Secondly here is a Warning for us to take consideration of the losse of good or usefull men and to fear when they are going from us that some evil is comming towards us The Prophet complaineth of the too great and general neglect hereof in his times The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and mercifull men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come Esa. 57. When God sendeth his Angel to pluck out his righteous Loâ—s what may Sodome expect but fire and brimstone to be rained down upon them When he plucketh up the fairest and choicest flowers in his garden and croppeth off the tops of the goodliest poppies who can think other than that he meaneth to lay his garden waste and to turn it into a wild wildernesse when he undermineth the main pillars of the house taketh away the very props and buttresses of Church and Common-weal sweepeth away religious Princes wise Senatours zealous Magistrates painfull Ministers men of eminent rancks gifts or example who can be secure that either Church or Common-weal shall stand up long and not â—otter at least if not fall God in Mercy taketh such away from the evil to come we in wisdom should look for evil to come when God taketh such away Thirdly here is instruction for wordlings to make much of those few godly ones that live among them for they are the very pawns of their peace and the pledges of their security Think not yee filthy Sodomites it is for your own sakes that ye have been spared so long know to whom you are beholden This Fellow that came in to sojourn among you this stranger this Lot whom you so hate and malign and disquiet he it is that hath bayled you hitherto and given you protection Despise not Gods patience and long suffering ye prophane ones neither blesse your selves in your ungodly wayes neither say We prosper though we walk in the lusts of our hearts This and thus we have done and nothing hath been done to us God holdeth his hand and holdeth his tongue at us surely He is such a one as our selves Learn O ye despisers that if God thus forbear you it is not at all for your own sakes or because he careth not to punish evil doers no he hath a little remnant a little flock a little handfull of his own among you a few names that have given themselves unto him call upon him daily for mercy upon the land and that weep and mourn in secret and upon their beds for your abominations whom you hate and despise and persecute and defame and account as the very scumme of the people and the refuse and off-scowring of all things to whom yet you owe your preservation Surely if it were not for some godly Iehoshaphat or other whose presence God regardeth among you if it were not for some zealous Moses or other that standeth in the gap for you Gods wrath had entred in upon you long ere this as a mighty breach of water and as an overflowing deluge overwhelmed you and you had been swept away as with the Besome of destruction and devoured as stubble before the fire It is The innocent that delivereth the land and repriveth it from destruction when the sentence of desolation is pronounced against it and it is delivered by the purenesse of his hands O the goodnesse of our GOD that would have spared the five Cities of the Salt Sea if among so many thousands of beastly and filthy persons there had been found but Ten righteous ones and that was for each City but two persons nay that would have pardoned Ierusalem if in all the streets and broad places thereof replenished with a world of Idolaters and Swearers and Adulterers and Oppressours there had been found but one single man that executed judgement and sought the truth from his heart But O the madness of the men of this foolish world withall who seek to doe them most mischief of all others who of all others seek to doe them most good thirsting most after their destruction who are the chiefest instruments of their preservation On foolish and mad world if thou hadst but wit enough yet yet to hugge and to make much of that little flock the hostages of thy peace and the earnest of thy tranquillity if thou wouldst but Know even thou at least in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace Thou art yet happy that God hath a remnant in thee and if thou knewest how to make use of this happinesse at least in this thy day by honouring their persons by procuring their safety and welfare by following their examples by praying for their continuance thou mightest be still and more and ever happy But if these things that belong unto thy peace be now hidden from thine eyes if these men that prolong thy peace and prorogue thy destruction be now despised in thy heart in this day of thy peace God is just thou knowest not how soon they may be taken from thee and though he do not bring the evil upon thee in their days when they are gone thou knowest not how soon vengeance may overtake thee and Then shall he tear thee in pieces and there shall be none left to deliver thee I have now done Beseech we God the Father of mercies for his dear son Iesus Christ his sake to shed his Holy Spirit into our hearts that by his good blessing upon us that which hath been presently delivered agreeably to his holy truth and word may take root downwards in our hearts and bring forth fruit upwards in our lives and conversations and so to assist us ever with his grace that we may with humble confidence lay hold on his mercies with cheerfull reverence tremble at his judgements by unfeigned repentance turn from us what he hath threatned and by unwearied Obedience assure unto us what he hath promised To which Holy Father Sonne and Spirit three persons and c. THE THIRD SERMON AD POPVLVM At Grantham Linc. Iun. 19. 1621 3 Kings 21.29 I will not bring the evil in his dayes but in his sons dayes will I bring the evil upon his house I Come now this third time to entreat of this Scripture and by Gods help to finish it Of the three parts whereof heretofore propounded viz. 1. Ahabs Humiliation 2. The suspension of his judgement for his time 3. And the Devolution of it upon Iehoram the two former having been already handled the last only now remaineth to be considered of In the prosecution whereof as heretofore we have cleared GOD'S Holiness and Truth so we shall be now occasioned to clear his Iustice from such imputions as might seem to lie upon it from this Act. And that in three respects accordingly as Iehoram who standeth here punishable for Ahabs sin may be considered in a threefold
contract my speech to the scanting of time or you if I should lengthen it to the weight of the matter And therefore I resolved here to make an end and to give place as fit it is to the businesse whereabout we meet The Total of what I have said and should say is in effect but this No pretension of a good end of a good meaning of a good event of any good whatsoever either can sufficiently warrant any sinfull action to be done or justifie it being done or sufficiently excuse the Omission of any necessary duty when it is necessary Consider what I say and the Lord give you understanding in all things Now to God the Father Son and Holy Spirit c. AD CLERUM The Third Sermon At a Visitation at Boston Lincoln 13. March 1620. 1 COR. 12.7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall IN the first Verse of this Chapter S. Paul proposeth to himself an Argument which he prosecuteth the whole Chapter through and after a profitable digression into the praise of Charity in the next Chap. resumeth again at the 14. Chapter spending also that whole Chapter therein and it is concerning spirituall gifts Now concerning spirituall gifts brethren I would not have you ignorant c. These gracious gifts of the holy Spirit of God bestowed on them for the edification of the Church the Corinthians by making them the fuell either of their pride in despising those that were inferiour to themselves or of their envy in malicing those that excelled therein abused to the maintenance of schisme and faction and emulation in the Church For the remedying of which evils the Apostle entreth upon the Argument discoursing fully of the variety of these spirituall gifts and who is the Author of them and for what end they were given and in what manner they should be imployed omitting nothing that was needfull to be spoken anent this subject In this part of the Chapter entreating both before and after this verse of the wondrous great yet sweet and usefull variety of these spirituall gifts he sheweth that howsoever manifold they are either for kind or degree so as they may differ in the materiall and formall yet they do all agree both in the same efficient and the same finall cause In the same efficient cause which is God the Lord by his Spirit ver 4 6. Now there are diversities of gifts but the same Spirit and there are differences of administrations but the same Lord and there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all And in the same finall cause which is the advancement of Gods glory in the propagation of his Gospel and the edification of his Church in this ver But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withall By occasion of which words we may enquire into the nature convenience and use of these gifts First their nature in themselves and in their originall what they are and whence they are the works of Gods Spirit in us the manifestation of the Spirit Secondly their conveyance unto us how we come to have them and to have property in them it is by gift It is given to every man Thirdly their use and end why they were given us and what we are to do with them they must be employed to the good of our Brethren and of the Church is given to every man to profit withall Of these briefly and in their order and with speciall reference ever to us that are of the Clergy By manifestation of the Spirit here our Apostle understandeth none other thing then he doth by the adjective word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the first and by the substantive word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the last verse of the Chapter Both which put together do signifie those spiritual gifts and graces whereby God enableth men and specially Church-men to the duties of their particular Callings for the generall good Such as are those particulars which are named in the next following verses the word of Wisdome the word of Knowledge Faith the gifts of healing workings of miracles prophecy discerning of spirits divers kinds of tongues interpretation of tongues All which and all other of like nature and use because they are wrought by that one and self-same Spirit which divideth to every one severally as he will are therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall gifts and here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manifestation of the Spirit The word Spirit though in Scripture it have many other significations yet in this place I conceive to be understood directly of the holy Ghost the third Person in the ever blessed Trinity For first in ver 3. that which is called the Spirit of God in the former part is in the latter part called the Holy Ghost I give you to understand that no man speaking by the spirit of God calleth Iesus accursed and that no man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost Again that variety of gifts which in ver 4. is said to proceed from the same Spirit is said likewise in ver 5. to proceed from the same Lord and in ver 6. to proceed from the same God and therefore such a Spirit is meant as is also Lord and God and that is onely the Holy Ghost And again in those words in ver 11. All these worketh that one and the self-same Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will the Apostle ascribeth to this Spirit the collation and distribution of such gifts according to the free power of his own will and pleasure which free power belongeth to none but God alone Who hath set the members every one in the body as it hath pleased him Which yet ought not to be so understood of the Person of the Spirit as if the Father and the Son had no part or fellowship in this business For all the Actions and operations of the Divine Persons those onely excepted which are of intrinsecall and mutuall relation are the joynt and undivided works of the whole three Persons according to the common known maxime constantly and uniformly received in the Catholike Church Opera Trinitatis ad extra sunt indivisa And as to this particular concerning gifts the Scriptures are clear Wherein as they are ascribed to GOD the Holy Ghost in this Chapter so they are elsewhere ascribed to God the Father Every good gift and every perfect giving is from above from the Father of Lights Jam. 1. and elsewhere to God the Son Unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Eph. 4. Yea and it may be that for this very reason in the three verses next before my text these three words are used Spirit in ver 4. Lord in ver 5. and God in ver 6. to give us intimation that these spirituall gifts
things no superiour power having determined his liberty therein then although he may not do any of these things by reason of the contrary perswasion of his conscience without sin yet he may without sin leave them undone As for example Say a man should hold it utterly unlawfull as some erroneously do to play at cards or dice or to lay a wager or to cast lots in triviall matters if it be in truth lawfull to do every of these things as I make no question but it is so they be done with sobriety and with due circumstances yet he that is otherwise perswaded of them cannot by reason of that perswasion do any of them without sin Yet forsomuch as they are things no way necessary but indifferent both in their nature and for their use also no superiour power having enjoyned any man to use them therefore he that judgeth them unlawfull may abstain from them without sinne and so indeed he is in conscience bound to do so long as he continueth to be of that opinion But now on the other side if the things so mis-judged to be unlawfull be any way necessary either in respect of their own nature or by the injunction of authority then the person is by that his error brought into such a straite between two sinnes as he can by no possible meanes avoid both so long as he persisteth in that his errour For both if he do the thing he goeth against the perswasion of his conscience and that is a great sinne and if he do it not either he omitteth a necessary duty or else disobeyeth lawfull authority and to do either of both is a sinne too Out of which snare since there is no way of escape but one which is to rectifie his judgement and to quit his pernicious errour it concerneth every man therefore that unfeignedly desireth to do his duty in the fear of God and to keep a good conscience not to be too stiffe in his present apprehensions but to examine well the principles and grounds of his opinions strongly suspecting that winde that driveth him upon such rocks to be but a blast of his own fancy rather than a breathing of the holy Spirit of truth Once this is most certain that whosoever shall adventure to do any thing repugnant to the judgement of his own conscience be that judgement true or be it false shall commit a grievous sin in so doing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it cannot be of faith and whatsoever is not of faith is sin That is now where the conscience apparently inclineth the one way But say the scales hang even so as a man cannot well resolve whether way he should rather take Now he is in one mind by and by in another but constant in neither right Saint Iames his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a double minded man This is it we call a doubting conscience concerning which the second question is what a man ought to do in case of doubtfulnesse Perfect directions here as in most deliberatives would require a large discourse because there are so many considerable circumstances that may vary the case especially in respect of the cause from which that doubtfulnesse of mind may spring Many times it ariseth from meere ficklenesse of mind or weaknesse of judgement as the lightest things are soonest driven out of their place by the wind Even as St. Iames saith a double minded man is wavering in all his wayes and S. Paul speaketh of some that were like children off and on soon wherryed about with every blast of doctrine Sometimes it proceedeth from tendernesse of Conscience which is indeed a very blessed and gracious thing but yet as tender things may soon miscarry if they be not the more choisely handled very obnoxious through Sathans diligence and subtilty to be wrought upon to dangerous inconveniencies Sometimes it may proceed from the probability of those reasons that seem to stand on either side betwixt which it is not easie to judge which are strongest or from the differing judgements and opinions of learned and godly men thereabout and from many other causes But for some generall resolution of the Question what is to be done where the conscience is doubtfull I answer First that if the doubtfulnesse be not concerning the lawfulnesse of any of the things to be done considered simply and in themselves but of the expediency of them as they are compared one with another as when of two things proposed at once whereof one must and but one can be done I am sufficiently perswaded of the lawfulnesse of either but am doubtfull whether of the two rather to pitch upon in such a case the party ought first to weigh the conveniencies and inconveniencies of both as well and advisedly as he can by himself alone and to do that which then shall appeare to him to be subject to the fewer and lesser inconveniencies Or if the reasons seem so equally strong on both sides that he cannot of himselfe deside the doubt then secondly if the matter be of weight and worth the while he should doe well to make his doubts known to some prudent and pious man especially to his own spirituall Pastor if he be a man meetly qualified for it resolving to rest upon his judgement and to follow his direction Or if the matter be of small moment he may then thirdly do whether of both he hath best liking to as the Apostle saith in one particular case and it may be applied to many more Let him do what he will he sinneth not resting his conscience upon this perswasion that so long as he is unfeignedly desirous to do for the best and hath not been negligent to use all requisite diligence to inform himself aright God will accept of his good intention therein and pardon his errour if he shall be mistaken in his choice But secondly if the question be concerning the very lawfulnsse of the thing it self whether it may be lawfully done or no and the conscience stand in doubt because reasons seem to be probable both pro and contra there are learned men as wel of the one opinion as of the other c. as we see it is for instance in the question of Usury and of second marriage after divorce and in sundry other doubtfull cases in morall divinity in such a case the person if he be sui juris is certainly bound to forbear the doing of that thing of the lawfulnesse whereof he so doubteth and if he forbear it not he sinneth It is the very point the Apostle in this verse intendeth to teach and for the confirming whereof he voucheth this Rule of the Text He that doubteth saith he is damned if he eat he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned of his own conscience because he doth that willingly whereof he doubteth when he hath free liberty to let it alone no necessity urging him thereunto And the reason why he ought rather to
