelitie he is compared Reu. 12.3 to a red dragon whose fiercenes we find in history to exceede all lyons for a lyon if he be not hungry and see one not oppose him but fall downe before him will not hurt him but a dragon will deuoure mans flesh for sport This malice is open and so lesse dangerous but if he see that we are strongly fortified with Gods grace and at all points armed with compleat armour of a Christian if fenced and hedged on all sides as Iob was Iob 1.10 then leauing his raging violence he striues with vs by fawning and alluring vs to sinne thus with our first parents to tast of that pleasant fruit which depriued them of the breast-plate of righteousnes and vncocouered them of Gods protection so that euer since that time he hath had full blowes without all resistance hence he is called a tempter and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that tempter the tempter of tempters after temptation he falls to accusation hence he is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the deuill after accusation he is very glad that God will any where make him an executioner and hang-man his will then can be no lesse then maliciousnesse it selfe Eph. 6.12 But you will say though his will be malitiously bent yet he wants strength but let me tell you that the deuill is very strong both in himselfe and in his aides In himselfe he can raise great tempests both by sea and by land he is compared to the great Leuiathan that makes the sea to boyle with his motion as strong vpon earth as a lyon a dragon with seuen heads and tenne hornes and with his very taile he throwes to the ground the third part of the starres of heauen Luk. 11.21 a strong armed man who keepeth in peace all that he possesseth nay a mightie prince not of one country or land but a monarch of the whole world Ioh. 12.31 and by his authoritie can command infinit multitudes to goe for him neither is this all but they bee called princes powers worldly gouernours Ephes 6.12 and that these may not be one against another they haue a head vnder which they all conspired Math. 25.41 fire prepared for the deuill and his angels in this sense he is called Beelzebub the prince of deuils the word signifies a prince of flies not for their weaknesse but mulitudes euen as though they were swarmes conioyned together to do mischeife one spirit taketh seuen more Mat. 12.45 nay a legion of deuils are spoken of Luk. 8.30 so that they are a sufficient number to beset vs all on all sides and in all places Lastly to set forth the aduantage he hath of vs poore men they are said to be princes of darkenesse and that is lamentable to fight with an enemy that can see vs but not be seen againe Secondly they are not enemies of flesh but spirituall wickednesses most dangerous because spirits and pestelent because no lesse then wickednesse it selfe they wil be with vs because they are so swift and they neuer come without the plague and pestelence of sinne hanging about them Thirdly they haue gotten the vpper ground and fight from higher places then wee can reach vnto being poore silly worms crawling vpon the earth and the Scriptures truely laying open his strength call him no lesse then a god of this world 2. Cor. 4.4 as though he were omnipotent vpon earth But perhaps you will say he wants courage to his strength but let me tell you I find him in the scriptures to be no lesse then exceeding desperate and audacious there was neuer man that liued but he had some thing to say with him Adam in paradise yea our sauiour Christ nay Reu. 12.7 there is mention of a battell in heauen Michael and his angels fought against the dragon the dragon and his angels c. But if I should proceed I should vtterly dis-hearten the poore Christian and make him despaire of any encounter and hope of victorie yet dare I boldly giue the deuill his aids and yet bid the weakest Christian offer the deuill his challenge his aids are two first the world secondly his own flesh the one playes on both hands with prosperity and aduersitie and the other a traytour alwaies readie to betray him into the hands of his enemies Hauing described the deuill in his wit will and power let vs see if there be any wisdom to oppose him any wil that exceeds as much in goodnesse vnto man as the deuill doth in malice any power that can master the deuils For the first the good angels haue more wit then the bad and yet their wisedome is nothing vnto Gods now the eye of the Lord is on the righteous and all the holy angels pitch their tents about them and therefore this counsel shall stand against all the policies of the deuil and the gates of hell shal neuer preuaile And for the vertues of vnderstanding God hath intelligence to crosse all the inuentions of the deuill science to preserue his owne truth from the lies of the deuill sapience to drawe more good out of euill then the deuill can euill out of good and for prudence God can order all that which he hath laboured to bring to confusion and for arte the Lord hath more skill to tye his owne vnto himselfe then the deuil hath to draw them from him and for all those stratagems wrought vpon the vnderstanding the Lord can take away the vaile of ignorance preserue from error hardnes of heart or any thing that might rise out of that head And for wil and affection and the whole body the Lord hath promised and will performe that his holy ones shall be sanctified throughout both in body and soule For the malice of the deuills will we ought to lay to heart the good will and pleasure of our God which hath said he wil not forsake vs and for power we may be assured that the deuill hath no power but that which God shal permit vnto him he cannot touch Iob vntill God giue him leaue he cannot be a meanes of Ahabs ruine vntill it please God to yeild him that liberty that he may be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his false prophets nay he cannot enter so much as into such creatures as swine vntill Christ haue giuen him so much refreshment before the time of his wofull torture Secondly wee may fight with courage for the deuill is alreadie chained and reserued to more strong chaines hereafter Iud. v. 6. Thirdly God hath left vs such store of armour of proofe as the deuill can neuer strike through hee may as easily wound God as wound vs being couered with it he can neuer loose our girdle of veritie strike through our breast-plate of righteousnes vncouer our feet beeing shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace his blowes can neuer enter