of Ecclesiasticall ceremonies and Constitutions in which case the aforesaid allegations are usually most stood upon this hath been abundantly done in our Church not onely in the learned writings of sundry private men but by the publick declaration also of authority as is to be seen at large in the preface commonly printed before the book of Common prayer concerning that argument enough to satisfie those that are peaceable and not disposed to stretch their wits to cavill at things established And thus much of the second Question touching a doubting conscience whereon I have insisted the longer because it is a point both so proper to the Text whereat so many have stumbled There remaineth but one other Question and that of far smaller difficulty What is to be done when the conscience is scrupulous I call that a scruple when a man is reasonably well perswaded of the lawfulnesse of a thing yet hath withall some jealousies and fears lest perhaps it should prove unlawfull Such scruples are most incident to men of melancholy dispositions or of timorous spirits especially if they be tender-conscienced withall and they are much encreased by the false suggestions of Satan by reading the books or hearing the Sermons or frequenting the company of men more strict precise and austere in sundry points than they need or ought to be and by sundry other means which I now mention not Of which scruples it behooveth every man first to be wary that he do not at all admit them if he can chuse or if he cannot wholly avoid them that secondly he endeavour so far as may be to eject them speedily out of his thoughts as Satans snares and things that may breed him worser inconveniencies or if he cannot be so rid of them that then thirdly he resolve to go on according to the more profitable perswasion of his mind and despise those scruples And this he may do with a good conscience not onely in things commanded him by lawfull authority but even in things indifferent and arbitrary and wherein he is left to his own liberty Much more might have been added for the farther both declaration and confirmation of these points But you see I have been forced to wrap things together that deserve a more full and distinct handling that I might hold some proportion with the time I had a purpose briefly to have comprised the summe of what I have delivered concerning a gainsaying a doubting and a scrupulous conscience in some few conclusions for your better remembrance and to have added also something by way of direction what course might be the most probably taken for the correcting of an erroneous conscience for the setling of a doubtfull conscience and for the quieting of a scrupulous conscience But it is more then time that I should give place to other business and the most and most material of those directions have been here and there occasionally touched in that which hath been delivered already in which respect I may the better spare that labour Beseech we God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ so to endue us all with the grace of his holy Spirit that in our whole conversations we may unfeignedly endeavour to preserve a good conscience and to yield all due obedience to him first and then to every Ordinance of man for his sake Now to this Father Son and blessed Spirit three persons and one eternall God be ascribed all the Kingdome the power and the glory both now and for evermore Amen FINIS AD MAGISTRATUM The First Sermon At a publick Sessions at Grantham Lincoln 11 June 1623. JOB 29. ver 14 15 16 17. 14. I put on righteousnesse and it clothed me my judgement was as a Robe and Diadem 15. I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame 16. I was a Father to the poor and the cause which I knew not I searched out 17. And I brake the jawes of the wicked and plucked the spoil out of his teeth WHere silence against foul and false imputations may be interpreted a Confession there the protestation of a mans own innocency is ever just and sometimes necessary When others doe us open wrong it is not now Vanity but Charity to do our selves open right and whatsoever appearance of folly or vain boasting there is in so doing they are chargeable with all that compell us thereunto and not we I am become a fool in glorying but ye have compelled me 2 Cor. 12.11 It was neither pride nor passion in Iob but such a compulsion as this that made him so often in this book proclaim his own righteousnesse Amongst whose many and grievous afflictions as it is hard to say which was the greatest so we are sure this was not the least that he was to wrestle with the unjust and bitter upbraidings of unreasonable and incompassionate men They came to visit him as friends and as friends they should have comforted him But sorry friends they were and miserable comforters indeed not comforters but tormenters and Accusers rather than Friends Seeing Gods hand heavy upon him for want of better or other proof they charge him with Hypocrisie And because they would not seem to deal all in generalities for against this generall accusation of hypocrisie it was sufficient for him as generally to plead the truth and uprightnesse of his heart they therefore go on more particularly but as falsely and as it were by way of instance to charge him with Oppression Thus Eliphaz by name taxeth him Chap. 22.6 c. Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for naught and hast stripped the naked of their clothing Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry But as for the mighty man he had the earth and the honourable man dwelt in it Thou hast sent widowes away empty and the arms of the fatherlesse hast thou broken Being thus shamefully indeed shamelesly upbraided to his face without any desert of his by those men who if he had deserved it should least of all have done it his neighbours and familiar friends can you blame the good man if to remove such false aspersions he do with more then ordinary freedome insist upon his own integrity in this behalf And that he doth in this Chapter something largely wherein he declareth how he demeaned himself in the time of his prosperity in the administration of his Magistracy far otherwise than was laid to his charge When the ear heard me then it blessed me and when the eye saw me it gave witnesse to me Because I delivered the poor that cryed and the fatherlesse and him that had none to help him The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caused the widowes heart to sing for joy in the next immediate verses before these And then he goeth on in the words of my Text I put on righteousnesse c. It seemeth Iob was
Title too I have said ye are Gods Psalm 82. If you be Gods why should you feare the faces of men This is Gods fashion he giveth grace to the humble but he resisteth the proud he exalteth the meek and lowly but he putteth the mighty out of their seats If you will deale answerably to that high name he hath put upon you and be indeed as Gods follow the example of God lift up the poore oppressed out of the mire and tumble downe the confidence of the mighty and proud oppressour when you receive the Congregation judge uprightly and feare not to say to the wicked be they never so great Lift not up your horne So shall you vindicate your selves from contempt so shall you preserve your persons and places from being baffelled and blurted by every lewd companion Courage in the Magistrate against these great ones especially is thirdly necessary in respect of the Offenders These wicked ones of whom Iob speaketh the longer teeth they have the deeper they bite and the stronger jawes they have the sorer they grinde and the greater power they have the more mischief they doe And therefore these great ones of all other would be well hampered and have their teeth filed their jawes broken their power curbed I say not the poore and the small should be spared when they offend good reason they should be punished with severity But you must remember I now speak of Courage and a little Courage will serve to bring under those that are under already So that if meane men scape unpunished when they transgresse it is oftner for want of care or conscience in the Magistrate then of Courage But here is the true triall of your Courage when you are to deale with these great ones men not inferiour to your selves perhaps your equalls yea and it may bee too your Magistracy set aside men much greater than your selves men great in place great in wealth in great favour that have great friends but withall that doe great harme Let it bee your honour that you dare bee just when these dare bee unjust and when they dare smite others with the fist of violence that you dare smite them with the sword of justice and that you dare use your power when they dare abuse theirs All Transgressours should be looked unto but more the greater and the greatest most as a Sheepherd should watch his Sheep even from Flyes and Maukes but much more from Foxes most of all from Wolves Sure hee is a sorry Sheepherd that is busie to kill Flyes and Maukes in his Sheepe but letteth the Wolfe worry at pleasure Why one Wolfe will doe more mischief in a night than a thousand of them in a twelve-moneth And as sure he is a sorry Magistrate that stocketh and whippeth and hangeth poor Sneaks when they offend though that is to be done too but letteth the great theeves doe what they list and dareth not meddle with them like Saul who when God commanded him to destroy all the Amalekites both man and beast slew indeed the rascality of both but spared the greatest of the men and the fattest of the cattell and slew them not The good Magistrate should rather with Iob here break the jawes of the wicked and in spight of his heart pluck the spoile out of his teeth Thus have you heard the four duties or properties of a good Magistrate contained in this Scripture with the grounds and reasons of most of them opened They are 1. a love and zeal to justice 2. Compassion to the poor and distressed 3. Paines and Patience in examination of causes 4. Stoutnesse and Courage in execution of justice The uses and inferences of all these yet remaine to be handled now in the last place and altogether All which for order and brevities sake we will reduce unto three heads accordingly as from each of the foure mentioned Duties or Properties or Rules call them which you will there arise Inferences of three sorts First of Direction for the choyce and appointment of Magistrates according to these four properties â—econdly of Reproof for a just rebuke of such Magistrates as faile in any of these four Duties Thirdly of Exhortation to those that are or shall be Magistrates to carry themselves therein according to these four Rules Wherein what I shall speak of Magistrates ought also to be extended and applyed the due proportion ever observed to all kinds of officers whatsoever any way appertaining unto Iustice. And first for Directions Saint Paul saith The powers that are are ordained of God and yet Saint Peter calleth the Magistracy an humane ordinance Certainly the holy Spirit of God which speaketh in these two great Apostles is not contrary to it self The truth is the substance of the power of every Magistrate is the Ordinance of God and that is Saint Pauls meaning but the Specification of the circumstances thereto belonging as in regard of places persons titles continuance jurisdiction subordination and the rest is as Saint Peter termeth it an humane ordinance introduced by Custome or positive Law And therefore some kindes of Magistracy are higher some lower some annuall or for a set time some during life some after one manner some after another according to the severall Lawes or Customes whereon they are grounded As in other circumstances so in this concerning the deputation of the Magistrates person there is great difference some having their power by Succession others by Nomination and other some by Election As amongst us the supreme Magistrate the King hath his Power by succession some inferiour Magistrates theirs by nomination or speciall appointment either immediately or mediately from the King as most of our Iudges and Iustices some again by the elections and voices of the multitude as most Officers and Governours in our Cities Corporations or Colledges The Directions which I would inferre from my Text cannot reach the first kind because such Magistrates are born to us not chosen by us They do concern in some sort the second but most neerly the third kind viz. Those that are chosen by suffrages and voices and therefore unto this third kind onely I will apply them We may not think because our voices are our own that therefore we may bestow them as we list neither must we suffer our selves in a matter of this nature to be carried by favour faction spight hope feare importunity or any other corrupt and partiall respect from those Rules which ought to levell our choice But we must conferre our voices and our best furtherance otherwise upon those whom all things duly considered we conceive to be the fittest and the greater the place is and the more the power is we give unto them and from our selves the greater ought our care in voycing to be It is true indeed when we have used all our best care and proceeded with the greatest caution we can we may be deceived and make an unworthy choice For we cannot
those temporal afflictions he inflicteth For as he rewardeth those few good things that are in evil men with these temporall benefits for whom yet in his Iustice he reserveth eternall damnation as the due wages by that Iustice of their grace-lesse impenitency so he punisheth those remnants of sin that are in Godly men with these temporal afflictions for whom yet in his mercy he reserveth Eternall salvation as the due wages yet by that mercy only of their Faith and repentance and holy obedience As Abraham said to the rich glutton in the Parable Luke 16. Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented As if he had said If thou hadst any thing good in thee remember thou hast had thy reward in earth already and now there remaineth for thee nothing but the full punishment of thine ungodlinesse there in Hell but as for Lazarus he hath had the chastisement of his infirmities on earth already and now remaineth for him nothing but the full reward of his godlinesse here in Heaven Thus the meditation of this Doctrine yieldeth good Comfort against temporal afflictions Here is yet a third Comfort and that of the three the greatest unto the godly in the firm assurance of their Eternal reward It is one of the Reasons why God temporally rewardeth the unsound obedience of natural carnal and unregenerate men even to give his faithfull servants undoubted assurance that he will in no wise forget their true and sound and sincere obedience Doth God reward Ahabs temporary Humiliation and will he not much more reward thy hearty and unfeined repentance Have the Hypocrites their reward and canst thou doubt of thine This was the very ground of all that comfort wherewith the Prodigal sonne sustained his heart and hope when he thus discoursed to his own soul If all the hired servants which are in my Fathers house have bread enough and to spare surely my Father will never be so unmindfull of me who am his Son though too too unworthy of that name as to let me perish for hunger Every temporal blessing bestowed upon the wicked ought to be of the child of God entertained as a fresh assurance given him of his everlasting reward hereafter Abraham gave gifts to the sons of his Concubines and sent them away but his onely son Isaac he kept with him and gave him all that he had Right so God giveth temporal gifts to Hypocrites and Cast-awayes who are bastards and not sonnes not sonnes of the free woman not sons of promise not born after the spirit and that is their portion when they have gotten that they have gotten all they are like to have there is no more to be looked for at his hands But as for the inheritance he reserveth that for his dear Children the godly who are Born after the spirit and Heires according unto promise on these he bestoweth all that ever he hath all things are theirs for on them he bestoweth his Son the heir of all things in whom are hid all the treasures of all good things and together with whom all other things are conveyed and made over unto them as accessories and appurtenances of him and on them he bestoweth Himself who is All in all In whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore To which joy unspeakable and glorious O thou the Father of mercies who hast promised it unto us bring us in the end for thy dear Sonnes sake Jesus Christ who hath purchased it for us and given into our hearts the earnest of his and thy holy Spirit to seal it unto us To which blessed Son and holy Spirit together with thee O Father three persons and one only wise gracious glorious Almighty and eternal Lord God be ascribed by us and all thy faithfull people throughout the world the whole kingdome power and glory for ever and ever Amen Amen THE SECOND SERMON AD POPVLVM At Grantham L inc Febr. 27. 1620 3. Kings 21.29 because he humbleth himself before me I will not bring the evil in his dayes I Will not so farr either distrust your memories or straiten my self of time for the delivery of what I am now purposed to speak as to make any large repetition of the particulars which were observed the last time from the consideration of Ahabs person and condition who was but an Hypocrite taken joyntly with his present carriage together with the occasion and successe thereof He was humbled It was the voyce of God by his Prophet that humbled him Upon his humbling God adjourneth his punishment From all which was noted 1. that there might be even in Hypocrites an outward formal humiliation 2. the power and efficacy of the word of God able to humble an oppressing Ahab 3. the boundlesse mercy of God in not suffering the outward formal humiliation of an ungodly Hypocrite to passe altogether unrewarded All this the last time by occasion of those first clauses in the verse Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me because he humbleth himself before me I will not We are now next to consider of the great Favour which it pleased God to shew to Ahab upon his humiliation what it was and wherein it consisted It was the Removal at least for a time that is the suspension of an heavy judgement denounced against Ahab and his house most deservedly for his bloody and execrable oppression Because he humbleth himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days The Evil which God now promiseth he will not bring I will not bring the evil in his days is that which in verse 21. he hath threatned he would bring upon Ahab and upon his house Behold I will bring evil upon thee and will take away thy posterity and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel and will make thy house like the house of Ieroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Abijah for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger and made Israel to sin A great judgement and an heavy but the greater the judgement is when it is deserved and threatned the greater the mercy is if it be afterwards forborn as some of this was But whatsoever becommeth of the judgement here we see is mercy good store God who is rich in mercy and delighted to be stiled the God of mercies and the Father of mercies abundantly manifesteth his mercy in dealing thus graciously with one that deserved it so little Here is mercy in but threatning the punishment when he might have inflicted it and more mercy in not inflicting the punishment when he had threatned it Here is mercy first in suspending the Punishment I will not bring
punishment to awaken other from their security in sinne How should we send up Supplications and prayers and intercessions for Kings and for all that are in authority that God would incline their hearts unto righteous courses and open their ears to wholesom counsels and strengthen their hands to just actions when but a sinfull oversight in one of them may prove the overthrow of many thousands of us as David but by once numbring his people in the pride of his heart lessened their number at one clap threescore and ten thousand If Israel turn their backs upon their enemies up Iosuah and make search for the troubler of Israel firret out the thief and doe execution upon him one Achan if but suffered is able to undoe the whole hoast of Israel what mischief might he doe if countenanced if allowed The hour I see hath overtaken me and I must end To wrap up all in a word then and conclude Thou that hast power over others suffer no sin in them by base connivence but punish it thou that hast charge of others suffer no sinne in them by dull silence but rebuke it thou that hast any interest in or dealing with others suffer no sinne upon them by easie allowance but distaste it thou that hast nothing else yet by thy charitable prayers for them and by constant example to them stop the course of sinne in others further the growth of grace in others labour by all means as much as in thee lyeth to draw others unto God lest their sinnes draw Gods judgements upon themselves and thee This that thou mayest doe and that I may doe and that every one of us that feareth God and wisheth well to the Israel of God may do faithfully and discreetly in our several stations and callings let us all humbly beseech the Lord the God of all grace and wisdom for his Son Iesus sake by his holy Spirit to enable us To which blessed Trinity one only wise Immortal Invisible Almighty most gracious and most glorious Lord and God be ascribed by every one of us the kingdom the power and the glory both now and for ever Amen THE FOVRTH SERMON AD POPVLVM In S. Pauls Church London 4 Nov. 1621. 1 Cor. 7.24 Brethren let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God IF flesh and bloud be suffered to make the Glosse it is able to corrupt a right good Text. It easily turneth the doctrine of Gods grace into wantonnesse and as easily the doctrine of Christian liberty into licentiousness These Corinthians being yet but Carnal for the point of Liberberty consulted it seemeth but too much with this cursed glosse Which taught them to interpret their Calling to the Christian Faith as an Exemption from the duties of all other callings as if their spiritual freedom in Christ had cancelled ipso facto all former obligations whether of Nature or Civility The Husband would put away his Wife the Servant disrespect his Master every other man break the bonds of relation to every other man and all under this pretence and upon this ground that Christ hath made them free In this passage of the Chap. the Apostle occasionally correcteth this erour pincipally indeed as the present Argument led him in the particular of Marriage but with a farther and more universal extent to all outward states and conditions of life The sum of his Doctrine this He that is yoaked with a wife must not put her away but count her worthy of all love he that is bound to a Master must not despise him but count him worthy of all honour every other man that is tyed in any relation to any other man must not neglect him but count him worthy of all good offices and civil respects suitable to his place and person though Shee or He or that other be Infidels and Unbeleevers The Christian Calling doth not at all prejudice much less overthrow it rather establisheth and strengtheneth those interests that arise from natural relations or from voluntary contracts either domestical or civil betwixt Man and Man The general rule to this effect he conceiveth in the form of an Exhortation that every man notwithstanding his calling unto liberty in Christ abide in that station wherein God hath placed him contain himself within the bounds thereof and cheerfully and contentedly undergoe the dutiâ—s that belong thereto ver 17. As God hath distributed to every man as the Lord hath called every one so let him walk And lest this Exhortation as it fareth with most other especially such as come in but upon the by as this doth should bee slenderly regarded the more fully to commend it to their consideration and practice he repeateth it once again verse 20. Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called And now again once more in the words of this verse concluding therewith the whole discourse into which he had digressed Brethren let every man wherein he is called therein abide with God From which words I desire it may be no prejudice to my present discourse if I take occasion to entreat at this time of a very needfull argument viz. concerning the Necessity Choice and Use of particular callings Which whilst I doe if any shall blame me for shaking hands with my text let such know First that it will not be very charitably done to passe a hard censure upon anothers labour no nor yet very providently for their own good to slight a profitable truth for some little seeming impertinency Secondly that the points proposed are indeed not impertinent the last of them which supposeth also the other two being the very substance of this Exhortation and all of them such as may without much violence be drawn from the very words themselves at leastwise if we may be allowed the liberty which is but reasonable to take-in also the other two verses the 17. and the 20. in sense and for substance all one with this as anon in the several handling of them will in part appear But howsoever Thirdly which Saint Bernard deemed a sufficient Apology for himself in a case of like nature Noverint me non tam intendisse c. let them know that in my choice of this Scripture my purpose was not so much to bind my self to the strict exposition of the Apostolical Text as to take occasion there-from to deliver what I desired to speak and judged expedient for you to hear concerning 1. the Necessity 2. the Choice and 3. the Use of particular Callings Points if ever needfull to be taught and known certainly in these dayes most Wherein some habituated in idleness will not betake themselves to any Calling like a heavy jade that is good at bit and nought else These would be soundly spurred up and whipped on end Othersome through weakness doe not make a good choice of a fit Calling like a young unbroken thing that hath mettal and is free but is ever wrying the
for that Bread of life which came down from Heaven and feedeth our Soules unto eternal life and neither they nor it can perish If we must say for that Give us this day our daily bread shall we not much more say for this Lord evermore give us this bread But I have done Beseech we now Almighty God to guide us all with such holy discretion and wisdome in the free use of his good Creatures that keeping our selves within the due bounds of Sobriety Charity and civil Duty we may in all things glorifie God and above all things and for all things give thanks alwayes unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ. To which our Lord Jesus Christ the blessed Sonne of God together with the Father and the Holy Spirit three Persons and one onely wise gracious and everliving God be ascribed as is most due by us and his whole Church all the Kingdome the Power and the glory both now and for evermore Amen Amen THE SIXTH SERMON AD POPVLVM At S. Pauls Crosse London April 15. 1627. GEN. 20.6 And God said unto him in a dream Yea I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thine heart For I also withheld thee from sinning against me therefore suffered I thee not to touch her FOr our more profitable understanding of which words it is needfull we should have in remembrance the whole story of this present Chapter of which story these words are a part And thus it was Abraham commeth with Sarah his Wife and their family as a Stranger to sojourn among the Philistims in Gerar covenanteth with her before-hand thinking thereby to provide for his own safety because she was beautifull that they should not be to know that they were any more than Brother and Sister Abimelech King of the place heareth of their comming and of her beauty sendeth for them both enquireth whence and who they were heareth no more from them but that she was his Sister dismisseth him taketh her into his House Hereupon God plagueth him and his House with a strange Visitation threatneth him also with Death giveth him to understand that all this was for taking another mans Wife He answereth for himself GOD replyeth The Answer is in the two next former Verses the Reply in this and the next following Verse His Answer is by way of Apology he pleadeth first Ignorance and then and thence his Innocence And he said Lord wilt thou slay also a righteous Nation Said not he unto me She is my Sister and she even she her self said He is my Brother in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this That is his Plea Now God replyeth of which reply letâ—â—ng pass the remainder in the next Verse which concerneth the time to come so much of it as is contained in this Verse hath reference to what was already done and past and it meeteth right with Abimilechs Answer Something he had done and something he had not not done he had indeed taken Sarah into his House but he had not yet come near her For that which he had done in taking her he thought he had a just excuse and he pleadeth it he did not know her to be another mans Wife and therefore as to any intent of doing wrong to the Husband he was altogether Innocent But for that which he had not done in not touching her because he took her into his House with an unchaste purpose he passeth that over in silence and not so much as mentioneth it So that his Answer so far as it reached was just but because it reached not home it was not full And now Almighty God fitteth it with a Reply most convenient for such an Answer admitting his Plea so far as he alleged it for what he had done in taking Abrahams Wife having done it simply out of ignorance Yea I know thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart and withall supplying that which Abimelech had omitted for what he had not done in not touching her by assigning the true cause thereof viz. his powerfull restraint For I also with-held thee from sinning against me therefore suffered I thee not to touch her In the whole Verse we may observe First the manner of the Revelation namely by what means it pleased God to conveigh to Abimelech the knowledge of so much of his will as he thought good to acquaint him withall it was even the same whereby he had given him the first information at Verse 3. it was by a dream And God said unto him in a dream and then after the substance of the Reply whereof again the general parts are two The former an Admission of Abimelechs Plea or an Acknowledgement of the integrity of his heart so far as he alleged it in that which he had done yea I know that thou didst it in the integrity of thine heart The later an Instruction or Advertisement to Abimelech to take knowledge of Gods goodnesse unto and providence with him in that which he had not done it was God that over-held him from doing it For I also with-held thee from sinning against me therefore suffered I thee not to touch her By occasion of those first words of the Text And God said unto him in a dream if we should enter into some enquiries concerning the nature and use of divine Revelations in general and in particular of Dreams the Discourse as it would not be wholly impertinent so neither altogether unprofitable Concerning all which these several Conclusions might be easily made good First that God revealed himself and his will frequently in old times especially before the sealing of the Scripture-Canon in sundry manners as by Visions Prophecies Extacies Oracles and other supernatural means and namely and among the rest by Dreams Secondly that God imparted his Will by such kind of supernatural Revelations not only to the godly and faithfull though to them most frequently and especially but sometimes also to Hypocrites within the Church as to Saul and others yea and sometimes even to Infidells too out of the Church as to Pharaoh Balaam Nebuchadnezzer c. and here to Abimelech Thirdly that since the writings of the Prophets and Apostles were made up the Scripture-Canon sealed and the Christian Church by the preaching of the Gospel become Oecumenical dreams and other supernatural Revelations 〈◊〉 also other things of like nature as Miracles and whatsoever more immediate and extraordinary manifestations of the will and power of God have ceased to be of ordinary and familiar use so as now we ought rather to suspect delusion in them than to expect direction from them Fourthly that although God have now tyed us to his holy written word as unto a perpetual infallible Rule beyond which we may not expect and against which we may not admit any other direction as from God yet he hath no where abridged himself
Levellers whose Principles are so destructive of all that Order and Iustice by which publick societies are supported do yet style themselves as by a kinde of peculiarity The Godly And that secondly it is the easyest thing in the world and nothing more common then for men to pretend Conscience when they are not minded to obey I do not believe thirdly though I am well perswaded of the godliness of many of them otherwise that the refusal of indifferent Ceremonies enjoyned by Lawful Authority is any part of their Godliness or any good fruit evidence or signe thereof But certain it is fourthly that the godliest men are men and know but in part and by the power of godliness in their hearts are no more secured from the possibility of falling into Errour through Ignorance then from the possibility of falling into Sin through Infirmity And as for Tenderness of Conscience fifthly a most gracious blessed fruit of the holy Spirit of God where it is really and not in pretence only nor mistaken for sure it is â—o very tender Conscience though sometimes called so that straineth at a Gnat and swalloweth a Camel it is with it as with other tender things very subject to receive harme and soon put out of order Through the cunning of Satan it dangerously exposeth men to temptations on the right hand and through its own aptitude to entertain and to cherish unnecessary scruples it strongly disposeth them to listen thereunto so long till at the last they are overcome thereof Needful it is therefore that in the publick teaching the Errours should be sometimes refuted and the Temptations discovered And this ever to be done seasonably soberly discreetly and convincingly and when we are to deal with men whose Consciences are so far as we can discern truly tender with the spirit of Meekness and Compassion For tender things must be tenderly dealt withall or they are lost I know it is not allwayes so done nor can we expect it should All Preachers are neither so charitable nor so prudent nor so conscientious as they should be And they that are such in a good measure are men still and may be transported now and then through passion and infirmity beyond the just bounds of moderation But then the fault is not so much in the choise of the argument they treat of as in the ill-managing thereof which ought not to cast any prejudice upon others who deal in the same argument but after another manner § VII But that which pincheth most in this first particular is as I suppose this That upon all publick occasions especially in Visitation-Sermons they who agree with us in the substance of the same reformed Religion are for the most part the only mark shot at whilest the common enemy the Papist hath little or nothing said against him For answer hereunto First so far as concerneth the Sermons here published the Objection is void for therein the Papist hath had his share as well as his fellows so oft as the Text gave occasion or the file of my discourse led me thereunto as by the papers themselves whereunto reference to be had will evidently appear Secondly admitting all true that is alleaged either we are excusable in what they blame us for or they that blame us inexcusable who do the very same things Do not they usually in their Sermons fall bitterly upon the Papists and Arminians but seldome meddle with the Socinians scarce ever name the Turks I have been often told of their declamations against the observing of Christmas that great superstitious thing but I remember not to have heard of much spoken against Perjury and Sacriledge and some other sins wherewith our times abound Nay doth not their zeal even against Popery it self Popery I mean truly so called of late years and since most of the Pulpits are in their possession seem to abate at leastwise in comparison of the zeal they shew against Episcopacy and against the Liturgy Festivals and Ceremonies lately in use among us These they cry down with all the noise they can and with all the strength they have having first branded them with the name of Popery and this must now pass for preaching against Popery I demand then Is there not the like reason of reproving Sins and refuting Errours If so are not Perjury and Sacriledge as great sins at least as keeping Christmas holy day Howsoever are not the Errors of the Turks that deny the whole structure of the Christian Religion foundation and all far worse then the Errors of the Papists who by their additional superstructures have only altered the fabrick but keep the foundation still And are not the Errours of the Socinians who deny the Trinity Gods Omniscience the Eternity of the Son the Divinity of the Holy Ghost Original sin the calling of Ministers and far worse then those the Arminians are charged withall of Free Will Vniversal Redemption Falling from Grace c. And are not the old rotten points of Popery the Popes Oecumenical Pastorship and Infallibility the Scriptures unsufficiency Image-worship Invocation of Saints Transubstantiation Half-Communion c. Errours of as great a magnitude as those other points of Popery lately and falsly dubb'd such of Episcopacy Liturgy Festivals and Ceremonies If they be why do our Brethren preach oftner and inveigh more against these later and lesser in comparison then against those former and greater sins and Errours I doubt not but they have some Reasons wherewith to satisfie themselves for their so doing else they were much to blame Be those Reasons what they will if they will serve to excuse them they will serve as well to justifie us § VIII It will be said perhaps First That the Turks have no Communion with us They are out of the Church and our chiefest care should be for those within leaving those without for God to judge Or indeed Secondly To what purpose would it be to address our speeches to them some thousands of miles out of hearing If our voyces were as loud as Stentors or that of Mars in Homer the sound would not reach them Besides that Thirdly There is little danger in our people of receiving hurt or infection from them who have no such agents here to tamper with the people in that behalfe no such artifices and plausible pretensions whereby to work them over to their side no such advantages as the agreement in some Common Principles might afford for bringing on the rest as the Papists have Who being within the pale of the visible Catholick Church and living in the midst of us have their instruments ready at hand in every corner to gain Proselytes for Rome the specious pretences of Antiquity Vniversality Consent of Councels and Fathers c. Wherewith to dazle the eyes of weak and credulous persons and some ground also to work upon in the agreement that is between them and us in the principall Articles of the Christian Faith § IX These Reasons I confess are satisfactory
good need the very strongest of us all should remember it and take heed of despising even the very weakest This despising being hurtfull both to the strong and weak to the strong as a grievous sin and to the weak as a grievous scandall Despising first is a sin in the strong Admit thy weak brother were of so shallow understanding and judgement that he might say in strictnesse of truth what Agur said but in modesty and that with an Hyperbole too Prov. 30. that surely he were more brutish than any man and that he had not in him the understanding of a man yet the community of nature and the common condition of humanity should be sufficient to free him from thy contempt His body was formed out of the same dust his soul breathed into him by the same God as thine were and he is thy neighbour Let his weaknesse then be what it can be even for that relation of neighbour-hood as he is a man it is sin in thee to despise him He that despiseth his Neighbour sinneth Prov. 14. But that 's not all He is not onely thy Neighbour as a man but he is thy Brother too as a Christian man He hath imbraced the Gospell he believeth in the Son of God he is within the pale of the Church as well as thou though he be not so exquisitely seen in some higher mysteries nor so thorowly satisfied in some other points as thou art If it have pleased God to endow thee with a larger portion of knowledge thou oughtest to consider first that thou art bound to be so much the more thankfull to him that gave it and then secondly that it is expected thou shouldest do so much the more good with it and thirdly again that thou standest charged with so much the deeper account for it If the same God have dealt these abilities with a more sparing hand to thy brother in despising his weakness what other thing doest thou then even despise the good Spirit of God that bloweth where he listeth and giveth to every one as he listeth For though there be diversities of gifts both for substance and degree yet it is the same spirit 1 Cor. 12. And the contempt that is cast upon the meanest Christian reboundeth upwards again and in the last resolution reflecteth even upon GOD himself and upon his Christ. He that despiseth despiseth not man but GOD who hath given unto us his holy Spirit 1 Thess. 4. And when ye sinne so against the Brethren and wound their weak consciences ye sin against Christ 1 Cor. 8. Thus you see Despising is hurtfull to the despiser as a Sin it is hurtfull also as a Scandall to the despised And therefore our Saviour in Matth. 18. discoursing of not offending little ones anon varieth the word and speaketh of not despising them as if despising were an espciall and principall kind of offending or scandalizing And verily so it is especially to the Weak Nothing is more grievous to Nature scarce Death it selfe then for a man to see himself despised Ego illam anum irridere me ut sinam Satius est mihi quovis exitio interire could he say in the Comedy It is a thing that pierceth far and sinketh deep and striketh cold and lyeth heavie upon the heart flesh and blood will digest any thing with better patience The great Philosopher for this reason maketh Contempt the ground of all Discontent and sufficiently proveth it in the second of his Rhetoriques there being never any thing taken offensively but sub ratione contemptus nothing provoking to Anger but what is either truly a contempt or at leastwise so apprehended We all know how tenderly every one of us would take it but to be neglected by others to have no reckoning at all made of us to be so reputed as if we were not or not worth the looking after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Oracle said to the Megarenses And yet this is but the least degree of Contempt a privative contempt onely How tenderly then may we think a weak Christian would take it when to this privative he should find added a Positive contempt also when he should see his person and his weakness not only not compassionated but even taunted and stouted and derided and made a laughing stock and a jesting theme when he should see them strive to speak and do such things in his sight and hearing as they know will be offensive unto him of very purpose to vex and afflict and grieve his tender soul Certainly for a weak Christian newly converted to the Faith to be thus despised it were enough without Gods singular mercy and support to make him repent his late conversion and revolt from the Faith by fearefull and desperate Apostasie And he that by such despising should thus offend though but one of the least and weakest of those that believe in Christ a thousand times better had it been for him that he had never been born yea ten thousand times better that a Mill-stone had been hung about his neck and he cast into the bottome of the Sea ere he had done it Despising is a grievous sin in the despiser in the Strong and despising is a grievous scandall to the despised to the Weak Let not therefore the strong despise the Weak Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not And thus much for the former branch of Saint Pauls advice The other followeth Let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth Faults seldome go single but by couples at the least Sinfull men do with sinfull provocations as ball-players with the Ball. When the Ball is once up they labour to keep it up right so when an offence or provocation is once given it is tossed to and fro the receiver ever returning it pat upon the giver and that most times with advantage and so betwixt them they make a shift to preserve a perpetuity of sinning and of scandalizing one another It is hard to say who beginneth oftner the Strong or the Weak but whether ever beginneth he may be sure the other will follow If this judge that will despise if that despise this will judge either doth his endeavour to cry quittance with other and thinketh himself not to be at all in fault because the other was first or more This Apostle willing to redresse faults in both beginneth first with the strong and for very good reason Not that his fault simply considered in it self is greater for I take it a certain truth that to judge one that is in the right is a far greater fault considered absolutely without relation to the abilities of the persons then to despise one that is in the wrong But because the strong through the ability of his judgement ought to yield so much to the infirmity of his weak brother who through the weaknesse of his judgement is not so well able
in the disfigured windowes and walls of this Church Pictures and Statua's and Images and for their sakes the windows and walls wherein they stood have been heretofore and of late pulled down and broken in pieces and defaced without the Command or so much as leave of those who have power to reform things amiss in that kind Charity bindeth us to think the best of those that have done it that is that they did it out of a forward though mis-governed zeal intending therein Gods glory in the farther suppression of Idolatry by taking away these as they supposed likely occasions of it Now in such a case as this the Question is whether the intention of such an end can justifie such a deed And the fact of Phinehes Nu. 25. who for a much like end for the staying of the people from Idolatry executed vengeance upon Zimri and Cosbi being but a private man and no Magistrate seemeth to make for it But my Text ruleth it otherwise If it be evil it is not to be done no not for the preventing of Idolatry I pass by some considerations otherwise of good moment as namely first whether Statua's and Pictures may not be permitted in Christian Churches for the adorning of Gods House and for civil and historical uses not onely lawfully and decently but even profitably I must confess I never heard substantiall reason given why they might not at the least so long as there is no apparent danger of superstition And secondly whether things either in their first erection or by succeeding abuse superstitious may not be profitably continued if the Superstition be abolished Otherwise not Pictures onely and Crosses and Images but most of our Hospitals and Schools and Colledges and Churches too must down and so the hatred of Idolatry should but usher in licentious Sacriledge contrary to that passage of our Apostle in the next Chapter before this Thou that abhorrest Idols committest thou Sacriledge And thirdly whether these forward ones have not bewrayed somewhat their own self-guiltiness in this Act at least for the manner of it in doing it secretly and in the dark A man should not dare to do that which he would not willingly either be seen when it is doing or own being done To pass by these consider no more but this one thing onely into what dangerous and unsufferable absurdities a man might run if he should but follow these mens grounds Erranti nullus terminus Errour knoweth no stay and a false Principle once received multiplieth into a thousand absurd conclusions It is good for men to go upon sure grounds else they may run and wander in infinitum A little errour at the first if there be way given to it will increase beyond belief As a small spark may fire a large City and a cloud no bigger than a mans hand in short space over-spread the face of the whole Heavens For grant for the suppression of Idolatry in case the Magistrate will not do his office that it is lawful for a private man to take upon him to reform what he thinketh amiss and to do the part and office of a Magistrate which must needs have been their ground if they had any for this action there can be no sufficient cause given why by the same reason and upon the same grounds a private man may not take upon him to establish Laws raise Powers administer Iustice execute Malefactors or do any other thing the Magistrate should do in case the Magistrate slack to do his duty in any of the premises Which if it were once granted as granted it must be if these mens fact be justifiable every wise man seeth the end could be no other but vast Anarchy and confusion both in Church and Common-weale whereupon must unavoidably follow the speedy subversion both of Religion and State If things be amiss and the Magistrate help it not private men may lament it and as occasion serveth and their condition and calling permitteth soberly and discreetly put the Magistrate in mind of it But they may not make themselves Magistrates to reform it And as to the act of Phinehes though I rather think he did yet what if he did not well in so doing It is a thing we are not certain of and we must have certainer grounds for what we do then uncertain examples Secondly what if Phinehes had the Magistrates authority to enable him to that attempt It is not altogether improbable to my apprehension from the fifth verse of the Chapter where the story is laid down Num. 25.5 especially parallel'd with another Story of much like circumstances Exod. 32.27 that as there the Levites so here Phinehes drew the Sword in execution of the express command of Moses the supreme Magistrate If neither thus nor so yet Thirdly which cutteth off all plea and is the most common answer ordinarily given by Divines to this and the like instances drawn from some singular actions of Gods worthies Men of Heroical spirits gifts such as were David Samson Ehud Moses Elias and some others especially at such times as they were employed in some special service for the good of Gods Church were exempt from the common rules of life and did many things as we are to presume not without the secret motion and direction of Gods holy and powerfull Spirit which were therefore good in them that secret direction being to them loco specialis mandati like that to Abraham for sacrificing his Son but not safe or lawfull for us to imitate Opera liberi spiritûs say Divines non sunt exigenda ad regulas communes nec trahenda in exemplum vitae The extraordinary Heroical acts of Gods Worthies are not to be measured by the common rules of life nor to become exemplary unto others Of which nature was David's single combat with Goliah and Samsons pulling down the house upon himself and the Philistines And Moses slaying the Egypan and Ehuds stabbing of King Eglon and Eliahs calling down for fire from Heaven upon the Captains and their fifties and divers others recorded in the Scripture Of which last fact we have our blessed SAVIOURS judgement in Luc. 9. that it was done by the extraordinary and peculiar instinct of GODS Spirit but it is not to be imitated by others without particular certain assurance of the like instinct Where when the Disciples would have called down for fire from Heaven upon the Samaritans and alledged Elias for their precedent Lord wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them as Elias did His answer was with a kind of indignation as both his gesture and speeches shew Nescitis cujus spiritûs estis You know not what manner of spirit you are of Elias was indued with an extraordinary spirit in the freedome whereof he did what he then did but it is not for you or others to propose his example unlesse you can demonstrate his spirit
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even the whole counsel of God In my Application of this Instance and Case blame me not if I do it with some reference to my self Being heretofore by appointment as now again I was to provide my self for this place against such a meeting as this is as in my conscience I then thought it needful for me I delivered my mind and I dare say the Truth too for substance something freely touching the Ceremonies and Constitutions of our Church And I have now also with like freedome shewed the unlawfulnesse of the late disorderly attempts in this Town and that from the ground of my present Text. I was then blamed for that I think unjustly for I do not yet see what I should rerract of that I then delivered and it is not unlikely I shall be blamed again for this unless I prevent it You have heard now already both heretofore that to judge any mans heart and at this time that to slander any truth are without repentance sins justly damnable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that offend either in the one or the other their damnation is just To preserve therefore both you from the sin and my self from the blame consider I pray you with reason and charity what I shall say You that are our hearers know not with what hearts we speak unto you that is onely known to our own hearts and to God who is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things That which you are to look at and to regard is with what truth we speak unto you So long as what we preach is true agreeable to Gods Word right reason you are not upon I know not what light surmizes or suspicions to judge with what spirits or with what dispositions of heart we preach Whether we preach Christ of envy and strife or of good will whether sincerely or of contention whether in pretence or in truth it is our own good or hurt we must answer for that and at our perill be it if we do not look to that But what is that to you Notwithstanding every way so long as it is Christ and his truth which are preached it is your part therein to rejoice If an Angel from Heaven should preach any untruth unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him be accursed but if the very Devil of hell should preach the truth he must be heard and believed and obeyed So long as Scribes and Pharisees hold them to Moses's Text and Doctrine let them be as damned Hypocrites as Scribes and Pharisees can be yet all whatsoever they bid you observe that you are to observe and do Let me then demand Did I deliver any untruth It had been well done then to have shewn it that I might have acknowledged and retracted it Did I speak nothing but the truth with what conscience then could any that heard me say as yet I heard some did that I preached factiously That I came to cast bones among them That I might have chosen a fitter Text That I might have had as much thanks to have kept away For Faction I hate it my desire and aim next after the good of your souls was above all the Peace of the Church and the Unity of Brethren For casting bones if that must needs be the phrase they were cast in these parts long before my coming by that great enemy to peace and unity and busie sower of discord the Devil otherwise I should not have found at my first coming such snarling about them and such biting and devouring one another as I did My endeavour was rather to have gathered up the bones and to have taken away the matter of difference I mean the errour in judgement about and inconformity in practice unto the lawfull Ceremonies of the Church that so if it had been possible all might hâ—ve been quiet without despising or judging one another for these things For thanks I hold not that worth the answering alas it is a poor aim for Gods Minister to preach for thanks For the choyce of my Text and Argument both then and now how is it not unequall that men who plead so as none more for liberty and plainness in reproving sin should not allow those that come amongst them that liberty and plainness against themselves and their own sins I dare appeale to your selves Have you never been taught that it is the Ministers duty as to oppose against all errors and sins in the general so to bend himself as neer as he can especially against the apparent errors and sins of his present auditory And do you not believe it is so Why then might I not nay how ought I not bend my speech both then against a common errour of sundry in these parts in point of Ceremony and now against the late petulancy or at least oversight of some mis-guided ones The noise of these things abroad and the scandall taken thereat by such as hear of them and the ill fruits of them at home in breeding jealousies and cherishing contentions among neighbours cannot but stir us up if we be sensible as every good member should be of the damage and loss the Church acquireth by them to put you in minde and to admonish you as opportunities invite us both privately and publickly Is it not time trow ye to thrust in the sickle when the fields look white unto the harvest Is it not time our Pulpits should a little eccho of these things when all the Countrey far and neer ringeth of them For my own part however others censure me I am sure my own heart telleth me I could not have discharged my Conscience if being called to this place I should have balked what either then or now I have delivered My Conscience prompting me all circumstances considered that these things were pro hîc nunc necessary to be delivered rather than any other if for any outward inferiour respect I should have passed them over with silence I think I should have much swerved from the Rule of my Text and have done a great evil that some small good might come of it But many thousand times better were it for me that all the world should censure me for speaking what they think I should not than that my own heart should condemn me for not speaking what it telleth me I should And thus much of things simply evil I should proceed to apply this Rule We must not do evil that good may come unto evils not simply but accidentally such and that both in the generall and also in some few specials of greatest use namely unto evils which become such through Conscience Scandall or Comparison In my choice of the Scripture I aimed at all this and had gathered much of my provision for it But the Cases being many and weighty I foresaw I could not go onward with my first project without much wronging one or both either the things themselves if I should
proceed equally and undividedly from the whole three Persons from God the Father and from his Son Iesus Christ our Lord and from the eternall Spirit of them both the Holy Ghost as from one entire indivisible and coessentiall Agent But for that we are grosse of understanding and unable to conceive the distinct Trinity of Persons in the Unity of the Godhead otherwise then by apprehending some distinction of their operations and offices to-us-ward it hath pleased the wisdome of God in the holy Scriptures which being written for our sakes were to be fitted to our capacities so far to condescend to our weakness and dulness as to attribute some of those great and common works to one person and some to another after a more speciall manner than unto the rest although indeed and in truth none of the three persons had more or lesse to do than other in any of those great and common works This manner of speaking Divines use to call Appropriation By which appropriation as Power is ascribed to the Father and Wisdome to the Son so is Goodness to the Holy Ghost And therefore as the Work of Creation wherein is specially seen the mighty power of God is appropriated to the Father and the work of Redemption wherein is specially seen the wisdome of God to the Son and so the works of sanctification and the infusion of habituall graces whereby the good things of God are communicated unto us is appropriated unto the Holy Ghost And for this cause the gifts thus communicated unto us from God are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall gifts and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the manifestation of the Spirit We see now why spirit but then why manifestation The word as most other verballs of that form may be understood either in the active or passive signification And it is not materiall whether of the two wayes we take it in this place both being true and neither improper For these spirituall gifts are the manifestation of the spirit Actively because by these the spirit manifesteth the will of God unto the Church these being the instruments and means of conveying the knowledge of salvation unto the people of God And they are the manifestation of the spirit Passively too because where any of these gifts especially in any eminent sort appeared in any person it was a manifest evidence that the Spirit of God wrought in him As we read in Acts 10. that they of the Circumcision were astonished When they saw that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost If it be demanded But how did that appear it followeth in the next verse For they heard them speak with tongues c. The spirituall Gift then is a manifestation of the Spirit as every other sensible effect is a manifestation of its proper cause We are now yet farther to know that the Gifts and graces wrought in us by the holy spirit of God are of two sorts The Scriptures sometimes distinguish them by the different terms of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although those words are sometimes again used indifferently and promiscuously either for other They are commonly known in the Schooles and differenced by the names of Gratiae gratum facientes Gratiae gratis datae Which termes though they be not very proper for the one of them may be affirmed of the other whereas the members of every good distinction ought to be opposite yet because they have been long received and change of termes though haply for the better hath by experience been found for the most part unhappy in the event in multiplying unnecessary book-quarrells we may retain them profitably and without prejudice Those former which they call Gratum facientes are the graces of Sanctification whereby the person that hath them is enabled to do acceptable service to God in the duties of his generall Calling these latter which they call Gratis datas are the Graces of Edification whereby the person that hath them is enabled to do profitable service to the Church of God in the duties of his particular Calling Those are given Nobis Nobis both to us and from us that is chiefly for our own good these Nobis sed Nostris to us indeed but for others that is chiefly for the good of our brethren Those are given us ad salutem for the saving of our own souls these ad lucrum for the winning of other mens souls Those proceed from the speciall love of God to the Person and may therefore be called personall or speciall these proceeed from the Generall love of God to his Church or yet more generall to humane societies and may therefore be rather called Ecclesiasticall or Generall Gifts or Graces Of that first sort are Faith Hope Charity Repentance Patience Humility and all those other holy graces and fruits of the Spirit which accompany salvation Wrought by the blessed and powerful operation of the holy Spirit of God after a most effectuall but unconceivable manner regenerating and renewing and seasoning and sanctifying the hearts of his Chosen But yet these are not the Gifts so much spoken of in this Chapter and namely in my Text Every branch whereof excludeth them Of those graces of sanctification first we may have indeed probable inducements to perswade us that they are or are not in this or that man But hypocrisie may make such a semblance that we may think we see spirit in a man in whom yet there is nothing but flesh and infirmities may cast such a fogge that we can discern nothing but flesh in a man in whom yet there is spirit But the gifts here spoken of do incurre into the senses and give us evident and infallible assurance of the spirit that wrought them here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a manifestation of the spirit Again Secondly those Graces of sanctification are not communicated by distribution Alius sic alius verò sic Faith to one Charity to another Repentance to another but where they are given they are given all at once and together as it were strung upon one threed and linked into one chain But the Gifts here spoken of are distributed as it were by doal and divided severally as it pleased God shared out into severall portions and given to every man some to none all for to one is given by the Spirit the word of Wisdome to another the word of Knowledge c. Thirdly those Graces of sanctification though they may and ought to be exercised to the benefit of others who by the shining of our light and the sight of our good works may be provoked to glorifie God by walking in the same paths yet that is but utilitas emergens and not finis proprius a good use made of them upon the bye but not the main proper and direct end of them for which they were chiefly given But the Gifts here spoken of were given directly
of the Ruler of the Feast in the Gospel Every man at the beginning setteth forth good Wine and then after that which is worse though there be many thousand men in the world that never rode that way or had occasion to set forth any Wine at all either better or worse very so ought we to conceive the meaning of the universall particle Every man both in this and in many other like speeches in the Scriptures with due limitations according to the tenour and purpose of the thing spoken of It mattereth not then as to the intent of this present speech be it true be it false otherwise whether every man have received a spirituall gift or no onely thus much is directly intended that every man who hath received such a gift hath received it by way of gift All spirituall graces all those dispositions habits and abilities of the understanding part from which the Church of God may receive edification in any kind together with all the secondary and inferiour helps that any way conduce thereunto they are all the good gifts of God The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man The variety both of the gifts meet for several offices of the offices wherein to employ those gifts is wonderfull no less wonderful the distribution of both gifts and offices But all that variety is derived from one and the same fountain the holy Spirit of God and all those distributions pass unto us by one and the same way of most free and liberall donation Have all the Word of Wisdome Have all the Word of Knowledge Have all Faith Have all Prophecy or other spirituall grace No they have not but b to one the Word of Wisdome the Word of Knowledge to another to others other gifts There is both variety you see and distribution of these graces But yet there is the same Author of them and the same manner of communicating them For to one is given by the spirit the Word of Wisdome to another the Word of Knowledge by the same Spirit and to others other graces but they are all from the same Spirit and they are all given And as the gifts so the offices too To that question in ver 29. Are all Apostles are all Prophets are all Teachers Answer may be made as before negatively No they are not but some Apostles some Prophets some Teachers There is the like variety and distribution as before but withall the same Donor and the same donation as before For he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Pastors and Teachers Ephes. 4. And God hath set some in the Church first Apostles secondarily Prophets thirdly Teachers c. beneath at ver 28. Both gifts and offices as they are à Deo for the Author so they are ex dono for the manner from God and by way of gift If we had no other the very names they carry like the superscription upon Caesars penny were a sufficient proof from whom we first had them When we call them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gratias gratis datas gifts and graces and manifestations of the Spirit do we not by the use of those very names confess the receipt For what more free than gift and what less of debt or desert than grace Heathen men indeed called the best of their perfections 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habits but Saint Iames hath taught us Christians a fitter name for ours 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gifts They say they had them and looked no farther but we must know as that we have them so as well how we came by them And therefore this Apostle above at Chap. 4. joyneth the having and the receipt together as if he would have us behold them uno intuitu and at once Quid habes quod non accepisti what hast thou that thou hast not received Possibly thou wilt alledge thy excellent naturall parts these were not given thee but thou broughtest them into the world with thee or thou wilt vouch what thou hast attained to by Art and Industry and these were not given thee but thou hast won them proprio Marté and therefore well deservest to wear them Deceive not thy self it is neither so nor so Our Apostle in the place now last mentioned cutteth off all such Challenges Quis te discrevit who made thee to differ from another Say there were as there is not such a difference in and from Nature as thou conceivest yet still in the last resolution there must be a receipt acknowledged for even Nature it self in the last resolution is of Grace for GOD gave thee that Or say there were as there is not such a difference of desert as thou pretendest yet still that were to be acknowledged as a gift too for GOD gave thee that power whatsoever it was whereby thou hast attained to whatsoever thou hast But the truth is the difference that is in men in regard of these gifts and abilities ariseth neither from the power of Nature nor from the merit of labour otherwise than as GOD is pleased to use these as second causes under him but it cometh meerly from the good will and pleasure of that free spirit which bloweth where and when and how he listeth dividing his graces to every man severally as he will at the eleventh and as it hath pleased him at verse 18. of this Chapter Nature is a necessary agent and if not either hindred by some inferiour impediment or over-ruled by some higher power worketh alwayes alike and produceth the same effects in all individuals of the same kind and how is it possible she should make a difference that knoweth none And as for Desert there is indeed no such thing and therefore it can work nothing For can God be a debtor to any man or hath any man given to him first that it might be recompensed him again As a lump of Clay lyeth before the Potter so is all mankind in the hand of GOD. The Potter at his pleasure out of that Lump frameth vessels of all sorts of different shape proportion strength fineness capacity as he thinketh good unto the severall uses for which he intendeth them So God after the good pleasure of his own will out of mankind as out of an untoward lump of Clay all of the same piece equall in nature and desert maketh up vessels for the use of his Sanctuary by fitting several men with several gifts more or less greater or meaner better or worse according to the difference of those offices and employments for which he intended them It is not the Clay but the Potter that maketh the difference there neither is it any thing in man but the Spirit of God that maketh the difference here Whatsoever spirituall abilities we have we have them of gift and by grace The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man A point of very fruitfull
becommeth wholly sinfull Nay more not onely a true and reall but even a supposed and imaginary defect the bare opinion of unlawfulnesse is able to vitiate the most justifiable act and to turn it into sin I know there is nothing unclean of it self but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean to him it is unclean at the 14 verse of this Chapter Nay yet more not onely a setled opinion that the thing we do is unlawfull but the very suspension of our judgement and the doubtfulnesse of our minds whether we may lawfully do it or no maketh it sometimes unlawfull to be done of us and if we do it sinfull He that but doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith in the former part of this verse The ground whereof the Apostle delivereth in a short and full Aphorism and concludeth the whole Chapter with it in the words of the Text For whatsoever is not of faith is sin Many excellent instructions there are scattered throughout the whole Chapter most of them concerning the right use of that Liberty we have unto things of indifferent nature well worthy our Christian consideration if we had time and leisure for them But this last Rule alone will find us work enough and therefore omitting the rest we will by Gods assistance with your patience presently fall in hand with this and intend it wholly in the Explication first and then in the Application of it For by how much it is of more profitable and universall use for the regulating of the common offices of life by so much is the mischief greater if it be and accordingly our care ought to be so much the greater that it be not either misunderstood or misapplyed Quod non ex fide peccatum that is the rule Whatsoever is not of faith is sin In the Explication of which words there would be little difficulty had not the ambiguity of the word Faith occasioned difference of interpretations and so left a way open to some misapprehensions Faith is verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as most other words are There be that have reckoned up more than twenty severall significations of it in the Scriptures But I find three especially looked at by those who either purposely or occasionally have had to do with this Text each of which we shall examine in their Order First and most usually especially in the Apostolicall writings the word Faith is used to signifie that Theologicall vertue or gracious habit whereby we embrace with our minds and affections the Lord Iesus Christ as the onely begotten Son of God and alone Saviour of the world casting our selves wholly upon the mercy of God through his merits for remission and everlasting salvation It is that which is commonly called a lively or justifying faith whereunto are ascribed in holy Writ those many gracious effects of purifying the heart adoption justification life joy peace salvation c. Not as to their proper and primary cause but as to the instrument whereby we apprehend and apply Christ whose merits and spirit are the true causes of all those blessed effects And in this notion many of our later Divines seem to understand it in our present Text whilest they alledge it for the confirmation of this Position that All the works even the best works of unbelievers are sins A position condemned indeed by the Trent-Council and that under a curse taking it as I suppose in a wrong construction but not worthy of so heavy a censure if it be rightly understood according to the doctrine of our Church in the thirteenth Article of her Confession and according to the tenour of those Scriptures whereon that doctrine is grounded Viz. Mat. 12.33 Rom. 8.8 Tit. 1.15 Heb. 11.6 c. Howbeit I take it with subjection of judgement that that Conclusion what truth soever it may have in it self hath yet no direct foundation in this Text. The Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to believe and the Nown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith or belief are both of them found sundry times in this Chapter yet seem not to signifie in any place thereof either the Verb the Act or the Nown the Habit of this saving or justifying Faith of which we now speak But being opposed every where and namely in this last verse unto doubtfulnesse of judgement concerning the lawfulness of some indifferent things must therefore needs be understood of such a perswasion of judgement concerning such lawfulness as is opposite to such doubting Which kind of Faith may be found in a meer heathen man who never having heard the least syllable of the mystery of salvation by Christ may yet be assured out of clear evidence of reason that many of the things he doth are such as he may and ought to do And as it may be found in a meer heathen man so it may be wanting in a true believer who stedfastly resting upon the blood of Christ for his eternall redemption may yet through the strength of temptation sway of passion or other distemper or subreption incident to humane frailty do some particular act or acts of the lawfulnesse whereof he is not sufficiently perswaded The Apostle then here speaking of such a Faith as may be both found in an unbeliever and also wanting in a true believer it appeareth that by Faith he meaneth not that justifying Faith which maketh a true believer to differ from an unbeliever but the word must be understood in some other notion Yet thus much I may adde withall in the behalf of those worthy men that have alledged this Scripture for the purpose aforesaid to excuse them from the imputation of having at least wilfully handled the Word of God deceitfully First that the thing it self being true and the words also sounding so much that way might easily induce them to conceive that to be the very meaning And common equity will not that men should be presently condemned if they shall sometimes confirm a point from a place of Scripture not altogether pertinent if yet they think it to be so especially so long as the substance of what they write is according to the analogy of Faith and Godlinesse Secondly that albeit these words in their most proper and immediate sense will not necessarily enforce that Conclusion yet it may seem deducible therefrom with the help of some topicall arguments and by more remote inferences as some learned men have endeavoured to shew not altogether improbably And thirdly that they who interpret this Text as aforesaid are neither singular nor novell therein but walk in the same path which some of the ancient Fathers have trod before them The Rhemists themselves confesse it of S. Augustine to whom they might have added also S. Prosper and whose authority alone is enough to stop their mouthes for ever Leo Bishop of Rome who have all cited these words for the self-same purpose But we are content
that other collection may be yet I hold it the safer resolution which is commonly given by Divines for the justification of this fact of Phinehes that he had an extraordinary motion and a peculiar secret instinct of the Spirit of God powerfully working in him and prompting him to this Heroicall Act. Certainly God will not approve that work which himself hath not wrought But to this Action of Phinehes God hath given large approbation both by staying the plague thereupon and by rewarding Phinehes with an everlasting Priesthood therefore and by giving expresse testimony of his zeal and righteousnesse therein as it is said in the next verse after my Text And it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Which words in the judgement of learned Expositors are not to be understood barely of the righteousnesse of Faith as it is said of Abraham that he believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse as if the zeal of Phinehes in this act had been a good evidence of that faith in Gods promises whereby he was justified and his Person accepted with God though that also but they do withall import the justification of the Action at least thus far that howsoever measured by the common rules of life it might seem an unjust action and a rash attempt at the least if not an haynous murder as being done by a private man without the warrant of authority yet was it indeed not onely in regard of the intent a zealous action as done for the honour of God but also for the ground and warrant of it as done by the speciall secret direction of Gods holy Spirit a just and a righteous action Possibly this very word of standing up importeth that extraordinary spirit For of those Worthies whom God at severall times endowed with Heroicall spirits to attempt some speciall work for the delivery of his Church the Scriptures use to speak in words and phrases much like this It is often said in the book of Judges that God raised up such and such to judge Israel and that Deborah and Iair and others rose up to defend Israel that is The spirit of God came upon them as is said of Othoniel Iudg. 3. and by a secret but powerfull instinct put them upon those brave and noble attempts they undertook and effected for the good of his Church Raised by the impulsion of that powerfull spirit which admitteth no slow debatements Phinehes standeth up and feeling himself called not to deliberate but act without casting of scruples or fore-casting of dangers or expecting commission from men when he had his warrant sealed within he taketh his weapon dispatching his errand and leaveth the event to the providence of God Let no man now unlesse he be able to demonstrate Phinehes spirit presume to imitate his fact Those Opera liberi spiritûs as Divines call them as they proceeded from an extraordinary spirit so they were done for speciall purposes but were never intended either by God that inspired them or by those Worthies that did them for ordinary or generall examples The errour is dangerous from the priviledged examples of some few exempted ones to take liberty to transgresse the common rules of Life and of Lawes It is most true indeed the Spirit of God is a free Spirit and not tied to strictnesse of rule nor limited by any bounds of Lawes But yet that free spirit hath astricted thee to a regular course of life and bounded thee with Lawes which if thou shalt transgresse no pretension of the Spirit can either excuse thee from sinne or exempt thee from punishment It is not now every way as it was before the coming of Christ and the sealing up of the Scripture Canon God having now setled a perpetuall form of government in his Church and given us a perfect and constant rule whereby to walk even his holy word And we are not therefore now vainly to expect nor boastingly to pretend a private spirit to lead us against or beyond or but beside the common rule nay we are commanded to try all pretensions of private spirits by that common rule Ad legem ad testimonium to the Law and to the Testimony at this Test examine and Try the spirits whether they are of God or no. If any thing within us if any thing without us exalt it self against the obedience of this rule it is no sweet impulsion of the holy spirit of God but a strong delusion of the lying spirit of Sathan But is not all that is written written for our Example or why else is Phinehes act recorded and commended if it may not be followed First indeed Saint Paul saith All that is written is written for our learning but Learning is one thing and Example is another and we may learn something from that which we may not follow Besides there are Examples for Admonition as well as for Imitation Malefactors at the place of execution when they wish the by-standers to take example by them bequeath them not the Imitation of their courses what to do but Admonition from their punishments what to shunne Yea thirdly even the commended actions of good men are not ever exemplary in the very substance of the action it self but in some vertuous and gracious affections that give life and lustre thereunto And so this act of Phinehes is imitable Not that either any private man should dare by his example to usurpe the Magistrates office and to do justice upon Malefactors without a Calling or that any Magistrate should dare by his Example to cut off gracelesse offenders without a due judiciall course but that every man who is by vertue of his Calling endued with lawfull authority to execute justice upon transgressors should set himself to it with that stoutnesse and courage and zeal which was in Phinehes If you will needs then imitate Phinehes imitate him in that for which he is commended and rewarded by God and for which he is renowned amongst men and that is not barely the action the thing done but the Affection the zeal wherewith it was done For that zeal God commendeth him Numb 25. verse 11. Phinehes the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel whilest he was zealous for my sake among them And for that zeal God rewardeth him Ibid. verse 13. He shall have and his seed after him the Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood because he was zealous for his God And for that zeal did Posterity praise him the wise sonne of Sirac Eccl. 45. and good old Mattathias upon his death-bed 1 Macc. 2. And may not this phrase of speech He stood up and executed judgement very well imply that forwardnesse and heat of zeal To my seeming it may For whereas Moses and all the Congregation sate weeping a gesture often accompanying sorrow or perhaps yet
more to expresse their sorrow lay grovelling upon the Earth mourning and sorrowing for their sin and for the Plague it could not be but the bold lewdnesse of Zimri in bringing his strumpet with such impudence before their noses must needs adde much to the grief and bring fresh vexation to the soules of all that were righteous among them But the rest continued though with double grief yet in the same course of humiliation and in the same posture of body as before Onely Phinehes burning with an holy indignation thought it was now no time to sit still weept but rowzing up himself and his spirits with zeal as hot as fire he stood up from the place where he was and made haste to execute judgement Here is a rich example for all you to imitate whom it doth concern I speak not onely nor indeed so much to you the Honourable and reverend Iudge of this Circuit of whose zeal to do justice and judgment I am by so much the better perswaded by how much the eminency of your place and the weight of your charge and the expectation of the people doth with greater importunity exact it at your hands But I speak withall and most especially to all you that are in Commission of the Peace and whose daily and continuall care it should be to see the wholesome lawes of the Realme duly and seasonably executed Yea and to all you also that have any office appertaining to justice or any businesse about these Courts so as it may lie in you to give any kind of furtherance to the speeding either of Iustice in Civil or of judgement in Criminall causes Look upon the zeal of Phinehes observe what approbation it had from God what a blessing it procured to his seed after him what glorious renown it hath won him with all after-ages what ease it did and what good it wrought for the present state and think if it be not worthy your imitation It is good saith the Apostle to be zealously affected alwaies in a good thing And is it not a good thing to do justice and to execute judgement nay Religion excepted and the care of that is a branch of justice too do you know any better thing any thing you can do more acceptable to God more serviceable to the State more comfortable to your own soules If you be called to the Magistracie it is your own businesse as the proper work of your calling and men account him no wiser then he should be that sluggeth in his own businesse or goeth heartlesly about it It is the Kings businesse who hath entrusted you with it and he is scarce a good subject that slacketh the Kings businesse or doth it to the halves Nay it is the Lords businesse for Ye judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the cause and in the judgement and Cursed is he that doth the Lords businesse negligently That you may therefore do all under one your own businesse and the Kings businesse and the Lords businesse with that zeal and forwardnesse which becometh you in so weighty an affaire lay this pattern before your eyes and hearts See what Phinehes did and thereby both examine what hitherto you have done and learn what henceforth you should do First Phinehes doth not post off the matter to others the fervency of his zeal made him willing to be himself the Actor He harboured no such cool thoughts as too many Magistrates do Here is a shamefull crime committed by a shamelesse person and in a shamelesse manner pitty such an audacious offender should go unpunished My heart riseth against him and much adoe I have to refrain from being my self his executioner rather then he should carry it away thus But why should I derive the envy of the fact upon my self and but gain the imputation of a busie officious fellow in being more forward then others A thousand more saw it as well as I whom it concerneth as neerly as it doth me and if none of them will stirre in it why should I Doubtlesse my uncle Moses and my father Eleazar and they that are in place of authority will not let it passe so but will call him to account for it and give him condigne punishment If I should do it it would be thought but the attempt of a rash young fellow It will be better discretion therefore to forbear and to give my betters leave to go before me Such pretentions as these would have kept off Phinehes from this noble exploit if he had been of the temper of some of ours who owe it to nothing so much as their lukewarmnesse that they have at least some reputation of being moderate and discreet men But true zeal is more forward then mannerly and will not lose the opportunity of doing what it ought for waiting till others begin Alas if every man should be so squeamish as many are nothing at all would be done And therefore the good Magistrate must consider not what others do but what both he and they are in conscience bound to do and though there should be many more joyned with him in the same common care and with equall power yet he must resolve to take that common affaire no otherwise into his speciall care then if he were left alone therein and the whole burden lay upon his shoulders As when sundry persons are so bound in one common bond for the payment of one entire summe conjunctim divisim every one per se in toto in solidum that every particular person by himself is as well liable to the payment of the whole as they altogether are Admit loose or idle people for who can hold their tongues shall for thy diligence say thou art an hard and austere man or busiest thy self more then thou hast thank for thy labour First that man never cared to do well that is afraid to hear ill He that observeth the wind saith Salomon shall not sow and the words especially of idle people are no better Secondly He maketh an ill purchase that forgoeth the least part of his duty to gain a little popularity the breath of the people being but a sorry plaster for a wounded conscience Thirdly what a man by strict and severe execution of Iustice loseth in the breadth he commonly gaineth it all and more in the weight and in the length of his Credit A kind quiet Man that carrieth it for the present and in the voice of the multitude but it is more solid and the more lasting praise to be reputed in the opinion of the better and the wiser sort a Iust man and a good Patriot or Common-wealths-man Fourthly if all should condemn thee for that wherein thou hast done but well thy comfort is thine own conscience shall bestead thee more then a thousand witnesses and stand for thee against ten thousand tongues at that last day when the hearts
the evil upon his house Wherein we shall be occasioned to enquire how the first of these may stand with Gods holiness the second with his Truth the third with his Iustice And first of Ahabs humiliation Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me This Ahab was King of Israel that is King over those ten Tribes which revolted from Rehoboam the Son of Salomon and clave to Ieroboam the son of Nebat Search the whole sacred story in the Books of Kings and Chronicles and unless we will be so very charitable as notwithstanding many strong presumptions of his Hypocrisie to exempt Iehu the son of Nimshi and that is but one of twenty we shall not find in the whole List and Catalogue of the Kings of Israel one good one that clave unto the Lord with an upright heart Twenty Kings of Israel and not one or but one good and yet than this Ahab of the twenty scarce one worse It is said in the sixteenth Chapter of this Book that Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him at verse 30. and at verse 33. that He did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the Kings of Israel that were before him and at verse 25. of this Chapter that There was none like unto Ahab which did sell himself to work wickednesse in the sight of the Lord. An Oppressour he was and a Murderer and an Idolater and a Persecuter of that holy Truth which God had plentifully revealed by his Prophets and powerfully confirmed by Miracles and mercifully declared by many gracious deliverances even to him in such manner as that he could not but know it to be the Truth and therefore an Hypocrite and in all likelyhood an obstinate sinner against the holy Ghost and a Cast-away This is Ahab this the man But what is his carriage what doth he he humbleth himself before the Lord. Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me The manner and occasion of his humbling is set down a little before at V. 27. And it came to passe when Ahab heard those words the words of Eliah the Prophet dealing plainly and roundly with him for his hatefull Oppression and Murther That he rent his cloathes and put sackcloth upon his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went softly And that is the humbling here spoken and allowed of and for which God here promiseth that he will not bring the evill in his dayes Lay all this together the man and his ill conditions and his present carriage with the occasion and successe of it and it offereth three notable things to our consideration See first how far an Hypocrite a Cast-away may go in the outward performance of holy duties and particularly in the practice of Repentance here is Ahab humbled such a man and yet so penitent See again secondly how deep Gods word though in the mouth but of weak instruments when he is pleased to give strength unto it pierceth into the consciences of obstinate sinners and bringeth the proudest of them upon their knees in despight of their hearts here is Ahab quelled by Eliah such a great one by such a weak one See yet again thirdly how prone God is to mercy and how ready to apprehend any advantage as it were and occasion to shew compassion here is Ahab humbled and his judgement adjourned such a real substantial favour and yet upon such an empty shadow of Repentance Of these three at this time in their order and of the first first An Hypocrite may go very farre in the outward performances of holy duties For the right conceiving of which assertion Note first that I speak not now of the common graces of Illumination and Edification and good dexterity for the practising of some particular Calling which gifts with sundry other like are oftentimes found even in such apparently wicked and prophane men as have not so much as the form much lesse the power of Godlinesse but I speak even of those Graces which de tota specie if they be true and sincere are the undoubted blessed fruits of Gods holy renewing Spirit of sanctification such as are Repentance Faith Hope Ioy Humility Patience Temperance Meeknesse Zeal Reformation c. in such as these Hypocrites may go very farr as to the outward semblance and performance Note secondly that I speak not of the inward power and reality of these graces for Cast-aways and Hypocrites not having union with God by a lively faith in his Son nor communion with him by the effectual working of his Spirit have no part nor fellowship in these things which are proper to the chosen and called of God and peculiar to those that are his peculiar people but I speak only of the outward performances and exercises of such actions as may seem to flow from such spiritual graces habitually rooted in the heart when as yet they may spring also and when they are found in unregenerate men do so spring from Nature perhaps moralized or otherwise restrained but yet unrenewed by saving and sanctifying grace Note thirdly that when I say an Hypocrite may go very farre in such outward performances by the Hypocrite is meant not only the grosse or formal Hypocrite but every natural and unregenerate man including also the Elect of God before their effectual calling and conversion as also Reprobates and Cast-awayes for the whole time of their lives all of which may have such fair semblances of the forenamed Graces and of other like them as not only others who are to judge the best by the Law of Charity but themselves also through the wretched deceitfulnesse of their own wicked and corrupt hearts may mistake for those very graces they resemble The Parable of the seed sown in the stony ground may serve for a full both declaration and proof hereof which seed is said to have sprouted forth immediately Springing up forthwith after it was sown but yet never came to good but speedily withered away because for want of deepnesse of earth it had not moysture enough to feed it to any perfection of growth and ripenesse And that branch of the Parable our blessed Saviour himself in his exposition applieth to such hearers as When they hear the Word immediately receive it with gladnesse and who so forward as they to repent and believe and reform their lives but yet all that forwardnesse cometh to nothing they endure but for a short time Because they have no root in themselves but want the sap and moysture of Grace to give life and lasting to those beginnings and imperfect offers and essayes of goodnesse they made shew of Here are good affections to see to unto the good word of God they receive it with joy it worketh not only upon their judgements but it seemeth also to rejoice yea after a sort to ravish their hearts
that all his Threatnings are to be understood with such clauses and conditions and reservations it is needlesse to repeat them in every particular As amongst Christian men who acknowledge Gods providence to rule in all things and to dispose of all actions and events it is needlesse in every speech de futuro contingenti to expresse this clause if God will we will go to such or such a place or do such or such a thing if God will because we readily conceive it as a clause which either is or should be understood in every such speech as St. Iames requireth And so in many promises amongst men this clause though not expressed is yet allowed of course and to common intendment understood Rebus sic stantibus things standing and continuing as now they are so as if a man make a promise absolutely without expressing that or any other like clause of Limitation or Exception if in the interim some such unexpected accident befall as maketh that either he cannot or may not do what he promised we may not in right reason charge such a man with breach of promise if he perform not all he promised because the foresaid clause though not expressed is yet presumed to have been intended by the promiser And that Gods Threatnings as de jure they ought to be by us when we hear them so de facto they were understood by him when he made them with a secret clause of reservation and exception in case of Repentance appeareth by the usual practice of many upon such threatnings and the use they made of them The Ninevites when Ionah preached destruction within forty dayes without any expresse clause of Repentance yet understood it so else had it been in vain for them to have repented at all out of an hope of preventing the judgement by their repentance as their speeches shew they did For who can tell say they if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not The like may be said of Abimelech Hezekiah and others and of Ahab in this place Again as it is sometimes needless so it is alwayes bootlesse to expresse this clause of repentance in the threatnings of God The expressing of it can do little good secure ones will repent never the sooner for it but it may do much harm secure ones may thereby put themselves in fairer hope of forbearance and so linger their repentance till it be too late Beloved it is admirable to observe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods gracious courses which he useth for the calling of men to repentance In this particularity whereof we now speak see how his Mercy and truth are met together and do most lovingly embrace each other Where he spareth in the end it is most certain he ever meant to spare from the beginning but that his everlasting purpose is part of his secret counsel and unrevealed will which as we cannot learn so we may not seek to know till the event declare it Now to bring this his secret purpose about he must work those men to repentance whom he hath thus everlastingly purposed to spare else his justice should become questionable in finally sparing the impenitent Amongst other meanes to work men to repentance this is one to threaten them with such judgements as their sins have deserved which threatning the more terrible it is the more likely it is to be effectual and the more peremptory it is the more terrible it is So then God to bring those men to Repentance whom he meaneth to spare in his word and by his messengers denounceth against them such judgements as their sinnes have deserved and as his Iustice without their Repentance would bring upon them denounceth them I say absolutely and in a peremptory form without any expresse clause of reservation or exception the more to terrifie and affright them and to cast them down to the deeper acknowledgement of his Iustice and their own unworthinesse which are yet to be understood conditionally and interpreted with reservation and exception of Repentance You have heard evidence enough to acquit Gods Truth and do by this time I doubt not perceive how as in all other things so in the revoking of his threatnings Gods Mercy and his Truth go hand in hand together Let us now see what profitable Inferences may be raised hence for our use The summe of all we have said is but this Gods threatnings are terrible but yet conditional and if he spare to execute them when we are humbled by them it is a glorious illustration of his Mercy but without the least impeachment of his truth Here is something for the Distressed something for the Secure something for All to learn First for the Distressed Consider this and take comfort all you that mourn in Sion and groan under the weight of Gods heavy displeasure and the fearfull expectation of those bitter curses and judgements which he hath threatned against sinne Why do you spend your strength and spirit in gazing with broad eyes altogether on Gods Iustice or Truth take them off a little and refresh them by fastening them another while upon his mercy Consider not only what he threatneth but consider withall why he threatneth it is that you may repent and withall how he threatneth it is unlesse you repent He threatneth to cast down indeed but unto humiliation not into despair He shooteth out his arrowes even bitter words but as Ionathans arrowes for warning not for destruction Think not he aimeth so much at thy punishment when he threatneth alas if that were the thing he sought he could lay on load enough without words No it is thy amendment he aimeth at and seeketh therein and therefore holdeth not his tongue that if thou wilt take it for a warning he may hold his hand If the Father do but threaten the Child when the Rod lyeth by him it is very likely he meaneth not to correct him for that time but only to make him the more carefull to obey and the more fearfull to offend for the time to come Canst thou gather hope from the chiding of thy earthly father and wilt thou find no comfort in the chidings and threatnings of thy heavenly Father whose bowels of tender compassion to us-ward are so much larger than any earthly Parents can be by how much himself the Father of spirits is greater than those fathers of our flesh Yea but who am I will some disconsolate soul say that I should make Gods threatnings void or what my repentance that it should cancell the Oracles of truth or reverse the sentence of the eternal Judge Poor distressed soul that thus disputest against thine own peace but seest not the while the unfathomed depth of Gods Mercy and the wonderfull dispensations of his Truth Know that his threatnings are not made void or of none effect when thou by thy repentance stayest the execution of them yea rather
are to do to turn away Gods wrath from us and to escape the judgements he threatneth against us Even this As in his Comminations he joyneth Mercy and Truth together so are we in our Humiliations to joyn Faith and Repentance together His threatnings are true let us not presume of forbearance but fear since he hath threatned that unless we repent he will strike us Yet his threatnings are but conditional let us not despair of forbearance but hope although he hath threatned that yet if we repent he will spare us That is the course which the godly guided by the direction of his holy Spirit have ever truly and sincerely held and found it ever comfortable to assure them of sound peace and reconciliation with God That is the course which the very Hypocrites from the suggestion of natural Conscience have sometimes offered at as far as Nature enlightned but unrenewed could lead them and found it effectual to procure them at the least some forbearance of threatned judgements or abatement of temporal evils from God Thus have you heard three Uses made of Gods mercy in revoking joyned with his truth in performing what he threatneth One to chear up the distressed that he despair not when God threatneth another to shake up the secure that he despise not when God threatneth a third to quicken up all that they beleeve and repent when God threatneth There is yet another general Vse to be made hereof which though it be not directly proper to the present argument yet I cannot willingly passe without a little touching at it and that is to instruct us for the understanding of Gods promises For contraries as Promises and Threatnings are being of the like kind and reason either with other do mutually give and take light either to and from other Gods threatnings are true and stedfast his Promises are so too Promisit qui non mentitur Deus which God that cannot lie hath promised saith the Apostle in one place and in another All the Promises of God are Yea and Amen and where in a third place he speaketh of Two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie his promise is one of those two The Promises then of God are true as his Threatnings are Now look on those Threatnings again which we have already found to be true but withall conditional and such as must be ever understood with a clause of reservation or exception It is so also in the Promises of God they are true but yet conditional and so they must ever be understood with a conditional clause The exception there to be understood is Repentance the condition here Obedience What God threatneth to do unto us absolutely in words the meaning is he will doe it unlâ—ss we repent and amend and what he promiseth to do for us absolutely in words the meaning is he will do it if we believe and obey And for so much as this clause is to be understood of course in all Gods promises we may not charge him with breach of Promise though after he do not really perform that to us which the letter of his promise did import if we break the condition and obey not Wouldest thou know then how thou art to entertain Gods promises and with what assurance to expect them I answer with a confident and obedient heart Confident because he is true that hath promised Obedient because that is the condition under which he hath promised Here is a curb then for those mens presumption who living in sinne and continuing in disobedience dare yet lay claim to the good Promises of God If such men ever had any seeming interest in Gods Promises the interest they had they had but by contract and covenant and that covenant whether either of the two it was Law or Gospel it was conditional The covenant of the Law wholly and à Priori conditional Hoc fac vives Do this and live and the Covenant of the Gospel too after a sort and à Posteriori Conditional Crede Vives Believe and Live If then they have broken the conditions of both covenants and do neither Believe nor Do what is required they have by their Unbelief and Disobedience forfeited all that seeming interest they had in those Promises Gods promises then though they be the very main supporters of our Christian Faith and Hope to as many of us as whose consciences can witnesse unto us a sincere desire and endeavour of performing that Obedience we have covenanted yet are they to be embraced even by such of us with a reverend fear and trembling at our own unworthinesse But as for the unclean and filthy and polluted those Swine and Dogs that delight in sinne and disobedience and every abomination they may set their hearts at rest for these matters they have neither part nor fellowship in any of the sweet promises of God Let dirty Swine wallow in their own filth these rich pearles are not for them they are too precious let hungry Dogges glut themselves with their own vomit the Childrens bread is not for them it is too delicious Let him that will be filthy be filthy still the promises of God are holy things and belong to none but those that are holy and desire to be holy still For our selves in a word let us hope that a promise being left us if with faith and obedience and patience we wait for it we shall in due time receive it but withall let us fear as the Apostle exhorteth Heb. 4. Lest a promise being left us through disobedience or unbelief any of us should seem to come short of it Thus much of the former thing proposed the magnifying of Gods Mercy and the clearing of his Truth in the revocation and suspension of threatned judgements by occasion of these words I will not bring the Evil. There is yet a Circumstance remaining of this generall part of my Text which would not be forgotten it is the extent of time for the suspending of the judgement I will not bring the Evil in his dayes Something I would speak of it too by your patience it shall not be much because the season is sharp and I have not much sand to spend I will not bring the evil in his dayes The judgement denounced against Ahabs house was in the end executed upon it as appeareth in the sequel of the story and especially from those words of Iehu who was himself the instrument raised up by the Lord and used for that execution in 4 Kings 10. Know that there shall fall to the earth nothing of the word of the Lord which the Lord spake concerning the house of Ahab for the Lord hath done that which he spake by his servant Eliah Which were enough if there were nothing else to be said to justifie Gods Truth in this one particular That which Ahab gained by his humiliation was only the deferring of
afflictions in sundry kinds too long to rehearse And all these temporal judgements their fathers sinnes might bring upon them even as the faith and vertues and other graces of the fathers do sometimes conveigh temporal blessings to their posterity So Ierusalem was saved in the siege by Senacherib for Davids sake many yeares after his death Esay 37.35 And the succession of the Crown of Israel continued in the line of Iehu for four descents for the zeal that he shewed against the worshippers of Baal and the house of Ahab So then men may fare the better and so they may fare the worse too for the vertues or vices of their Ancestors Outwardly and temporally they may but spiritually and eternally they cannot For as never yet any man went to heaven for his fathers goodnesse so neither to hell for his fathers wickednesse If it be objected that for any people or person to suffer a famine of the word of God to be deprived of the use and benefit of the sacred and saving ordinances of God to be left in utter darknesse without the least glimpse of the glorious light of the Gospel of God without which ordinarily there can be no knowledge of Christ nor meanes of Faith nor possibility of Salvation to be thus visited is more than a temporal punishment and yet this kind of spiritual judgement doth sometimes light upon a Nation or people for the unbelief and unthankfulnesse and impenitency and contempt of their Progenitors whilest they had the light and that therefore the Children for their Parents and Posterity for their Ancestry are punished not only with Temporal but even with Spiritual judgements also If any shall thus object one of these two answers may satisfie them First if it should be granted the want of the Gospel to be properly a spiritual judgement yet it would not follow that one man were punished spiritually for the fault of another For betwixt private persons and publick societies there is this difference that in private persons every succession maketh a change so that when the Father dyeth and the son cometh after him there is not now the same person that was before but another but in Cities and countries and Kingdomes and all publick societies succession maketh no change so that when One generation passeth and another cometh after it there is not another City or Nation or People than there was before but the same If then the people of the same land should in this generation be visited with any such spiritual judgment as is the removal of their Candlestick and the want of the Gospel for the sinnes and impieties of their Ancestors in some former generations yet this ought no more to be accounted the punishment of one for another than it ought to be accounted the punishing of one for another to punish a man in his old age for the sinnes of his youth For as the body of a man though the primitive moysture be continually spending and wasting therein and that decay be still repaired by a daily supply of new and alimentall moysture is yet truly the same body and as a River fed with a living spring though the water that is in the chanel be continually running out and other water freshly succeeding in the place and room thereof is truly the same River so a Nation or People though one generation is ever passing away and another coming on is yet truely the same Nation or People after an hundred or a thousand yeares which it was before Again secondly The want of the Gospel is not properly a spiritual but rather a temporal punishment We call it indeed sometimes a spiritual Iudgement as we do the free use of it a spiritual Blessing because the Gospel was written for and revealed unto the Church by the Spirit of GOD and also because it is the holy Ordinance of GOD and the proper instrument whereby ordinarily the Spiritual life of Faith and of Grace is conveyed into our soules But yet properly primarily those only are Spiritual blessings which are immediately wrought in the soul by the spirit of God and by the same Spirit cherished and preserved in the heart of the receiver for his good and are proper and peculiar to those that are born again of the spirit and all those on the contrary which may be subject to decay or are common to the reprobate with the Elect or may turn to the hurt of the receiver are to be esteemed temporal blessings and not spiritual And such a blessing is the outward partaking of the word and Ordinances of GOD the want thereof therefore consequently is to be esteemed a temporal judgement rather than spiritual So that notwithstanding this instance still the former consideration holdeth good that GOD sometimes visiteth the sins of the fathers upon the children with outward and temporal but never with spiritual and eternal punishments Now if there could no more be said to this doubt but only this it were sufficient to clear Gods Iustice since we have been already instructed that these temporal judgements are not alwayes properly and formally the punishments of sinne For as outward blessings are indeed no true blessings properly because Wicked men have their portion in them as well as the Godly and they may turn and often do to the greater hurt of the soul and so become rather Punishments than Blessings so to the contrary outward punishments are no true punishments properly because the Godly have their share in them as deep as the Wicked and they may turn and often do to the greater good of the soul and so become rather Blessings than Punishments If it be yet said But why then doth God threaten them as Punishments if they be not so I answer First because they seem to be punishments and are by most men so accounted for their grievousnesse though they be not properly such in themselves Secondly for the common event because ut plurimùm and for the most part they prove punishments to the sufferer in case he be not bettered as well as grieved by them Thirdly because they are indeed a kind of punishment though not then deserved but formerly Fourthly and most to the present purpose because not seldome the Father himself is punished in them who through tendernesse of affection taketh very much to heart the evils that happen to his child sometimes more than if they had happened to himself See David weeping and puling for his trayterous son Absalom when he was gone more affectionately than we find he did for the hazzards of his own person and of the whole State of Israel whiles he lived For if it be a punishment to a man to sustain losses in his cattel or goods or lands or friends or any other thing he hath how much more then in his children of whom he maketh more account than of all the rest as being not only an Image but even a part
and Iudas were called the one to the Kingdom the other to the Apostleship of whom it is certain the one was not and it is not likely the other was endued with the holy Spirit of Sanctification And many Heathen men have been called to several imployments wherein they have also laboured with much profit to their own and succeeding times who in all probability never had any other inward motion than what might arise from some or all of these three things now specified viz. the Inclination of their nature their personal Abilities and the care of Education If it shall please GOD to afford any of us any farther gracious assurance than these can give us by some extraordinary work of his Spirit within us we are to embrace it with joy and thankfulness as a special favour but we are not to suspend our resolutions for the choice of a course in expectation of that extraordinary assurance since we may receive comfortable satisfaction to our souls without it by these ordinary means now mentioned For who need be scrupulous where all these concurre Thy Parents have from thy childhood destinated thee to some special course admit the Ministery and been at the care and charge to breed thee up in learning to make thee in some measure fit for it when thou art grown to some maturity of years and discretion thou findest in thy self a kind of desire to be doing someting that way in thy private study by way of tryal and withall some measure of knowledge discretion and utterance though perhaps not in such an eminent degree as thou couldest wish yet in such a competency as thou mayst reasonably perswade thy self thou mightest thereby be able with his blessing to doe some good to Gods people and not be altogether unprofitable in the Ministery In this so happy concurrence of Propension Abilities and Education make no farther enquiry doubt not of thine inward calling Tender thy self to those that have the power of Admission for thy outward calling which once obtained thou art certainly in thine own proper Course Up and be doing for the Lord hath called thee and no doubt the Lord will be with thee But say these three doe not concurre as oftentimes they doe not A man may be destinated by his friends and accordingly bred out of some covetous or ambitious or other corrupt respect to some Calling wherefrom he may be altogether averse and whereto altogether unfit as we see some Parents that have the donations or advocations of Church livings in their hands must needs have some of their Children and for the most part they set by the most untoward and mis-shapen chip of the whole block to make timber for the Pulpit but some of their children they will have thrust into the Ministery though they have neither a head nor a heart for it Again a man may have good sufficiency in him for a Calling and yet out of a sloathfull desire of ease and liberty if it seem painfull or austere or an ambitious desire of eminency and reputation if it seem base and contemptible or some other secret corruption cannot set his mind that way as Salomon saith there may be A price in the hand of a fool to buy wisdom and yet the fool have no heart to it And divers other occurrents there may be and are to hinder his happy conjuncture of Nature Skill and Education Now in such Cases as these where our Education bendeth us one way our Inclination swayeth us another way and it may be our Gifts and Abilities lead us a third in this distraction what are we to doe which way to take what Calling to pitch upon In point of Conscience there can no more be given General Rules to meet with all Cases and regulate all difficulties than in point of Law there can be general Resolutions given to set an end to all sutes or provisions made to prevent all inconveniencies Particulars are infinite and various but Rules are not must not cannot be so He whose Case it is if he be not able to direct himself should doe well to take advice of his learned Counsel This we can readily doe in matters of Law for the quieting of our Estates why should we not doe it at least as readily in matter of Conscience for the quieting of our souls But yet for some light at least in the generality what if thou shouldest proceed thus First have an eye to thy Education and if it be possible to bring the rest that way do so rather than forsake it For besides that it would be some grief to thy Parents to whom thou shouldest be a comfort to have cast away so much charge as they have been at for thy education and some dishonour to them withall whom thou art bound by the law of God and Nature to honour to have their judgements so much slighted and their choice so little regarded by their child the very consideration of so much precious time as hath been spent in fitting thee to that course which would be almost all lost upon thy change should prevail with thee to try all possible means rather than forgoe it It were a thing indeed much to be wished that Parents and Friends and Guardians and all those other whatsoever that have the Education of young ones committed unto them all greedy desires to make their Children great all base penurious nigardnesse in saving their own purses all fond cherishing of their children in their humours all doting opinion of their forwardnesse and wit and towardlinesse all other corrupt partial affections whatsoever laid aside would out of the observation of their natural propensions and inclinations and of their particular abilities and defects frame them from the beginning to such courses as wherein they were likeliest to goe on with chearfulnesse and profit This indeed were to be wished but this is not alwaies done If it have not been so done to thee the fault is theirs that should have done it and not thine and thou art not able now to remedy that which is past and gone But as for thee and for the future if thy Parents have not done their part yet doe not thou forget thy duty if they have done one fault in making a bad choice doe not thou adde another in making a worse change disparage not their Iudgements by misliking neither gain-say their Wils by forsaking their choice upon every small incongruity with thine own Iudgement or Will If thine Inclination draw thee another way labour throughly to subdue thy nature therein Suspect thine own corruption Think this backwardness proceedeth not from true judgment in thee but issueth rather from the root of some carnal affection Consider thy years are green affections strong judgement unsetled Hope that this backwardnesse will grow off as years and stayednesse grow on Pray and endeavour that thou maist daily more and more wain thy affections from thine own bent and take liking to that
decree He spake the word and they were made he commanded and they were Created So in all their operations in actu secundo when they do at any time exercise those natural faculties and doe those Offices for which they were created all this is still done by the same powerfull word and decree of God He upholdeth all things by the word of his power As we read of bread so we often read in the Scriptures of the staff of bread God sometimes threatneth he will break the staff of bread What is that Bread indeed is the staff of our strength it is the very stay and prop of our lives if God break this staff and deny us bread we are gone But that is not all bread is our staff but what is the staff of bread Verily the Word of God blessing our bread and commanding it to feed us is the staff of this staff sustaining that vertue in the bread whereby it sustaineth us If God break this staff of bread if he withdraw his blessing from the bread if by his countermaund he inhibit or restrain the vertue of the bread we are as far to seek with bread as without it If sanctified with Gods word of blessing a little pulse and water hard and homely fare shall feed Daniel as fresh and fat and fair as the Kings dainties shall his Companions a cake and a cruse of water shall suffice Eliah nourishment enough to walk in the strength thereof forty daies and nights a few barly loaves and small fishes shall multiply to the satisfying of many thousands eat while they will But if Gods Word and Blessing be wanting the lean Kine may eat up the Fat and be as thin and hollow and ill-liking as before and we may as the Prophet Haggai speaketh eat much and not have enough drink our fills and not be filled This first degree of the Creatures sanctification by the word of God is a common and ordinary blessing upon the Creatures whereof as of the light and dew of Heaven the wicked partake as well as the godly and the thankless as the thankfull But there is a second degree also beyond this which is proper and peculiar to the Godly And that is when God not only by the word of his Power bestoweth a blessing upon the Creature but also causeth the Echo of that word to sound in our hearts by the voyce of his Holy spirit and giveth us a sensible taste of his goodness to us therein filling our hearts not only with that joy and gladness which ariseth from the experience of the effect viz. the refreshing of our natural strength but also joy and gladness more spiritual and sublime than that arising from the contemplation of the prime cause viz. the favour of God towards us in the face of his Son that which David calleth the light of his countenance For as it is the kind welcome at a Friends Table that maketh the chear good rather than the quaintness or variety of the dishes Super omnia vultus Accessere boni so as that a dinner of green herbs with love and kindness is better entertainment than a stalled Oxe with bad looks so the light of Gods favourable countenance shining upon us through these things is it which putteth more true gladness into our hearts than doth the corn and the wine and the oyle themselves or any other outward thing that we do or can partake Now this sanctified and holy and comfortable use of the Creatures ariseth also from the word of Gods decree even as the former degree did but not from the same decree That former issued from the decree of common providence and so belonged unto all as that Providence is common to all But this later degree proceedeth from that special word of Gods decree whereby for the merits of Christ Jesus the second Adam he removeth from the Creature that curse wherin it was wrapped through the sin of the first Adam And in this the wicked have no portion as being out of Christ so as they cannot partake of Gods Creatures with any solid or sound comfort and so the Creatures remain in this degree unsanctified unto them For this reason the Scriptures stile the Faithfull Primogenitos the first born as to whom belongeth a double portion and Haeredes mundi heirs of the world as if none but they had any good right thereunto And S. Paul deriveth our Title to the Creatures from God but by Christ All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods As if these things were none of theirs who are none of Christs And in the verse before my Text he saith of meats that God hath created them to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth as if those that wanted faith and saving knowledge did but usurp the bread they eat And indeed it is certain the wicked have not right to the Creatures of God in such ample sort as the Godly have A kind of Right they have and we may not deny it them given them by Gods unchangeable ordinance at the Creation which being a branch of that part of Gods Image in man which was of natural and not of supernatural grace might be and was foulely defaced by sin but was not neither could be wholly lost as hath been already in part declared A Right then they have but such a right as reaching barely to the use cannot afford unto the user true comfort or found peace of Conscience in such use of the Creatures For though nothing be in and of it self unclean for Every Creature of God is good yet to them that are unclean ex accidenti every Creature is unclean and polluted because it is not thus sanctified unto them by the Word of God And the very true cause of all this is the impurity of their hearts by reason of unbelief The Holy Ghost expresly assigneth this cause To the pure all things are pure but to them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and Conscience is defiled As a nasty Vessel sowreth all that is put into it so a Conscience not purified by faith casteth pollution upon the best of Gods Creatures But what is all this to the Text may some say or what to the point What is all this to the Duty of Thanksgiving Much every manner of way or else blame Saint Paul of impertinency whose discourse should be incoherent and unjoynted if what I have now last said were beside the Text. For since the sanctification of the Creature to our use dependeth upon the powerfull and good word of God blessing it unto us that duty must needs be necessary to a sanctified use of the Creature without which we can have no fair assurance unto our consciences that that word of blessing is proceeded out of the mouth of God
good concerning Israel in 22. 24. of Numbers In all which and sundry other instances wherein when there was intended before-hand so much evill to be done and there was withall in the parties such a forward desire and such solemn preparation to have it done and yet when all came to all so little or nothing was done of what was intended but rather the contrary it cannot first be imagined that such a stop should be made but by the powerful restraint of some superiour and over-ruling hand neither may we doubt in the second place that every such restraint by what second and subordinate means soever it be furthered is yet the proper work of God as proceeding from and guided by his Almighty and irresistible providence As for that which happened to Balaam that it was Gods doing the evidence is clear we have it from the mouth of two or three witnesses The Wisard himself confesseth it The Lord will not suffer me to go with you Num. 22. The King that set him on work upbraideth him with it I thought indeed to promote thee to great honour but lo the Lord hath kept thee back from honour Num. 24. And Moses would have Israel take knowledge of it The Lord thy God would not harken unto Balaam but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing because the Lord thy God loved thee Deut. 23. It was God then that turned Balaams curse into a blessing and it was the same God that turned Labans revengeful thoughts into a friendly Expostulation and it was the same God that turned Esaus inveterate malice into a kinde brotherly congratulation He that hath set bounds to the Sea which though the waves thereof rage horribly they cannot pass Hitherto shalt thou go and here shalt thou stay thy proud waves and did command the waters of the Red Sea to stay their course and stand up as on heaps and by his power could enforce the waters of the River Iordan to run quite against the current up the Channel he hath in his hands and at his command the hearts of all the sons of men yea though they be the greatest Kings and Monarchs in the world as the Rivers of waters and can winde and turn them at his pleasure inclining them which way soever he will The fiercenesse of man shall turn to thy praise saith David in Ps. 76.10 and the fiercenesse of them shalt thou retain the latter clause of the verse is very significant in the Original and cometh home to our purpose as if we should translate it Thou shalt gird the remainder of their wrath or of their fiercenesse The meaning is this Suppose a mans heart be never so full fraught with envie hatred malice wrath and revenge let him be as fierce furious as is possible God may indeed suffer him and he will suffer him to exercise so much of his corruption and proceed so far in his fiercenesse as he seeth expedient and usefull for the forwarding of other his secret and just and holy appointments and so order the sinful fiercenesse of man by his wonderful providence as to make it serviceable to his ends and to turn it to his glory but look whatsoever wrath and fiercenesse there is in the heart of a man over and above so much as will serve for those his eternall purposes all that surplusage that overplus and remainder whatsoever it be he will gird he will so binde and hamper and restrain him that he shall not be able to go an inch beyond his â—eâ—der though he would fret his heart out The fiercenesse of man shall turn to thy praise so much of it as he doth execute and the remainder of their fiercenesse thou shalt refrain that they execute it not Be he never so great a Prince or have he never so great a spirit all is one he must come under No difference with God in this betwixt him that sitteth on the Throne and her that grindeth at the Mill He shall refrain the spirit of Princes and is wonderfull among the Kings of the earth in the last vers of that Psalm Now of the truth of all that hath been hitherto spoken in both these branches of the Observation viz. that first there is a restraint of evill and then secondly that this restraint is from God I know not any thing can give us better assurance taking them both together than to consider the generality and strength of our Natural corruption General it is first in regard of the Persons overspreading the whole lump of our nature there is not a childe of Adam free from the common infection They are all corrupt they are altogether become abominable there is none that doth good no not one General secondly in regard of the subject over-running the whole man soul and body with all the parts and powers of either so as from the sole of the foot to the crown of the head there is no whole part Whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh and To them that are defiled and unbeleeving nothing is pure but even their minde and Conscience is defiled and All the imaginations of the thoughts of their hearts are only evil continually General thirdly in regard of the object averse from all kinde of good In me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing and prone to all kinde of evil He hath set himself in no good way neither doth he abhorre any thing that is evill Adde to this generality the strength also of our corruption how vigorous and stirring and active it is and how it carrieth us headlongly with full speed into all manner of evill As the horse rusheth into the battell so as we have no hold of our selves neither power to stay our selves till we have run as far as we can and without the mercy of God plunged our selves into the bottome of the bottomlesse pit Lay all this together and there can be no other sufficient reason given than this restraint whereof we now speak why any one man should at any one time refrain from any one sin being tempted thereunto whereinto any other man at any other time hath fallen being alike tempted Every man would kill his brother as Cain did Abel and every man defile his sister as Amnon did Thamâ—r and every man oppresse his inferiour as Ahab did Naboth and every man supplant his betters as Zâ—bah did Mâ—phâ—bosheth and every man betray his Master as Iudas did Christ every man being as deep in the loynes of Adam as either Cain or Iudas or any of the rest Their nature was not more corrupt than ours neither ours lesse corrupt than theirs and therefore every one of us should have done those things as well as any one of them if there had not been something without and above nature to withhold us and keep us back therefrom when we were tempted
they of his own house Let not any man then that hath either Religion or Honesty have any thing to do with that man at least let him not trust him more than needs he must that is an Enemy either to Religion or Honesty So far as common Humanity and the necessities of our lawful Occasions and Callings do require we may have to do with them and rest upon the good providence of God for the success of our affairs even in their hands not doubting but that God will both restrain them from doing us harm and dispose them to do us good so far as he shall see expedient for us but then this is not to trust them but to trust God with them But for us to put our selves needlesly into their hands and to hazard our safety upon their faithfulness by way of trust there is neither wisdom in it nor warrant for it Although God may do it yet we have no reason to presume that he will restrain them for our sakes when we might have prevented it our selves and would not and this we are sure of that nothing in the world can preserve us from receiving mischief from them unless God do restrain them Therefore trust them not Thirdly if at any time we see wickedness set aloft bad men grow to be great or great men shew themselves bad sinning with an high hand and an arm stretched out and God seemeth to strengthen their hand by adding to their greatness and encreasing their power if we see the wicked devouring the man that is more righteous than he and God hold his tongue the whilest if we see the ungodly course it up and down at pleasure which way soever the lust of their corrupt heart carryeth them without controul like a wilde untamed Colt in a spacious field God as it were laying the rains in the neck and letting them run in a word when we see the whole world out of frame and order we may yet frame our selves to a godly patience and sustain our hearts amid all these evils with this comfort and consideration that still God keepeth the rains in his own hands and when he seeth his time and so far as he seeth it good he both can and will check and controul and restrain them at his pleasure as the cunning Rider sometimes giveth a fiery horse head and letteth him fling and run as if he were mad he knoweth he can give him the stop when he list The great Leviathans that take their pastime in the Sea and with a little stirring of themselves can make the deep to boyl like a pot and cause a path to shine after them as they go he can play with them as children do with a bird he suffereth them to swallow his hook and to play upon the line and to roll and tumble them in the waters but anon he striketh the hook through their noses and fetcheth them up and layeth them upon the shore there to beat themselves without help or remedy exposed to nothing but shame and contempt What then if God suffer those that hate him to prosper for the time and in their prosperity to Lord it over his heritage What if Princes should sit and speak against us without a cause as it was sometimes Davids case Let us not free at the injuries nor envy at the greatness of any let us rather betake us to Davids refuge to be occupied in the statutes and to meditate in the holy Word of God In that holy Word we are taught that the hearts even of Kings how much more then of inferiour persons are in his rule and governance and that he doth dispose and turn them as seemeth best to his godly wisdom that he can refrain the spirit of Princes binde Kings in chains and Nobles in links of Iron and though they rage furiously at it and lay their heads together in consultation how to break his bands and cast away his cords from theÌ„ yet they imagin but a vain thing whilst they strive against him on earth he laugheth them to scorn in heaven and maugre all opposition will establish the Kingdom of his Christ and protect his people Say then the great ones of the world exercise their power over us and lay what restraints they can upon us our comfort is they have not greater power over us than God hath over them nor can they so much restrain the meanest of us but God can restrain the greatest of them much more Say our enemies curse us with Bell Book and Candle our comfort is God is able to return the curse upon their own heads and in despight of them too turn it into a blessing upon us Say they make warlike preparations against us to invade us our comfort is God can break the Ships of Tarshish and scatter the most invincible Armadoes Say they that hate us be more in number than the hairs of our head our comfort is the very hairs of our head are numbred with him and without his sufferance not the least hair of our heads shall perish Say to imagine the worst that our Enemies should prevail against us and they that hate us should be Lords over us for the time our comfort is â—e that loveth us is Lord over them and can bring them under us again when he seeth time In all our fears in all our dangers in all our distresses our comfort is that God can do all this for us our care should be by our holy obedience to strengthen our interest in his protection and not to make him a stranger from us yea an enemy unto us by our sins and impenitency that so we may have yet more comfort in a cheerful confidence that God will do all this for us The Assyrian whose ambition it was to be the Catholick King and universal Monarch of the world stiling himself the Great King thus saith the Great King the King of Assyria when he had sent messengers to revile Israel and an Army to besiege and destroy Ierusalem yet for all his rage he could do them no harm the Lord brought down the stout heart of the King of Assyria put a hook in his nose and a bridle in his lips and made him return back by the way by which he came without taking the City or so much as casting a bank or shooting an arrow against it Nay he that is indeed the great King over all the children of pride and hath better title to the stile of most Catholick King than any that ever yet bare it whose Territories are large as the Earth and spacious as the Air I mean the Devil the Prince of this world he is so fettered with the chain of Gods power and providence that he is not able with all his might and malice no not though he raise his whole forces and muster up all the powers of darkness and